AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of July 31, 2006 among EL PASO CORPORATION, COLORADO INTERSTATE GAS COMPANY, EL PASO NATURAL GAS COMPANY and TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE COMPANY, as Borrowers The Lenders Party Hereto and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,...
EXHIBIT
10.A
CONFORMED COPY
AMENDED
AND
RESTATED
dated
as
of
July
31,
2006
among
EL
PASO
CORPORATION,
EL
PASO
NATURAL GAS COMPANY and
TENNESSEE
GAS PIPELINE COMPANY,
as
Borrowers
The
Lenders Party
Hereto
and
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Administrative
Agent and Collateral Agent
___________________________
BANK
OF
AMERICA, N.A. and CREDIT SUISSE,
as
Co-Syndication
Agents
CITICORP
NORTH AMERICA, INC., N.A. and ABN AMRO BANK N.V.,
as
Co-Documentation
Agents
X.X.
XXXXXX
SECURITIES INC. and CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.,
as
Joint
Bookrunners and Co-Lead Arrangers
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Page
|
ARTICLE
1
DEFINITIONS
SECTION
|
1.01.
|
Defined
Terms
|
1
|
SECTION
|
1.02.
|
Classification
of Loans and Borrowings
|
24
|
SECTION
|
1.03.
|
Terms
Generally
|
24
|
SECTION
|
1.04.
|
Accounting
Terms; GAAP
|
25
|
ARTICLE
2
THE
CREDITS
SECTION
|
2.01.
|
Commitments
|
25
|
SECTION
|
2.02.
|
Loans
and
Borrowings
|
26
|
SECTION
|
2.03.
|
Request
for Borrowings
|
26
|
SECTION
|
2.04.
|
Letters
of Credit
|
27
|
SECTION
|
2.05.
|
Funding
of Borrowings
|
32
|
SECTION
|
2.06.
|
Interest
Elections
|
32
|
SECTION
|
2.07.
|
Optional
and Mandatory Termination and Reduction of
Commitments
|
34
|
SECTION
|
2.08.
|
Repayment
of Loans; Evidence of Debt
|
34
|
SECTION
|
2.09.
|
Optional
and Mandatory Prepayment of Loans
|
35
|
SECTION
|
2.10.
|
Fees
|
36
|
SECTION
|
2.11.
|
Interest
|
37
|
SECTION
|
2.12.
|
Alternate
Rate of Interest
|
38
|
SECTION
|
2.13.
|
Increased
Costs
|
38
|
SECTION
|
2.14.
|
Break
Funding Payments
|
40
|
SECTION
|
2.15.
|
Taxes
|
40
|
SECTION
|
2.16.
|
Payments
Generally, Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-Offs
|
41
|
SECTION
|
2.17.
|
Mitigation
Obligations; Replacement of Lenders
|
43
|
SECTION
|
2.18.
|
Deposit
Account
|
44
|
ARTICLE
3
CONDITIONS
SECTION
|
3.01.
|
Effective
Date; Conditions to Initial Credit Event
|
48
|
SECTION
|
3.02.
|
Each
Credit Event
|
50
|
ARTICLE
4
REPRESENTATIONS
AND
WARRANTIES
SECTION
|
4.01.
|
Organization;
Power
|
51
|
SECTION
|
4.02.
|
Authorization
|
51
|
SECTION
|
4.03.
|
Governmental
Approvals; No Conflicts
|
52
|
SECTION
|
4.04.
|
Binding
Obligation; Enforceability
|
52
|
SECTION
|
4.05.
|
Financial
Condition
|
52
|
SECTION
|
4.06.
|
Compliance
with Laws and Agreements
|
53
|
SECTION
|
4.07.
|
Litigation
|
53
|
SECTION
|
4.08.
|
Taxes
|
53
|
SECTION
|
4.09.
|
Properties
|
53
|
SECTION
|
4.10.
|
ERISA
|
54
|
SECTION
|
4.11.
|
Investment
Company Act
|
54
|
SECTION
|
4.12.
|
Federal
Reserve Regulation
|
54
|
SECTION
|
4.13.
|
Collateral
|
54
|
SECTION
|
4.14.
|
Solvency
|
55
|
SECTION
|
4.15.
|
Environmental
Matters
|
55
|
SECTION
|
4.16.
|
Insurance
|
55
|
SECTION
|
4.17.
|
Disclosure
|
55
|
SECTION
|
4.18.
|
Subsidiaries
|
55
|
ARTICLE
5
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
SECTION
|
5.01.
|
Preservation
of Existence
|
56
|
SECTION
|
5.02.
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
56
|
SECTION
|
5.03.
|
Visitation
Rights
|
56
|
SECTION
|
5.04.
|
Books
and
Records
|
56
|
SECTION
|
5.05.
|
Maintenance
of Properties
|
56
|
SECTION
|
5.06.
|
Maintenance
of Insurance
|
56
|
SECTION
|
5.07.
|
Security
Interests in Collateral
|
57
|
SECTION
|
5.08.
|
Reporting
Requirements
|
57
|
SECTION
|
5.09
|
Cash
Collateral for Secured Hedging Agreements
|
59
|
SECTION
|
5.10.
|
Collateral
Reporting
|
60
|
ARTICLE
6
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
SECTION
|
6.01.
|
Liens
|
60
|
SECTION
|
6.02.
|
Financial
Covenants
|
61
|
SECTION
|
6.03.
|
Debt
|
62
|
SECTION
|
6.04.
|
Disposition
of Property or Assets
|
62
|
SECTION
|
6.05.
|
Mergers
|
64
|
SECTION
|
6.06.
|
Use
of
Proceeds
|
65
|
SECTION
|
6.07.
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
65
|
SECTION
|
6.08.
|
Restrictive
Agreements
|
65
|
ARTICLE
7
EVENTS
OF
DEFAULT
ARTICLE
8
COMPANY
GUARANTEE
SECTION
|
8.01.
|
Company
Guarantee
|
69
|
SECTION
|
8.02.
|
No
Subrogation
|
70
|
SECTION
|
8.03.
|
Amendments,
etc. with respect to the Obligations
|
70
|
SECTION
|
8.04.
|
Guarantee
Absolute and Unconditional
|
71
|
SECTION
|
8.05.
|
Reinstatement
|
72
|
ARTICLE
9
THE
AGENTS
ARTICLE
10
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION
|
10.01.
|
Notices
|
74
|
SECTION
|
10.02.
|
Waivers;
Amendments
|
75
|
SECTION
|
10.03.
|
Expenses;
Indemnity; Damage Waiver
|
78
|
SECTION
|
10.04.
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
79
|
SECTION
|
10.05.
|
Survival
|
83
|
SECTION
|
10.06.
|
Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness
|
84
|
SECTION
|
10.07.
|
Severability
|
84
|
SECTION
|
10.08.
|
Right
of
Setoff
|
84
|
SECTION
|
10.09.
|
Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process
|
84
|
SECTION
|
10.10.
|
Waiver
Of
Jury Trial
|
85
|
SECTION
|
10.11.
|
Headings
|
86
|
SECTION
|
10.12.
|
Confidentiality
|
86
|
SECTION
|
10.13.
|
Security
Agreement
|
87
|
SECTION
|
10.14.
|
Amendment
and Restatement and Continuing Effect
|
87
|
SECTION
|
10.15.
|
USA
Patriot Act
|
87
|
SECTION
|
10.16.
|
Releases
|
88
|
SCHEDULES:
Schedule
|
1
|
Lender
Commitments
|
|
Schedule
|
2
|
Letter
of
Credit Commitments
|
|
Schedule
|
3
|
Pricing
Schedule
|
|
Schedule
|
4.05
|
Disclosure
Update
|
|
Schedule
|
4.15
|
Environmental
Matters
|
|
Schedule
|
4.18
|
Subsidiaries
|
|
Schedule
|
6.08
|
Existing
Restrictive Agreements
|
|
Schedule
|
10.16(a)
|
Released
Subsidiary Guarantors
|
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit
A
|
Form
of
Assignment and Assumption Agreement
|
|
Exhibit
B
|
Form
of
Borrowing Request
|
|
Exhibit
C
|
Form
of
Note
|
|
Exhibit
D
|
Form
of
Security Agreement
|
|
Exhibit
E-1
|
Form
of
Parent Guarantee Agreement
|
|
Exhibit
E-2
|
Form
of
Subsidiary Guarantee Agreement
|
|
Exhibit
F-1
|
Form
of
Opinion of Xxxxxxx Xxxxx LLP, special New York counsel to the
Company
|
|
Exhibit
F-2
|
Form
of
Opinion of General Counsel or Associate General Counsel to the
Company
|
|
Exhibit
G
|
Form
of
Process Agent Letter
|
|
Exhibit
H
|
Acceptable
Subordination Provisions
|
AMENDED
AND
RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of July
31, 2006, among EL
PASO
CORPORATION,
a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”),
COLORADO
INTERSTATE GAS COMPANY,
a Delaware
corporation (“CIG”),
EL
PASO
NATURAL GAS COMPANY,
a Delaware
corporation (“EPNGC”),
TENNESSEE
GAS PIPELINE COMPANY,
a Delaware
corporation (“TGPC”),
the several
banks and other financial institutions from time to time parties to this
Agreement (the “Lenders”),
and
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.
(“JPMCB”),
as
administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative
Agent”)
and as
collateral agent (in such capacity, the “Collateral
Agent”).
W
I T N E S
S E T H :
WHEREAS,
the Company, CIG,
EPNGC, TGPC, the Administrative Agent and certain of the Lenders are parties
to
the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (as the same has been amended,
supplemented and modified, the “Existing
Facility”)
dated as of
November 23, 2004 (the “Original
Effective Date”);
WHEREAS,
certain of the
borrowers under the Existing Facility have requested that the Existing Facility
be amended and restated in its entirety as more fully set forth
herein;
WHEREAS,
the Lenders (who
constitute the “Majority Lenders” as defined in the Existing Facility) and the
Administrative Agent are willing to so amend and restate the Existing Facility,
on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this
Agreement;
NOW,
THEREFORE,
in consideration
of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties hereto
hereby agree that, on the Effective Date, the Existing Facility shall be amended
and restated in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE
1
Definitions
Section
1.01 .
Defined
Terms.
As used in this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”,
when used in
reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans
comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by
reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Acceptable
Subordination Provisions”
means
subordination provisions substantially in the form of Exhibit H hereto or
otherwise acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
“Adjusted
LIBO Rate”
means,
with
respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate
per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to
(a)
the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve
Rate.
“Administrative
Agent”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“Administrative
Questionnaire”
means
an
Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative
Agent.
“Affiliate”
means,
with
respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under
common Control with the Person specified.
“Agents”
means
the
Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Co-Syndication Agents, the
Co-Documentation Agents and the Lead Arrangers.
“Agreement”
means
the
Existing Facility, as amended and restated by this Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement, as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to
time.
“Alternate
Base Rate”
means,
for any
day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect
on
such day and (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus
½
of 1%. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate
or the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be effective from and including the
effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective
Rate, respectively.
“Alternate
Program”
means
any program
providing for the sale or other Disposition of trade or other receivables
entered into by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company on terms (a)
substantially similar to the proposed Receivables Purchase Agreement with BNP
Paribas, New York Branch, as initial managing agent, delivered to the
Administrative Agent prior to the date hereof, whether or not such agreement
shall then be in effect (as modified to comply with relevant policies of the
Financial Accounting Standards Board or similar policies or guidelines from
time
to time in effect), or (b) otherwise customary for similar transactions on
substantially similar terms as reasonably determined by the Administrative
Agent.
“ANR”
means
ANR
Pipeline Company, a Delaware corporation.
“ANR
Company”
means
American
Natural Resources Company, a Delaware corporation.
“ANR
Holding”
means
El Paso ANR
Investments, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company.
“ANR
Indenture”
means
the
Indenture dated as of March 5, 2003 between ANR and The Bank of New York, as
trustee, governing ANR’s 8-7/8%
Notes due 2010,
as in effect on the Effective Date.
“Applicable
Maturity Date”
means
(i) with
respect to Deposit Loans or Deposit Letters of Credit, the Deposit Maturity
Date
and (ii) with respect to Revolving Loans or Revolving Letters of Credit, the
Revolving Maturity Date.
“Applicable
Percentage”
means
(i) with
respect to a Deposit Lender, its Deposit Percentage and (ii) with respect to
a
Revolving Lender, its Revolving Percentage.
“Applicable
Rate”
means,
for any
day, with respect to any (i) Revolving Commitment or Revolving Loan, the
applicable rate specified in the Pricing Schedule or (ii) Deposit Loan that
is
(a) an ABR Loan, the rate equal to 1.00% per annum or (b) a Eurodollar Loan,
the
rate equal to 2.00% per annum.
“Approved
Fund”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in Section
10.04.
“Assets”
means,
with
respect to any Person, all or any part of its business, property, rights,
interests and assets, both tangible and intangible (including Equity Interests
in any Person), wherever situated.
“Assignment
and Assumption”
means
an
assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the
consent of any party whose consent is required by Section
10.04),
and accepted by
the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit
A
or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Benchmark LIBO
Rate”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
2.18(d).
“Board
of
Directors”
means
with
respect to any Person the Board of Directors or equivalent governing body of
such Person as it may be constituted from time to time.
“Board
of
Governors”
means
the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of
America.
“Borrower”
means
the Company
and each Pipeline Company Borrower, as applicable.
