AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT OF VOC ENERGY TRUST Among VOC BRAZOS ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. and WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Exhibit 3.6
AMENDED AND RESTATED
OF
VOC ENERGY TRUST
Among
VOC BRAZOS ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P.
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
and
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Dated: As of , 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS |
2 | |||
ARTICLE II NAME AND PURPOSE OF THE TRUST; DECLARATION OF TRUST |
6 | |||
Section 2.01 Name; Certificate of Trust |
6 | |||
Section 2.02 Purpose |
7 | |||
Section 2.03 Transfer of Trust Property to the Trust |
8 | |||
Section 2.04 Creation of the Trust |
8 | |||
Section 2.05 Principal Offices |
8 | |||
ARTICLE III ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRUST AND POWERS OF THE TRUSTEE AND THE DELAWARE
TRUSTEE |
8 | |||
Section 3.01 General Authority |
8 | |||
Section 3.02 Limited Power of Disposition |
9 | |||
Section 3.03 No Power to Engage in Business or Make Investments or Issue
Additional Securities |
11 | |||
Section 3.04 Interest on Cash Reserves |
11 | |||
Section 3.05 Power to Settle Claims |
12 | |||
Section 3.06 Power to Contract for Services |
12 | |||
Section 3.07 Payment of Liabilities of Trust |
12 | |||
Section 3.08 Income and Principal |
13 | |||
Section 3.09 Term of Contracts |
13 | |||
Section 3.10 Transactions with Entity Serving as the Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee |
13 | |||
Section 3.11 No Security Required |
14 | |||
Section 3.12 Filing of Securities Act Registration Statement, Exchange Act
Registration Statement and Other Reports, Listing of Trust Units,
etc.; Certain Fees and Expenses |
14 | |||
Section 3.13 Reserve Report |
15 | |||
Section 3.14 No Liability for Recordation |
15 | |||
ARTICLE IV TRUST UNITS AND UNCERTIFICATED BENEFICIAL INTEREST |
15 | |||
Section 4.01 Creation and Distribution |
15 | |||
Section 4.02 Rights of Trust Unitholders; Limitation on Personal Liability
of Trust Unitholders |
16 | |||
Section 4.03 Effect of Transfer |
16 | |||
Section 4.04 Determination of Ownership |
17 |
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ARTICLE V ACCOUNTING AND DISTRIBUTIONS; REPORTS |
17 | |||
Section 5.01 Fiscal Year and Accounting Method |
17 | |||
Section 5.02 Quarterly Cash Distributions |
17 | |||
Section 5.03 Reports to Trust Unitholders and Others |
17 | |||
Section 5.04 Federal Income Tax Provisions |
18 | |||
ARTICLE VI LIABILITY OF DELAWARE TRUSTEE AND TRUSTEE AND METHOD OF SUCCESSION |
19 | |||
Section 6.01 Liability of Delaware Trustee, Trustee and Agents |
19 | |||
Section 6.02 Indemnification of Trustee or Delaware Trustee |
20 | |||
Section 6.03 Resignation of Delaware Trustee and Trustee |
21 | |||
Section 6.04 Removal of Delaware Trustee and Trustee |
22 | |||
Section 6.05 Appointment of Successor Delaware Trustee or Trustee |
22 | |||
Section 6.06 Laws of Other Jurisdictions |
23 | |||
Section 6.07 Reliance on Experts |
23 | |||
Section 6.08 Force Majeure |
24 | |||
Section 6.09 Failure of Action by VOC Brazos |
24 | |||
Section 6.10 Action Upon Instructions |
24 | |||
Section 6.11 Management of Trust Estate |
25 | |||
Section 6.12 Validity |
25 | |||
Section 6.13 Rights and Powers; Litigation |
25 | |||
Section 6.14 No Duty to Act Under Certain Circumstances |
25 | |||
ARTICLE VII COMPENSATION OF THE TRUSTEE AND THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE |
26 | |||
Section 7.01 Compensation of Trustee and Delaware Trustee |
26 | |||
Section 7.02 Reimbursement of VOC Brazos |
26 | |||
Section 7.03 Source of Funds |
26 | |||
Section 7.04 Ownership of Units by VOC Brazos, the Delaware Trustee and the
Trustee |
26 | |||
ARTICLE VIII MEETINGS OF TRUST UNITHOLDERS |
26 | |||
Section 8.01 Purpose of Meetings |
26 | |||
Section 8.02 Call and Notice of Meetings |
26 | |||
Section 8.03 Method of Voting and Vote Required |
27 | |||
Section 8.04 Conduct of Meetings |
27 | |||
ARTICLE IX DURATION, REVOCATION AND TERMINATION OF TRUST |
28 | |||
Section 9.01 Revocation |
28 | |||
Section 9.02 Termination |
28 | |||
Section 9.03 Disposition and Distribution of Assets and Properties |
28 | |||
Section 9.04 Reorganization or Business Combination |
29 |
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ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS |
30 | |||
Section 10.01 Prohibited Amendments |
30 | |||
Section 10.02 Permitted Amendments |
30 | |||
ARTICLE XI ARBITRATION |
30 | |||
ARTICLE XII MISCELLANEOUS |
33 | |||
Section 12.01 Inspection of Books |
33 | |||
Section 12.02 Disability of a Trust Unitholder |
33 | |||
Section 12.03 Interpretation |
33 | |||
Section 12.04 Merger or Consolidation of Delaware Trustee or Trustee |
34 | |||
Section 12.05 Change in Trust Name |
34 | |||
Section 12.06 Filing of this Agreement |
34 | |||
Section 12.07 Choice of Law |
34 | |||
Section 12.08 Separability |
35 | |||
Section 12.09 Notices |
35 | |||
Section 12.10 Counterparts |
36 | |||
Section 12.11 Stand-by Letter of Credit |
36 |
Schedule A —Fee Schedule of Delaware Trustee
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AMENDED AND RESTATED
OF
VOC ENERGY TRUST
This Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of VOC Energy Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the
“Trust”), is entered into effective as of the [__]th day of , 2011, by and
among VOC Brazos Energy Partners, L.P., a Texas limited partnership with its principal office in
Wichita, Kansas (“VOC Brazos”), as trustor, and WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, a banking corporation
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware with its principal office in Wilmington, Delaware
and its successors and assigns (“Wilmington Trust”), as Delaware Trustee (as hereinafter defined),
and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a national association organized under the
laws of the State of New York with its principal place of business in New York, New York (the
“Bank”), as Trustee (as hereinafter defined).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, VOC Brazos is a privately held limited partnership engaged in the development,
production, gathering, aggregation and sale of oil and natural gas and owns oil and gas leasehold
interests in properties in Texas containing proved reserves of oil and natural gas;
WHEREAS, VOC Kansas Energy Partners, LLC, a Kansas limited liability company, (“KEP”), is a
wholly owned subsidiary of VOC Brazos engaged in the development, production, gathering,
aggregation and sale of oil and natural gas and owns oil and gas leasehold interests in properties
in Kansas containing proved reserves of oil and natural gas;
WHEREAS, VOC Brazos, for itself and on behalf of KEP, has determined to convey to the Trust
the Net Profits Interest (hereinafter defined) and the Pre-Effective Time Payment (hereinafter
defined) pursuant to the Conveyance (hereinafter defined) in exchange for 16,540,000 Trust Units
(hereinafter defined); and
WHEREAS, VOC Brazos and the Trust have determined to enter into the Administrative Services
Agreement (hereinafter defined) outlining VOC Brazos’s provision of administrative services to the
Trust and its compensation therefor;
WHEREAS, VOC Brazos, Wilmington Trust and the Bank have previously formed the Trust pursuant
to the Organizational Trust Agreement (hereinafter defined) in accordance with the provisions of
the Trust Act (hereinafter defined) and, in connection therewith, VOC Brazos has previously
delivered to the Bank, on behalf of the Trust, good and valuable consideration, which consideration
the Bank has accepted, to have and to hold, in trust, for the purposes and subject to the terms and
conditions hereinafter provided;
WHEREAS, VOC Brazos has agreed with the Bank to enter into a stand-by letter of credit in the
amount of $1 million for the benefit of the Bank; and
WHEREAS, VOC Brazos and KEP have agreed to deliver to the Bank, on behalf of the Trust, good
and valuable consideration, which consideration the Bank has agreed to accept, to have and to hold,
in trust, together with such other property that may hereafter be received hereunder, for the
purposes and subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter provided; and
NOW, THEREFORE, VOC Brazos, Wilmington Trust and the Bank hereby amend and restate the
Organizational Trust Agreement in its entirety.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
DEFINITIONS
As used herein, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
“AAA” has the meaning assigned to that term in Article XI.
“Administrative Services Agreement” means the Administrative Services Agreement dated
, 2011 entered into between VOC Brazos and the Trustee, on behalf of the Trust.
“Affiliate” means, for any specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with,
the specified Person. “Control,” in the preceding sentence, refers to the possession, direct or
indirect, of the right or power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of
another Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.
“Agent” means, with respect to a Person, an agent, employee, officer, director, custodian,
nominee or attorney of such Person.
“Agreement” means this Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of VOC Energy Trust, as it may be
further amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Beneficial Interest” means the aggregate beneficial ownership interest of all Trust
Unitholders in the Trust Estate, including without limitation the proceeds from the conversion of
the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time Payment to cash, and in the right to cash
resulting from such conversion of the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time Payment,
which beneficial interest is expressed in Trust Units, but such beneficial interest does not
include any ownership interest, legal or equitable, in or to the Net Profits Interest, or any part
thereof, or in or to any other asset of the Trust Estate to the extent that an interest in such
asset would cause the interest of a Trust Unitholder to be treated as other than an intangible
personal property interest.
“Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, a holiday determined by NYSE
Regulation, Inc. as affecting “‘ex’ dates” or any other day on which national banking institutions
in New York, New York or Wilmington, Delaware are closed as authorized or required by law.
“Claimant” has the meaning assigned to that term in Article XI(c).
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“Closing” means the first closing of the initial public offering of Trust Units contemplated
by the Securities Act Registration Statement.
“Closing Date” means the date of Closing.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Conveyance” means the Conveyance of Net Profits Interest, dated as of , 2011,
from VOC Brazos and KEP, as grantors, to the Trust, as grantee, pursuant to which the Net Profits
Interest is conveyed.
“Delaware Trustee” means the Entity serving as a trustee (other than as the Trustee) hereunder
having its principal place of business in Delaware, not in its individual capacity but solely in
its fiduciary capacity, and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to the
Delaware Trustee in this Agreement. Furthermore, any benefit, indemnity, release or protection
granted to the Delaware Trustee herein shall extend to and shall be fully applicable and effective
with regard to any Entity serving as the Delaware Trustee, including, without limitation,
Wilmington Trust.
“Entity” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate or other
entity, organization or association.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Exchange Act Registration Statement” means the registration statement on Form 8-A pursuant to
which the Trust Units may be registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.
“Expenses” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 6.02(a).
“Fair Value” means, with respect to any portion of the Net Profits Interest to be released or
sold pursuant to Section 3.02(b) in connection with a sale of Underlying Properties, an amount of
net proceeds which could reasonably be expected to be obtained from the sale of such portion of the
Net Profits Interest to a party that is not an Affiliate of either VOC Brazos or the Trust on an
arms’-length negotiated basis, taking into account relevant market conditions and factors existing
at the time of any such proposed sale or release, such net proceeds to be determined by deducting
the Trust’s proportionate share of sales costs, commissions and brokerage fees, if any (based on
the ratio of (a) the fair market value of the portion of the Net Profits Interest being released to
(b) the fair market value of the Underlying Properties being transferred including the value of the
Net Profits Interest being released).
“Independent Reserve Engineers” means Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx & Associates, Inc., independent
petroleum engineers, or any successor petroleum engineering consultants employed by the Trust to
provide information and reports with respect to the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time
Payment.
“Liquidation Date” means the later to occur of (1) December 31, 2030, or (2) the time when
9,700,000 barrels of oil equivalent have been produced from the Underlying Properties and sold.
3
“Net Profits Interest” means the net profits interest to be conveyed by VOC Brazos and KEP to
the Trust pursuant to the Conveyance.
“Organizational Trust Agreement” means the Trust Agreement of VOC Energy Trust, entered into
and effective as of November 3rd, 2010 by and among VOC Brazos, the Bank and Wilmington
Trust.
“Person” means a natural person or an Entity.
“Pre-Effective Time Payment” means the “Pre-Effective Time Payment” as such term is defined in
the Conveyance.
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus constituting a part of the Securities Act Registration
Statement, as filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.
