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EXHIBIT 10.C
GUARANTEE
GUARANTEE, dated as of August 28, 1998, made by EL PASO ENERGY
CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the "Guarantor"), in favor of THE CHASE
MANHATTAN BANK, as Administrative Agent (in such capacity, the "Administrative
Agent") for the several banks and other financial institutions (the "Lenders")
from time to time parties to the $750,000,000, 364-Day Revolving Credit and
Competitive Advance Facility Agreement, dated as of October 29, 1997 (as
amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the "Credit
Agreement"), among El Paso Natural Gas Company, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company,
the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, The Chase Manhattan Bank, as CAF Advance
Agent, Citibank, N.A., as Documentation Agent, and Xxxxxx Guaranty Trust
Company, as Syndication Agent.
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders have
severally agreed to make Advances to the Borrowers upon the terms and subject to
the conditions set forth therein, to be evidenced by the Notes issued by the
Borrowers under the Credit Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Guarantor has been established for the purpose of
holding, and currently holds, 100% of the common stock of EPNGC and EPTPC, and
it is to the advantage of Guarantor that the Lenders make Advances to the
Borrowers; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5.1(g) of the Credit Agreement,
the Borrowers have covenanted to cause the Guarantor, upon its formation, to
execute and deliver this Guarantee to the Administrative Agent for the ratable
benefit of the Lenders;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises contained
herein and of the commitments of the Lenders to make their respective Advances
to the Borrowers under the Credit Agreement, the Guarantor hereby agrees with
the Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as follows:
1. Defined Terms. (a) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms
defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to
them in the Credit Agreement and the following terms shall have the following
meanings.
"Contractual Obligation" as to any Person, means any provision
of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other
undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its
property is bound.
"Governmental Authority" means any nation or government, any
state or other political subdivision thereof and any entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or
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administrative functions of or pertaining to government.
"Obligations" means the collective reference to the unpaid
principal of and interest on the Advances and the Notes and all other financial
liabilities of the Borrowers to the Administrative Agent, the CAF Advance Agent
and the Lenders (including, without limitation, interest accruing at the then
applicable rate provided in the Credit Agreement after the maturity of the
Advances and interest accruing at the then applicable rate provided in the
Credit Agreement after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy, or the
commencement of any insolvency, reorganization or like proceeding, relating to
any Borrower whether or not a claim for post-filing or post-petition interest is
allowed in such proceeding), whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent,
due or to become due, or now existing or hereafter incurred, which may arise
under, out of, or in connection with, the Credit Agreement or the Notes, in each
case whether on account of principal, interest, reimbursement obligations, fees,
indemnities, costs, expenses or otherwise (including, without limitation, all
fees and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent, the CAF Advance
Agent or to the Lenders that are required to be paid by any Borrower pursuant to
the terms of the Credit Agreement or this Agreement).
"Requirement of Law" as to any Person, means the certificate
of incorporation and by-laws or other organizational or governing documents of
such Person, and any law, treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an
arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority, in each case applicable
to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or
any of its property is subject
(b) The words "hereof," "herein" and "hereunder" and words of
similar import when used in this Guarantee shall refer to this Guarantee as a
whole and not to any particular provision of this Guarantee, and Section and
paragraph references are to this Guarantee unless otherwise specified.
(c) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be
equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.
2. Guarantee. (a) The Guarantor hereby unconditionally and
irrevocably guarantees to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of
the Lenders and their respective successors, indorsees, transferees and assigns,
the prompt and complete payment by the Borrowers when due (whether at the stated
maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations.
(b) The Guarantor further agrees to pay any and all expenses
(including, without limitation, all fees and disbursements of counsel) which may
be paid or incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in enforcing, or
obtaining advice of counsel in respect of, any rights with respect to, or
collecting, any or all of the Obligations and/or enforcing any rights with
respect to, or collecting against, the Guarantor under this Guarantee. This
Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect until the Obligations are paid
in full and the Commitments are terminated, notwithstanding that from time to
time prior thereto any or all Borrowers may be free from any Obligations.