“Borrowing”
means
Loans of
the same Class and Type to the same Borrower, made, converted or continued
on
the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single
Interest Period is in effect.
“Borrowing
Request”
means
a request
substantially in the form of Exhibit
B
by a Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with Section
2.03.
“Business
Day”
means
any day
that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New
York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided
that, when used in
connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term “Business
Day”
shall
also
exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits
in
the London interbank market.
“Business
Entity”
means
a
partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation
(including a business trust), limited liability company, unlimited liability
company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture
or other entity.
“Capital
Lease Obligations”
of
any Person
means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any
lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal
property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be
classified and accounted for as a capital lease on a balance sheet of such
Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations at any time shall be
the
capitalized amount thereof at such time determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“Cash
Collateral Account”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Cash
Collateralize”
means
(a) with
respect to any LC Exposure, to deposit in the Cash Collateral Account, in the
name of the Collateral Agent and for the benefit of the applicable Lenders,
an
amount in cash equal to 105% of such LC Exposure as of such date plus any
accrued and unpaid interest thereon and (b) with respect to Secured Hedging
Agreements, to deposit in the Excess Cash Account an amount in cash as provided
in Section
5.09.
“Cash
Equivalents”
means
(a)
marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United
States Government or issued by any agency thereof and backed by the full faith
and credit of the United States, in each case maturing within one year from
the
date of acquisition thereof; (b) marketable direct obligations issued by any
state of the United States of America or any political subdivision of any such
state or any public instrumentality thereof maturing within one year from the
date of acquisition thereof and, at the time of acquisition, having the highest
rating obtainable from either S&P or Xxxxx’x; (c) certificates of deposit or
banker’s acceptances maturing within one year from the date of acquisition
thereof issued by (x) any Lender, or (y) any commercial bank organized under
the
laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of
Columbia having combined capital and surplus of not less than $500,000,000
(any
such Lender or bank, a “Qualifying
Lender”);
(d) eurodollar
time deposits having a maturity of less than one year purchased directly from
any Lender (whether such deposit is with such Lender or any other Lender
hereunder) or issued by any Qualifying Lender; (e) repurchase agreements and
reverse repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 14 days with any
Qualifying Lender relating to marketable direct obligations issued or
unconditionally guaranteed by the United States; and (f) money market funds
that
(i) comply with the criteria set forth in SEC Rule 2a-7 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, (ii) invest solely in the assets described in clauses
(a)
through (e) above and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least
$5,000,000,000.
“Casualty
Event”
means
an event
that causes any property of a Credit Party or a Restricted Subsidiary to be
damaged, destroyed or rendered unfit for normal use for any reason
whatsoever.
“CGMI”
means
Citigroup
Global Markets Inc.
“Change
in
Law”
means
(a) the
adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b)
any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or
application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this
Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender or any Issuing Bank (or, for purposes
of Section
2.13(b),
by any lending
office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding
company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having
the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date
of
this Agreement.
“CIG”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“Citibank”
means
Citibank,
N.A.
“CNA”
means
Citicorp
North America, Inc.
“Class”
(a)
when used
with respect to Lenders, refers to whether such Lenders are Deposit Lenders
or
Revolving Lenders, (b) when used with respect to Commitments, refers to whether
to such Commitments are Deposit Commitments or Revolving Commitments, (c) when
used with respect to Loans or a Borrowing, refers to whether such Loans, or
the
Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Deposit Loans or Revolving Loans and (d)
when used with respect to Letters of Credit (or related LC Disbursements or
LC
Exposure), refers to whether such Letters of Credit (or the related LC
Disbursements or LC Exposure) are Deposit Letters of Credit or Revolving Letters
of Credit.
“CLO”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in Section
10.04.
“Co-Documentation
Agents”
means
CNA and ABN
AMRO N.V., in their capacity as co-documentation agents.
“Co-Syndication
Agents”
means
Bank of
America, N.A. and Credit Suisse, in their capacity as co-syndication
agents.
“Code”
means
the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Collateral”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Collateral
Account”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Collateral
Agent”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Collateral
Permitted Liens”
means
Liens (a)
for Taxes or other obligations or requirements owing to or imposed by
Governmental Authorities existing or having priority, as applicable, by
operation of law, in each case either (i) not yet overdue or (ii) being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings by the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries, as the case may be, provided
that adequate
reserves with respect to such contested Taxes or other obligations or
requirements are maintained on the books of the Company or the applicable
Subsidiary of the Company, as the case may be, to the extent required by and
in
conformity with GAAP, and no enforcement action shall have been taken toward
foreclosure on the Collateral pursuant to such Liens; (b) for judgments or
orders that do not constitute an Event of Default under paragraph (g) of
Article
7;
(c)
created under the Security Documents; or (d) in existence on the Effective
Date.
“Commitment”
means
a Deposit
Commitment or a Revolving Commitment (as the context requires).
“Company”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“Condemnation”
means
the taking,
by right of eminent domain, or a conveyance in lieu thereof, of property of
a
Credit Party or a Restricted Subsidiary.
“Consolidated
EBITDA”
means,
with
respect to any Person for the applicable period, the sum (without duplication
and determined as to such Person and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis) of (i) earnings before interest, taxes on income,
depreciation and amortization (exclusive of extraordinary items and gains or
losses on sales of assets outside the ordinary course of business), plus
(ii) any
nonrecurring noncash charges deducted in the determination of clause (i),
plus
or minus
(iii) any charge
or credit related to xxxx-to-market provisions for derivatives exposures
plus
(iv) the net cash
received for any put options entered into for the purpose of mitigating the
commodity price risk of the hydrocarbon production owned by the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries, minus
(v) cash payments
during such period not deducted in the determination of clause (i) on account
of
charges or reserves taken in a prior period, minus
(vi) income of
entities accounted for on the equity method, plus
(vii)
distributions of cash to such Person or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries
by
any entity accounted for on the equity method, provided
that the aggregate
amount included pursuant to this clause (vii) during the term of this Agreement
shall not exceed the aggregate amount excluded pursuant to clause (vi) in
respect of periods commencing on or after January 1, 2004, plus
(viii) for
purposes of determining the Consolidated EBITDA of any Pipeline Company
Borrower, all non-recurring losses or expenses deducted from the determination
of earnings for such period to the extent such losses or expenses were funded
from capital contributions from any holder of Equity Interests in such Person
plus
(ix) for any
period, the amount of insurance proceeds received in such period or determined
by such Person in such period to be receivable in a future period, but not
to
exceed the amount by which Consolidated EBITDA for such period or any prior
period is reduced on account of the loss to which such insurance proceeds
relate; provided
that if such
Person or any of its Subsidiaries shall have consummated any material
acquisition or Disposition during such period, Consolidated EBITDA shall be
determined on a pro forma basis as if such acquisition or Disposition had
occurred on the first day of such period. For all purposes hereunder, the
calculation of Consolidated EBITDA of the Company or EPNGC shall not include
or
reflect any effect of the settlement relating to the Western energy crisis
that
was entered into on or about June 23, 2003.
“Contingent
Guaranty”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the definition of the term “Guaranty” contained in this
Section
1.01.
“Control”
means,
at any
time of determination, the possession, directly or indirectly, at such time,
of
the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of
a
Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or
otherwise. “Controlling”
and
“Controlled”
have
meanings
correlative thereto.
“Covered
Asset”
means
any Asset
owned by a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Project Financing Subsidiary,
the
Disposition of which is subject to subclause (i)
or (ii)
of Section
2.14(b).
“Credit
Contact”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in clause (ii)(D)
of Section
10.04(b).
“Credit Exposure”
means
a Deposit
Exposure or a Revolving Exposure (as the context requires).
“Credit
Party”
means
each
Borrower and each Guarantor.
“Credit
Party Guarantee”
means
(a) the
Subsidiary Guarantee Agreement, (b) the Guaranty of the Company set forth in
Article
8
in
favor of the Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lenders and
(c)
the Parent Guarantee Agreement, in each case, as the same may be amended,
modified, or replaced from time to time.
“Credit
Related Party”
means
each
Borrower, each Guarantor and each Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Project
Financing Subsidiary.
“Debt”
means,
as to any
Person, all Indebtedness of such Person other than (a) any Project Financing
of
such Person, (b) in the case of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company,
any
liabilities of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, under any
Alternate Program, or any document executed by the Company or such Subsidiary,
as the case may be, in connection therewith, (c) in the case of the Company
or a
Subsidiary of the Company, any obligations of the Company or a Subsidiary of
the
Company with respect to lease payments for the headquarters building of the
Company located in Houston, Texas, (d) to the extent paid on or prior to the
fifth Business Day after the due date therefor, the aggregate amount of all
LC
Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of such Person
and all unpaid, non-contingent obligations of such Person to reimburse a bank
or
other Person in respect of amounts paid under a letter of credit or similar
instrument, and (e) in the case of the Company, those items included as
“securities of consolidated subsidiaries” (or analogous line item) as listed in
the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2005, and
regardless of any change thereafter in accounting treatment thereof, so long
as
the terms and conditions of any financing associated with any such items
referred to in this clause (e) (or successive extensions or refinancings
thereof) are not amended so as to become more restrictive to the Company or
its
Subsidiaries than the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
“Default”
means
any event
or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse
of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of
Default.
“Deposit”
means,
with
respect to each Deposit Lender at any time, the amounts actually on deposit
in
the Deposit Account to the credit of such Lender’s Deposit Sub-Account at such
time.
“Deposit
Account”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
2.18(a).
“Deposit
Availability Period”
means
the period
from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the
Deposit Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Deposit
Commitments.
“Deposit
Commitment”
means,
with
respect to each Deposit Lender, the commitment of such Deposit Lender to make
Deposit Loans and to acquire participations in Deposit Letters of Credit
hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant
to
Section
2.07
and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or
to
such Lender pursuant to Section
10.04.
The initial amount of each Deposit Lender’s Deposit Commitment is set forth on
Schedule
1
or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Deposit Lender shall
have assumed its Deposit Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount
of the Deposit Commitments is $500,000,000.
“Deposit
Exposure”
means,
with
respect to any Deposit Lender at any time, (i) the amount of such Lender’s
Deposit Commitment, if the Deposit Commitments are still in existence, or (ii)
if the Deposit Commitments have terminated or expired, the amount of its Deposit
Outstandings.
“Deposit
Issuing Bank”
means
JPMCB in
its capacity as the Issuing Bank in respect of Deposit Letters of
Credit.
“Deposit
Lender”
means
a Lender
with Deposit Exposure.
“Deposit
LC
Exposure”
means,
at any
time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Deposit
Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC
Disbursements in respect of Deposit Letters of Credit that have not yet been
reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrowers at such time, whether directly
through any Borrowing, or otherwise. The Deposit LC Exposure of any Deposit
Lender at any time shall be its Deposit Percentage of the total Deposit LC
Exposure at such time.
“Deposit
Letter of Credit”
means
any letter
of credit issued by the Deposit Issuing Bank pursuant to this Agreement,
including, after the Effective Date, all Existing Deposit Letters of
Credit.
“Deposit
Loan”
means
a Loan made
pursuant to Section
2.01(b).
“Deposit
Maturity Date”
means
July 31,
2011.
“Deposit
Outstandings”
means,
with
respect to any Deposit Lender at any time, the aggregate outstanding amount
of
such Lender’s Deposit Loans and its Deposit LC Exposure at such
time.
“Deposit
Percentage”
means,
with
respect to any Deposit Lender, the percentage of the total Deposit Exposures
represented by such Lender’s Deposit Exposure.
“Deposit
Return”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
2.18(d).
“Deposit Sub-Account”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
2.18(a).
“Disposition”
means
with
respect to any asset or property of any Person, any sale, transfer or other
disposition of ownership thereof by such Person, including any casualty with
respect thereto or condemnation thereof or foreclosure thereon (but shall not
include the granting or existence of a Lien permitted hereunder, or the granting
or existence of any other encumbrance not prohibited hereunder, with respect
thereto, or the issuance by such Person of indebtedness or equity).
“Dispose”
shall
have a
correlative meaning. For the avoidance of doubt, the issuance of (i) Equity
Interests (x) by the Company or (y) by any of the Company’s Subsidiaries to the
Company or any of its other Subsidiaries or (ii) Debt by the Company or any
of
its Subsidiaries, in each case that is not prohibited under the Credit Agreement
shall not constitute a Disposition.
“dollars”
or
“$”
refers
to lawful
money of the United States of America.
“Effective
Date”
has
the meaning
assigned such term in Section
3.01.
“El
Paso
CNG”
means
El Paso CNG
Company, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company.
“El
Paso
Tennessee”
means
El Paso
Tennessee Pipeline Co., a Delaware corporation.
“Environmental
Laws”
means
all laws,
rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions,
notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any
Governmental Authority, regulating or imposing liability or standards of conduct
concerning protection of the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural
resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous
Material or to health and safety matters.
“Environmental
Liability”
means
any
liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs
of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of any Borrower
or any Subsidiary of a Borrower resulting from or based upon (a) violation
of
any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation,
storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to
any
Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous
Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other
consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with
respect to any of the foregoing.
“EPNG
Holding”
means
El Paso
EPNG Investments, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company.
“EPNGC”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“Equity
Interests”
means
(i) any
capital stock, partnership, joint venture, member or limited liability or
unlimited liability company interest, beneficial interest in a trust or similar
entity, or other equity interest in another Person of whatever nature, and
(ii)
any
warrants, options or other rights to acquire such stock or interests.