“Quarterly Cash Distribution” means, for each Quarterly Period, an amount determined by the
Trustee pursuant to Section 5.02 to be equal to the excess, if any, of (a) the sum of (i) all cash
received by the Trust on or before the twenty-fifth day of the month following the end of such
Quarterly Period under the Conveyance with respect to such Quarterly Period, plus (ii) any amounts
released on or before the twenty-fifth day of the month following the end of such Quarterly Period
from any cash reserve theretofore established by the Trustee for the payment of liabilities,
including contingent liabilities, of the Trust, plus (iii) any other cash receipts of the Trust
during such Quarterly Period (including Sales Proceeds Amounts and any cash received from interest
earned pursuant to Section 3.04), over (b) the sum of (i) the liabilities of the Trust paid during
such Quarterly Period, plus (ii) the amount of any cash used on or before the twenty-fifth day of
the month following the end of such Quarterly Period by the Trustee for any cash reserve
established for the payment of any liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of the Trust;
provided, that for the initial Quarterly Period, the amounts referred to in (a)(i) above
shall instead be the sum of (1) all cash received by the Trust prior to such initial Quarterly
Period attributable to the Pre-Effective Time Payment, plus (2) all cash received by the Trust from
January 1, 2011 through, but excluding, the effective date of the Conveyance attributable to the
Pre-Effective Time Payment, plus (3) all cash received by the Trust on or before the twenty-fifth
day of the month following the end of such initial Quarterly Period under the Conveyance with
respect to such initial Quarterly Period from the effective date of the Conveyance through and
including June 30, 2011.
“Quarterly Payment Date” means the date of a distribution, which shall be on or before the
forty-fifth day following the end of each Quarterly Period.
“Quarterly Period” means, for the initial period, the period which commences on January 1,
2011 and continues through and includes June 30, 2011, and for succeeding periods the calendar
quarter ending on the last day of each March, June, September and December of each year.
“Quarterly Record Date” means, for each Quarterly Period, the close of business on the
thirtieth day following the end of such Quarterly Period (or the Business Day next following such
day if such day is not a Business Day) or such other date established by the Trustee in order to
comply with applicable law or the rules of any securities exchange or quotation system on
4
which the Trust Units may be listed or admitted to trading, in which event “Quarterly Record
Date” means such other date.
“Record Date Trust Unitholders” has the meaning assigned to that term in Section 8.02 hereof.
“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement dated ,
2011 entered into between VOC Brazos and the Trustee, on behalf of the Trust.
“Responsible Officer” means (a) with respect to the Delaware Trustee, any officer in the
Corporate Trust Administration office of the Delaware Trustee having direct responsibility for the
administration of this Agreement, and with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any
officer of the Delaware Trustee to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of
and familiarity with the particular subject, and (b) with respect to the Trustee, any officer in
the Corporate Trust Administration office of the Trustee having direct responsibility for the
administration of this Agreement, and with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any
officer of the Trustee to whom such a matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and
familiarity with the subject.
“Sales Proceeds Amount” means any cash paid to the Trust in consideration for any of the Net
Profits Interest pursuant to Sections 3.02 and 9.03 hereof after deduction of Trust expenses
related to such sale or the establishment by the Trustee of cash reserves in such amounts as the
Trustee in its discretion deems appropriate for contingent liabilities related thereto in
accordance with Section 3808 of the Trust Act.
“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act” means the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Securities Act Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement on Form S-l
(Registration No. 333-171474) as it has been or as it may be amended or supplemented from time to
time, filed by the Trust and VOC Brazos with the Commission under the Securities Act to register
the offering and sale of up to 12,402,750 Trust Units by VOC Brazos.
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Conveyance, the Registration Rights
Agreement and the Administrative Services Agreement.
“Transferee” means, as to any Trust Unitholder or former Trust Unitholder, any Person
succeeding to the interest of such Trust Unitholder or former Trust Unitholder in one or more Trust
Units, whether as purchaser, donee, legatee or otherwise.
“Trust” means VOC Energy Trust, the Delaware statutory trust created pursuant to the
Organizational Trust Agreement and continued by and administered under the terms of this Agreement.
“Trust Act” means the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, Title 12, Chapter 38 of the Delaware Code,
Sections 3801 et seq., as amended from time to time during the term of this Agreement.
5
“Trust Estate” means the assets held by the Trust under this Agreement, including both income
and principal.
“Trust Unit” means an uncertificated, undivided pro rata fractional interest in the Beneficial
Interest, determined as hereinafter provided.
“Trust Unitholder” means the owner of one or more Trust Units as reflected on the books of the
Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 or in the records of The Depository Trust Company.
“Trustee” means the Entity serving as a trustee (other than the Delaware Trustee) under this
Agreement, not in its individual capacity but solely in its fiduciary capacity. Furthermore, any
benefit, indemnity, release or protection granted to the Trustee herein shall extend to and shall
be fully applicable and effective with regard to any Entity serving as Trustee, including, without
limitation, the Bank. The term “principal office” of the Trustee shall mean the principal office of
the Trustee in Austin, Texas, or the principal office at which at any particular time its
institutional or corporate trust business may be administered.
“Trustee Conveyance” means a conveyance executed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.02
covering that portion of the Net Profits Interest to be conveyed pursuant to said Section and in
such form as the Trustee is advised by counsel is sufficient to transfer the right, title and
interest of the Trust therein and to provide for payment to the Trustee of all the net proceeds
attributable thereto through the effective date of such Trustee Conveyance.
“Underlying Properties” means the Subject Interests subject to the Net Profits Interest, as
“Subject Interests” is defined in the Conveyance.
“Underwriters” means each Person named as an underwriter in Schedule I to the Underwriting
Agreement who purchases Trust Units pursuant thereto.
“Underwriting Agreement” means the Underwriting Agreement dated as of , 2011
among the Underwriters, the Trustee on behalf of the Trust and VOC Brazos, providing for the
purchase of the 10,785,000 Units and any additional Trust Units to be sold by VOC Brazos pursuant
to the Underwriters’ overallotment option.
ARTICLE II
NAME AND PURPOSE OF THE TRUST; DECLARATION OF TRUST
NAME AND PURPOSE OF THE TRUST; DECLARATION OF TRUST
Section 2.01 Name; Certificate of Trust. The Trust continued by this Agreement shall remain a Delaware statutory trust under the Trust Act. The Trust shall continue to be known as the VOC Energy Trust, and the Trustee may transact the Trust’s affairs in that name. The continuation and operation of the Trust shall be in accordance with this Agreement, which shall constitute the “governing instrument” of the Trust within the meaning of Section 3801(f) of the Trust Act. In the event that a Responsible Officer of either the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee becomes aware that any statement contained or matter described in the Trust’s Certificate of Trust has changed, making it false in any material respect, it will notify the other trustee and the Delaware Trustee shall promptly file or cause to be filed in the office of the Secretary of State of Delaware an amendment of same at the written direction of the Trustee, duly executed in accordance with Section 3811 of the Trust Act, in order to effect such change thereto, such |
6
filing to be in accordance with Section 3810(b) of the Trust Act. Upon the completion of the
dissolution and winding up of the Trust in accordance with Section 3808 of the Trust Act and
Sections 9.02 and 9.03, the Delaware Trustee shall, at the written direction of the Trustee, file
or cause to be filed a certificate of cancellation of the Trust’s Certificate of Trust, duly
executed in accordance with Section 3811 of the Trust Act.
Section 2.02 Purpose. The purposes of the Trust are, and the Trust (and the Trustee on behalf of the Trust) shall have the power and authority and is hereby authorized: |
(a) to acquire, hold, protect and conserve the Trust Estate for the benefit of the Trust
Unitholders;
(b) to receive and hold the Net Profits Interest, and the Administrative Services Agreement
and the other assets of the Trust Estate;
(c) to issue 16,540,000 Trust Units on the Closing Date and to perform its obligations with
respect thereto;
(d) to invest cash reserves as provided in Section 3.04;
(e) to convert the Net Profits Interest into cash either by (1) retaining the Net Profits
Interest and collecting the proceeds of production payable with respect to the Net Profits Interest
until production has ceased or the Net Profits Interest has been sold or transferred or the Net
Profits Interest has otherwise terminated or (2) selling or otherwise disposing of all or any
portion of the Net Profits Interest in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
(f) to pay, or provide for the payment of, any liabilities incurred in carrying out the
purposes of the Trust, and thereafter to distribute the remaining amounts of cash received by the
Trust to the Trust Unitholders on a pro rata basis determined by the number of Trust Units held by
each Trust Unitholder in accordance with Section 5.02;
(g) to distribute the Quarterly Cash Distribution;
(h) to incur indebtedness and grant security interests in or otherwise encumber the Trust
Estate in order to pay the liabilities of the Trust as they become due, if necessary;
(i) to enter into, execute, deliver and perform its obligations and enforce its rights under
the Transaction Documents to which it is a party;
(j) to cause to be prepared and file (i) reports required to be filed under the Exchange Act,
(ii) any reports required by the rules of any securities exchange or quotation system on which the
Trust Units are listed or admitted to trading, and (iii) any reports or forms required to be filed
pursuant to tax laws and other applicable laws and regulations, and to establish, evaluate and
maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting in compliance with the requirements
of Section 404 of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act;
(k) to conduct or wind up its business as described in the Securities Act Registration
Statement; and
7
(l) to engage in such other activities as are necessary or convenient for the attainment of
any of the foregoing or are incident thereto and which may be engaged in or carried on by a
statutory trust under the Trust Act.
Section 2.03 Transfer of Trust Property to the Trust. Upon the formation of the Trust, VOC
Brazos paid good and valuable consideration to the Trust, in trust, for the uses and purposes
provided in the Organizational Trust Agreement and in this Agreement. At (and subject to the
occurrence of) the Closing, VOC Brazos shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, grant, bargain,
sell, convey and assign to the Trust for the uses and purposes provided herein the Net Profits
Interest pursuant to the Conveyance in consideration for 16,540,000 Trust Units to be issued by the
Trust to VOC Brazos, which Trust Units shall collectively represent the entire Beneficial Interest
in accordance with Section 4.01. The issuance of 16,540,000 Trust Units is hereby duly authorized
and, upon issuance, such Trust Units shall be duly and validly issued and outstanding and, upon
receipt by the Trust at the Closing of the consideration described above, the Trust Units will be
fully paid and nonassesable without the requirement of any further consideration.
Section 2.04 Creation of the Trust. The Trustee declares that it shall hold the Trust Estate
in trust for the benefit of the Trust Unitholders, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement. As set forth above and amplified herein, the Trust is intended to be a passive entity
limited to the receipt of revenues attributable to the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective
Time Payment and the distribution of such revenues, after payment of or provision for Trust
expenses and liabilities, to the Trust Unitholders. It is not the intention of the parties hereto
to create, and nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as creating, for any purpose, a
partnership, joint venture, joint stock company or similar business association, between or among
Trust Unitholders, present or future, or between or among Trust Unitholders, or any of them, the
Delaware Trustee, the Trustee and/or VOC Brazos. Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee, in
its individual capacity, or likewise makes any representation as to the validity or sufficiency of
this Trust Agreement.
Section 2.05 Principal Offices. Unless and until changed by the Trustee, the address of the
principal office of the Trustee is 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000. Unless and
until changed by the Delaware Trustee, the principal place of business of the Delaware Trustee is
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000, Attention: Corporate Trust
Administration. The Trust may maintain offices at such other place or places within or without the
State of Delaware as the Trustee deems advisable.
ARTICLE III
ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRUST AND POWERS OF THE
TRUSTEE AND THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRUST AND POWERS OF THE
TRUSTEE AND THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE
Section 3.01 General Authority.
(a) The Trustee accepts the trust hereby continued and agrees to perform its duties hereunder
with respect to the same, but only upon the express terms of this Agreement. Subject to the
limitations set forth in this Agreement, the Trustee, acting alone, without the approval or consent
of, or notice to, the Delaware Trustee or any Trust Unitholder, is authorized
8
to take such action as in its judgment is necessary, desirable or advisable to best achieve
the purposes and powers of the Trust set forth in Section 2.02. The Trustee shall not (i) dispose
of any part of the Trust Estate except as expressly provided herein or (ii) except as permitted by
Section 10.02, agree to amend or waive any provision of, give any consent or release with respect
to, or terminate this Agreement or the Conveyance without the express approval by the vote Record
Date Trust Unitholders holding over 50% of Trust Units as provided in Article VIII.
