6,100,000 Shares VENOCO, INC. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

6,100,000 Shares

Common Stock

June 27, 2007

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10010-3629

Dear Sirs:

1. Introductory. Venoco, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company”), agrees with the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (“Underwriters”), for whom you, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) and Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. (“Xxxxxx Brothers”), are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), to issue and sell to the several Underwriters 6,100,000 shares (“Firm Securities”) of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Securities”). The Company also proposes to sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than 915,000 additional shares of Securities (“Optional Securities”), as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities”.

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:

(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-143254), including a related prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, which has become effective. “Registration Statement” at any particular time means such registration statement in the form then filed with the Commission, including any amendment thereto, any document incorporated by reference therein and all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to such registration statement, that in any case has not been superseded or modified. “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the Effective Time. For purposes of this definition, 430B Information shall be considered to be included in the Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430B.

For purposes of this Agreement:

“430B Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(e) or retroactively deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(f).

“430C Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430C.

“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Applicable Time” means 9:30 A.M. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.

“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3 hereof.

“Commission” has the meaning defined in Section 2(a)(i).

“Effective Time” of the Registration Statement relating to the Offered Securities means the time of the first contract of sale for the Offered Securities.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430B Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.

“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so specified in Schedule B to this Agreement.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.

“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange Rules”).

“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to any particular time means the prospectus relating to the Offered Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to the Registration Statement.

Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.

(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (A) (1) At the time the Registration Statement initially became effective, (2) at the time of each amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether by post-effective amendment, incorporated report or form of prospectus), (3) at the Effective Time relating to the Offered Securities and (4) on the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, not misleading and (B) (1) on its date, (2) at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and (3) on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 9(b) hereof.

(c) Shelf Registration Statement. The date of this Agreement is not more than three years subsequent to the more recent of the initial effective time of the Registration Statement or December 1, 2005. If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the more recent of the initial effective time of the Registration Statement or December 1, 2005, any of the Offered Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will prior to that third anniversary file, if it has not already done so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after that third anniversary, and will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Offered Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Offered Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new shelf registration statement.

(d) Ineligible Issuer Status. (A) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Offered Securities and (B) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (1) the Company or any other subsidiary in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (2) the Company in the preceding three years not having

been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.

(e) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated June 19, 2007, including the base prospectus dated June 15, 2007 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this Agreement included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together with the documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (B) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(b) hereof.

(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies Credit Suisse and Xxxxxx Brothers as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (A) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify Credit Suisse and Xxxxxx Brothers and (B) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(g) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except, in each case, as would not,

individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operation, stockholders’ equity, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).

(h) Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly formed or incorporated and is existing as a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation or incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and each subsidiary of the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the organizational documents of each subsidiary and, in the case of subsidiaries that are corporations, are fully paid and nonassessable; and, except for such liens, encumbrances or defects described in the General Disclosure Package as securing the Company’s obligations under the revolving credit agreement, the second lien term loan facility and the senior notes, the equity interests of each subsidiary owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, is owned free from liens, encumbrances and defects.

(i) Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package; all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are, and, when the Offered Securities have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will have been, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will conform to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Securities; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder.

(j) No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.

(k) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “registration rights”), and any person to whom the

Company has granted registration rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period referred to in Section 6 hereof.

(l) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities by the Company, except (A) such as have been obtained or made, (B) such as may be required under state securities laws and (C) the filing of the Final Prospectus with the Commission.

(m) Title to Property. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has (A) legal, valid and defensible title to substantially all of the interests in oil and gas properties underlying the estimates of its net proved reserves contained in the General Disclosure Package, (B) good and marketable title to all other real property owned by the Company and (C) good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the General Disclosure Package or such as do not materially affect the value of the property of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; all real property and buildings held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The working interests derived from oil, gas and mineral leases or mineral interests which constitute a portion of the real property held or leased by the Company or any of its subsidiaries reflect in all material respects the right of the Company and its subsidiaries to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons from such real property, and the care taken by the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to acquiring or otherwise procuring such leases, options to lease, drilling rights and concessions or other property interests was generally consistent with standard industry practices in the areas in which the Company or its subsidiaries operate for acquiring or procuring leases and interests therein to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons.

(n) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, or (iii) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, except, in the case of (ii) and (iii) above, for any such breach or violation that could not have a Material Adverse Effect. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means

any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(o) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its respective charter or by-laws or in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except such defaults that could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(p) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(q) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its subsidiaries possess, and are in compliance in all material respects with the terms of, all certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits (“Licenses”) material to the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as now conducted or proposed in the General Disclosure Package to be conducted by them and have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; provided that Licenses required or obtained by the Company or its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws are covered exclusively by Section 2(t) below.