“ERISA”
means
the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time,
and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued from time to time
thereunder.
“ERISA
Affiliate”
means
any Person
who is a member of the Company’s controlled group within the meaning of Section
4001(a)(14)(A) of ERISA.
“Eurodollar”,
when used in
reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans
comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by
reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“Event
of
Default”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in Article
7.
“Excess
Amount”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in Section
5.09.
“Excess
Cash
Account”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Excluded
Taxes”
means,
with
respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any other
recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of a
Borrower hereunder, (a) income, franchise, branch profits or similar taxes
imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United States of America,
or
by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or
in
which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which
its applicable lending office is located, and (b) in the case of a Foreign
Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by a Borrower under
Section
2.17(b)),
any withholding
tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender (i) at the time
such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new
lending office), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor,
if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or
assignment), to receive additional amounts from a Borrower with respect to
such
withholding tax pursuant to Section
2.15(a)
or (ii) that is
attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to comply with Section
2.15(e).
“Exempted
Guarantor”
means
each of El
Paso CNG and El Paso Tennessee.
“Existing
Facility”
has
the meaning
set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Existing
Deposit Letters of Credit”
means
the Deposit
Letters of Credit (as such term is defined under the Existing Facility)
outstanding as of the Effective Date under the Existing Facility.
“Existing
Letters of Credit”
means
the
Existing Deposit Letters of Credit and Existing Revolving Letters of
Credit.
“Existing
Revolving Letters of Credit”
means
the
Revolving Letters of Credit (as such term is defined under the Existing
Facility) outstanding as of the Effective Date under the Existing Facility.
“Federal
Funds Effective Rate”
means,
for any
day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100
of
1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the
Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the
next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if
such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations
for
such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three
Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.
“Fee
Letters”
means
(i) the
Letter Agreement dated as of June 15, 2006, among the Company, JPMorgan, JPMCB,
CGMI and CNA and (ii) the Letter Agreement dated as of June 15, 2006, between
the Company and the Collateral Agent.
“FERC”
means
the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, or any agency or authority of the United States
from time to time succeeding to its function.
“FERC-Regulated
Restricted Subsidiary”
means
any
Restricted Subsidiary whose principal business purpose is the ownership of
and
operation of assets and properties, including without limitation natural gas
pipelines, that are subject to regulations promulgated by FERC.
“Final
Payment Date”
means
the date on
which all Loans, interest, fees and other amounts (other than obligations for
taxes, costs, indemnifications, reimbursements and damages in respect of which
no assertion of liability (whether oral or written) and no claim or demand
for
payment (whether oral or written) has been made (and, in the case of obligations
for indemnification, no notice for indemnification has been issued by the
indemnitee) at such time) payable by any Borrower hereunder or under any Note
shall have been paid, all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, no Lender
shall have any Commitment (including any LC Commitment) hereunder and all
Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated.
“Financial
Officer”
means
the chief
financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of
the
Company.
“Financing
Document”
has
the meaning
assigned such term in the Security Agreement.
“Foreign
Lender”
means
any Lender
that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States
of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia.
“GAAP”
means
generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, as in effect
from time to time.
“Governmental
Authority”
means
the
government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political
subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority,
instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers
or
functions of or pertaining to government.
“Guarantor”
means
each of the
Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors.
“Guaranty”,
“Guaranteed”
and
“Guaranteeing”
each
means any
act by which any Person assumes, guarantees, endorses or otherwise incurs direct
or contingent liability in connection with, or agrees to purchase or otherwise
acquire or otherwise assures a creditor against loss in respect of, any Debt
or
any Project Financing of any Person (other than any such liability existing
on
the Original Effective Date in respect of Debt or Project Financing of the
Company or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries outstanding on the Original
Effective Date or any extensions or renewals thereof that do not increase the
liability of such Person)(excluding (a) any liability by endorsement of
negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in
the
ordinary course of business, (b) any liability in connection with obligations
of
the Company or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries, including obligations
under
any conditional sales agreement, equipment trust financing or equipment lease,
and (c) any such act in connection with a Project Financing that either (i)
guarantees to the provider of such Project Financing or any other Person
performance of the acquisition, improvement, installation, design, engineering,
construction, development, completion, maintenance or operation of, or otherwise
affects any such act in respect of, all or any portion of the project that
is
financed by such Project Financing or performance by a Project Financing
Subsidiary of certain obligations to Persons other than the provider of such
Project Financing, except during any period, and then only to the extent, that
such guaranty is a guaranty of payment of such Project Financing (other than
a
guaranty of payment of the type referred to in subclause (ii) below) or (ii)
is
contingent upon, or the obligation to pay or perform under which is contingent
upon, the occurrence of any event other than or in addition to the passage
of
time or any Project Financing becoming due (any such act referred to in this
clause (c) being a “Contingent
Guaranty”)).
“Guaranty
Reduction Event”
means,
with
respect to any Disposition, merger, consolidation or liquidation, the occurrence
of a reduction of the amount (comparing such amount available immediately prior
to giving effect to the applicable Disposition, merger, consolidation or
liquidation with such amount available immediately after giving effect to such
Disposition, merger, consolidation or liquidation) of the aggregate maximum
liability under Sections 2.01(a) and (b) of the Subsidiary Guarantee Agreement
with respect to the Credit Parties involved in the applicable Disposition,
merger, consolidation or liquidation.
“Hazardous
Materials”
means
all
explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic
substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum
distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated
biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances
or
wastes of any nature, in each case above to the extent regulated pursuant to
any
Environmental Law.
“Hedging
Agreement”
means
any
interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar
agreement or interest rate insurance, foreign exchange contract, currency swap
or option agreement, forward contract or any other similar agreement or
arrangement designed to alter the risks of any Person arising from fluctuations
in interest rates or currency values.
“Indebtedness”
of
any Person
means, without duplication (a) indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money,
(b) obligations of such Person (other than any portion of any trade payable
obligation of such Person which shall not have remained unpaid for 91 days
or
more from the original due date of such portion) to pay the deferred purchase
price of property or services, and (c) Capital Lease Obligations of such
Person.
“Indemnified
Taxes”
means
Taxes other
than Excluded Taxes.
“Interest
Election Request”
means
a request
by a Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with Section
2.06.
“Interest
Payment Date”
means
(a) with
respect to any ABR Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and
December, and (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the
Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and,
in
the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three
months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that
occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such
Interest Period.
“Interest
Period”
means, with
respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such
Borrowing, or on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period
therefor, as applicable, and ending on the numerically corresponding day in
the
calendar month that is one, two, three or six months thereafter, as the
applicable Borrower may elect; provided,
that (a) if any
Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest
Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next
succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case
such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (b) any
Interest Period that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month
(or
on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last
calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day
of
the last calendar month of such Interest Period.
“Issuing
Bank”
means
the Deposit
Issuing Bank or any Revolving Issuing Bank. Each Issuing Bank may, in its
discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates
of such Issuing Bank acceptable to the Company, in which case the term “Issuing
Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued
by such Affiliate.
“JPMCB”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“JPMorgan”
means
X.X. Xxxxxx
Securities Inc.
“LC
Commitment”
means,
with
respect to each Issuing Bank, the commitment of such Issuing Bank to issue
Letters of Credit hereunder, as such commitment may be reduced or increased
from
time to time in accordance with Section
10.02(b).
The initial
amount of each Issuing Bank’s LC Commitment is set forth on Schedule
2,
or in the documentation pursuant to which such Issuing Bank shall have assumed
its LC Commitment, as applicable.
“LC
Disbursement”
means
a payment
made by an Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing
Bank.
“LC
Exposure”
means
Deposit LC
Exposure or Revolving LC Exposure or both.
“Lead
Arrangers”
means
JPMorgan
and CGMI, in their capacity as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint
Bookrunners.
“Lenders”
means
the Persons
listed on Schedule
1
and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an
Assignment and Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party
hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption.
“Letter
of
Credit”
means
a Deposit
Letter of Credit or a Revolving Letter of Credit.
“LIBO
Rate”
means,
with
respect to
any Interest
Period, the rate per annum equal to the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate
(“BBA
LIBOR”)
from Telerate
Successor Page 3750, as published by Reuters (or other commercially available
source providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by the Administrative
Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates
applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at approximately
11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such
Interest Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable
to
such Interest Period. In the event that such rate is not available at such
time
for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing
for such Interest Period shall be the rate at which dollar deposits of
$5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered
by
the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available
funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time,
two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest
Period.
“Lien”
means
any lien,
security interest or other charge or encumbrance, or any assignment of the
right
to receive income, or any other type of preferential arrangement, in each case
to secure any Indebtedness or any Guaranty of any Person.
“Loans”
means
the Deposit
Loans and the Revolving Loans.
“Loan
Documents”
means,
collectively, this Agreement, the Security Agreement, the Subsidiary Guarantee
Agreement, the Parent Guarantee Agreement, the other Security Documents, any
Letter of Credit, the Notes (as applicable), and any other agreement entered
into in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
“Majority
Class Lenders”
means,
at any
time, with respect to Lenders of any Class, Lenders having more than 50% of
the
aggregate Credit Exposures of such Class at such time.
“Majority
Lenders”
means,
at any
time, Lenders having more than 50% of the aggregate Credit Exposures at such
time.
“Mandatory
Asset Reduction Amount”
means:
(a) with
respect to a
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event described in clause (a) of the definition
thereof, 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds thereof;
(b) with
respect to a
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event described in clause (b) of the definition
thereof, (i)
if such
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event does not occur concurrently with, or during
the
pendency of, an Event of Default, an amount equal to 80% of the Net Cash
Proceeds thereof, or (ii) if such Mandatory Asset Reduction Event occurs
concurrently with, or during the pendency of, an Event of Default, an amount
equal to 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds thereof;
(c) with
respect to a
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event described in clause (c) of the definition
thereof, (i)
if such
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event does not occur concurrently with, or during
the
pendency of, an Event of Default, an amount equal to 80% of the cash dividend
or
other distribution described in clause (c) of the definition of “Mandatory Asset
Reduction Event”, or (ii) if such Mandatory Asset Reduction Event occurs
concurrently with, or during the pendency of, an Event of Default, an amount
equal to 100% of such cash dividend or other distribution; and
(d) with
respect to a
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event described in clause (d) of the definition
thereof, (i)
if such
Mandatory Asset Reduction Event does not occur concurrently with, or during
the
pendency of, an Event of Default, an amount equal to 80% of the portion of
the
Net Cash Proceeds thereof that is not either (x) paid to the applicable
Restricted Subsidiary’s Parent (or to such Parent’s designee) as a cash dividend
or distribution or (y) invested in Qualified Investments within the time period
required pursuant to such clause (d), or (ii) if such Mandatory Asset Reduction
Event occurs concurrently with, or during the pendency of, an Event of Default,
an amount equal to 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds thereof.
“Mandatory
Asset Reduction Event”
means:
(a) the
receipt by the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or its designee of Net Cash Proceeds from
any Disposition of Collateral;
(b) with
respect to any
Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor, the receipt by such Restricted
Subsidiary or its designee of Net Cash Proceeds from any Disposition of any
Covered Asset owned by such Restricted Subsidiary;
(c) with
respect to any
Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor, the receipt by the Parent of
such
Restricted Subsidiary (or by such Parent’s designee) of a cash dividend or
distribution of any amount received by such Restricted Subsidiary from any
Disposition of any of its Covered Assets; and
(d) with
respect to any
Pipeline Company Borrower or Subsidiary of a Pipeline Company Borrower (i)
if an
Event of Default or a Default which is not capable of being cured before
becoming an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of
any
receipt by such Pipeline Company Borrower or Subsidiary of a Pipeline Company
Borrower of Net Cash Proceeds from any Disposition of any of its Covered Assets,
such receipt of Net Cash Proceeds, and (ii) if no Event of Default or Default
which is not capable of being cured before becoming an Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing at the time of any such receipt, the failure of
such
Pipeline Company Borrower or Subsidiary of a Pipeline Company Borrower to,
within 365 days of such receipt (or, in the case of clause (y) below, if a
binding contract to make a Qualified Investment with respect to all or any
portion of such Net Cash Proceeds has been entered into within such 365 day
period, then as to the amount of such Qualified Investment, the failure to
invest such amount in such Qualified Investment within 540 days of such
receipt), take either of the following actions: (x) make a cash dividend or
distribution to its Parent (or to such Parent’s designee) in an amount equal to
such Net Cash Proceeds or (y) invest the portion of such Net Cash Proceeds
that
is not paid as a cash dividend or distribution under clause (x) above in one
or
more Qualified Investments; provided
that, for the
avoidance of doubt, if Net Cash Proceeds from a Disposition of a single Covered
Asset are received by the applicable Pipeline Company Borrower or Subsidiary
of
a Pipeline Company Borrower in installments, the 365- and 540-day periods shall
apply to each individual installment and commence for each installment on the
date of receipt by the applicable Pipeline Company Borrower or Subsidiary of
a
Pipeline Company Borrower of such installment.
“Margin
Stock”
means
“margin
stock” as defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors, as in effect from
time to time.
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
a material
adverse effect on (i) the business, assets, operations or condition (financial
or otherwise) of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis, (ii) the ability of the Credit Parties to perform their obligations
under
the Loan Documents or (iii) the validity or enforceability of the Loan Documents
or the validity, perfection, priority or enforceability of the Liens created
thereunder.