(b) The Delaware Trustee accepts the trust hereby continued and agrees to perform its duties
hereunder with respect to the same, but only upon the express terms of this Agreement. The Delaware
Trustee is authorized to take only such actions, and shall be required to perform only such duties
and obligations, with respect to the Trust as are specifically set forth in this Agreement, and no
implied duties, obligations or powers shall be read into this Agreement in respect to the Delaware
Trustee. The Delaware Trustee shall not otherwise manage or take part in the business or affairs of
the Trust in any manner.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, unless specifically authorized in
writing by the Trustee and consented to by the Delaware Trustee, the Delaware Trustee shall not
participate in any decisions or possess any authority with respect to the administration of the
Trust, the investment of the Trust’s property or the payment of dividends or other distributions of
income or principal to the Trust Unitholders. The Delaware Trustee shall have the power and
authority to execute, deliver, acknowledge and file all necessary documents and to maintain all
necessary records of the Trust as required by the Trust Act. The Delaware Trustee shall provide
prompt written notice to the Trustee of its performance of any of the foregoing acts. The Trustee
shall reasonably keep the Delaware Trustee informed of any material action taken by the Trustee
with respect to the Trust.
Section 3.02 Limited Power of Disposition.
(a) In the event that VOC Brazos notifies the Trustee that it desires the Trustee to sell or
dispose of all or any part of the Trust Estate, including, without limitation, all or any portion
of the Net Profits Interest or any interest therein, and the Trustee determines it to be in the
best interest of the Trust Unitholders, the Trustee may sell, at any time and from time to time,
all or any part of any of the Trust Estate for cash in such a manner as it deems in the best
interest of the Trust Unitholders if approved by the Trust Unitholders as provided in Article VIII.
This Section 3.02(a) shall not be construed to require approval of the Trust Unitholders for any
sale or other disposition of all or any part of the Trust Estate pursuant to Sections 3.02(b) or
9.03.
(b) Except as provided in Section 3.02(a), the Trustee shall not sell or otherwise dispose of
all or any part of the Trust Estate, including, without limitation, all or any portion of the Net
Profits Interest, or any interest therein, except that the Trustee is directed to sell and convey
all or any portion of the Net Profits Interest as provided in this Section 3.02(b) and in Sections
3.07 and 9.03 and no Trust Unitholder approval shall be required for any sale or conveyance in
accordance with any of such provisions. Any sale or conveyance by the Trustee of any part of the
Trust Estate other than pursuant to this Section 3.02(b) or 9.03 shall be subject to Section
3.02(a).
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(i) VOC Brazos and its Affiliates may at any time and from time to time sell, but only in
accordance with the provisions set forth below and in accordance with the terms of the Conveyance,
a divided or undivided portion of their interests in the Underlying Properties, free from and
unburdened by the Net Profits Interest without the consent of the Trustee or the Trust Unitholders.
Upon receipt of written notice of such a sale given by VOC Brazos or its Affiliates, the Trustee
shall execute and deliver at the closing of such sale a Trustee Conveyance, and such other
instruments, agreements and documents as VOC Brazos or its Affiliates may reasonably request, to
evidence or effect the transfer of such portion of VOC Brazos’ or its Affiliates’ interests in the
Underlying Properties, free from and unburdened by the Net Profits Interest, provided that:
(A) no sale of a portion of VOC Brazos’ or its Affiliates’ interests in the Underlying
Properties free from and unburdened by the Net Profits Interest that would otherwise burden such
portion of VOC Brazos’ or its Affiliates’ interests shall be permitted under this paragraph (i) if
(1) the sale is to a Person who is an Affiliate of VOC Brazos, (2) the sale relates to an interest
in the Underlying Properties that accounted for in excess of 0.25% of the total production from all
Underlying Properties during the most recently completed 12 calendar months, or (3) the Fair Value
to be received by the Trust pursuant to clause (B) of this paragraph (i) with respect to the
portion of the Net Profits Interest to be reconveyed by the Trustee, plus the Fair Value received
by the Trust pursuant to clause (B) of this paragraph (i) with respect to all other portions of the
Net Profits Interest previously released by the Trustee pursuant to this paragraph (i) during the
most recently completed 12 calendar months, would exceed $500,000;
(B) in connection with any sale pursuant to this paragraph (i), the Trust shall receive from
VOC Brazos payment pursuant to the Conveyance in an amount equal to the Fair Value to the Trust for
the portion of the Net Profits Interest to be reconveyed by the Trustee in connection with the sale
of the Underlying Properties; and
(C) the Trustee shall have received a certificate from VOC Brazos executed by or on behalf of
the designated representative of the manager of its general partner thereof certifying to the
Trustee and the Trust that the payment pursuant to the Conveyance to be received by the Trust
pursuant to clause (B) above represents the Fair Value to the Trust for the portion of the Net
Profits Interest to be reconveyed by the Trustee in connection therewith.
Any other sale of all or any portion of the Underlying Properties will not relieve VOC Brazos of
its obligations with respect to the Net Profits Interest.
(ii) In the event that a portion of the Net Profits Interest is to be reconveyed pursuant to
Section 3.02(b)(i), upon receipt of (A) funds equal to the payment required pursuant to the
Conveyance as set forth in Section 3.02(b)(i) above, (B) an accurate description of said portion of
the Net Profits Interest and (C) sufficient information to evidence conclusively that the
conditions to purchase referred to in the applicable section of the Conveyance have been satisfied,
then within a reasonable time thereafter, and upon advice of such experts as may be retained by the
Trustee with the written consent of VOC Brazos, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed, the Trustee shall execute and deliver a
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Trustee Conveyance covering said portion of the Net Profits Interest to VOC Brazos or its
assignee.
(iii) In addition to the transfers permitted by paragraph (i) of this Section 3.02(b) and
subject to the terms of the Conveyance, VOC Brazos or any of its Affiliates may at any time or from
time to time sell a divided or undivided portion of its interest in the Underlying Properties,
provided that such sale is subject to and burdened by the Net Profits Interest that burdens such
portion of VOC Brazos’ or its Affiliates’ interest, without the consent of the Trust Unitholders.
Promptly after completion of any such sale, VOC Brazos shall so notify the Trustee in writing. Any
purchaser of such Underlying Properties shall be the assignee of VOC Brazos to the extent of the
interest sold and shall be bound by the obligations of VOC Brazos under this Agreement and the
Conveyance to such extent.
(iv) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall not agree to any
distribution of the Net Profits Interest or any other asset of the Trust that would cause the
interest of a Trust Unitholder to be treated (except for tax purposes) as other than an intangible
personal property interest. Unless required to sell pursuant to this Section 3.02, or pursuant to
Section 9.03 hereof, or to distribute the Quarterly Cash Distribution pursuant to Section 5.02, the
Trustee is authorized to retain any part of the Trust Estate in the form in which such property was
transferred to the Trustee, without regard to any requirement to diversify investments or other
requirements.
Section 3.03 No Power to Engage in Business or Make Investments or Issue Additional
Securities. Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall cause or permit the Trust to (a)
acquire any asset other than the Net Profits Interest and proceeds therefrom, other than in
connection with the rights of the Trust to enforce the terms and provisions of the Transaction
Documents to which it is a party, and to collect other amounts paid to the Trust as set forth
herein, (b) engage in any business or investment activity of any kind whatsoever, except for the
activities permitted herein, or (c) issue Trust Units or other securities after the Closing Date.
Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall have any responsibility or authority relating to
the development or operations of the Underlying Properties or the marketing of any production
therefrom.
Section 3.04 Interest on Cash Reserves. Cash being held by the Trustee as a reserve for, or
in anticipation of, the payment of a Quarterly Cash Distribution or Sales Proceeds Amounts or for
the payment of any liabilities, other than current routine administrative costs, shall be placed by
the Trustee with one or more banks or financial institutions (which, to the extent to which
authorized pursuant to the Trust Act and other applicable laws, may be, or may include, any bank
serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee) and be invested in (a) accounts payable on demand
without penalty (which may be non-interest bearing), (b) interest bearing obligations issued by (or
unconditionally guaranteed by) the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality
thereof (provided such agency or instrumentality obligations are guaranteed by the full faith and
credit of the United States of America), (c) repurchase agreements secured by obligations
qualifying under (b) above or (d) certificates of deposit of any bank or banks having combined
capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100,000,000 which, in the case of (b), (c) and
(d) above, mature prior to the date on which such Quarterly Cash Distribution or Sales Proceeds
Amount is to be distributed or any
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such liability is to be paid. Any government obligation, repurchase agreement or certificate of
deposit held by the Trustee shall be held until maturity. The interest rate on reserves placed with
any bank or financial institution serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee shall be the
interest rate that such bank pays in the normal course of business on amounts placed with it,
taking into account the amount involved, the period held and other relevant factors. Subject to
Section 6.01, the Trustee shall not be liable for its selection of permitted investments or for any
investment losses resulting from such investments. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
the Delaware Trustee shall not be obligated to accept any such cash or other assets for investment
or otherwise. To the extent that the Delaware Trustee decides in its sole and absolute discretion
to accept cash for investment pursuant to this Section 3.04, the Delaware Trustee shall invest such
cash pursuant to the written instructions of the Trustee, and the Delaware Trustee shall not be
liable to the Trust for any losses resulting from such investments absent its own fraud or acts or
omissions in bad faith or which constitute gross negligence.
Section 3.05 Power to Settle Claims. The Trustee is authorized to prosecute or defend, and to
settle by arbitration or otherwise, any claim of or against the Trustee, the Trust or the Trust
Estate, to waive or release rights of any kind and to pay or satisfy any debt, tax or claim upon
any evidence by it deemed sufficient, without the joinder or consent of any Trust Unitholder,
including enforcing the rights of the Trust under the Transaction Documents. The Trust Unitholders
shall have no power to prosecute any claim of the Trust or the Trust Estate against any Person
other than to prosecute a claim to compel performance by the Trustee on behalf of the Trust or the
Trust Estate.
Section 3.06 Power to Contract for Services. In the administration of the Trust, the Trustee
is empowered to employ oil and natural gas consultants (which may include the Independent Reserve
Engineers), accountants (with the consent of VOC Brazos, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld or delayed), attorneys (who may, but need not be, counsel to VOC Brazos or any of its
Affiliates) and other professional and expert Persons, to employ or contract for clerical and other
administrative assistance (including assistance from VOC Brazos or any of its Affiliates), to
delegate to Agents any matter, whether ministerial or discretionary, and to act through such Agents
and to make payments of all fees for services or expenses in any manner thus incurred out of the
Trust Estate.
Section 3.07 Payment of Liabilities of Trust. Except as otherwise provided herein, the
Trustee may and shall use any money received by it for the payment or reimbursement of all
liabilities of the Trust, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all
expenses, taxes and compensation to it for its services hereunder, as provided for in Article VII,
and compensation to such parties as may be employed as provided for in Section 3.06. With respect
to any liability that is contingent or uncertain in amount or any anticipated liability that is not
currently due and payable, the Trustee may, but is not obligated to, establish a cash reserve for
the payment of such liability. Except to the extent permitted under applicable law, the Trustee
shall not pay any liability of the Trust with funds set aside pursuant to Section 5.02 as
anticipated for payment in connection with a Quarterly Cash Distribution or Sales Proceeds Amount.
If at any time the cash on hand and to be received by the Trustee and available to pay liabilities
is not, or will not be, in the judgment of the Trustee, sufficient to pay liabilities of the Trust
as they become due, the Trustee is authorized to cause the Trust to borrow the funds required to
pay such liabilities. In such event, no further distributions will be made to Trust
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Unitholders until the indebtedness created by such borrowings, including interest thereon, has
been paid in full. Such funds may be borrowed from any Person, including, without limitation, the
Bank, including its affiliates, while serving as Trustee or any other Entity serving as a fiduciary
hereunder, on an unsecured basis only; provided, however, that neither the Bank nor any other
Entity shall be required to make any such loan. Under no circumstances shall the Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee be personally liable for any indebtedness or other liability of the Trust. To
secure payment of such indebtedness (including any indebtedness to the Bank or any other Entity
serving as a fiduciary hereunder), the Trustee is authorized to (i) mortgage, pledge, grant
security interests in or otherwise encumber the Trust Estate, or any portion thereof, including the
Net Profits Interest, (ii) include any and all terms, powers, remedies, covenants and provisions
deemed necessary or advisable in the Trustee’s discretion, including, without limitation,
confession of judgment and the power of sale with or without judicial proceedings and (iii) provide
for the exercise of those and other remedies available to a secured lender in the event of a
default on such loan. If such funds are loaned to the Trust by the Trustee or any other such Entity
while the Trustee or such other Entity is serving as a fiduciary hereunder, the terms of such
indebtedness and security interest shall be similar to the terms which the Trustee or such other
Entity would grant to a similarly situated commercial customer with whom it did not have, directly
or indirectly, a fiduciary relationship, and the Trustee or such other Entity shall be entitled to
enforce its rights with respect to any such indebtedness and security interest as if it were not,
directly or indirectly, and had never been, directly or indirectly, the Trustee or a fiduciary
hereunder. No provision of this Trust Agreement shall require the Delaware Trustee, the Trustee or
any other Entity serving as a fiduciary hereunder to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise
incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the
exercise of any of its rights or powers, if there is reasonable ground for believing that the
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
Section 3.08 Income and Principal. The Trustee shall not be required to keep separate
accounts or records for income and principal. However, if the Trustee does keep such separate
accounts or records, then the Trustee is authorized to treat all or any part of the receipts from
the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time Payment as income or principal, without having
to maintain any reserve therefor, and in general to determine all questions as between income and
principal and to credit or charge to income or principal or to apportion between them any receipt
or gain and any charge, disbursement or loss as is deemed advisable under the circumstances of each
case.