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(c) No payment or payments made by any Borrower or any other
Person or received or collected by the Administrative Agent or any Lender from
any Borrower or any other Person by virtue of any action or proceeding or any
set-off or appropriation or application, at any time or from time to time, in
reduction of or in payment of the Obligations shall be deemed to modify, reduce,
release or otherwise affect the liability of the Guarantor hereunder, which
shall, notwithstanding any such payment or payments (other than payments made by
the Guarantor in respect of the Obligations or payments received or collected
from the Guarantor in respect of the Obligations), remain liable for the
Obligations until the Obligations are paid in full and the Commitments are
terminated.
(d) The Guarantor agrees that whenever, at any time, or from
time to time, it shall make any payment to the Administrative Agent or any
Lender on account of its liability hereunder, it will notify the Administrative
Agent and such Lender in writing that such payment is made under this Guarantee
for such purpose.
3. Right of Set-off. Upon the occurrence and continuance of
any Event of Default, the Administrative Agent and each Lender is hereby
irrevocably authorized at any time and from time to time without notice to the
Guarantor, any such notice being expressly waived by the Guarantor, to set off
and appropriate and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or
demand, provisional or final), in any currency, and any other credits,
indebtedness or claims, in any currency, in each case whether direct or
indirect, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, at any time held or
owing by the Administrative Agent or such Lender to or for the credit or the
account of the Guarantor, or any part thereof in such amounts as the
Administrative Agent or such Lender may elect, against or on account of the
obligations and liabilities of the Guarantor to the Administrative Agent or such
Lender hereunder and claims of every nature and description of the
Administrative Agent or such Lender against the Guarantor, in any currency,
whether arising hereunder, or under the Credit Agreement, or any Note, as the
Administrative Agent or such Lender may elect, whether or not the Administrative
Agent or such Lender has made any demand for payment and although such
obligations, liabilities and claims may be contingent or unmatured. The
Administrative Agent and each Lender shall notify the Guarantor promptly of any
such set-off and the application made by the Administrative Agent or such
Lender, as the case may be, of the proceeds thereof; provided that the failure
to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and
application. The rights of the Administrative Agent and each Lender under this
paragraph are in addition to other rights and remedies (including, without
limitation, other rights of set-off) which the Administrative Agent or such
Lender may have.
4. No Subrogation. Notwithstanding any payment or payments
made by the Guarantor hereunder, or any set-off or application of funds of the
Guarantor by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, the Guarantor shall not be
entitled to be subrogated to any of the rights of the Administrative Agent or
any Lender against the Borrowers or against any collateral security or guarantee
or right of offset held by the Administrative Agent or any Lender for the
payment of the Obligations, nor shall the Guarantor seek or be entitled to seek
any contribution or reimbursement from the Borrowers in respect of payments made
by the Guarantor
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hereunder, until all amounts owing to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
by the Borrowers on account of the Obligations are paid in full and the
Commitments are terminated. If any amount shall be paid to the Guarantor on
account of such subrogation rights at any time when all of the Obligations shall
not have been paid in full, such amount shall be held by the Guarantor in trust
for the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, segregated from other funds of the
Guarantor, and shall, forthwith upon receipt by the Guarantor, be turned over to
the Administrative Agent in the exact form received by the Guarantor (duly
indorsed by the Guarantor to the Administrative Agent, if required), to be
applied against the Obligations, whether matured or unmatured, in such order as
the Administrative Agent may determine.