“Material
Credit Party”
has
the meaning
set forth in paragraph (f)
of Article
7.
“Moody’s”
means
Xxxxx’x
Investors Service, Inc.
“Multiemployer
Plan”
means
a
“multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which the
Company or an ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make
contributions, or has within any of the preceding five plan years made or
accrued an obligation to make contributions and in respect of which the Company
or an ERISA Affiliate has any liability (contingent or otherwise), such plan
being maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining
agreements.
“Multiple
Employer Plan”
means
a single
employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, which (a) is
maintained for employees of the Company or an ERISA Affiliate and at least
one
Person other than the Company and its ERISA Affiliates, or (b) was so maintained
and in respect of which the Company or an ERISA Affiliate could have liability
under Section 4064 or 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were
to
be terminated.
“Net
Cash
Proceeds”
means,
with
respect to the Disposition of any asset or property, an amount equal to one
hundred percent (100%) of the cash proceeds from such Disposition, net of any
Taxes, indemnity obligations, purchase price adjustments and analogous items,
related transaction fees (including legal fees), commissions and expenses and,
if applicable, amounts required to satisfy Indebtedness or other obligations
secured by Permitted Liens, or other Liens permitted under, or other
encumbrances not prohibited by, this Agreement, on the related property or
asset, and net of all costs reasonably estimated to be associated with
terminating all Hedging Agreements, if any, entered into in connection with
such
related property or assets, which Hedging Agreements are not being sold as
part
of such Disposition, in each case paid or reasonably reserved against;
provided
that if Net Cash
Proceeds from the Disposition of Covered Assets resulting from any Casualty
Event or Condemnation either (x) do not exceed $100,000 for any single Casualty
Event or any single Condemnation with respect to a Covered Asset, or (y) are
both
(i) equal to
or less than $5,000,000 on an individual basis, and
(ii) equal to
or less than $10,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year of the Company,
then such Net Cash Proceeds shall not be considered Net Cash Proceeds for
purposes of the application of Section 2.07 and the definitions of “Mandatory
Asset Reduction Amount” and “Mandatory Asset Reduction Event”; and provided,
further,
if Net Cash
Proceeds from the Disposition of Covered Assets (other than Dispositions
described in the preceding proviso) are both (a) equal to or less than
$5,000,000 on an individual basis, and
(b) equal to or
less than $10,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year of the Company,
then such Net Cash Proceeds shall not be considered Net Cash Proceeds for
purposes of the application of Section
2.07
and the definitions of “Mandatory Asset Reduction Amount” and “Mandatory Asset
Reduction Event”.
“Noric
III
Holding”
means
El Paso
Noric Investments III, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability
company.
“Notes”
means
the
promissory notes, if any, of any Borrower evidencing Loans under this Agreement
in the form of Exhibit
C.
“Obligations”
means,
collectively, (a) all Indebtedness, liabilities under Guaranties and other
obligations of each Borrower owing to the Administrative Agent, the Collateral
Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Lender, of whatsoever nature and howsoever
evidenced, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising, whether
direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, which may arise under, out of,
or in
connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, including the full
and punctual payment when due of any unpaid principal of the Loans and LC
Exposure, interest, fees, reimbursement obligations, guaranty obligations,
penalties, indemnities, legal and other fees, charges and expenses, and amounts
advanced by and expenses incurred in order to preserve any collateral or
security interest, whether due by acceleration or otherwise, and (b) any and
all
obligations owed by each Borrower under a Secured Hedging Agreement, including
any amounts payable in respect of an early termination under any Secured Hedging
Agreement, and (c) any amendment, restatement or modification of any of the
foregoing, including, with respect to each of clauses (a) through (c), interest
accruing at any post-default rate and Post-Petition Interest.
“Original
Effective Date”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“Other
Taxes”
means
any and all
present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property
taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or
from
the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this
Agreement.
“Parent”
means,
with
respect to any Restricted Subsidiary, the holder of the Equity Interests of
such
Restricted Subsidiary, and any Person to whom such Equity Interests are assigned
in accordance with the Loan Documents.
“Parent
Guarantee Agreement”
means
the Amended
and Restated Parent Guarantee Agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit
E-1
hereto, dated as
of the Effective Date, executed and delivered by the Company in favor of the
Collateral Agent for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties.
“Participant”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
10.04.
“Patriot
Act”
means
the USA
Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26,
2001)).
“PBGC”
means
the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation established pursuant to Title IV of ERISA and
any
successor entity performing similar functions.
“Permitted
Execution Actions”
has
the meaning
set forth in paragraph (g)
of Article
7.
“Permitted
Liens”
means:
(a) inchoate
Liens and
charges imposed by law and incidental to construction, maintenance, development
or operation of properties, or the operation of business, in the ordinary course
of business if payment of the obligation secured thereby is not yet overdue
or
if the validity or amount of which is being contested in good faith by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(b) Liens
for Taxes,
assessments, obligations under workers’ compensation or other social security
legislation or other requirements, charges or levies of any Governmental
Authority, in each case not yet overdue, or which are being contested in good
faith by appropriate proceedings;
(c) Liens
reserved in
any oil, gas or other mineral lease entered into in the ordinary course of
business for rent, royalty or delay rental under such lease and for compliance
with the terms of such lease;
(d) easements,
servitudes, rights-of-way and other rights, exceptions, reservations,
conditions, limitations, covenants and other restrictions that do not materially
interfere with the operation, value or use of the properties affected
thereby;
(e) conventional
provisions contained in any contracts or agreements affecting properties under
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is required immediately before
the
expiration, termination or abandonment of a particular property to reassign
to
such Person’s predecessor in title all or a portion of such Person’s rights,
titles and interests in and to all or portion of such property;
(f) pledges
and
deposits to secure the performance of bids, tenders, trade or government
contracts (other than for repayment of borrowed money), leases, licenses,
statutory obligations, surety bonds, performance bonds, completion bonds and
other obligations of a like kind incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(g) any
Lien reserved
in a grant or conveyance in the nature of a farm-out or conditional assignment
to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries entered into in the ordinary course
of
business on reasonable terms to secure undertakings of the Company or any such
Subsidiary in such grant or conveyance;
(h) any
Lien consisting
of (i) landlord’s liens under leases to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or other Liens on leased property reserved in leases
thereof for rent or for compliance with the terms of such leases, (ii) rights
reserved to or vested in any municipality or governmental, statutory or public
authority to control or regulate any property of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, or to use such property in any manner which does not materially
impair the use of such property for the purposes for which it is held by the
Company or any such Subsidiary, (iii) obligations or duties to any municipality
or public authority with respect to any franchise, grant, license, lease or
permit and the rights reserved or vested in any governmental authority or public
utility to terminate any such franchise, grant, license, lease or permit or
to
condemn or expropriate any property, and (iv) zoning laws and ordinances and
municipal regulations;
(i) the
creation of
interests in property of the character commonly referred to as a “royalty
interest” or “overriding royalty interest”, production payments, farmouts,
leases, subleases, rights of way and other easements, participations, joint
venture, joint operating, unitization, pooling and communitization agreements,
or other similar transactions in the ordinary course of business;
and
(j) any
judgment lien
in respect of any judgment or order that does not constitute an Event of Default
under paragraph (g) of Article
7.
“Person”
means
an
individual, a Business Entity, or a country or any political subdivision thereof
or any agency or instrumentality of such country or subdivision.
“Pipeline
Company Borrower”
means
each of
CIG, EPNGC and TGPC.
“Plan”
means
a Single
Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.
“Pledged
Company”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Post-Petition
Interest”
means
interest
accruing after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy, or the commencement
of
any insolvency, reorganization or like proceeding, whether or not a claim for
post-filing or post-petition interest is allowed in such
proceeding.
“Pricing
Schedule”
means
Schedule 3
attached hereto.
“Prime
Rate”
means
the rate of
interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMCB as its prime
rate in effect at its principal office in New York City; each change in the
Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is
publicly announced as being effective.
“Process
Agent”
has
the meaning
specified in Section
10.09(d).
“Project
Financing”
means
any
Indebtedness (a) incurred to finance or refinance the acquisition, improvement,
installation, design, engineering, construction, development, completion,
maintenance or operation of, or otherwise in respect of, all or any portion
of
any project, or any asset related thereto (including, with respect to
transactions in connection with the power and gas contract restructuring
business of the Company) and any Guaranty with respect thereto, other than
any
portion of such Indebtedness or Guaranty permitting or providing for recourse
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which recourse is other than
(i)
recourse to the Equity Interests in, Indebtedness or other obligations of,
or
assets of, one or more Project Financing Subsidiaries, and (ii) such recourse
as
exists under any Contingent Guaranty or (b) of any Project Financing Subsidiary,
or any Guaranty with respect thereto, that is secured solely by, or recourse
for
which is limited solely to, the Equity Interests in, Indebtedness or other
obligations of, or assets of, one or more Project Financing
Subsidiaries.
“Project
Financing Subsidiary”
means
any
Subsidiary of the Company whose principal purpose is to incur Project Financing,
or to become a direct or indirect partner, member or other equity participant
or
owner in a Business Entity so created, and substantially all the assets of
which
Subsidiary or Business Entity are limited to (a) those assets being financed
(or
to be financed), or the operation of which is being financed (or to be
financed), in whole or in part by a Project Financing, (b) power contracts,
gas
contracts, administrative or other related service agreements and swap
agreements related to gas or power, or (c) Equity Interests in, or Indebtedness
or other obligations of, one or more other such Subsidiaries or Business
Entities or to Indebtedness or other obligations of the Company or its
Subsidiaries or other Persons. For purposes of this definition, “swap agreement”
means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative
transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference
to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments
or
securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic,
financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination
of these transactions.
“Qualified
Investments”
means:
(a) for
any
FERC-Regulated Restricted Subsidiary, (i) expenditures that would constitute
maintenance or expansion capital expenditures or other investments or
reinvestments to repair, construct, purchase, or otherwise acquire Assets that
would, following such repair, construction, purchase, or other acquisition,
become eligible for rate coverage under regulations promulgated by FERC, (ii)
other than repayments of such Indebtedness during the pendency of an Event
of
Default, repayments of Indebtedness incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary
for
the purpose of financing expenditures or other investments or reinvestments
described in clause (a)(i) above, (iii) other than such payments (or retention
of funds) during the pendency of an Event of Default, payments (or retention
of
funds) to reimburse such Restricted Subsidiary for amounts paid from such
Restricted Subsidiary’s operating cash flow within the previous 365 days for
expenditures or other investments or reinvestments of the type described in
clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above (if, in the case of clause (a)(ii), a repayment
of Indebtedness described in such clause was made during the pendency of an
Event of Default that was subsequently cured and no other Event of Default
is
then pending), to the extent such expenditures or such other investments or
reinvestments have not previously been reimbursed to such Restricted Subsidiary
pursuant to this clause (a)(iii), or (iv) a loan subject to Acceptable
Subordination Provisions, to any other FERC-Regulated Restricted Subsidiary,
the
proceeds of which shall be used by such FERC-Regulated Restricted Subsidiary
for
any of the expenditures or other investments or reinvestments of the type
described in clauses (a)(i), (a)(ii) or (a)(iii) above; and
(b) for
Unregulated
Restricted Subsidiary, (i) maintenance or expansion capital expenditures or
other investments or reinvestments in Assets that are useful to the business
conducted by such Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) other than repayments of such
Indebtedness during the pendency of an Event of Default, repayments of
Indebtedness incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of financing
expenditures or other investments or reinvestments described in clause (b)(i)
above, and (iii) other than such payments (or retention of funds) during the
pendency of an Event of Default, payments (or retention of funds) to reimburse
such Restricted Subsidiary for amounts paid from such Restricted Subsidiary’s
operating cash flow within the previous 365 days for expenditures or other
investments or reinvestments of the type described in clause (b)(i) or (b)(ii)
above (if, in the case of clause (b)(ii), a repayment of Indebtedness described
in such clause was made during the pendency of an Event of Default that was
subsequently cured and no other Event of Default is then pending), to the extent
such expenditures or such other investments or reinvestments have not previously
been reimbursed to such Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to this clause
(b)(iii).
Notwithstanding
the
foregoing, an investment in or acquisition of any equity ownership in any other
entity shall constitute a Qualified Investment if an acquisition of the
principal operating assets of such entity would constitute a Qualified
Investment.
“Qualified
Investments Account”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Register”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
10.04.
“Related
Parties”
means,
with
respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective
directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and trustees of such Person
and
such Person’s Affiliates.
“Released
Parties”
has
the meaning
set forth in Section
10.16.
“Restricted
Subsidiaries”
means,
collectively, each Pipeline Company Borrower and each of their respective
Subsidiaries and each Subsidiary Guarantor (other than the Exempted Guarantors);
provided,
however,
that any such
Person shall cease to be a “Restricted Subsidiary” hereunder immediately upon
any Disposition of the Equity Interests in such Person permitted by Section
6.04 that
results in
such Person no longer being a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the
Company.
“Revolving
Availability Period”
means
the period
from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the
Revolving Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Revolving
Commitments.
“Revolving
Commitment”
means,
with
respect to each Revolving Lender, the commitment of such Revolving Lender to
make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit
hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant
to
Section
2.07
and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or
to
such Lender pursuant to Section
10.04.