(r) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that, in any such case, could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(s) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them except where the lack thereof could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and have not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, (A)(1) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or has any

liability under, any federal, state, local or non-U.S. statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, other requirement or rule of law currently in effect (including common law), or decision or order of any domestic or foreign governmental agency, governmental body or court, relating to pollution, to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, discharge, disposal or release of Hazardous Substances, to the protection or restoration of the environment or natural resources (including biota), to health and safety including as such relates to exposure to Hazardous Substances, and to natural resource damages (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (2) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns, occupies, operates or uses any real property contaminated with Hazardous Substances in violation of, or in a manner that could give rise to liability under, any Environmental Laws, (3) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is conducting or funding any investigation, remediation, remedial action or monitoring of actual or suspected Hazardous Substances into the environment, (4) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is liable or allegedly liable for any release or threatened release of Hazardous Substances, including at any off-site treatment, storage or disposal site, (5) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is subject to any claim by any governmental agency or governmental body or person relating to Environmental Laws or Hazardous Substances, and (6) the Company and its subsidiaries have received and are in compliance with all, and have no liability under any, permits, licenses, authorizations, identification numbers or other approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, except in each case covered by clauses (1) – (6) such as would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) to the knowledge of the Company there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to result in a violation of, or liability under, or claim pursuant to any Environmental Law that would have a Material Adverse Effect; (C) to the knowledge of the Company there are no requirements proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (D) in the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically evaluates the effect, including associated costs and liabilities, of Environmental Laws on the business, properties, results of operations and financial condition of it and its subsidiaries, and, on the basis of such evaluation, the Company has reasonably concluded that, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, compliance with such Environmental Laws as are currently in effect could not reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this subsection “Hazardous Substances” means (x) petroleum and petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and mold, and (y) any other chemical, material or substance defined or regulated as toxic or hazardous or as a pollutant, contaminant or waste under Environmental Laws.

(u) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the headings “Description of Capital Stock”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and “Material United States Federal Income and Estate Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders”, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters and present the information required to be shown.

(v) Absence of Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

(w) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, a Statutory Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.

(x) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company, its subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance in all material respects with the provisions of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and Exchange Rules that are currently applicable to them. The Company maintains a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with applicable Securities Laws and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. General Accepted Accounting Principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (E) the Company has adopted corporate governance guidelines with which it is in substantial compliance. The Internal Controls are overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, since the date of the most recent audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package, the Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or the Board (1) any violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, (2)(x) a significant deficiency, material weakness or change in Internal Controls or (y) fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls (each in this clause (2), an “Internal Control Event”) or (3) any other matter, which violation or failure, Internal Control Event or any other matter, if determined adversely to the Company, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(y) Absence of Accounting Issues. A member of the Audit Committee has confirmed to the Chief Financial Officer that, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Audit Committee is not investigating, and neither the Company’s independent auditors nor its internal auditors have recommended that the Audit Committee investigate, (A) adding to, deleting, changing the application of, or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies that could be materially adverse to the Company; (B) any matter which could result in a material restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior three fiscal

years; or (C) any Internal Control Event specified in Section 2(x)(2)(y) above or any other Internal Control Event that could have a Material Adverse Effect.

(z) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or, to the Company’s knowledge, affecting the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated.

(aa) Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis.

(bb) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package (A) there has been no change, nor any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), stockholders’ equity, results of operations, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole that is material and adverse, (B) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock and (C) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its subsidiaries.

(cc) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”).

(dd) Ratings. No “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) (i) has imposed (or has informed the Company that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial or otherwise) on the Company’s retaining any rating assigned to the Company or any securities of the Company or (ii) has indicated to the Company that it is considering any of the actions described in Section 8(d)(ii) hereof.

(ee) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with the applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering laws of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court of governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(ff) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect); and, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its subsidiaries have paid all taxes (including any assessments, fines or penalties) required to be paid by them, except for any such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties currently being contested in good faith or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(gg) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks for the conduct of their business and the value of their respective properties as is customary for similarly situated companies in the oil and gas industry; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (A) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that material capital improvements or other material expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (B) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.

(hh) Reserve Report Data. The information underlying the estimates of the proved reserves of the Company and each of its subsidiaries that was supplied by the Company and/or its subsidiaries to Netherland, Xxxxxx & Associates, Inc. (“NSAI”) and XxXxxxxx & XxXxxxxxxx (“XxXxxxxx”) for the purposes of preparing the reports of such petroleum engineers referenced in the General Disclosure Package (the “Reserve Reports”) and estimates of the proved reserves of the Company and its subsidiaries disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, including, production, costs of operation, and, to the Company’s knowledge, future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates such information was provided, and such information was supplied and was prepared in accordance with customary industry practices; and the estimates of such reserves and present value as described in the General Disclosure Package and reflected in the Reserve Reports have been prepared in a manner that complies with the applicable requirements of the rules under the Act. Other than normal production of the reserves, product price fluctuations, and fluctuations of demand for such products, and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a materially adverse change in the reserves in the aggregate, or the aggregate present value of the

future net cash flows therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and as reflected in the Reserve Reports.

