Noble Argentina ISO Certified

NEW YORK - Jan 11/06 - SNS -- Noble Argentina S.A. has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification by BVQI, the worldwide leader in certification services, for its high standards in reception, storage and loading of grains and oil seeds in bulk through it's Lima Port.

Noble Argentina has recently extended its long term lease with "exclusivity of use" of Lima Port which began in 2001. Located in the heart of the grain belt, this private terminal is strategically situated 100 km north of Buenos Aires over the Parana River at the southernmost point of the "Upriver" area. This tactical location minimizes the cost of land and sea transportation.

Noble Argentina, in cooperation with The International Finance Corp., the World Bank's private-sector financing arm, also plans to certify Timbúes, the grain export terminal they are building in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Timbues Port, the US 51.2 million complex, will have a storage capacity of 120,000 tons and will be able to accommodate a throughput of about 2.5 million tons of grain per year, consisting mainly of exports of wheat, corn and soybeans. Construction began in late February 2005 and is slated for competition by July 2006 with initial operations commencing in March.