The initial amount of each Revolving Lender’s Revolving Commitment is set forth
on Schedule
1
or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Revolving Lender
shall have assumed its Revolving Commitment, as applicable. The initial
aggregate amount of the Revolving Commitments is $1,250,000,000.
“Revolving
Exposure”
means,
with
respect to any Lender at any time, (i) the amount of such Lender’s Revolving
Commitment, if the Revolving Commitments are still in existence, or (ii) if
the
Revolving Commitments have terminated or expired, the amount of its Revolving
Outstandings.
“Revolving
Issuing Bank”
means
each of
JPMCB and Citibank and, at any time and from time to time, up to three other
Revolving Lenders that are designated in writing by the Company and that agree
to issue one or more Revolving Letters of Credit hereunder, in each case in
its
capacity as the issuer of each Revolving Letter of Credit issued by it
hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section
2.04(i);
provided
that with respect
to the Existing Revolving Letters of Credit, the Revolving Lender which issued
the same shall be the initial Revolving Issuing Bank with respect thereto.
“Revolving
LC Exposure”
means,
at any
time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Revolving
Letters of Credit at such time plus
(b) the aggregate
amount of all LC Disbursements in respect of Revolving Letters of Credit that
have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrowers at such time,
whether directly, through a Borrowing, or otherwise. The Revolving LC Exposure
of any Revolving Lender at any time shall be its Revolving Percentage of the
total Revolving LC Exposure at such time.
“Revolving
Lender”
means
a Lender
with Revolving Exposure.
“Revolving
Letter of Credit”
means
any letter
of credit issued by a Revolving Issuing Bank pursuant to this Agreement,
including, after the Effective Date, all Existing Revolving Letters of
Credit.
“Revolving
Loan”
means
a Loan made
pursuant to Section
2.01(a).
“Revolving
Maturity Date”
means
July 31,
2009.
“Revolving
Outstandings”
means,
with
respect to any Revolving Lender at any time, the aggregate outstanding amount
of
such Lender’s Revolving Loans and its Revolving LC Exposure at such
time.
“Revolving
Percentage”
means,
with
respect to any Revolving Lender, the percentage of the total Revolving Exposures
represented by such Lender’s Revolving Exposure.
“S&P”
means
Standard
& Poors’ Ratings Group.
“SEC”
means
the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Secured
Hedging Agreement”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Secured
Obligations”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Secured
Parties”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the Security Agreement.
“Security
Agreement”
means
the Amended
and Restated Security Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit
D
hereto, dated as of the Effective Date, executed and delivered by the Collateral
Agent, each Credit Party and the Depository Bank (as defined
therein).
“Security
Documents”
means,
collectively, the Parent Guarantee, the Subsidiary Guarantee, the Security
Agreement and all other security documents hereafter delivered by a Credit
Party
to the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent granting or purporting
to
xxxxx x Xxxx on any property or Asset of any Credit Party to secure the Secured
Obligations.
“Single
Employer Plan”
means
a single
employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is
maintained for employees of the Company or an ERISA Affiliate and no Person
other than the Company and its ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and
in
respect of which the Company or an ERISA Affiliate could have liability under
Section 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be
terminated.
“Specified
Indenture Debt”
means
any Debt
issued pursuant to an indenture qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939,
as amended, and the principal amount of which, at the time of determination,
exceeds $50,000,000.
“Statutory
Reserve Rate”
means
a fraction
(expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the
denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum
reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental
reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board of Governors to which
the Administrative Agent is subject for eurocurrency funding (currently referred
to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board of Governors).
Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation
D. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and
to be
subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration,
exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender
under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve
Rate
shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change
in
any reserve percentage.
“Subsidiary”
means,
as to any
Person (the “parent”)
at any date, any
Business Entity the accounts of which are, or are required to be, consolidated
with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if
such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such
date,
as well as any other Business Entity of which the shares of stock or other
Equity Interests having ordinary voting power (other than stock or such other
Equity Interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a
contingency) to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managers
of
such Business Entity are at the time owned, directly or indirectly, through
one
or more Subsidiaries, or both, by such Person.
“Subsidiary
Guarantee Agreement”
means
the Amended
and Restated Subsidiary Guarantee Agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit
E-2
hereto, dated as
of the Effective Date, executed and delivered by each Subsidiary Guarantor
in
favor of the Collateral Agent for the ratable benefit of the Secured
Parties.
“Subsidiary
Guarantor”
means,
subject to
the release of any of the following as Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement, each of El Paso CNG, El Paso Tennessee, EPNG
Holding, Noric III Holding and TGPC Holding.
“Taxes”
means
any and all
present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or
withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“Termination
Event”
means
(a) a
“reportable event,” as such term is described in Section 4043 of ERISA (other
than a “reportable event” not subject to the provision for 30-day notice to the
PBGC under PBGC Reg. § 4043), or an event described in Section 4062(e) of ERISA,
or (b) the withdrawal of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple
Employer Plan during a plan year in which it was a “substantial employer,” as
such term is defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA or the incurrence of
liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate under Section 4064 of ERISA
upon
the termination of a Multiple Employer Plan, or (c) the filing of a notice
of
intent to terminate a Plan or the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination
under Section 4041 of ERISA, or (d) the institution of proceedings to terminate
a Plan by the PBGC under Section 4042 of ERISA, or (e) the conditions set forth
in Section 302(f)(1)(A) and (B) of ERISA to the creation of a lien upon property
or rights to property of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate for failure to
make
a required payment to a Plan are satisfied, or (f) the adoption of an amendment
to a Plan requiring the provision of security to such Plan, pursuant to Section
307 of ERISA, or (g) the occurrence of any other event or the existence of
any
other condition which would reasonably be expected to result in the termination
of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan under Section 4042
of ERISA.
“TGPC”
has
the meaning
assigned to such term in the preamble hereof.
“TGPC
Holding”
means
El Paso
TGPC Investments, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company.
“Transaction
Liens”
means
the Liens
on Collateral granted by the Credit Parties under the Security
Documents.
“Transactions”
means
the
execution, delivery and performance by the Borrowers of this Agreement, the
borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters
of Credit hereunder.
“Type”,
when used in
reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest
on
such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference
to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.
“Unregulated
Restricted Subsidiary”
means
any
Restricted Subsidiary whose principal business purpose is the ownership and
operation of assets and properties that are not subject to regulations
promulgated by FERC.
“Withdrawal
Liability”
has
the meaning
given such term under Part 1 of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
Section
1.02 .
Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For
purposes of
this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g.,
a “Revolving
Loan”)
or by Type
(e.g.,
a “Eurodollar
Loan”)
or by Class and
Type (e.g.,
a “Eurodollar
Revolving Loan”).
Borrowings also
may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g.,
a “Revolving
Borrowing”)
or by Type
(e.g.,
a “Eurodollar
Borrowing”)
or by Class and
Type (e.g.,
a “Eurodollar
Revolving Borrowing”).
Section
1.03 .
Terms
Generally. The
definitions of
terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms
defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the
corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”,
“includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without
limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and
effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a)
any definition of
or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be
construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from
time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any
restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein),
(b)
any reference
herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and
assigns, (c)
any reference
herein to any applicable law means such applicable law as amended, modified,
codified, replaced, or reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect from time
to time, including rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and reference
to
any section or other provision of any applicable law means that section or
provision of such applicable law from time to time in effect and any amendment,
modification, codification, replacement, or reenactment of such section or
other
provision, (d)
the words
“herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular
provision hereof, (e)
all references
herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to
refer
to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement
and
(f)
the words “asset”
and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to
refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including
cash, securities, Equity Interests, accounts and contract rights.
Section
1.04 .
Accounting
Terms; GAAP. Except
as otherwise
expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall
be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time;
provided
that, if the
Company notifies the Administrative Agent that the Company requests an amendment
to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after
the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of or
calculation of compliance with such provision (or if the Administrative Agent
notifies the Company that the Majority Lenders request an amendment to any
provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is
given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then
such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and
applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such
notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance
herewith.
ARTICLE
2
The
Credits
Section
2.01 .
Commitments.
Subject
to the
terms and conditions set forth herein:
(a) each
Revolving
Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to any Borrower from time to time during
the Revolving Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will
not
result in any Lender’s Revolving Outstandings exceeding such Lender’s Revolving
Commitment;
and
(b) each
Deposit Lender
agrees to make Deposit Loans, with amounts in its Deposit Sub-Account, to any
Borrower from time to time during the Deposit Availability Period in an
aggregate principal amount that will not result in any Lender’s Deposit
Outstandings exceeding such Lender’s Deposit Commitment.
Within
the
foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein,
each
Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans and Deposit Loans.
Section
2.02 .
Loans and
Borrowings. (a)
Each Loan shall be
made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Class and Type
made
by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments of the
applicable Class, as the applicable Borrower may request (subject to
Section
2.12)
in accordance herewith. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required
to
be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder;
provided
that the
Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for
any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.
(b) Subject
to
Section
2.12,
each Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans
as
the Company, on its own behalf or on behalf of the applicable Pipeline Company
Borrower, may request in accordance herewith. Each Lender at its option may
make
or hold any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or
Affiliate of such Lender to make or hold such Loan; provided
that any exercise
of such option shall not affect the obligation of a Borrower to repay such
Loan
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(c) At
the commencement
of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing, such Borrowing shall
be in
an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less
than
$20,000,000. At the time that each ABR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall
be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not
less than $5,000,000; provided
that an ABR
Revolving Borrowing or an ABR Deposit Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount
that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments of the
related Class or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC
Disbursement as contemplated by Section
2.04(e).
Borrowings of
more than one Class and Type may be outstanding at the same time; provided
that there shall
not at any time be more than a total of sixteen Eurodollar Borrowings
outstanding. Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, any Borrower may
make more than one Borrowing on any Business Day.
(d) Notwithstanding
any
other provision of this Agreement, a Borrower shall not be entitled to request,
or to elect to convert a Borrowing to or continue a Borrowing as, a Eurodollar
Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after
the Applicable Maturity Date.
Section
2.03 .
Requests for
Borrowings. To
request a
Borrowing, the Company, on its own behalf or on behalf of the applicable
Pipeline Company Borrower, shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request
by telephone (a)
in the case of a
Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three
Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing, or (b)
in the case of an
ABR Borrowing, not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date of
the
proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable
and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the
Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in substantially the form
of
Exhibit
B
and signed by the Company. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request
shall specify the following information in compliance with Section
2.02:
(i) the
Borrower;
(ii) the
Class of the
requested Borrowing;
(iii) the
aggregate
amount of such Borrowing;
(iv) the
date of such
Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(v) whether
such
Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
(vi) in
the case of any
Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto,
which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest
Period”; and
(vii) the
location and
number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be
disbursed.
If
no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested
Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with
respect to any requested Eurodollar Borrowing, then the applicable Borrower
shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this
Section
2.03,
the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the relevant Class of
the
details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of
the requested Borrowing.
Section
2.04 .
Letters of
Credit.
(a) General.
(i) (i)
Subject to the
terms and conditions set forth herein, upon request by the Company, on its
own
behalf or on behalf of the applicable Pipeline Company Borrower, each Issuing
Bank agrees to issue Letters of Credit in any stated face amount specified
by
the Company in the applicable request with any Borrower as the reimbursement
obligor in respect of drawings thereunder and for the account of the Borrowers,
or any one or more of them, or any direct or indirect Subsidiary or Affiliate
thereof, each in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and
the applicable Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the
Revolving Availability Period or the Deposit Availability Period, as the case
may be. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions
of
this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit
application, reimbursement agreement or other agreement submitted by a Borrower
to, or entered into by a Borrower with, an Issuing Bank relating to any Letter
of Credit issued thereby, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall
control.
(ii) Existing
Letters of Credit.
On the Effective
Date, without further action by any party hereto, (x) the Deposit Issuing Bank
shall be deemed to have granted to each Deposit Lender, and each Deposit Lender
shall be deemed to have acquired from the Deposit Issuing Bank, a participation
in each Existing Deposit Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Deposit
Percentage of (A) the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Existing
Deposit Letter of Credit and (B) the aggregate amount of any outstanding
reimbursement obligations in respect thereof; and (y) each Revolving Issuing
Bank that has issued an Existing Revolving Letter of Credit shall be deemed
to
have granted to each Revolving Lender, and each Revolving Lender shall be deemed
to have acquired from such Issuing Bank, a participation in each such Existing
Revolving Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Revolving Percentage of (A)
the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Existing Revolving Letter
of Credit, as applicable, and (B) the aggregate amount of any outstanding
reimbursement obligations in respect thereof. With respect to each Existing
Letter of Credit (i) if the relevant Issuing Bank has heretofore sold a
participation therein to a Lender, such Issuing Bank and such Lender agree
that
such participation shall be automatically canceled on the Effective Date and
(ii) if the relevant Issuing Bank has heretofore sold a participation therein
to
any bank or financial institution that is not a Lender, such Issuing Bank shall
procure the termination of such participation on or prior to the Effective
Date.
On and after the Effective Date, each such Existing Letter of Credit shall
be a
Letter of Credit issued hereunder.
(b) Notice
of
Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions.