Section 3.09 Term of Contracts. In exercising the rights and powers granted hereunder, the
Trustee is authorized to make the term of any transaction or contract or other instrument extend
beyond the term of the Trust.
Section 3.10 Transactions with Entity Serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee. To the
extent such conduct is not prohibited by applicable law and except as otherwise provided herein,
each of the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee is authorized in exercising its powers under this
Agreement to make contracts and have dealings with itself or its Affiliates, directly and
indirectly, in any other fiduciary or individual capacity.
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Section 3.11 No Security Required. No Entity serving as a trustee hereunder shall be required
to furnish any bond or security of any kind.
Section 3.12 Filing of Securities Act Registration Statement, Exchange Act Registration
Statement and Other Reports, Listing of Trust Units, etc.; Certain Fees and Expenses.
(a) In connection with the initial public offering of Trust Units, the Trustee shall have, on
behalf of the Trust, used commercially reasonable efforts without the incurrence of unreasonable
expense to cause:
(i) the Securities Act Registration Statement to be prepared, signed, filed with the
Commission, and declared effective by the Commission;
(ii) the Exchange Act Registration Statement to be prepared, signed, filed with the
Commission, and declared effective by the Commission; and
(iii) the Trust Units to be listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
(b) After the registration of the Trust Units pursuant to the Exchange Act and/or the listing
of the Trust Units for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. or another national securities
exchange, the Trustee, on behalf of the Trust and acting upon the advice of counsel, shall cause
the Trust to comply with all applicable rules, orders and regulations of the Commission and the
national securities exchange on which the Trust Units are listed or admitted for quotation and to
take all such other reasonable actions necessary for the Trust Units to remain registered under the
Exchange Act and listed or quoted on such national securities exchange or quotation system,
respectively, until the Trust is terminated. In addition, the Trustee is authorized to make, and
the Trustee shall take, all reasonable actions to prepare and, to the extent required by this
Agreement or by law, mail to Trust Unitholders any reports, press releases or statements, financial
or otherwise, that the Trustee determines are required to be provided to Trust Unitholders by
applicable law or governmental regulation or the requirements of any securities exchange or
quotation system on which the Trust Units are listed or admitted to trading. In addition, the
Trustee, on behalf of the Trust and acting upon the advice of counsel, shall cause the Trust to
comply with all of the provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission related thereto, including but not limited to, establishing, evaluating and maintaining
a system of internal control over financial reporting in compliance with the requirements of
Section 404 thereof and making all required certifications pursuant to the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and
the rules and regulations adopted by the Commission related thereto.
(c) The Trustee shall execute, by and on behalf of the Trust, any documents incidental or
related to the objectives specified in Section 3.12(a).
(d) The Trust is hereby authorized and empowered to take all steps, make all filings and
applications and pay all fees necessary, customary or appropriate to the accomplishment of the
objectives set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 3.12 including, without limitation,
the entering into the Administrative Services Agreement with VOC Brazos.
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(e) Except as otherwise provided in Article VI, the fees, charges, expenses, disbursements and
other costs incurred by the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee in connection with the discharge of its
duties pursuant to this Agreement, including, without limitation, trustee fees, engineering, audit,
accounting and legal fees, printing and mailing costs, amounts reimbursed or paid to VOC Brazos
pursuant to Section 3.06 or Section 7.02 hereof, and the fees and expenses of legal counsel for the
Trustee, the Delaware Trustee, and the Trust (including legal fees and expenses incurred by the
Trustee or the Delaware Trustee in connection with the formation of the Trust and issuance of Trust
Units), shall be paid out of the Trust Estate as an administrative expense of the Trust, provided,
however, that the Trustee’s and the Delaware Trustee’s acceptance fees paid by VOC Brazos upon
execution hereof shall be reimbursed to VOC Brazos. All other organizational expenses of the Trust
will be paid by VOC Brazos, and VOC Brazos shall not be entitled to reimbursement thereof.
(f) The Trustee is hereby authorized and empowered to take all steps, make all filings and
applications and pay all fees necessary, customary or appropriate in order to perform the
obligations of the Trust under the Registration Rights Agreement.
Section 3.13 Reserve Report. The Trustee shall cause a reserve report to be prepared by or
for the Trust by the Independent Reserve Engineers as of December 31 of each year in accordance
with criteria established by the Commission showing estimated proved oil, natural gas and natural
gas liquids reserves attributable to the Net Profits Interest as of December 31 of such year and
other reserve information required to comply with Section 5.03. VOC Brazos, to the extent it is
the operator of the Underlying Properties, shall, and to the extent any of its Affiliates is the
operator of the Underlying Properties, shall cause such Affiliate or Affiliates to, use
commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Trust and the Independent Reserve Engineers
in connection with the preparation of any such reserve report and to the extent it is not the
operator of the Underlying Properties and has not sold its interest in the same pursuant to Section
3.02(b), shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and provide to the Trustee and the
Independent Reserve Engineers such information as may be reasonably necessary in connection with
the preparation of the reserve reports. The Trustee shall cause each reserve report prepared
pursuant to this Section 3.13 to be completed and delivered to it within 75 days of the last day of
the prior calendar year or such shorter period as may be required to enable the Trustee to comply
with the provisions of Section 5.03.
Section 3.14 No Liability for Recordation. VOC Brazos shall be solely responsible, and the
Trustee and the Delaware Trustee shall have no responsibility, for the filing of the Conveyance in
the real property records of any jurisdiction in which the Underlying Properties are located.
Neither the Trustee, the Delaware Trustee, the Bank nor any of their respective Agents shall be
liable to the Trust Estate or any Trust Unitholder for any loss, claim or damage resulting from, or
arising out of, the failure to file, or failure to properly file, the Conveyance in any real
property records of any jurisdiction.
ARTICLE IV
TRUST UNITS AND UNCERTIFICATED BENEFICIAL INTEREST
TRUST UNITS AND UNCERTIFICATED BENEFICIAL INTEREST
Section 4.01 Creation and Distribution. Ownership of the entire Beneficial Interest shall be
divided into 16,540,000 Trust Units. The Trust Units shall be uncertificated and
15
ownership thereof shall be evidenced by entry of a notation in an ownership ledger maintained
for such purpose by the Trustee or a transfer agent designated by the Trustee. The holders of the
Trust Units from time to time shall be the sole beneficiaries of principal and interest of the
Trust.
Section 4.02 Rights of Trust Unitholders; Limitation on Personal Liability of Trust
Unitholders. Each Trust Unit shall represent pro rata undivided ownership of the Beneficial
Interest and shall entitle its holder to participate pro rata in the rights and benefits of Trust
Unitholders under the Transaction Documents. A Trust Unitholder (whether by assignment or
otherwise) shall take and hold each Trust Unit subject to all the terms and provisions of this
Agreement, which shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors, assigns,
legatees, heirs and personal representatives of such Trust Unitholder. By an assignment or a
transfer of one or more Trust Units, the assignor thereby shall, with respect to such assigned or
transferred Trust Unit or Trust Units, part with, except as required by federal or state tax laws
and as provided in Section 4.03 in the case of a transfer after a Quarterly Record Date and prior
to the corresponding Quarterly Payment Date, (a) all of its Beneficial Interest attributable to
such Trust Unit or Trust Units and (b) all interests, rights and benefits of a Trust Unitholder
under the Trust and this Agreement that are attributable to such Trust Unit or Trust Units as
against all other Trust Unitholders, the Trust and the Trustee, including, without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, any and all rights to any Quarterly Cash Distribution, or any portion
thereof, attributable to any Trust Units so assigned or transferred, for any Quarterly Period or
Quarterly Periods subsequent to the Quarterly Period which relates to the last Quarterly Record
Date on which the assignor owned such Trust Units. The Trust Units and the rights, benefits and
interests evidenced thereby (including, without limiting the foregoing, the entire Beneficial
Interest) are and, for all purposes, shall be construed (except for tax purposes), to be in all
respects intangible personal property, and the Trust Units shall be bequeathed, assigned, disposed
of and distributed as intangible personal property. No Trust Unitholder as such shall have any
title, legal or equitable, in or to any real property interest or tangible personal property
interest that may be considered a part of the Trust Estate, including, without limiting the
foregoing, the Net Profits Interest and Pre-Effective Time Payment or any part thereof, or in or to
any asset of the Trust Estate to the extent that an interest in such asset would cause the interest
of a Trust Unitholder to be treated as other than an intangible personal property interest, but the
sole interest of each Trust Unitholder shall be his ownership in the Beneficial Interest. No Trust
Unitholder shall have the right to call for or demand or secure any partition or distribution of
the Net Profits Interest and Pre-Effective Time Payment or any other asset of the Trust Estate or
any accounting during the continuance of the Trust or during the period of liquidation and winding
up under Section 9.03. Pursuant to Section 3803(a) of the Trust Act, the Trust Unitholders shall
be entitled, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to the same limitation of personal liability
extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware.
Section 4.03 Effect of Transfer. As to matters affecting the title, ownership, warranty or
transfer of Trust Units, Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Act for
Simplification of Fiduciary Security Transfers, and other statutes and rules with respect to the
transfer of securities, each as is adopted and then in force in the State of Delaware, shall govern
and apply. The death of any Trust Unitholder shall not entitle the Transferee of such Trust
Unitholder to an accounting or valuation for any purpose pursuant to the terms hereof.
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Section 4.04 Determination of Ownership. In the event of any disagreement between Persons
claiming to be Transferees of any Trust Unit, or in the event of any question on the part of the
Trustee when presented with a request for transfer of a Trust Unit, which the Trustee believes is
not fully resolved by opinions of counsel or other documents obtained in connection therewith,
then, in addition to other rights which it may have under applicable law, the Trustee shall be
entitled at its option to refuse to recognize any such claim so long as such disagreement or
question shall continue. In so refusing, the Trustee, and any Entity serving in such capacity, may
elect to refrain or refuse to act with respect to the interest represented by the Trust Unit
involved, or any part thereof, or of any sum or sums of money accrued or accruing thereunder, and,
in so doing, the Trustee shall not be or become liable to any Person for the failure or refusal of
the Trustee to comply with such conflicting claims or requests for transfer, and shall be entitled
to continue so to refrain and refuse so to act, until:
(a) the rights of the adverse claimants or the questions of the Trustee have been adjudicated
by a final nonappealable judgment of a court assuming and having jurisdiction of the parties and
the interest and money involved, or
(b) all differences have been adjusted by valid agreement between said parties and the Trustee
shall have been notified thereof in writing signed by all of the interested parties.
ARTICLE V
ACCOUNTING AND DISTRIBUTIONS; REPORTS
ACCOUNTING AND DISTRIBUTIONS; REPORTS
Section 5.01 Fiscal Year and Accounting Method. The Trust shall adopt the calendar year as
its fiscal year and shall maintain its books on an appropriate basis to comply with Sections 5.03
and 5.04, except to the extent such books must be maintained on any other basis pursuant to
applicable law.
Section 5.02 Quarterly Cash Distributions. On (or, to the extent possible, prior to) the
Quarterly Record Date, the Trustee shall, in the manner required by the rules of any securities
exchange or quotation system on which the Trust Units are listed or admitted to trading,
communicate to the Trust Unitholders its determination of the amount of the Quarterly Cash
Distribution for the relevant Quarterly Period based on (a) information provided to the Trustee by
VOC Brazos pursuant to the terms of the Conveyance with respect to the cash proceeds to be received
by the Trust in respect of the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time Payment for the
relevant Quarterly Period and (b) the amount of interest earned during the relevant Quarterly
Period on such cash proceeds held by the Trust. On each Quarterly Payment Date, the Trustee shall
distribute pro rata the Quarterly Cash Distribution with respect to the immediately preceding
Quarterly Period to Trust Unitholders of record on the Quarterly Record Date for such Quarterly
Period.
Section 5.03 Reports to Trust Unitholders and Others.