(ii) Independent Reserve Engineering Firms. Each of NSAI and XxXxxxxx has represented to the Company that they are, and the Company believes each of them to be or to have been at the time a reserve report referenced in the General Disclosure Package was rendered by such firm to the Company, as applicable, independent reserve engineers with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries for the periods covered by their respective Reserve Reports.

3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $17.76 per share, the respective number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A hereto.

The Company will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by official bank check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at the office of Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP, at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on July 2, 2007, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date”. For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the offering. The Firm Securities so to be delivered or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the office of Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP at least 24 hours prior to the First Closing Date.

In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per Security to be paid for the Firm Securities. The Company agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell to the Underwriters the number of shares of Optional Securities specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such Optional Securities. Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of shares of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) and may be purchased by the Underwriters only for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the sale of the Firm Securities. No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised

may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.

Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Company will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by official bank check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company, at the office of Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP. The Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the office of Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP at a reasonable time in advance of such Optional Closing Date.

4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.

5. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

(a) The Company has filed or will file each Statutory Prospectus (including the Final Prospectus), pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 424(b)(2) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (5)) not later than the second business day following the earlier of (A) the date it is first used and (B) execution and delivery of this Agreement. The Company has complied and will comply with Rule 433.

(b) Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus at any time and will offer the Representatives a reasonable opportunity to comment on any such amendment or supplement; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the filing of any such amendment or supplement, (ii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to the Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iii) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of the Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (iv) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8 hereof.

(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), the Company will make generally available to its securityholders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Date on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-Q for such fiscal quarter except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-K.

(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of the Registration Statement, including all exhibits, any Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives reasonably request. The Final Prospectus shall be so furnished on or prior to 3:00 P.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution; provided, that, in connection therewith, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(g) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to stockholders for such

year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to stockholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request. Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”), it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.

(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including but not limited to any filing fees and other expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto; costs and expenses related to the review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the Offered Securities (including filing fees and the fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such review); (i) costs and expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities including, without limitation, any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company, provided it is expressly agreed that the Company and the Underwriters will each pay 50% of the costs of any chartered aircraft used by the Underwriters and the Company in connection with any such meetings with investors; fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange; fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act; expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters; and expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors.

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Firm Primary Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner described in the “Use of Proceeds” section of the General Disclosure Package and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

(j) Absence of Manipulation. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

6. Restriction on Sale of Securities.

(a) For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following actions with respect to its Securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of its Securities (“Lock-Up Securities”): (i) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities, (ii) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap or hedge with respect to the Securities or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of Lock-Up Securities, (iv) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (v) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to Lock-Up Securities (other than any registration statement on Form S-8), or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, without the prior written consent of the Representatives except (A) grants of employee stock options or other awards pursuant to the terms of a plan in effect on the date hereof, (B) issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the exercise of options outstanding on the date hereof or options granted in accordance with (A) above and (C) the issuance of Lock-Up Securities as consideration for or otherwise in connection with acquisitions of securities or assets by the Company in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act; provided, that each recipient of such Lock-Up Securities delivers its written agreement, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Section 6. The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 90 days after the public offering date set forth on the Final Prospectus or such earlier date that the Representatives consent to in writing; provided, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the materials news or material event, as applicable, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The Company will provide the Representatives with notice of any announcement described in clause (2) of the preceding sentence that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.

7. Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, except as consented to in writing by the Representatives, it has not and will not, and each Underwriter severally represents and agrees that, except as consented to in writing by the Company and the Representatives, it has not and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”. The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433

applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping.

8. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy in all material respects of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

(a) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of Deloitte & Touche LLP confirming that it is an independent registered public accounting firm and an independent public accountant within the meaning of the Act and related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the PCAOB and stating to the effect that:

(i) in its opinion the financial statements examined by it and included in the Registration Statements comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission;

(ii) it has performed the procedures specified by the PCAOB described in Statement of Auditing Standards No. 100, Interim Financial Information, on the unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements (including the notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, and has made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether such unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission; it has read the latest unaudited monthly consolidated financial statements (including the notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries made available by the Company and the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors of the Company; and has made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether the unaudited monthly financial statements are stated on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement; and

(iii) on the basis referred to in paragraph (ii) above, nothing came to its attention which caused it to believe that:

(A) the unaudited financial statements included in the Registration Statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable

accounting requirements of the Securities Laws, or that any material modifications should be made to the unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements for them to be in conformity with the applicable accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; and