To request the
issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an
outstanding Letter of Credit), the Company, on its own behalf, or on behalf
of
the applicable Pipeline Company Borrower as obligor, shall hand deliver or
telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing
so
have been approved by the applicable Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank requested
to issue such Letter of Credit and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in
advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension)
a
notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter
of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day),
the
Class of such Letter of Credit, the date on which such Letter of Credit is
to
expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c)
of this
Section
2.04),
the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary
thereof and such other information (including the applicable Borrower as obligor
for reimbursement obligations thereunder and the account party therefor if
different) as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter
of Credit. If requested by the applicable Issuing Bank, the applicable obligor
Borrower in respect thereof also shall submit a letter of credit application
on
such Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of
Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only
if
(and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit
the
Company shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect
to
such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i)
the total LC
Exposure with respect to all Letters of Credit issued by each Issuing Bank
shall
not exceed such Issuing Bank’s LC Commitment, (ii)
in the case of a
Revolving Letter of Credit, the total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed
the total Revolving Commitments and (iii)
in the case of any
Deposit Letter of Credit, the Deposit LC Exposure shall not exceed the aggregate
amount of the Deposits. Each Issuing Bank shall have sole discretion as to
any
amendment, renewal or extension of the Letters of Credit issued by it, subject
to the other terms and provisions of this Agreement.
(c) Expiration
Date.
Each Letter of
Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of
(i)
the date one year
after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of
any
renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and
(ii)
the date that is
five Business Days prior to the Applicable Maturity Date; provided
that (x) any
Letter of Credit may provide for the extension or renewal thereof and may be
renewed or extended upon the request of the Company, on its own behalf or on
behalf of a Pipeline Company Borrower, in accordance with the terms thereof
for
additional periods of a duration requested by the Company, on its own behalf
or
on behalf of a Pipeline Company Borrower (which shall in no event extend beyond
the date referred to in clause (ii)
above) and (y)
with the consent of the relevant Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent,
Letters of Credit with a term longer than one year shall be permitted (which
shall in no event extend beyond the date referred to in clause (ii)
above).
(d) Participations.
By the issuance
of a Letter of Credit of any Class (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit of
any
Class increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the
part
of the applicable Issuing Bank or the applicable Lenders, such Issuing Bank
hereby grants to each Lender having a Commitment of such Class, and each such
Lender hereby acquires from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter
of
Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount
available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in
furtherance of the foregoing, each such Lender hereby absolutely and
unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account
of
the applicable Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC
Disbursement made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the applicable
obligor Borrower or any Guarantor on the date due as provided in paragraph
(e)
of this
Section
2.04,
or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to any Borrower for
any
reason, subject in the case of Deposit Lenders to the provisions of Section
2.18(g).
Each Lender
acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant
to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional
and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any
amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and
continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and
that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding
or reduction whatsoever.
(e) Reimbursement.
If an Issuing
Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit issued
by
it, the applicable obligor Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by
paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement
not
later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date that such LC Disbursement
is made, if such Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement
prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date, or, if such notice has
not been received by such Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not
later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on (i)
the Business Day
that such Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is received prior to
10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the day of receipt, or (ii)
the Business Day
immediately following the day that such Borrower receives such notice, if such
notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided
that, if such LC
Disbursement is not less than $5,000,000, the Company, on its own behalf or
on
behalf of such Borrower, may request in accordance with Section
2.03
that such payment be financed with an ABR Borrowing of the applicable Class
in
an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, such Borrower’s obligation
to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR
Borrowing. If the applicable obligor Borrower, or any Guarantor on its behalf,
fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify
each
Lender of the applicable Class of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment
then due from such Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each applicable
Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the
payment then due from the applicable Borrower, in the same manner as provided
in
Section
2.05
with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section
2.05
shall apply, mutatis
mutandis,
to the payment
obligations of the applicable Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall
promptly pay to the applicable Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from
such Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any
payment from a Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent
shall distribute such payment to the applicable Issuing Bank or, to the extent
that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse such
Issuing Bank, then (i) if such payment was made in respect of a Revolving Letter
of Credit, to the Revolving Lenders and such Issuing Bank as their interests
may
appear and (ii) if such payment was made in respect of a Deposit Letter of
Credit, as required by Section 2.18(b). Any payment made by a Lender pursuant
to
this paragraph to reimburse the applicable Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement
(other than the funding of ABR Loans as contemplated above) made by such Issuing
Bank shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the applicable obligor
Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.
(f) Obligations
Absolute.
Each Borrower’s
obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e)
of this
Section
2.04
shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed
strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all
circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i)
any lack of
validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any
term or provision therein, (ii)
any draft or other
document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent
or
invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate
in
any respect, (iii)
payment by the
applicable Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a
draft
or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit,
or (iv)
any other event or
circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that
might, but for the provisions of this Section
2.04,
constitute a legal or equitable discharge of or defense to, or provide a right
of setoff against, a Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor any Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related
Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in
connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment
or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the
circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission,
interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice
or
other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any
document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation
of
technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of
such Issuing Bank; provided
that the foregoing
shall not be construed to excuse such Issuing Bank from liability to a Borrower
to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims
in respect of which are hereby waived by the applicable Borrower to the extent
permitted by applicable law) suffered by a Borrower that are caused by such
Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and
other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms
thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross
negligence or willful misconduct on the part of any such Issuing Bank (as
finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), such Issuing Bank
shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In
furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the
parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their
face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit,
the
Issuing Bank that issued such Letter of Credit may, in its sole discretion,
either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for
further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary,
or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents
are
not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit (unless the
applicable obligor Borrower shall consent to payment thereon notwithstanding
such lack of strict compliance).
(g) Disbursement
Procedures.
Each Issuing Bank
shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting
to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit issued by it. Such
Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower
by
telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of the date and the amount of such demand
for
payment and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement
thereunder; provided
that any failure
to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve such Borrower of its
obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any
such LC Disbursement.
(h) Interim
Interest.
If any Issuing
Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the applicable obligor
Borrower, or a Guarantor on its behalf, shall reimburse such LC Disbursement
in
full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall
bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement
is
made to but excluding the date that such Borrower reimburses such LC
Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Loans of the same
Class; provided
that, if such
applicable obligor Borrower, or a Guarantor on its behalf, fails to reimburse
such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e)
of this
Section
2.04,
then Section
2.11(c)
shall apply.
Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the
applicable Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date
of
payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e)
of this
Section
2.04
to reimburse such Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the
extent of such payment.
(i) Replacement
of
an Issuing Bank.
Any Issuing Bank
may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Company, the
Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank.
The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of
an
Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the
applicable obligor Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account
of
the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section
2.10(b).
From and after
the effective date of any such replacement, (i)
the successor
Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Issuing
Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it
thereafter and (ii)
references herein
to the term “Issuing
Bank”
shall
be deemed,
when applicable, to refer to such successor or, when applicable, to any previous
Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the
context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder,
the
replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have
all
the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect
to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not
be
required to issue additional Letters of Credit.
(j) Cash
Collateralization.
Notwithstanding
any provisions of the Security Agreement relating to the Cash Collateralization
of LC Exposure, if any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the
Business Day that any Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent
or
the Majority Lenders demanding the Cash Collateralization of the LC Exposure
pursuant to this paragraph, such Borrower shall Cash Collateralize the LC
Exposure; provided
that the
obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately,
and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or
other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with
respect to such Borrower described in paragraph (f)
of Article
7.
If
any Borrower is required to provide an amount of Cash Collateral hereunder
as a
result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent
not
applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to such Borrower within three Business
Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.
Section
2.05 .
Funding
Of
Borrowings.
(a)
Subject in the
case of Deposit Lenders to paragraph (b) of this Section
2.05,
each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed
date
of the related Borrowing by wire transfer of immediately available funds by
12:00 noon, New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent
most
recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders. The
Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the applicable Borrower
by promptly crediting the Loan amounts so received, in like funds, to such
account as designated by such Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request;
provided
that ABR Loans
made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in
Section
2.04(e)
shall be remitted
by the Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Bank.
(b) Each
Deposit Lender
hereby authorizes and directs the Administrative Agent to make its Deposit
Percentage of each Deposit Borrowing available to the applicable Borrower by
withdrawing from the Deposit Account (and debiting such Lender’s Deposit
Sub-Account in the amount of) such Lender’s Deposit Percentage of such Borrowing
in accordance with Section 2.18(c)(i) and making such amount available to the
applicable Borrower as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section
2.05.
(c) Unless
the
Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the
proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to
the
Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative
Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date
in
accordance with paragraph (a)
of this
Section
2.05
and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable
Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact
made
its share of a Borrowing of Revolving Loans available to the Administrative
Agent, then the applicable Lender and Borrower severally agree to pay to the
Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest
thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available
to such Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative
Agent, at (i)
in the case of
such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate
determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry
rules
on interbank compensation, or (ii)
in the case of the
Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans of the applicable Class.
If
such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount
shall
constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
Section
2.06 .
Interest
Elections. (a)
Each Borrowing
initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request
and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest
Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. The Company, on its own behalf
or
on behalf of a Pipeline Company Borrower, may thereafter elect at any time
and
from time to time on any Business Day to convert such Borrowing to a different
Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing,
may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section
2.06.
The Company, on its own behalf or on behalf of a Pipeline Company Borrower,
may
elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected
Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among
the
Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising
each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.
(b) To
make an election
pursuant to this Section
2.06,
a Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone
not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three Business Days before the
proposed effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election
Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery
or
telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request
in a
form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by such
Borrower.
(c) Each
telephonic and
written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in
compliance with Section
2.02:
(i) the
Borrowing to
which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are
being
elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to
be
allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be
specified pursuant to clauses (iii)
and (iv)
below shall be
specified for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the
effective date
of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall
be
a Business Day;
(iii) whether
the
resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
and
(iv) if
the resulting
Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable
thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period
contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest
Period”.
If
any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does
not
specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected
an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
(d) Promptly
following
receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise
each Lender of the relevant Class of the details thereof and of such Lender’s
portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e) If
a Borrower fails
to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar
Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then,
unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest
Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing. Notwithstanding
any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Majority Lenders,
so notifies any Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing
(i)
no outstanding
Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and
(ii)
unless repaid,
each Eurodollar Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end
of
the Interest Period applicable thereto.
Section
2.07 .
Optional and
Mandatory Termination and Reduction of Commitments. (a)
Unless previously
terminated, (i) the Revolving Commitments shall terminate on the Revolving
Maturity Date and (ii) the Deposit Commitments shall terminate on the Deposit
Maturity Date.
(b) The
Company may at
any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the unused portions of the
Commitments of either Class; provided
that (i)
each partial
reduction of the Commitments of either Class shall be in an amount that is
an
integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000, and (ii)
the Company shall
not terminate or reduce the Deposit Commitments or the Revolving Commitments
if,
after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of Loans in accordance with
Section
2.09,
the Deposit Outstandings or the Revolving Outstandings, as the case may be,
would exceed the aggregate amount of the Commitments of the related
Class.
(c) The
Company shall
notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the
Commitments under paragraph (b)
of this
Section
2.07,
or any required reduction of the Commitments under paragraph (d)
of this
Section
2.07,
at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination
or
reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly
following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the
applicable Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Company
pursuant to this Section
2.07
shall be irrevocable; provided
that a notice of
termination of the Commitments delivered by the Company may state that such
notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in
which case such notice may be revoked by the Company (by notice to the
Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such
condition is not satisfied.
(d) Within
five days
after the occurrence of a Mandatory Asset Reduction Event, first,
the Deposit
Commitments shall be ratably reduced (but not below zero) and, second,
if the Deposit
Commitments have been reduced to zero, the Revolving Commitments shall be
ratably reduced (but not below zero), the total reductions under this subsection
being an aggregate amount equal to the Mandatory Asset Reduction
Amount.
(e) Any
termination or
reduction of the Commitments of any Class hereunder, whether optional or
mandatory, shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments of either
Class
shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective
Commitments of such Class.
Section
2.08 .
Repayment of
Loans; Evidence of Debt.
(a)
Each Borrower
hereby unconditionally promises to pay on the Applicable Maturity Date to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each applicable Lender the then unpaid
principal amount of each Loan made to such Borrower.
(b) Each
Lender shall
maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing
the indebtedness of each Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made
by such Lender to such Borrower, including the amounts of principal and interest
payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c) The
Administrative
Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i)
the amount of each
Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof, the Interest Period applicable
thereto and the Borrower to whom such Loan is made, (ii)
the amount of any
principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable to each
Lender hereunder on account of each Loan from the relevant Borrower to whom
such
Loan was made and (iii)
the amount of any
sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the
Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.
(d) The
entries made in
the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b)
or (c)
of this
Section
2.08
shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be prima
facie
evidence of the
existence and amounts of the obligations of each Borrower recorded therein
absent manifest error; provided
that the failure
of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain any such account or any
error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of each Borrower
to
repay the Loans made to such Borrower in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement.
(e) Any
Lender may
request that Loans of any Class made by it be evidenced by a Note. In such
event, the applicable Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender
a Note or Notes payable to the order of such Lender (or, if requested by such
Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns). Thereafter, the Loans
evidenced by such Note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after
assignment pursuant to Section
10.04)
be represented by one or more Notes in such form payable to the order of the
payee named therein (or, if such Note is a registered note, to such payee and
its registered assigns).
Section
2.09 .
Optional and
Mandatory Prepayment of Loans. (a)
Any Borrower shall
have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in
whole or in part (without premium or penalty but subject to Section
2.14),
subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b)
of this
Section
2.09.