5. Amendments, etc. with respect to the Obligations; Waiver of
Rights. The Guarantor shall remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that,
without any reservation of rights against the Guarantor, and without notice to
or further assent by the Guarantor, any demand for payment of any of the
Obligations made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender may be rescinded by
the Administrative Agent or such Lender, and any of the Obligations continued,
and the Obligations, or the liability of any other party upon or for any part
thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee therefor or right of offset
with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or in part, be renewed,
extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived, surrendered or
released by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, and the Credit Agreement,
any Notes and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith
may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated, in whole or in part, as
the Administrative Agent (or the Majority Lenders, as the case may be) may deem
advisable from time to time, and any collateral security, guarantee or right of
offset at any time held by the Administrative Agent or any Lender for the
payment of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived, surrendered or
released. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall have any
obligation to protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it
as security for the Obligations or for this Guarantee or any property subject
thereto. When making any demand hereunder against the Guarantor, the
Administrative Agent or any Lender may, but shall be under no obligation to,
make a similar demand on any Borrower or any other guarantor, and any failure by
the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make any such demand or to collect any
payments from any Borrower or any such other guarantor or any release of any
Borrower or such other guarantor shall not relieve the Guarantor of its
obligations or liabilities hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights
and remedies, express or implied, or as a matter of law, of the Administrative
Agent or any Lender against the Guarantor. For the purposes hereof "demand"
shall include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.
6. Guarantee Absolute and Unconditional. The Guarantor waives
any and all notice of the creation, renewal, extension or accrual of any of the
Obligations and notice of or proof of reliance by the Administrative Agent or
any Lender upon this Guarantee or acceptance of this Guarantee; the Obligations,
and any of them, shall conclusively be deemed to have been created, contracted
or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended or waived, in reliance upon this
Guarantee; and all dealings between the Borrowers or the Guarantor, on the one
hand, and the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, on the other, shall likewise
be conclusively presumed to have been had or consummated in reliance upon this
Guarantee. The Guarantor waives diligence, presentment, protest, demand for
payment and notice of default or nonpayment to or upon any
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Borrower or the Guarantor with respect to the Obligations. This Guarantee shall
be construed as a continuing, absolute and unconditional guarantee of payment
without regard to (a) the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Credit
Agreement, any Note, any of the Obligations or any other collateral security
therefor or guarantee or right of offset with respect thereto at any time or
from time to time held by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, (b) any
defense, set-off or counterclaim (other than a defense of payment or
performance) which may at any time be available to or be asserted by any
Borrower against the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or (c) any other
circumstance whatsoever (with or without notice to or knowledge of any Borrower
or the Guarantor) which constitutes, or might be construed to constitute, an
equitable or legal discharge of any Borrower for the Obligations, or of the
Guarantor under this Guarantee, in bankruptcy or in any other instance. When
pursuing its rights and remedies hereunder against the Guarantor, the
Administrative Agent and any Lender may, but shall be under no obligation to,
pursue such rights and remedies as it may have against any Borrower or any other
Person or against any collateral security or guarantee for the Obligations or
any right of offset with respect thereto, and any failure by the Administrative
Agent or any Lender to pursue such other rights or remedies or to collect any
payments from any Borrower or any such other Person or to realize upon any such
collateral security or guarantee or to exercise any such right of offset, or any
release of any Borrower or any such other Person or of any such collateral
security, guarantee or right of offset, shall not relieve the Guarantor of any
liability hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies,
whether express, implied or available as a matter of law, of the Administrative
Agent or any Lender against the Guarantor. This Guarantee shall remain in full
force and effect and be binding in accordance with and to the extent of its
terms upon the Guarantor and its successors and assigns thereof, and shall inure
to the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and their respective
successors, indorsees, transferees and assigns, until all the Obligations and
the obligations of the Guarantor under this Guarantee shall have been satisfied
by payment in full and the Commitments shall be terminated, notwithstanding that
from time to time during the term of the Credit Agreement any Borrower may be
free from any Obligations.
7. Reinstatement. This Guarantee shall continue to be
effective, or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any
part thereof, of any of the Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be
restored or returned by the Administrative Agent or any Lender upon the
insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of any
Borrower or upon or as a result of the appointment of a receiver, intervenor or
conservator of, or trustee or similar officer for, any Borrower or any
substantial part of its property, or otherwise, all as though such payments had
not been made.