(B) with respect to the period subsequent to the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement, at a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of this Agreement, there were any increases in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, or any change in the consolidated capital stock of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, as compared with the amounts shown on the latest balance sheet included in the Registration Statement;

(iv) with respect to any period as to which officials of the Company have advised that no consolidated financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements for such entities included in the Registration Statement are available, it has made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for the financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether, at a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, there were any increases in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, or any change in the consolidated capital stock of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent balance sheet for such entities included in the Registration Statement; and, on the basis of such inquiries and the review of the minutes described in paragraph (ii) above, nothing came to its attention which caused them to believe that there was any such change, increase or decrease, except for such changes, increases, decreases set forth in such letter or which the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur; and

(v) it has compared specified dollar amounts (or percentages derived from such dollar amounts) and other financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statements, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is an “electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433(h)) (in each case to the extent that such dollar amounts, percentages and other financial and statistical information are derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries or are derived directly from such records by analysis or computation) with the results obtained from inquiries, a reading of such general accounting records and other procedures specified in such letter and have found such dollar amounts, percentages and other financial and statistical information to be in agreement with such results.

For purposes of this Section 8(a), all financial statements included in material incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement shall be deemed included in the Registration Statement.

(b) Reserve Engineers’ Letters. The Representatives shall have received letters dated, respectively, the date hereof and the Closing Date, of NSAI and XxXxxxxx (i) confirming that as of the date of their respective Reserve Reports, each was an independent reserve engineer for the Company and/or its subsidiaries and no information has come to its attention that could reasonably be expected to cause it to withdraw its Reserve Report and (ii) otherwise in form and substance acceptable to the Representatives.

(c) Filing of Prospectus. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(a) hereof. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter, shall be contemplated by the Commission.

(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), stockholders’ equity, results of operations, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities; (ii) any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating); (iii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to market or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (v) any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (vi) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vii) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment, or clearance services in the United States or any other country where such securities are listed or (viii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.

(e) Opinions of Counsel to the Company.

(i) The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Xxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Annex B.

(ii) The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, substantially in the form of Annex C.

(iii) The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, special New York counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Annex D.

(f) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(g) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as if given on such date, except for such representations and warranties given as of another date specified therein, which shall be true and correct as of such specified date; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; and, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), stockholders’ equity, results of operations, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate.

(h) Lock-up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lockup letters from each of the executive officers and directors of the Company and certain identified employees of the Company.

(i) Auditor’s Letter. The Representatives shall have received a letter, dated such Closing Date, of Deloitte & Touche, LLP which meets the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section 8, except that the specified date referred to in such subsection will be a date not more than three days prior to such Closing Date for the purposes of this subsection.

(j) Reserve Engineers’ Letters. The Representatives shall have received a letter, dated such Closing Date, of each of NSAI and XxXxxxxx which meets the requirements of subsection (b) of

this Section 8, except that the specified date referred to in such subsection will be a date not more than three days prior to such Closing Date for the purposes of this subsection.

(k) Further Assurances. The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request.

The Representatives may in their sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.

9. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of the Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) of this Section 9.

(b) Indemnification of Company. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages

or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of the Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus under the caption “Underwriting” furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: (i) the concession figure appearing in the fourth paragraph; (ii) the information contained in the 11th paragraph relating to stabilizing transactions, syndicate short positions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids; and (iii) information contained in the 12th paragraph relating to prospectuses in electronic format and internet distributions.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party

from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.

(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9(d).

(e) Control Persons. The obligations of the Company under this Section hereof shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section shall be in

addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each director of the Company, to each officer of the Company who has signed a Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

10. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except as provided in Section 12 hereof (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

11. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities and shall remain responsible for the expenses to be paid or reimbursed by it pursuant to Section 5(h), and the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 9 hereof shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 hereof and all obligations under Section 5 hereof shall also remain in effect.

12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives, c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, Attention: LCD-IBD, or if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at 000 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx, XX 00000-0000, Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9 hereof will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.

13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

14. Representation of Underwriters. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with this financing, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives jointly or by Credit Suisse individually will be binding upon all the Underwriters.

15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

16. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representatives has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or are advising the Company on other matters;

(b) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary

duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

17. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

	Very truly yours,

	VENOCO, INC.


	By:	/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
		Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
		Title: Chief Executive Officer

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.

		Acting on behalf of themselves and as the
		Representatives of the several
		Underwriters

By CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC


By:	/s/ Xxx Xxxxx
	Name: Xxx Xxxxx
	Title: Managing Director


By XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.


By:	/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
	Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
	Title: Vice President

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6,100,000 Shares VENOCO, INC. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

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