All or any portion of any Deposit Loan or Revolving Loan prepaid may be borrowed
and reborrowed in accordance with the terms and provisions of this
Agreement.
(b) A
Borrower shall
notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any
prepayment hereunder (i)
in the case of
prepayment of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City
time, two Business Days before the date of prepayment, or (ii)
in the case of
prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time,
on the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall
specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or
portion thereof to be prepaid; provided
that, if a notice
of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination
of
the Commitments as contemplated by Section
2.07(c),
then such notice
of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in
accordance with Section
2.07(c).
Promptly
following receipt of any such notice relating to a Borrowing, the Administrative
Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment
of any Borrowing shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000 or a larger integral
multiple of $1,000,000. Each prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied ratably
to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Each prepayment shall be
accompanied by accrued and unpaid interest to the extent required by
Section
2.11.
(c) If
on any date
(including any date on which a mandatory reduction of Commitments occurs
pursuant to Section 2.07(d)) the aggregate Deposit Outstandings or Revolving
Outstandings exceed the then aggregate Commitments of the related Class, then,
without notice or demand, the Company shall promptly cause to be prepaid the
principal amount of the Loans and any unreimbursed LC Disbursements of such
Class by an amount equal to such excess and, if all Loans and unreimbursed
LC
Disbursements of such Class shall have been prepaid, promptly cause to be Cash
Collateralized outstanding Letters of Credit of such Class by an amount equal
to
any remaining excess.
Section
2.10 .
Fees.
(a)
The Company agrees
to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender
a
commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily amount
of
the excess of the aggregate Revolving Commitment of such Lender over such
Lender’s Revolving Outstandings during the period from and including the date
hereof to but excluding the date on which such Revolving Commitment
terminates.
(b) The
Company agrees
to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Deposit Lender a
fee,
accruing at the rate of 2.10% per annum, on the daily amount of the Deposit
of
such Lender during the period from and including the date hereof to but
excluding the date on which each of the Deposit Commitments and the Deposit
LC
Exposure have been reduced to zero.
(c) The
Company agrees
to pay (i)
to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender a participation
fee with respect to its participations in Revolving Letters of Credit, which
shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate
applicable to Eurodollar Revolving Loans on the average daily amount of such
Lender’s Revolving LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to
unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the
Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s
Revolving Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to
have
any Revolving LC Exposure, (ii)
to each Revolving
Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the rate of 0.15% per annum
on the average daily amount of the Revolving LC Exposure (excluding any portion
thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) with respect to each
Revolving Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank during the period from
and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of
termination of the Revolving Commitments and the date on which there ceases
to
be any Revolving LC Exposure with respect to Revolving Letters of Credit issued
by such Issuing Bank, (iii)
to each Deposit
Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the rate of 0.05% per annum
on the average daily amount of the Deposit LC Exposure (excluding any portion
thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) with respect to each
Deposit Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank during the period from
and
including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of
termination of the Deposit Commitments and the date on which there ceases to
be
any Deposit LC Exposure with respect to Deposit Letters of Credit issued by
such
Issuing Bank and (iv)
to each Issuing
Bank, such Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment,
renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit issued by it or processing of
drawings thereunder.
(d) Fees
accrued
pursuant to paragraphs (a), (b), (c)(i), (c)(ii) and (c)(iii) above, through
and
including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year
shall
be payable on the third Business Day following each such last day, commencing
on
the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided
that all such fees
for the account of Lenders of either Class shall be payable on the date on
which
the Commitments of such Class terminate and any such fees accruing after the
date on which such Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. All such
fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a
leap
year) and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including
the
first day but excluding the last day).
Any other fees
payable to any Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section shall be payable within
10
days after demand.
(e) The
Company agrees
to pay (i)
to the
Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lead Arrangers, for their
own
accounts, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed to
pursuant to the Fee Letters and (ii)
on or prior to the
Effective Date, to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender
an
upfront fee in an amount separately agreed with the Lenders.
(f) All
fees payable
hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to
the
Administrative Agent (or to each Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable
to
it) for distribution (if applicable) to the Lenders as specified above. Fees
paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.
Section
2.11 .
Interest.
(a)
The Loans
comprising each ABR Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate
plus the Applicable Rate.
(b) The
Loans
comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO
Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable
Rate.
(c) Notwithstanding
the
foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other
amount payable by any Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated
maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear
interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to
(i)
in the case of
overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such
Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section
2.11
or (ii)
in the case of any
other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph
(a)
of this
Section
2.11.
(d) Accrued
interest on
each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such
Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Revolving
Commitments; provided
that (i)
interest accrued
pursuant to paragraph (c)
of this
Section
2.11
shall be payable on demand, (ii)
in the event of
any repayment or prepayment of any Loan, accrued interest on the principal
amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or
prepayment and (iii)
in the event of
any conversion of any Eurodollar Loan prior to the end of the current Interest
Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective
date of such conversion.
(e) All
interest
hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that
interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the
Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis
of
a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be
payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but
excluding the last day of the Interest Period). The applicable Alternate Base
Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative
Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.
Section
2.12 .
Alternate
Rate of Interest. If
prior to the
commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing of either
Class:
(a) the
Administrative
Agent determines in good faith (which determination shall be conclusive absent
manifest error) that, by reason of circumstances generally affecting the London
interbank Eurodollar market, adequate and reasonable means do not exist for
ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such
Interest Period; or
(b) the
Administrative
Agent is advised by the Majority Class Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate
or
the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately
and
fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans
included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then
the
Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrowers and the Lenders
of such Class by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter
and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrowers and such Lenders
that
the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i)
any Interest
Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing of the affected
Class to, or continuation of any Borrowing of the affected Class as, a
Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and (ii)
if any Borrowing
Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing of the affected Class, such Borrowing
shall be made as an ABR Borrowing.
Section
2.13 .
Increased
Costs.
(a) If
any Change in
Law shall:
(i) impose,
modify or
deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement against
assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any
Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO
Rate)
or any Issuing Bank or any Deposit or the Deposit Account; or
(ii) impose
on any
Lender or any Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition
materially affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender
or
any Letter of Credit or participation therein or any Deposit or the Deposit
Account;
in
each case other than as specified in paragraph (b)
below, and the
result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender
of
making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan (or of maintaining its obligation
to
make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender or such Issuing
Bank
of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce
the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or such Issuing
Bank
hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), in each case by an
amount that such Lender or such Issuing Bank reasonably deems to be material,
then the applicable Borrower or Borrowers will pay to such Lender or such
Issuing Bank, as the case may be, in accordance with paragraph (c)
of this
Section
2.13
after such Borrower’s receipt of its written demand accompanied by documentation
specifying in reasonable detail the events and circumstances and the applicable
Change in Law in support of any such reimbursement request, such additional
amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank,
as
the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction
suffered.
(b) If
any Lender or
any Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital
requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on
such
Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or
such Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement
or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such
Lender or the Deposit or Deposit Sub-Account of any Lender, or the Letters
of
Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender
or
such Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company could
have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such
Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or
such Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy) by an
amount reasonably deemed by such Lender or such Issuing Bank to be material,
then from time to time upon submission by such Lender or such Issuing Bank
to
the applicable Borrower or Borrowers (with a copy to the Administrative Agent)
of a written demand therefor accompanied by documentation specifying in
reasonable detail the events and circumstances applicable to such reduction
and
the applicable Change in Law in support of such demand, and the amount demanded
pursuant hereto, the applicable Borrower or Borrowers will, within 30 days
after
receipt of such demand, pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case
may
be, such additional amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or
such Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company for
any such reduction suffered.
(c) A
certificate of a
Lender or such Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to
compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the
case
may be, together with the relevant demand and accompanying documentation, all
as
specified in paragraph (a)
or (b)
of this
Section
2.13,
shall be delivered to the Company and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
The Company shall pay such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be,
the
amount shown as due on any such certificate within 30 days after receipt
thereof.
(d) Failure
or delay on
the part of any Lender or any Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant
to
this Section
2.13
shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s right to
demand such compensation; provided
that a Borrower
shall not be required to compensate a Lender or an Issuing Bank pursuant to
this
Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 180 days prior
to the date that such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies
the Company of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or
reductions and of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s intention to claim
compensation therefor in accordance with this Section; provided further
that, if the
Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive,
then the 180-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the
period of retroactive effect thereof.
Section
2.14 .
Break Funding
Payments. In
the event of
(a)
the payment of any
principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest
Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or
any
prepayment under Section
2.09(a)
or
2.09(c)),
(b)
the conversion of
any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable
thereto, (c)
the failure to
borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified
in
any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may
be
revoked under Section
2.09(b)
and is revoked in
accordance therewith), or (d)
the assignment of
any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable
thereto as a result of a request by a Borrower pursuant to Section
2.17,
then, in any such event, such Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the
loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar
Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an
amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i)
the amount of
interest which would have accrued on the amount so prepaid or converted, or
not
so borrowed, continued, converted or prepaid, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that
would have been applicable to such Eurodollar Loan, for the period from the
date
of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor
(or,
in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the Interest Period
that would have commenced on the date of such failure for such Loan), over
(ii)
the amount of
interest that would have accrued to such Lender on such principal amount for
such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid,
at
the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount
and
period from other banks in the interbank eurodollar market. A certificate of
any
Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to
receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the applicable Borrower
and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each affected Lender requesting
payment under this Section shall submit written demand specifying in reasonable
detail the events and circumstances resulting in such payment obligation,
together with a certificate as to any amounts payable pursuant to this Section
to the applicable Borrower. The applicable Borrower shall pay such Lender the
amount shown as due on any such certificate within 30 days after receipt
thereof.
Section
2.15 .
Taxes.
(a)
Any and all
payments by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder shall
be
made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes; provided
that if a Borrower
shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such
payments, then (i)
the sum payable
shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions
(including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section)
the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives
an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been
made, (ii)
such Borrower
shall make such deductions, and (iii)
such Borrower
shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law.
(b) In
addition, each
Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law.
(c) Each
Borrower shall
indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Issuing Bank, within
10
days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified
Taxes
or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuing
Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account
of
any obligation of any Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this
Section) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom
or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes
were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental
Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered
to a Borrower by a Lender or an Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent
on
its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or an Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive
absent manifest error.
(d) As
soon as
practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by a Borrower
to a Governmental Authority, such Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative
Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental
Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment
or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent.
(e) Any
Foreign Lender
that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax under
the
law of the United States, or of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is
located, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect
to
payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the Borrowers (with a copy to
the
Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such
properly completed and executed forms or other documentation prescribed by
applicable law or reasonably requested by a Borrower as will permit such
payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.
(f) The
Administrative
Agent or a Lender shall determine if, in its reasonable discretion, it has
received a refund of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has
been indemnified by a Borrower or with respect to which a Borrower has paid
additional amounts pursuant to this Section
2.15.
If it determines that it has received any such refund, it shall pay over such
refund to such Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made,
or
additional amounts paid, by such Borrower under this Section
2.15
with respect to the Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such
refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such
Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant
Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided
that each
Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees
to
repay the amount paid over to such Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or
other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the
Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or
such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority.
This Section shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or
any
Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating
to
its taxes which it deems confidential) to any Borrower or any other
Person.
Section
2.16 .
Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-Offs. (a)
Each Borrower
shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder and, unless stated
otherwise therein, under any of the other Loan Documents (whether of principal,
interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable
under
Section 2.13,
2.14
or 2.15,
or otherwise)
prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date when due, in immediately
available funds, without set-off or counterclaim. Any amounts received after
such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be
deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes
of
calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the
Administrative Agent at its offices at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
except payments to be made directly to an Issuing Bank as expressly provided
herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.13,
2.14,
2.15
and 10.03
shall be made
directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall
distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person
to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof, provided
that
prepayments of
Deposit Loans and reimbursements of LC Disbursements in respect of Deposit
Letters of Credit shall be deposited by the Administrative Agent in the Deposit
Account to the extent provided in Section
2.18(b).
If any payment
hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment
shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of
any
payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period
of
such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.
(b) Except
as otherwise
provided in Section
2.09(c),
if at any time
insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent
to
pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest
and
fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i)
first, towards
payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties
entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due
to
such parties, and (ii)
second, towards
payment of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder,
ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of
principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to such
parties.
(c) If
any Lender
shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain
payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Loans or
participations in LC Disbursements resulting in such Lender receiving payment
of
a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Loans and participations
in
LC Disbursements and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received
by
any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall
purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans and participations
in LC Disbursements of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit
of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with
the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective
Loans and participations in LC Disbursements; provided
that (i)
if any such
participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise
thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase
price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and
(ii)
the provisions of
this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by a Borrower
pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any
payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale
of a
participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements to
any
assignee or participant, other than to a Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate
thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). Each
Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively
do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant
to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of
set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if
such
Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such
participation.