(a) Within 75 days following the end of each of the first three Quarterly Periods of each
calendar year or such shorter period of time as may be required by the rules and regulations of the
Commission adopted with respect to the Exchange Act or by the rules of any securities exchange or
quotation system on which the Trust Units are listed or admitted to
17
trading, the Trustee shall mail to each Person who was a Trust Unitholder of record on the
Quarterly Record Date for such Quarterly Period a report, which may be a copy of the Trust’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act, which shall show in reasonable detail the
assets and liabilities and receipts and disbursements of the Trust for such Quarterly Period;
provided, however, the obligation to mail a report to each Trust Unitholder of record shall be
deemed to be satisfied if the Trustee files a copy of the Trust’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q on
the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system (XXXXX) maintained by the Commission
or any successor system or otherwise makes such report publicly available on an Internet website
that is generally accessible to the public.
(b) Within 120 days following the end of each fiscal year or such shorter period of time as
may be required by the rules and regulations of the Commission adopted with respect to the Exchange
Act or by the rules of any securities exchange or quotation system on which the Trust Units are
listed or admitted to trading, the Trustee shall mail to each Person who was a Trust Unitholder of
record on a date to be selected by the Trustee an annual report, containing financial statements
audited by an independent registered public accounting firm selected by the Trustee, plus such
annual reserve information regarding the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time Payment as
may be required under Section 3.13 by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction.
(c) Notwithstanding any time limit imposed by Section 5.03(a) or (b) if, due to a delay in
receipt by the Trustee of information necessary for preparation of a report or reports required by
such paragraphs, the Trustee shall be unable to prepare and mail such report or reports within such
time limit, the Trustee shall prepare and mail such report or reports as soon thereafter as
practicable.
Section 5.04 Federal Income Tax Provisions. For federal or state income tax purposes, the
Trustee shall file for the Trust such returns and statements as in its judgment are required to
comply with applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the
regulations thereunder and any applicable state laws and regulations, in either case to permit each
Trust Unitholder to report such Trust Unitholder’s share of the income and deductions of the Trust.
The Trustee will treat all income and deductions of the Trust for each month as having been
realized on the Quarterly Record Date for such quarter unless otherwise advised by its counsel.
The Trustee will treat the Trust and report with respect to the Trust as a grantor trust until and
unless it receives an opinion of tax counsel that such reporting is no longer proper. Within 75
days following the end of each fiscal year, the Trustee shall mail to each Person who was a Trust
Unitholder of record on a Quarterly Record Date during such fiscal year, a report which shall show
in reasonable detail such information as is necessary to permit such Trust Unitholder to make
calculations necessary for tax purposes.
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ARTICLE VI
LIABILITY OF DELAWARE TRUSTEE AND TRUSTEE AND
METHOD OF SUCCESSION
LIABILITY OF DELAWARE TRUSTEE AND TRUSTEE AND
METHOD OF SUCCESSION
Section 6.01 Liability of Delaware Trustee, Trustee and Agents.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, each of the Delaware Trustee and
the Trustee, in carrying out its powers and performing its duties, may act directly or in its
discretion, at the expense of the Trust, through Agents pursuant to agreements entered into with
any of them, and each Entity serving as Delaware Trustee or Trustee shall be personally or
individually liable only for (i) its own fraud or acts or omissions in bad faith or which
constitute gross negligence and (ii) taxes, fees or other charges on, based on or measured by any
fees, commissions or compensation received by it in connection with any of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, and shall not otherwise be individually or personally liable under
any circumstances whatsoever, including but not limited to any act or omission of any Agent unless
such Entity has acted with fraud or in bad faith or with gross negligence in the selection or
retention of such Agent. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, each Agent of the
Delaware Trustee and the Trustee (including VOC Brazos and any of the Affiliates when acting as
Agents), in carrying out its powers and performing its duties, may act directly or in its
discretion, at the expense of the Trust, through Agents engaged by such Agent, and shall not
otherwise be individually or personally liable for any act or omission unless such Agent has acted
with fraud or in bad faith or with gross negligence. Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee
shall have any liability to any Persons other than the Trust Unitholders in accordance with Section
3803 of the Trust Act and, for the avoidance of any doubt, shall not have any liability hereunder
to the Trust Unitholders absent its own fraud or acts or omissions in bad faith or which constitute
gross negligence. No Entity serving as Trustee or Delaware Trustee shall be individually liable by
reason of any act or omission of any other Entity serving as Trustee or Delaware Trustee.
(b) Each of the Delaware Trustee and the Trustee, and each Entity serving in any such
fiduciary capacity or as an Agent of the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee (including VOC Brazos and
any of its Affiliates when acting as Agents), shall be protected in relying or reasonably acting
upon any notice, certificate, assignment, opinion or advice of counsel or tax advisors, report of
certified accountant, petroleum engineer, geologist, auditor or other expert, credential or other
parties the Trustee believes to be an expert on matters for which advice is sought, or any other
document or instrument. Each of the Delaware Trustee and the Trustee, and each Entity serving in
any such fiduciary capacity or as an Agent of the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee (including VOC
Brazos and any of its Affiliates when acting as Agents), is specifically authorized to rely upon
the application of Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the application of the Uniform Act for
Simplification of Fiduciary Security Transfers and the application of other statutes and rules with
respect to the transfer of securities, each as is adopted and then in force in the State of
Delaware, as to all matters affecting title, ownership, warranty or transfer of the Trust Units,
without any personal liability for such reliance, and the indemnity granted under Section 6.02
shall specifically extend to any matters arising as a result thereof. Further, and without
limiting the foregoing, each of the Delaware Trustee, the Trustee and each Entity serving in either
such capacity is specifically authorized and directed to rely upon the validity of the Conveyance
and the title held by the Trust in the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-
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Effective Payment pursuant thereto, and is further specifically authorized and directed to
rely upon opinions of counsel in the States of Texas and Kansas where the Underlying Properties are
located, and on any notice, certificate or other statement of VOC Brazos or information furnished
by VOC Brazos without any liability in any capacity for such reliance.
Section 6.02 Indemnification of Trustee or Delaware Trustee.
(a) Each Entity serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as well as each of their
respective Agents (including VOC Brazos and any of its Affiliates when acting as Agents) and
equityholders, shall be indemnified and held harmless by, and receive reimbursement from, the Trust
Estate against and from any and all liabilities, obligations, actions, suits, costs, expenses,
claims, damages, losses, penalties, taxes, fees and other charges (collectively, “Expenses,”
excluding, however, any taxes and fees payable by the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee on, based on
or measured by any fees, commissions or compensation received by the Trustee and the Delaware
Trustee for their services hereunder) incurred by it individually in the administration of the
Trust and the Trust Estate or any part or parts thereof, or in the doing of any act done or
performed or omission occurring on account of its being Trustee or Delaware Trustee, as applicable,
except such Expenses as to which it is liable under Section 6.01 (it being understood that each
Entity serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee (and their respective Agents (including VOC
Brazos and any of its Affiliates when acting as Agents) and equityholders) shall be indemnified by,
and receive reimbursement from, the Trust Estate against such Entity’s own negligence which does
not constitute gross negligence). Each Entity serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee shall
have a lien upon the Trust Estate for payment of such indemnification and reimbursement (including,
without limitation, repayment of any funds borrowed from any Entity serving as a fiduciary
hereunder), as well as for compensation to be paid to such Entity, in each case entitling such
Entity to priority as to payment thereof over payment to any other Person under this Agreement.
Neither the Trustee, the Delaware Trustee nor any Entity serving in either of such capacities, nor
any Agent thereof shall be entitled to any reimbursement or indemnification from any Trust
Unitholder for any Expense incurred by the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee or any such Entity or
Agent thereof, their right of reimbursement and indemnification, if any, except as provided in
Section 6.02(b), being limited solely to the Trust Estate, whether or not the Trust Estate is
exhausted without full reimbursement or indemnification of the Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or any
such Entity or Agent thereof. All legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee in connection with the investigation or defense of any Expenses as to which such
Entity is entitled to indemnity under this Section 6.02(a) shall be paid out of the Trust Estate.
(b) If the Trust Estate is exhausted without the Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or any Agent or
equityholder thereof being fully reimbursed as provided in Section 6.02(a) above, VOC Brazos shall
fulfill the remaining indemnity obligation to the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee.
(c) If any action or proceeding shall be brought or asserted against the Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee or any Agent or equityholder thereof (each referred to as an “Indemnified Party”
and, collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) in respect of which indemnity may be sought from VOC
Brazos (the “Indemnifying Party”) pursuant to Section 6.02(b) hereof, of which the Indemnified
Party shall have received notice, the Indemnified Party shall promptly
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notify the Indemnifying Party in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall assume the defense
thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and
the payment of all expenses. The Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel
in any such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such
counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnified Party unless (i) the Indemnifying Party has
agreed to pay such fees and expenses, (ii) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed to assume the
defense of such action or proceeding and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory (including the
qualifications of such counsel) to the Indemnified Party in respect of any such action or
proceeding or (iii) the named parties to any such action or proceeding include both the Indemnified
Party and the Indemnifying Party, and the Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that
there may be one or more legal defenses available to such Indemnified Party that are different from
or additional to those available to the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if the Indemnified Party
notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense
of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense of
such action or proceeding on behalf of the Indemnified Party and the Indemnified Party may employ
such counsel for the defense of such action or proceeding as is reasonably satisfactory to the
Indemnifying Party; it being understood, however, that the Indemnifying Party shall not, in
connection with any one such action or proceeding or separate but substantially similar or related
actions or proceedings in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or
circumstances, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for
the Indemnified Parties at any time). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement
of any such action or proceeding effected without the written consent of the Indemnifying Party
(which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), but, if settled with
such written consent, or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action or
proceeding, the Indemnifying Party agrees (to the extent stated above) to indemnify and hold
harmless the Indemnified Party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement
or judgment.
(d) Any claim for indemnification pursuant to this Section 6.02 shall survive the termination
of this Agreement and the resignation or removal of any Indemnified Party.
(e) None of the Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or any other Indemnified Party shall have any
duties or liabilities, including fiduciary duties, to the Trust or any Trust Unitholder, and the
provisions of this Agreement, to the extent they restrict, eliminate or otherwise modify the duties
and liabilities, including fiduciary duties, of any Indemnified Party otherwise existing at law or
in equity, are agreed by the Trust Unitholders to replace such other duties and liabilities of such
Indemnified Party. To the extent that, at law or in equity, an Indemnified Party has duties,
including fiduciary duties, and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust or any Trust Unitholder,
any Indemnified Party acting in connection with the Trust’s business or affairs shall not be liable
to the Trust or to any Trust Unitholder for its good faith reliance on the provisions of this
Agreement.
Section 6.03 Resignation of Delaware Trustee and Trustee. Any Entity serving as the Delaware
Trustee or the Trustee may resign, as such, with or without cause, at any time by written notice to
VOC Brazos and to any other Entity serving as the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee. Upon receiving
the notice of resignation from the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee as applicable, the resigning
Delaware Trustee or Trustee, as the case may be, shall provide notice
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to each of the then Trust Unitholders of record in accordance with Section 12.09. Such notice
shall specify a date when such resignation shall take effect, which shall be a Business Day not
less than 60 days after the date such notice is mailed; provided, however, that in no event shall
any resignation of the Trustee be effective until a successor Trustee has accepted its appointment
as Trustee (including a temporary trustee appointed pursuant to Section 6.05) pursuant to the terms
hereof; and provided further that in no event shall any resignation of the Delaware Trustee be
effective until a successor Delaware Trustee has accepted its appointment as Delaware Trustee
pursuant to the terms hereof.
Section 6.04 Removal of Delaware Trustee and Trustee. Each Entity serving as the Delaware
Trustee or the Trustee may be removed as trustee hereunder, with or without cause, by the vote of
not less than a majority of the then outstanding Trust Units at a meeting held in accordance with
the requirements of Article VIII, provided, however, that any removal of the Delaware Trustee shall
be effective only at such time as a successor Delaware Trustee, fulfilling the requirements of
Section 3807(a) of the Trust Act, has been appointed and has accepted such appointment, and
provided further that any removal of the Trustee shall be effective only at such time as a
successor Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment. The Trust Unitholders
present or represented at any such meeting where a trustee is removed may elect, in accordance with
the requirements of Article VIII, a successor trustee at such meeting, who may accept such
appointment effective as of the close of such meeting.
Section 6.05 Appointment of Successor Delaware Trustee or Trustee. In the event of the
resignation or removal of the Entity serving as the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee or if any such
Entity has given notice of its intention to resign as the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee, (i) with
respect to the Delaware Trustee, the Trustee may appoint a successor Delaware Trustee, or (ii) with
respect to either the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee, the Trust Unitholders represented at a
meeting held in accordance with the requirements of Article VIII may appoint a successor trustee.