8. Payments. The Guarantor hereby agrees that the Obligations
will be paid to the Administrative Agent without set-off or counterclaim in U.S.
Dollars at the office of the Administrative Agent located at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000.
9. Representations and Warranties. The Guarantor represents
and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:
(a) the Guarantor is a corporation duly organized, validly
existing and in good
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standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the
corporate power and authority and the legal right to own and operate its
property, to lease the property it operates and to conduct the business in which
it is currently engaged;
(b) the Guarantor has the corporate power and authority and
the legal right to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under,
this Guarantee, and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize its
execution, delivery and performance of this Guarantee;
(c) this Guarantee constitutes a legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Guarantor enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as
affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization,
moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of
creditors' rights generally, general equitable principles and an implied
covenant of good faith and fair dealing;
(d) the execution, delivery and performance of this Guarantee
will not violate any provision of any Requirement of Law or Contractual
Obligation of the Guarantor and will not result in or require the creation or
imposition of any Lien on any of the properties or revenues of the Guarantor
pursuant to any Requirement of Law or Contractual Obligation of the Guarantor;
(e) no consent or authorization of, filing with, or other act
by or in respect of, any arbitrator or Governmental Authority and no consent of
any other Person (including, without limitation, any stockholder or creditor of
the Guarantor) is required in connection with the execution, delivery,
performance, validity or enforceability of this Guarantee; and
(f) there is no action, suit or proceeding pending or, to the
knowledge of the Guarantor, threatened, against or involving the Guarantor or
against any of its properties or revenues in any court or before any arbitrator
of any kind, or before any Governmental Authority, (1) with respect to this
Guarantee or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, or (2) which in the
reasonable judgment of the Guarantor (taking into account the exhaustion of all
appeals) has any reasonable likelihood of having a material adverse effect on
the financial condition or operations of the Guarantor and its consolidated
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The Guarantor agrees that the foregoing representations and
warranties shall be deemed to have been made by the Guarantor on the date of
each borrowing by any Borrower under the Credit Agreement on and as of such date
of borrowing as though made hereunder on and as of such date.
10. Authority of Administrative Agent. The Guarantor
acknowledges that the rights and responsibilities of the Administrative Agent
under this Guarantee with respect to any action taken by the Administrative
Agent or the exercise or non-exercise by the Administrative Agent of any option,
right, request, judgment or other right or remedy provided for herein or
resulting or arising out of this Guarantee shall, as between the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders, be governed by the Credit Agreement and by such other
agreements with respect thereto as may exist from time to time among them, but,
as between the Administrative Agent and the Guarantor, the Administrative Agent
shall be conclusively presumed to be acting as agent for the
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Lenders with full and valid authority so to act or refrain from acting, and the
Guarantor shall not be under any obligation, or entitlement, to make any inquiry
respecting such authority.
11. Notices. All notices, requests and demands to or upon the
Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Guarantor to be effective shall be in
writing (including telecopier and other readable communication) and mailed by
certified mail, return receipt requested, telecopied or otherwise transmitted or
delivered.
(a) if to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, at its
address or transmission number for notices provided in Section 9.2 of the Credit
Agreement; and
(b) if to the Guarantor, at its address or transmission number
for notices set forth under its signature below.
All such notices and communications shall, if so mailed,
telecopied or otherwise transmitted, be effective when received, if mailed, or
when the appropriate answerback or other evidence of receipt is given, if
telecopied or otherwise transmitted. The Administrative Agent, each Lender and
the Guarantor may change its address and transmission numbers for notices by
notice in the manner provided in this Section.
12. Severability. Any provision of this Guarantee which is
prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction,
be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without
invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or
unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render
unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
13. Integration. This Guarantee represents the agreement of
the Guarantor with respect to the subject matter hereof and there are no
promises or representations by the Administrative Agent or any Lender relative
to the subject matter hereof not reflected herein.