Nominees for appointment may be made by (i) VOC Brazos, (ii) the resigned, resigning or removed
trustee or (iii) any Trust Unitholder or Trust Unitholders owning of record at least 10% of the
then outstanding Trust Units. Any successor to the Trustee shall be a bank or trust company having
combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $100,000,000. Any successor to the
Delaware Trustee shall be a bank or trust company having its principal place of business in the
State of Delaware and having combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least
$20,000,000. Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, in the event that a new trustee
has not been approved within 60 days after a notice of resignation, a vote of Trust Unitholders
removing a Trustee or other occurrence of a vacancy, a successor trustee may be appointed by any
State or Federal District Court having jurisdiction in New Castle County, Delaware, upon the
application of any Trust Unitholder, VOC Brazos or the Entity tendering its resignation or being
removed as trustee filed with such court, and in the event any such application is filed, such
court may appoint a temporary trustee at any time after such application is filed, which shall,
pending the final appointment of a trustee, have such powers and duties as the court appointing
such temporary trustee shall provide in its order of appointment, consistent with the provisions of
this Agreement. Any such temporary trustee need not meet the minimum standards of capital, surplus
and undivided profits otherwise required of a successor trustee under this Section 6.05. Nothing
herein shall prevent the same Entity from serving as both the Delaware Trustee and the Trustee if
it meets the qualifications thereof.
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Immediately upon the appointment of any successor trustee, all rights, titles, duties, powers
and authority of the predecessor trustee hereunder (except to the predecessor’s trustee’s rights
to amounts payable under Article VII or Section 6.02 accruing through the appointment of such
successor trustee) shall be vested in and undertaken by the successor trustee, which shall be
entitled to receive from the predecessor trustee all of the Trust Estate held by it hereunder and
all records and files of the predecessor trustee in connection therewith. Any resigning or removed
trustee shall account to its successor for its administration of the Trust. All successor trustees
shall be fully protected in relying upon such accounting and no successor trustee shall be
obligated to examine or seek alteration of any account of any preceding trustee, nor shall any
successor trustee be personally liable for failing to do so or for any act or omission of any
preceding trustee. The preceding sentence shall not prevent any successor trustee or anyone else
from taking any action otherwise permissible in connection with any such account.
Section 6.06 Laws of Other Jurisdictions. If notwithstanding the other provisions of this
Agreement (including, without limitation, Section 12.07) the laws of jurisdictions other than the
State of Delaware (each being referred to below as “such jurisdiction”) apply to the administration
of the Trust or the Trust Estate under this Agreement, the following provisions shall apply. If it
is necessary or advisable for a trustee to serve in such jurisdiction and if the Trustee is
disqualified from serving in such jurisdiction or for any other reason fails or ceases to serve
there, the ancillary trustee in such jurisdiction shall be such Entity, which need not meet the
requirements set forth in the third sentence of Section 6.05, as shall be designated in writing by
VOC Brazos and the Trustee. To the extent permitted under the laws of such jurisdiction, VOC
Brazos and the Trustee may remove the trustee in such jurisdiction, without cause and without
necessity of court proceeding, and may or may not appoint a successor trustee in such jurisdiction
from time to time. The trustee serving in such jurisdiction shall, to the extent not prohibited
under the laws of such jurisdiction, appoint the Trustee to handle the details of administration in
such jurisdiction. The trustee in such jurisdiction shall have all rights, powers, discretions,
responsibilities and duties as are delegated in writing by the Trustee, subject to such limitations
and directions as shall be specified by the Trustee in the instrument evidencing such appointment.
Any trustee in such jurisdiction shall be responsible to the Trustee for all assets with respect to
which such trustee is empowered to act. To the extent the provisions of this Agreement and
Delaware law cannot be made applicable to the administration in such jurisdiction, the rights,
powers, duties and liabilities of the trustee in such jurisdiction shall be the same (or as near
the same as permitted under the laws of such jurisdiction if applicable) as if governed by Delaware
law. In all events, the administration in such jurisdiction shall be as free and independent of
court control and supervision as permitted under the laws of such jurisdiction. The fees and
expenses of any ancillary trustee shall constitute an administrative expense of the Trust payable
from the Trust Estate. Whenever the term “Trustee” is applied in this Agreement to the
administration in such jurisdiction, it shall refer only to the trustee then serving in such
jurisdiction.
Section 6.07 Reliance on Experts. The Trustee and the Delaware Trustee may, but shall not be
required to, consult with counsel (which may but need not be counsel to VOC Brazos), accountants,
tax advisors, geologists, engineers and other parties (including employees of the Trustee or
Delaware Trustee, as applicable) deemed by the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee to be qualified as
experts on the matters submitted to them, and, subject to Section 6.01 but notwithstanding any
other provision of this Agreement the opinion or advice of any such
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party on any matter submitted to it by the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee shall be full and
complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by the
Trustee or the Delaware Trustee hereunder in good faith in reliance upon and in accordance with the
opinion or advice of any such party. Each of the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee is authorized to
make payments of all reasonable fees for services and expenses thus incurred out of the Trust
Estate. Neither the Delaware Trustee nor the Trustee shall incur any liability to anyone in acting
upon any signature, instrument, notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report,
opinion, bond or other document or paper reasonably believed by it to be genuine and reasonably
believed by it to be signed by the proper party or parties. The Delaware Trustee and the Trustee
may accept a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors or other governing body of
any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly adopted by such body
and that the same is in full force and effect. As to any fact or matter the manner or ascertainment
of which is not specifically prescribed herein, the Delaware Trustee and the Trustee may for all
purposes hereof rely on a certificate, signed by the president or any vice president or by the
treasurer or any assistant treasurer and by the secretary or any assistant secretary of the
relevant party (including without limitation VOC Brazos), as to such fact or matter, and such
certificate shall constitute full protection and authorization to the Delaware Trustee and the
Trustee for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in reliance thereon.
Section 6.08 Force Majeure. The Trustee and the Delaware Trustee shall not incur any
liability to any Trust Unitholder if, by reason of any current or future law or regulation
thereunder of the federal government or any other governmental authority, or by reason of any act
of God, war or other circumstance beyond its control (whether or not similar to any of the
foregoing), the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee is prevented or forbidden from doing or performing
any act or thing required by the terms hereof to be done or performed; nor shall the Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee incur any liability to any Trust Unitholder by reason of any nonperformance or
delay caused as aforesaid in the performance of any act or thing required by the terms hereof to be
done or performed, or by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided
for herein caused as aforesaid.
Section 6.09 Failure of Action by VOC Brazos. In the event that VOC Brazos shall fail or is
unable to take any action as required under any provision of the Transaction Documents, the Trustee
is empowered (but shall not be required) to take such action.
Section 6.10 Action Upon Instructions. Whenever the Delaware Trustee is unable to decide
between alternative courses of action permitted or required by the terms of this Agreement, or is
unsure as to the application, intent, interpretation or meaning of any provision of this Agreement,
the Delaware Trustee shall promptly give notice (in such form as shall be appropriate under the
circumstances) to the Trustee requesting instruction as to the course of action to be adopted, and,
to the extent the Delaware Trustee acts in good faith in accordance with any such instruction
received, the Delaware Trustee shall not be liable on account of such action to any Person. If the
Delaware Trustee shall not have received appropriate instructions within ten calendar days of
sending such notice to the Trustee (or within such shorter period of time as reasonably may be
specified in such notice or may be necessary under the circumstances) it may, but shall be under no
duty to, take or refrain from taking such action
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which is consistent, in its view, with this Agreement, and the Delaware Trustee shall have no
liability to any Person for any such action or inaction.
Section 6.11 Management of Trust Estate. The Delaware Trustee shall have no duty or
obligation to manage, control, prepare, file or maintain any report, license or registration, use,
sell, dispose of or otherwise deal with the Trust Estate, or otherwise to take or refrain from
taking any action under or in connection with this Agreement, or any other document or instrument,
except as expressly required hereby.
Section 6.12 Validity. The Delaware Trustee shall not be responsible for or in respect of and
makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of any provision of this Agreement or
for the due execution hereof by the other parties hereto or for the form, character, genuineness,
sufficiency, value or validity of any of the Trust Estate, and the Delaware Trustee shall in no
event assume or incur any liability, duty or obligation to VOC Brazos, the Trustee or any Trust
Unitholder, other than as expressly provided for herein. Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware
Trustee shall at any time have any responsibility or liability for or with respect to the legality,
validity and enforceability of any of the Trust Units.
Section 6.13 Rights and Powers; Litigation. The Delaware Trustee shall be under no obligation
to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Agreement, or to institute, conduct or
defend any litigation or arbitration under this Agreement or otherwise or in relation to this
Agreement, at the request, order or direction of the Trustee, any Trust Unitholder or VOC Brazos
unless the Trustee, Trust Unitholder or VOC Brazos, as the case may be, has or have offered to the
Delaware Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses
and liabilities that may be incurred by the Delaware Trustee therein or thereby. The Delaware
Trustee shall be under no obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, or to take any
other action other than the giving of notices, which in its opinion may require it to incur any
out-of-pocket expense or any liability unless it shall be furnished with such security and
indemnity against such expense or liability as it may reasonably require. The right of the
Delaware Trustee to perform any discretionary act enumerated in this Agreement shall not be
construed as a duty, and the Delaware Trustee shall not be personally liable or accountable for the
performance of any such act except as specifically provided in Section 6.01.
Section 6.14 No Duty to Act Under Certain Circumstances. Notwithstanding anything contained
herein to the contrary, the Delaware Trustee will not be required to take any action in any
jurisdiction other than in the State of Delaware if the taking of such action would (i) require the
consent of approval or authorization or order of or the giving of notice to, or the registration
with or taking of any action in respect of, any state or other governmental authority or agency of
any jurisdiction other than in the State of Delaware, (ii) result in any fee, tax or governmental
charge under the laws of any jurisdiction or any political subdivisions thereof other than the
State of Delaware becoming payable by the Delaware Trustee or (iii) subject the Delaware Trustee to
personal jurisdiction in any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware for causes of action
arising from acts unrelated to the consummation of the transactions by the Delaware Trustee
contemplated hereby.
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ARTICLE VII
COMPENSATION OF THE TRUSTEE AND THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE
COMPENSATION OF THE TRUSTEE AND THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE
Section 7.01 Compensation of Trustee and Delaware Trustee. The Entity serving as the Trustee
hereunder shall receive an annual fee of $150,000 as compensation for its services as the Trustee
hereunder. The Entity serving as the Delaware Trustee hereunder shall receive an annual fee of
$2,500 as compensation for its services as the Delaware Trustee hereunder as set forth in the Fee
Agreement attached hereto as Schedule A. Entities serving as the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee
hereunder shall be reimbursed for all actual expenditures made in connection with administration of
the Trust, including those made on account of any unusual duties in connection with matters
pertaining to the Trust and the reasonable compensation and expenses of their counsel, accountants
or other skilled persons and of all other persons not regularly in their employ. Any unusual or
extraordinary services rendered by the Entity serving as Trustee or by the Entity serving as
Delaware Trustee in connection with the administration of the Trust shall be treated as trustee
administrative services for purpose of computing the respective administrative fee to be paid to
each Entity serving as trustee hereunder.
Section 7.02 Reimbursement of VOC Brazos. VOC Brazos shall be entitled to reimbursement from
the Trust for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses paid by VOC Brazos, acting in its capacity as
Agent of the Trust (including without limitation legal, accounting, engineering and printing
costs), but excluding those costs and expenses specified in Section 6.02(b) as costs and expenses
to be paid by VOC Brazos and excluding any costs and expenses which have been or will be reimbursed
pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement, promptly upon submission of written evidence
thereof to the Trustee.
Section 7.03 Source of Funds. Except as provided in Section 3.12 and Section 6.02(b), all
compensation, reimbursements, and other charges owing to any Entity as a result of its services as
a trustee hereunder shall constitute indebtedness hereunder, shall be payable by the Trust out of
the Trust Estate and such Entity shall have a lien on the Trust Estate for payment of such
compensation, reimbursements and other charges, entitling such Entity to priority as to payment
thereof over payment to any other Person under this Agreement.
Section 7.04 Ownership of Units by VOC Brazos, the Delaware Trustee and the Trustee. Each of
the Delaware Trustee and the Trustee, in its individual or other capacity, may become the owner or
pledgee of Trust Units with the same rights it would have if it were not a trustee hereunder. VOC
Brazos and each of its Affiliates may become the owner of additional Trust Units with the same
rights and entitled to the same benefits as any other Trust Unitholder.
ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS OF TRUST UNITHOLDERS
MEETINGS OF TRUST UNITHOLDERS
Section 8.01 Purpose of Meetings. A meeting of the Trust Unitholders may be called at any
time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article VIII to transact any matter
that the Trust Unitholders may be authorized to transact.