14. Amendments in Writing; No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. (a)
None of the terms or provisions of this Guarantee may be waived, amended,
supplemented or otherwise modified except by a written instrument executed by
the Guarantor and the Administrative Agent, provided that any provision of this
Guarantee may be waived by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in a letter
or agreement executed by the Administrative Agent or by telex or facsimile
transmission from the Administrative Agent.
(b) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall by
any act (except by a written instrument pursuant to paragraph 0 hereof), delay,
indulgence, omission or otherwise be deemed to have waived any right or remedy
hereunder or to have acquiesced in any Default or Event of Default or in any
breach of any of the terms and conditions hereof. No failure to exercise, nor
any delay in exercising, on the part of the Administrative Agent or any Lender,
any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No
single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right, power or privilege. A waiver by the Administrative Agent or any
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Lender of any right or remedy hereunder on any one occasion shall not be
construed as a bar to any right or remedy which the Administrative Agent or such
Lender would otherwise have on any future occasion.
(c) The rights and remedies herein provided are cumulative,
may be exercised singly or concurrently and are not exclusive of any other
rights or remedies provided by law.
15. Section Headings. The Section headings used in this
Guarantee are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect the
construction hereof or be taken into consideration in the interpretation hereof.
16. Successors and Assigns. This Guarantee shall be binding
upon the successors and assigns of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit
of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and their successors and assigns.
17. Governing Law. PURSUANT TO SECTION 5-1401 OF THE GENERAL
OBLIGATIONS LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, THIS GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY,
AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK.
18. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Guarantor hereby irrevocably
submits to the jurisdiction of any New York State or Federal court sitting in
New York City and any appellate court from any thereof in any action or
proceeding by the Administrative Agent, the CAF Advance Agent, any Lender or the
holder of any Note in respect of, but only in respect of, any claims or causes
of action arising out of or relating to this Guarantee (such claims and causes
of action, collectively, being "Permitted Claims"), and the Guarantor hereby
irrevocably agrees that all Permitted Claims may be heard and determined in such
New York State court or in such Federal court. The Guarantor hereby irrevocably
waives, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so, the defense of an
inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any
aforementioned court in respect of Permitted Claims. The Guarantor hereby
irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System (the "Process Agent"), with an office
on the date hereof at 0000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, as its agent to
receive on behalf of the Guarantor and its property service of copies of the
summons and complaint and any other process which may be served by the
Administrative Agent, any Lender or the holder of any Note in any such action or
proceeding in any aforementioned court in respect of Permitted Claims. Such
service may be made by delivering a copy of such process to the Guarantor by
courier and by certified mail (return receipt requested), fees and postage
prepaid, both (i) in care of the Process Agent at the Process Agent's above
address and (ii) at the Guarantor's address set forth under its signature below,
and the Guarantor hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Process Agent to
accept such service on its behalf. The Guarantor agrees that a final judgment in
any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other
jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.
The Guarantor hereby agrees to cause the Process Agent to deliver to the
Administrative Agent by the Closing Date a letter from the Process Agent
agreeing to act as Process Agent for the Guarantor.
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(b) Nothing in this Section 18 (i) shall affect the right of
any Lender, the holder of any Note or the Administrative Agent or the CAF
Advance Agent to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law or
affect any right otherwise existing of any Lender, the holder of any Note or the
Administrative Agent or the CAF Advance Agent to bring any action or proceeding
against the Guarantor or its property in the courts of other jurisdictions or
(ii) shall be deemed to be a general consent to jurisdiction in any particular
court or a general waiver of any defense or a consent to jurisdiction of the
courts expressly referred to in subsection (a) above in any action or proceeding
in respect of any claim or cause of action other than Permitted Claims.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Guarantee
to be duly executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer as of the day
and year first above written.
EL PASO ENERGY CORPORATION
By: /s/ H. Xxxxx Xxxxxx
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Title: Executive Vice President
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Address for Notices:
0000 Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Tel: 000-000-0000
Fax: 000-000-0000