Section 8.02 Call and Notice of Meetings. Any such meeting of the Trust Unitholders may be
called by the Trustee or by Trust Unitholders owning of record not less than 10% in
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number of the then outstanding Trust Units. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to,
call meetings of Trust Unitholders to consider amendments, waivers, consents and other changes
relating to the Transaction Documents to which the Trust is a party. In addition, at the written
request of the Delaware Trustee, unless the Trustee appoints a successor Delaware Trustee in
accordance with Section 6.05, the Trustee shall call such a meeting but only for the purpose of
appointing a successor to the Delaware Trustee upon its resignation. All such meetings shall be
held at such time and at such place as the notice of any such meeting may designate. Except as may
otherwise be required by any applicable law or by any securities exchange on which the Trust Units
may be listed or admitted to trading, the Trustee shall provide written notice of every meeting of
the Trust Unitholders signed by the Trustee or the Trust Unitholders calling the meeting, setting
forth the time and place of the meeting and in general terms the matters proposed to be acted upon
at such meeting, which notice shall be given in person or by mail not more than 60 nor less than 20
days before such meeting is to be held to all of the Trust Unitholders of record at the close of
business on a record date selected by the Trustee (the “Record Date Trust Unitholders”), which
shall be not more than 60 days before the date of such mailing. If such notice is given to any
Trust Unitholder by mail, it shall be directed to such Trust Unitholder at its last address as
shown by the ownership ledger of the Trustee and shall be deemed duly given when so addressed and
deposited in the United States mail, postage paid. No matter other than that stated in the notice
shall be acted upon at any meeting unless such action is approved by the Trust Unitholders. Only
Record Date Trust Unitholders shall be entitled to notice of and to exercise rights at or in
connection with the meeting. All costs associated with calling any meeting of the Trust
Unitholders shall be borne by the Trust other than a meeting of the Trust Unitholders called by
Trust Unitholders owning of record not less than 10% in number of the then outstanding Trust Units,
which costs shall be borne by the Trust Unitholders that called such meeting of Trust Unitholders.
Section 8.03 Method of Voting and Vote Required. Each Record Date Trust Unitholder shall be
entitled to one vote for each Trust Unit owned by such Record Date Trust Unitholder, and any Record
Date Trust Unitholder may vote in person or by duly executed written proxy. At any such meeting,
the presence in person or by proxy of Record Date Trust Unitholders holding a majority of the Trust
Units held by all Record Date Trust Unitholders shall constitute a quorum, and, except as otherwise
provided herein, any matter shall be deemed to have been approved by the Trust Unitholders
(including, but not limited to, appointment of a successor trustee and approval of amendments,
waivers, consents and other changes relating to the Conveyance) if it is approved by the vote of
Record Date Trust Unitholders holding over 50% of the Trust Units represented at the meeting.
Section 8.04 Conduct of Meetings. The Trustee may make such reasonable regulations consistent
with the provisions hereof as it may deem advisable for any meeting of the Trust Unitholders, for
the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the
submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, the
preparation and use at the meeting of a list authenticated by or on behalf of the Trustee of the
Trust Unitholders entitled to vote at the meeting and such other matters concerning the conduct of
the meeting as it shall deem advisable.
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ARTICLE IX
DURATION, REVOCATION AND TERMINATION OF TRUST
DURATION, REVOCATION AND TERMINATION OF TRUST
Section 9.01 Revocation. The Trust is and shall be irrevocable and VOC Brazos, as trustor,
after the Closing, retains no power to alter, amend (except as provided otherwise in this Article
IX and in Section 10.02 hereof), revoke or terminate the Trust. The Trust shall be terminable only
as provided in Section 9.02, and shall continue until so terminated.
Section 9.02 Termination. The Trust shall dissolve and commence winding-up its business and
affairs upon the first to occur of the following events or times:
(a) the disposition of all of the Net Profits Interest and any assets (other than cash),
tangible or intangible, including accounts receivable and claims or rights to payment, constituting
the Trust Estate;
(b) the action by Trust Unitholders of record holding a majority of the then outstanding Trust
Units in accordance with Article VIII to terminate the Trust;
(c) annual cash proceeds received by the Trust attributable to the Net Profits Interest and
the Pre-Effective Payment are less than $1 million for each of two consecutive years;
(d) the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Trust pursuant to the provisions of
the Trust Act; and
(e) the Liquidation Date.
Section 9.03 Disposition and Distribution of Assets and Properties. Notwithstanding the
dissolution of the Trust pursuant to Section 9.02, the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee shall
continue to act as trustees of the Trust Estate and as such shall exercise the powers granted under
this Agreement until their duties have been fully performed and the Trust Estate finally
distributed so that the affairs of the Trust may be liquidated and wound up. Upon the dissolution
of the Trust, the Trustee shall sell for cash in one or more sales all the properties other than
cash then constituting the Trust Estate. The net proceeds from any sale of the Net Profits
Interest made as provided in Section 3.02 or the properties other than cash then constituting the
Trust Estate shall be Sales Proceeds Amounts, which are treated as cash receipts of the Trust
during the Quarterly Period in which the net proceeds are received; provided that the Trustee shall
first pay, satisfy and discharge all liabilities of the Trust, or if necessary, set up cash
reserves in such amounts as the Trustee in its discretion deems appropriate for contingent
liabilities in accordance with Section 3808 of the Trust Act. The Trustee shall not be required to
obtain approval of the Trust Unitholders prior to performing any of its duties pursuant to this
Section 9.03. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event may the Trustee
distribute the Net Profits Interest and the Pre-Effective Time Payment to the Trust Unitholders.
Upon making final distribution to the Trust Unitholders, the Trustee shall direct the Delaware
Trustee to file, and Delaware Trustee shall file or cause to be filed, a certificate of
cancellation of the Trust’s Certificate of Trust in accordance with Section 2.01 and Section 3811
of the Trust Act. Upon the filing of such certificate of cancellation, neither the Trustee nor the
Entity serving in such capacity shall have any further duty or obligation hereunder, and neither
the Trustee nor the
28
Entity serving in such capacity shall be under further liability except as provided in Section
6.01.
Section 9.04 Reorganization or Business Combination.
(a) Subject to Section 12.04, the Trust may merge or consolidate with or into one or more
limited partnerships, general partnerships, corporations, statutory trusts, common law trusts,
limited liability companies, or associations, or unincorporated businesses in accordance with
Section 3815 of the Trust Act if such transaction (i) is agreed to by the Trustee and by the
affirmative vote of Trust Unitholders owning over 50% of the then outstanding Trust Units at a
meeting duly called and held in accordance with Article VIII, and (ii) is permitted under the Trust
Act and any other applicable law. The Trustee shall give prompt notice of such reorganization or
business combination to the Delaware Trustee. Pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of
Section 3815(f) of the Trust Act, and notwithstanding anything else herein, an agreement of merger
or consolidation approved in accordance with this Section 9.04 and Section 3815(a) of the Trust Act
may effect any amendment to this Agreement or effect the adoption of a new trust agreement if it is
the surviving or resulting trust in the merger or consolidation.
(b) Upon the effective date of a certificate of merger duly filed in accordance with the Trust
Act, the following shall be deemed to occur, in addition to such effects as may be specified under
the Trust Act as then in effect:
(i) all of the rights, privileges and powers of each of the business entities that have merged
or consolidated, and all property, real, personal and mixed, and all debts due to any of those
business entities and all other things and causes of action belonging to each of those business
entities shall be vested in the surviving business entity and, after the merger or consolidation,
shall be the property of the surviving business entity to the extent they were part of each
constituent business entity;
(ii) the title to any real property vested by deed or otherwise in any of those constituent
business entities shall not revert and shall not be in any way impaired because of the merger or
consolidation;
(iii) all rights of creditors and all liens on or security interest in property of any of
those constituent business entities shall be preserved unimpaired;
(iv) all debts, liabilities and duties of those constituent business entities shall attach to
the surviving or resulting business entity, and may be enforced against it to the same extent as if
the debts, liabilities and duties had been incurred or contacted by it; and
(v) if the Trust is the surviving or resulting entity, the governing instrument of the Trust
shall be amended or a new governing instrument adopted as set forth in the certificate of merger.
(c) A merger or consolidation effected pursuant to this Section 9.04 shall not be deemed to
result in a transfer or assignment of assets or liabilities from one entity to another having
occurred.
29
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS
AMENDMENTS
Section 10.01 Prohibited Amendments. After the Closing, no amendment may be made to any
provision of this Agreement that would:
(a) increase the power of the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee to engage in business or
investment activities;
(b) alter the right of the Trust Unitholders vis-a-vis each other; or
(c) unless consented to in writing by VOC Brazos, have the effect of amending Sections 3.02,
6.02, 7.02, 9.02, 9.03, 10.01 or 10.02 hereof.
Section 10.02 Permitted Amendments. The Delaware Trustee and the Trustee may, jointly, from
time to time supplement or amend the Transaction Documents to which the Trust is a party without
the approval of Trust Unitholders in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
provision contained herein or therein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provisions herein or therein, to grant any benefit to all of the Trust Unitholders, or to change
the name of the Trust, provided that such supplement or amendment does not adversely affect the
interests of the Trust Unitholders, and provided further that any amendment to this Agreement made
to change the name of the Trust in accordance with Section 12.05 or otherwise shall be conclusively
deemed not to affect adversely the interests of the Trust Unitholders or result in a variance of
the investment of the Trust or the Trust Unitholders. Additionally, the Trustee may, from time to
time, supplement or amend the Transaction Documents without the approval of the Trust Unitholders
provided that such supplement or amendment would not increase the costs or expenses of the Trust or
adversely affect the economic interest of the Trust Unitholders. The Trustee and the Delaware
Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.07 are entitled to, and may rely upon, a
written opinion of counsel as conclusive evidence that any amendment or supplement pursuant to the
immediately preceding sentences complies with the provisions of this Section 10.02. All other
permitted amendments to the provisions of the Transaction Documents may be made only by a vote of
the Trust Unitholders of record holding a majority of the then outstanding Trust Units at a meeting
held in accordance with the requirements of Article VIII. No amendment that increases the
obligations, duties or liabilities or affects the rights of the Delaware Trustee, the Trustee or
any Entity serving in any such capacity shall be effective without the express written approval of
such trustee or Entity.
ARTICLE XI
ARBITRATION
ARBITRATION
THE TRUST UNITHOLDERS, TRUSTEE AND VOC BRAZOS AGREE THAT, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (I)
OF THIS ARTICLE XI, ANY DISPUTE, CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM THAT MAY ARISE BETWEEN OR AMONG VOC BRAZOS
(ON THE ONE HAND) AND THE TRUST OR THE TRUSTEE (ON THE OTHER HAND) IN CONNECTION WITH OR OTHERWISE
RELATING TO THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS TO WHICH THE TRUST IS A PARTY OR THE APPLICATION,
30
IMPLEMENTATION, VALIDITY OR BREACH OF THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS TO WHICH THE TRUST IS A PARTY
OR ANY PROVISION OF THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS TO WHICH THE TRUST IS A PARTY, (INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, CLAIMS BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR STATUTE), SHALL BE FINALLY, CONCLUSIVELY AND
EXCLUSIVELY SETTLED BY BINDING ARBITRATION IN WICHITA, KANSAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMERCIAL
ARBITRATION RULES (THE “RULES”) OF THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION OR ANY SUCCESSOR THERETO
(“AAA”) THEN IN EFFECT. THE TRUST UNITHOLDERS, TRUSTEE AND VOC BRAZOS (FOR ITSELF AND ON BEHALF OF
THE TRUST) HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVE THEIR RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES IN COURT, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY, WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER SUBJECT TO ARBITRATION PURSUANT
TO THIS ARTICLE XI. THE TRUST UNITHOLDERS, TRUSTEE OR VOC BRAZOS MAY BRING AN ACTION, INCLUDING,
WITHOUT LIMITATION, A SUMMARY OR EXPEDITED PROCEEDING, IN ANY COURT HAVING JURISDICTION, TO COMPEL
ARBITRATION OF ANY DISPUTE, CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM TO WHICH THIS ARTICLE XI APPLIES. EXCEPT WITH
RESPECT TO THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS (THE “SPECIAL PROVISIONS”) WHICH SHALL APPLY WITH RESPECT TO
ANY ARBITRATION PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE XI, THE INITIATION AND CONDUCT OF ARBITRATION SHALL BE AS
SET FORTH IN THE RULES, WHICH RULES ARE INCORPORATED IN THIS AGREEMENT BY REFERENCE WITH THE SAME
EFFECT AS IF THEY WERE SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT.
(a) In the event of any inconsistency between the Rules and the Special Provisions, the
Special Provisions shall control. References in the Rules to a sole arbitrator shall be deemed to
refer to the tribunal of arbitrators provided for under subparagraph (c) below in this Article XI.
(b) The arbitration shall be administered by AAA.
(c) The arbitration shall be conducted by a tribunal of three arbitrators. Within ten days
after arbitration is initiated pursuant to the Rules, the initiating party or parties (the
“Claimant”) shall send written notice to the other party or parties (the “Respondent”), with a copy
to the Dallas, Texas office of AAA, designating the first arbitrator (who shall not be a
representative or agent of any party but may or may not be an AAA panel member and, in any case,
shall be reasonably believed by the Claimant to possess the requisite experience, education and
expertise in respect of the matters to which the claim relates to enable such person to completely
perform arbitral duties). Within ten days after receipt of such notice, the Respondent shall send
written notice to the Claimant, with a copy to the Dallas, Texas office of AAA and to the first
arbitrator, designating the second arbitrator (who shall not be a representative or agent of any
party, but may or may not be an AAA panel member and, in any case, shall be reasonably believed by
the Respondent to possess the requisite experience, education and expertise in respect of the
matters to which the claim relates to enable such person to competently perform arbitral duties).
Within ten days after such notice from the Respondent is received by the Claimant, the Respondent
and the Claimant shall cause their respective designated arbitrators to select any mutually
agreeable AAA panel member as the third arbitrator. If the respective designated arbitrators of
the Respondent and the Claimant cannot so agree within said ten day
31
period, then the third arbitrator will be determined pursuant to the Rules. For purposes of
this Article XI, VOC Brazos (on the one hand) and the Trust and the Trustee (on the other hand)
shall each be entitled to the selection of one arbitrator. Prior to commencement of the
arbitration proceeding, each arbitrator shall have provided the parties with a resume outlining
such arbitrator’s background and qualifications and shall certify that such arbitrator is not a
representative or agent of any of the parties. If any arbitrator shall die, fail to act, resign,
become disqualified or otherwise cease to act, then the arbitration proceeding shall be delayed for
fifteen days and the party by or on behalf of whom such arbitrator was appointed shall be entitled
to appoint a substitute arbitrator (meeting the qualifications set forth in this Article XI) within
such fifteen-day period; provided, however, that if the party by or on behalf of whom such
arbitrator was appointed shall fail to appoint a substitute arbitrator within such fifteen day
period, the substitute arbitrator shall be a neutral arbitrator appointed by the AAA arbitrator
within fifteen days thereafter.
(d) All arbitration hearings shall be commenced within 120 days after arbitration is initiated
pursuant to the Rules, unless, upon a showing of good cause by a party to the arbitration, the
tribunal of arbitrators permits the extension of the commencement of such hearing; provided,
however, that any such extension shall not be longer than 60 days.
(e) All claims presented for arbitration shall be particularly identified and the parties to
the arbitration shall each prepare a statement of their position with recommended courses of
action. These statements of position and recommended courses of action shall be submitted to the
tribunal of arbitrators chosen as provided hereinabove for binding decision. The tribunal of
arbitrators shall not be empowered to make decisions beyond the scope of the position papers.
(f) The arbitration proceeding will be governed by the substantive laws of the State of
Delaware and will be conducted in accordance with such procedures as shall be fixed for such
purpose by the tribunal of arbitrators, except that (i) discovery in connection with any
arbitration proceeding shall be conducted in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
and applicable case law, (ii) the tribunal of arbitrators shall have the power to compel discovery
and (iii) unless the parties otherwise agree and except as may be provided in this Article XI, the
arbitration shall be governed by the United States Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16, to the
exclusion of any provision of state law or other applicable law or procedure inconsistent therewith
or which would produce a different result. The parties shall preserve their right to assert and to
avail themselves of the attorney-client and attorney-work-product privileges, and any other
privileges to which they may be entitled pursuant to applicable law. No party to the arbitration
or any arbitrator may compel or require mediation and/or settlement conferences without the prior
written consent of all such parties and the tribunal of arbitrators.
(g) The tribunal of arbitrators shall make an arbitration award as soon as possible after the
later of the close of evidence or the submission of final briefs, and in all cases the award shall
be made not later than thirty days following submission of the matter. The finding and decision of
a majority of the arbitrators shall be final and shall be binding upon the parties. Judgment upon
the arbitration award or decision may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof or
application may be made to any such court for a judicial acceptance of the award and an order of
enforcement, as the case may be. The tribunal of arbitrators shall have the
32
authority to assess liability for pre-award and post-award interest on the claims, attorneys’
fees, expert witness fees and all other expenses of arbitration as such arbitrators shall deem
appropriate based on the outcome of the claims arbitrated. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties
to the arbitration in writing, the arbitration award shall include findings of fact and conclusions
of law.
(h) Nothing in this Article XI shall be deemed to (i) limit the applicability of any otherwise
applicable statute of limitations or repose or any waivers contained in this Agreement, (ii)
constitute a waiver by any party hereto of the protections afforded by 12 U.S.C. § 91 or any
successor statute thereto or any substantially equivalent state law, (iii) restrict the right of
the Trustee to make application to any state or federal district court having jurisdiction in
Wichita, Kansas, to appoint a successor Trustee or to request instructions with regard to any
provision in this Agreement when the Trustee is unsure of its obligations thereunder, or (iv) apply
to the Delaware Trustee.
(i) This Article XI shall preclude participation by the Trust in any class action brought
against VOC Brazos by any Person who is not a Trust Unitholder and the Trustee shall opt out of any
such class action in which the Trust is a purported class member, but shall not preclude
participation by the Trust in any such action brought by a Trust Unitholders or in which Trust
Unitholders holding over 50% of the Trust Units represented at a duly called and held meeting of
the Trust Unitholders in accordance with Section 8.02 request the Trustee to participate.
ARTICLE XII
MISCELLANEOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 12.01 Inspection of Books. Each Trust Unitholder and its duly authorized agents and
attorneys shall have the right, at its own expense and during reasonable business hours upon
reasonable prior notice, to examine and inspect the records (including, without limitation, the
ownership ledger) of the Trust and the Trustee in reference thereto for any purpose reasonably
related to the Trust Unitholder’s interest as a Trust Unitholder. The Trustee and its duly
authorized Agents shall have the right, at the expense of the Trust and during reasonable business
hours upon reasonable prior written notice, to examine and inspect the records of VOC Brazos
relating to the Net Profits Interest, the Pre-Effective Time Payment and the Underlying Properties.
Section 12.02 Disability of a Trust Unitholder. Any payment or distribution to a Trust
Unitholder may be made by check of the Trustee drawn to the order of the Trust Unitholder,
regardless of whether or not the Trust Unitholder is a minor or under other legal disability,
without the Trustee having further responsibility with respect to such payment or distribution.
This Section 12.02 shall not be deemed to prevent the Trustee from making any payment or
distribution by any other method that is appropriate under law.
Section 12.03 Interpretation. It is intended that this Agreement shall be interpreted in a
manner such that the Trustee shall be prohibited from taking any action if the effect of such
action would constitute a power under this Trust Agreement to “vary the investment of the
certificate holders” as set forth in Section 301.7701-4(c)(1) of the Treasury Regulations
33
promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as such regulations may be
amended, and as further interpreted by Revenue Ruling 2004-86, 2004-2 C.B. 191, or any successor
ruling, notice or other pronouncement by the Internal Revenue Service.
Section 12.04 Merger or Consolidation of Delaware Trustee or Trustee. Neither a change of
name of either the Delaware Trustee or the Trustee, nor any merger or consolidation of its
corporate powers with another bank or with a trust company, nor the sale or transfer of all or
substantially all of its institutional and corporate trust operations to a separate bank, trust
company, corporation or other business entity shall adversely affect such resulting or successor
party’s right or capacity to act hereunder; provided, however, that the Delaware Trustee or any
successor thereto shall maintain its principal place of business in the State of Delaware; and
provided further that, in the case of any successor Trustee or Delaware Trustee, it shall continue
to meet the requirements of Section 6.05.
Section 12.05 Change in Trust Name. Upon the written request by VOC Brazos submitted to the
Trustee and the Delaware Trustee, the Trustee shall, without the vote or consent of any Trust
Unitholders, take all action necessary to change the name of the Trust to a name mutually agreeable
to the Trustee and VOC Brazos and, upon effecting such name change, the Delaware Trustee, acting
pursuant to the written instructions of the Trustee, shall amend the Certificate of Trust on file
in the office of the Secretary of State of Delaware to reflect such name change.
Section 12.06 Filing of this Agreement. There is no obligation on the part of the Trustee
that this Agreement or any executed copy hereof be filed in any county in which any of the Trust
Estate is located or elsewhere, but the same may be filed for record in any county by the Trustee.
In order to avoid the necessity of filing this Agreement for record, each of the Delaware Trustee
and the Trustee agrees that for the purpose of vesting the record title to the Trust Estate in any
successor trustee, the succeeded trustee shall, upon appointment of any successor trustee, execute
and deliver to such successor trustee appropriate assignments or conveyances.
Section 12.07 Choice of Law. This Agreement and the Trust shall be governed by the laws of
the State of Delaware (without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof) in effect at any
applicable time in all matters, including the validity, construction and administration of this
Agreement and the Trust, the enforceability of the provisions of this Agreement, all rights and
remedies hereunder, and the services of the Delaware Trustee and Trustee hereunder. Furthermore,
except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of the
Delaware Trustee, the Trustee and the Trust Unitholders shall be as provided under the Trust Act
and other applicable laws of the State of Delaware in effect at any applicable time; provided,
however, that to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law there shall not be applicable to
the Trustee, the Delaware Trustee, the Trust Unitholders, the Trust or this Agreement any provision
of the laws (common or statutory) of the State of Delaware pertaining to trusts that relate to or
regulate, in a manner inconsistent with the terms hereof, (i) the filing with any court or
governmental body or agency of trustee accounts or schedules of trustee fees and charges, (ii)
affirmative requirements to post bonds for trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust,
(iii) the necessity for obtaining court or other governmental approval concerning the acquisition,
holding or disposition of real or personal property, (iv) fees or other
34
sums payable to trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust, (v) the allocation of
receipts and expenditures to income or principal, (vi) restrictions or limitations on the
permissible nature, amount or concentration of trust investments or requirements relating to the
titling, storage or other manner of holding or investing trust assets. Section 3540 of Title 12 of
the Delaware Code shall not apply to the Trust.
Section 12.08 Separability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to
any Person or circumstances shall be finally determined by a court of proper jurisdiction to be
illegal, invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement or the application
of such provision to Persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held illegal,
invalid or unenforceable shall not be affected thereby, and every remaining provision of this
Agreement shall be valid and enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Section 12.09 Notices. Any and all notices or demands permitted or required to be given under
this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be validly given or made if (a) personally delivered,
(b) delivered and confirmed by facsimile or like instantaneous transmission service, or by Federal
Express or other overnight courier delivery service, which shall be effective as of confirmation of
receipt by the courier at the address for notice hereinafter stated, (c) solely in the case of
notice to any Trust Unitholder, by press release in a nationally recognized and distributed media
or (d) deposited in the United States mail, first class, postage prepaid, certified or registered,
return receipt requested, addressed as follows:
If to the Trustee, to:
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.
Institutional Trust Services
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
Institutional Trust Services
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
With a copy to:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attention: W. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
000 Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attention: W. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
If to the Delaware Trustee, to:
Wilmington Trust Company
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
35
With a copy to:
Xxxxxx Xxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
If to VOC Brazos, to:
0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
Xxxxxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
With a copy to:
Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P.
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
If to a Trust Unitholder, to:
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Facsimile No.: (000) 000-0000
If to a Trust Unitholder, to:
The Trust Unitholder at its last address as shown on the ownership records maintained by the
Trustee
Notice that is mailed in the manner specified shall be conclusively deemed given three days
after the date postmarked or upon receipt, whichever is sooner. Any party to this Agreement may
change its address for the purpose of receiving notices or demands by notice given as provided in
this Section 12.09.
Section 12.10 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in a number of counterparts, each
of which shall constitute an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 12.11 Stand-by Letter of Credit. VOC Brazos hereby agrees to provide and maintain a
$1.0 million stand-by letter of credit in a form reasonable acceptable to the Bank, in its capacity
as Trustee.
36
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, VOC Brazos, the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed the day and year first above written.
ATTEST: | VOC BRAZOS ENERGY PARTNERS, LP | |||||||
By: | Xxxx Texas Partners, LLC | |||||||
its General Partner | ||||||||
By: | Xxxx Holding Corporation, | |||||||
its Manager | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Name: | ||||||||
Title:
|
Title: | Designated Representative | ||||||
ATTEST: | THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. | |||||||
By: | ||||||||
Name: | ||||||||
Title
|
Title: | Vice President | ||||||
ATTEST: | WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY | |||||||
By: | ||||||||
Name: | ||||||||
Title
|
Title: |
Signature Page to Amended and Restated Trust Agreement
SCHEDULE A
FEE SCHEDULE OF DELAWARE TRUSTEE
1. | The fee will be $2,500 annually. |
2