(d) Unless
the
Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Borrower prior to the
date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account
of
the Lenders or any Issuing Bank hereunder that such Borrower will not make
such
payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Borrower has made such
payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such
assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the applicable Issuing Bank, as the
case may be (or, to the extent provided in Section 2.18(b), deposit in the
Deposit Account), the amount due. In such event, if such Borrower has not in
fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or any applicable Issuing
Bank,
as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent
forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or such Issuing
Bank (or, if such amount shall have been deposited in the Deposit Account,
each
Deposit Lender authorizes the Administrative Agent to withdraw such amount
from
the Deposit Account), with interest thereon, for each day from and including
the
date such amount is distributed to it (or deposited in the Deposit Account
and
credited to its Deposit Sub-Account) to but excluding the date of payment to
or
recovery by the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds
Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance
with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
(e) If
any Lender shall
fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section
2.04(d)
or 2.04(e),
2.05(b), or
2.16(d),
then the
Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary
provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative
Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under
such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully
paid.
Section
2.17 .
Mitigation
Obligations; Replacement of Lenders. (a)
If any Lender
requests compensation under Section
2.13,
or if any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or
any
Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section
2.15,
then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending
office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and
obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if,
in
the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i)
would eliminate or
reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.13
or 2.15,
as the case may
be, in the future and (ii)
would not subject
such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be
disadvantageous to such Lender. Each Borrower hereby agrees to pay all
reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any
such
designation or assignment.
(b) If
(w) any Lender
requests compensation under Section
2.13,
or (x) if any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender
or
any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to
Section
2.15,
or (y) if any Lender defaults in its obligation to fund Loans hereunder or
(z)
any Lender (or any Lender of the applicable Class) refuses to grant its approval
with respect to any matter requiring the approval of all Lenders (or all Lenders
of a Class) and such matter shall have been approved by Lenders having Credit
Exposures in excess of 66-2/3%
of the aggregate
Credit Exposures (or, with respect to Lenders of a particular Class, Lenders
of
such Class having Credit Exposures in excess of 66-2/3%
of the aggregate
Credit Exposures of such Class), then the Company may, at its sole expense
and
effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such
Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject
to the restrictions contained in Section
10.04),
all its
interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement to an assignee that
shall
assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender
accepts such assignment); provided
that (i)
the Company shall
have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, which
consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii)
such Lender shall
have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its
Loans, participations in LC Disbursements and its Deposit (if any), accrued
interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder,
from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal, participations
in LC Disbursements, Deposit and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrowers
(in
the case of all other amounts) and (iii)
in the case of any
such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section
2.13
or payments required to be made pursuant to Section
2.15,
such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments.
A
Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if,
prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the
circumstances entitling the Company to require such assignment and delegation
cease to apply.
Section
2.18 .
Deposit
Account. (a) Establishment
of
Deposit Account and Deposit Sub-Accounts.
On or prior to
the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall establish a deposit account
in the name of the Administrative Agent at JPMCB with the title “El Paso 2006
Deposit-Funded Credit Facility Deposit Account” (the “Deposit
Account”).
The
Administrative Agent shall maintain records enabling it to determine at any
time
the amount of the interest of each Deposit Lender in the Deposit Account (the
interest of each such Lender in the Deposit Account, as evidenced by such
records, being referred to as such Lender’s “Deposit
Sub-Account”).
The
Administrative Agent shall establish such additional Deposit Sub-Accounts for
assignee Deposit Lenders as shall be required pursuant to Section
10.04(b).
No Person (other
than the Administrative Agent) shall have the right to make any withdrawal
from
the Deposit Account or to exercise any other right or power with respect thereto
except as expressly provided in paragraph (c) below or in Section
10.04(b).
Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto acknowledges and agrees
that
the Deposits are and will at all times be property of the Deposit Lenders,
and
that no amount on deposit at any time in the Deposit Account shall be the
property of any of the Credit Parties, constitute “Collateral” under the Loan
Documents or otherwise be available in any manner to satisfy any Obligations
of
any of the Credit Parties under the Loan Documents. Each Deposit Lender agrees
that its right, title and interest in and to the Deposit Account shall be
limited to the right to require amounts in its Deposit Sub-Account to be applied
as provided in paragraph (c) below and that it will have no right to require
the
return of its Deposit other than as expressly provided in such paragraph (c)
(each Deposit Lender hereby acknowledging that (i) its Deposit constitutes
payment for its participations in Deposit Letters of Credit issued or to be
issued hereunder, (ii) its Deposit and any investments made therewith shall
secure its obligations to the Deposit Issuing Bank hereunder (each such Lender
hereby granting to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Deposit
Issuing Bank, a security interest in its Deposit and agreeing that the
Administrative Agent, as holder of the Deposits and any investments made
therewith, will be acting, inter alia,
as collateral
agent for the Deposit Issuing Bank) and (iii) the Deposit Issuing Bank will
be
issuing, amending, renewing and extending Letters of Credit in reliance on
the
availability of such Lender’s Deposit to discharge such Lender’s obligations in
accordance with Section
2.04(e)
in connection with
any LC Disbursement thereunder). The funding of the Deposits and the agreements
with respect thereto set forth in this Agreement constitute arrangements among
the Administrative Agent, the Deposit Issuing Bank and the Deposit Lenders
with
respect to the funding obligations of the Deposit Lenders under this Agreement,
and the Deposits do not constitute loans or extensions of credit to any Credit
Party. No Credit Party shall have any responsibility or liability to the Deposit
Lenders, the Agents or any other Person in respect of the establishment,
maintenance, administration or misappropriation of the Deposit Account (or
any
Deposit Sub-Account) or with respect to the investment of amounts held therein,
including pursuant to paragraph (d) below, or the duties and responsibilities
of
the Administrative Agent with respect to the foregoing contemplated by paragraph
(e) below. JPMCB hereby waives any right of setoff against the Deposits that
it
may have under applicable law or otherwise with respect to amounts owed to
it by
Deposit Lenders (it being agreed that such waiver shall not reduce the rights
of
JPMCB, in its capacity as the Deposit Issuing Bank or otherwise, to apply or
require the application of the Deposits in accordance with the provisions of
this Agreement).
(b) Deposits
in
Deposit Account.
The following
amounts will be deposited in the Deposit Account at the following
times:
(i) On
the Effective
Date, each Deposit Lender shall deposit in the Deposit Account an amount in
dollars equal to such Lender’s Deposit Commitment. Thereafter, the Deposits
shall be available, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein,
(A) to fund Deposit Loans by such Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(b) and (B)
for
application pursuant to Section
2.04(e)
to reimburse such
Lender’s Deposit Percentage of LC Disbursements in respect of Deposit Letters of
Credit that are not reimbursed by the applicable Borrower. The obligations
of
the Deposit Lenders to make the Deposits required by this clause (i) are
several, and no Deposit Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s
failure to make its Deposit as so required.
(ii) On
any date prior
to the Deposit Maturity Date on which the Administrative Agent receives any
payment for the account of any Deposit Lender with respect to the principal
amount of any of its Deposit Loans, subject to clause (iv) below, the
Administrative Agent shall deposit such amount in the Deposit Account and credit
such amount to the Deposit Sub-Account of such Lender.
(iii) On
any date prior
to the Deposit Maturity Date on which the Administrative Agent or the Deposit
Issuing Bank receives any reimbursement payment from any Borrower in respect
of
an LC Disbursement with respect to which amounts were withdrawn from the Deposit
Account to reimburse the Deposit Issuing Bank, subject to clause (iv) below,
the
Administrative Agent shall deposit such reimbursement payment in the Deposit
Account, and credit to the Deposit Sub-Account of each of the Deposit Lenders,
such Deposit Lender’s Deposit Percentage of such reimbursement payment, in
accordance with Section
2.04(e).
(iv) If
at any time when
any amount would otherwise be required to be deposited in the Deposit Account
under clause (ii) or (iii) above the sum of such amount and the aggregate amount
of the Deposits at such time would exceed (x) the aggregate amount of the
Deposit Commitments minus (y) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding
Deposit Loans, then such excess shall not be deposited in the Deposit Account
and the Administrative Agent shall instead pay to each Deposit Lender its
Deposit Percentage of such excess.
(v) Concurrently
with
the effectiveness of any assignment by any Lender of all or any portion of
its
Deposit Commitment, the Administrative Agent shall transfer into the Deposit
Sub-Account of the assignee the corresponding portion of the amount on deposit
in the assignor’s Deposit Sub-Account in accordance with Section
10.04(b).
(c) Withdrawals
From
and Closing of Deposit Account. Amounts
on deposit
in the Deposit Account shall be withdrawn and distributed (or transferred,
in
the case of clause (v) below) by the Administrative Agent as
follows:
(i) On
each date on
which a Deposit Borrowing is to be made, the Administrative Agent shall,
pursuant to Section
2.05,
and subject to the satisfaction of the conditions applicable thereto set forth
in Article
3,
withdraw from the Deposit Account the principal amount of such Borrowing (and
debit the Deposit Sub-Account of each Deposit Lender in the amount of such
Lender’s Deposit Percentage of such Borrowing) and make such amount available to
the applicable Borrower in accordance with Section 2.05(a).
(ii) On
each date on
which the Deposit Issuing Bank is to be reimbursed by the Deposit Lenders
pursuant to Section 2.04(e) for any LC Disbursement, the Administrative Agent
shall withdraw from the Deposit Account the amount of such unreimbursed LC
Disbursement (and debit the Deposit Sub-Account of each Deposit Lender in the
amount of such Lender’s Deposit Percentage of such unreimbursed LC Disbursement)
and make such amount available to the Deposit Issuing Bank in accordance with
Section 2.04(e).
(iii) Concurrently
with
each voluntary reduction of the Deposit Commitments pursuant to and in
accordance with Section
2.07(b),
the
Administrative Agent shall withdraw from the Deposit Account and pay to each
Deposit Lender such Lender’s Deposit Percentage of any amount by which the
Deposits would exceed (x) the aggregate amount of the Deposit Commitments,
after
giving effect to such reduction of the Deposit Commitments, minus (y) the
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Deposit Loans.
(iv) Concurrently
with
any termination of the Deposit Commitments pursuant to and in accordance with
Section
2.07(a)
or Article
7,
the
Administrative Agent shall withdraw from the Deposit Account and pay to each
Deposit Lender such Lender’s Deposit Percentage of the excess at such time of
the aggregate amount of the Deposits over the Deposit LC Exposure.
(v) Concurrently
with
the effectiveness of any assignment by any Deposit Lender of all or any portion
of its Deposit Commitment, the corresponding portion of the assignor’s Deposit
Sub-Account shall be transferred from the assignor’s Deposit Sub-Account to the
assignee’s Deposit Sub-Account in accordance with Section
10.04(b)
and, if required
by Section
10.04(b),
the
Administrative Agent shall close such assignor’s Deposit
Sub-Account.
(vi) Upon
the reduction
of each of the Deposit Commitments and the Deposit LC Exposure to zero, the
Administrative Agent shall withdraw from the Deposit Account and pay to each
Deposit Lender such Lender’s Deposit Percentage of the remaining amount, and
shall close the Deposit Account.
Each
Deposit Lender
irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that its Deposit may be applied or
withdrawn from time to time as set forth in this paragraph (c).
(d) Investment
of
Amounts in Deposit Account.
The
Administrative Agent shall invest, or cause to be invested, the Deposit of
each
Deposit Lender so as to earn for the account of such Lender a return thereon
(the “Deposit
Return”)
for each day at
a rate per annum equal to (i) the one month LIBOR rate as determined by the
Administrative Agent on such day (or if such day was not a Business Day, the
first Business Day immediately preceding such day) based on rates for deposits
in dollars (as set forth by Bloomberg L.P.-page BTMM or any other comparable
publicly available service as may be selected by the Administrative Agent)
(the
“Benchmark
LIBO Rate”)
minus (ii) 0.10%
per annum (based on a 365/366 day year). The Benchmark LIBO Rate will be reset
on each Business Day. The Deposit Return accrued through and including the
last
day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable by
the
Administrative Agent to each Deposit Lender on the third Business Day following
such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective
Date, and on the date on which each of the Deposit Commitments and the Deposit
LC Exposure shall have been reduced to zero, and the Administrative Agent agrees
to pay to each Deposit Lender the amounts due to it under this sentence. No
Credit Party shall have any obligation under or in respect of the provisions
of
this paragraph (d).
(e) Sub-Agents.
As provided in
Article
9,
the
Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its
rights and powers contemplated by this Section
2.18
by or through one or more sub-agents appointed by it (which may include any
of
its Affiliates). The parties hereto acknowledge that on or prior to the
Effective Date the Administrative Agent has engaged JPMorgan Chase Institutional
Trust Services to act as its sub-agent in connection with the Deposit Account,
and that in such capacity JPMorgan Chase Institutional Trust Services shall
be
entitled to the benefit of all the provisions of this Agreement contemplated
by
Article
9,
including the provisions of Section
10.03.
(f) Sufficiency
of
Deposits to Provide for Deposit LC Exposure.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, no Deposit Loan shall be made, and no
Deposit Letter of Credit shall be issued or the stated amount thereof increased,
if after giving effect thereto the aggregate amount of the Deposits would be
less than the Deposit LC Exposure. The Administrative Agent agrees to provide,
at the request of the Deposit Issuing Bank, information to such Issuing Bank
as
to the aggregate amount of the Deposits.
(g) Satisfaction
of
Lender Funding Obligations.
Each Borrower and
the Deposit Issuing Bank acknowledges and agrees that, notwithstanding any
other
provision contained herein, the deposit by each Deposit Lender in the Deposit
Account on the Effective Date of funds equal to its Deposit Commitment will
fully discharge the obligation of such Lender to fund Deposit Loans by such
Lender pursuant to Section
2.02(a)
and to reimburse
such Lender’s Deposit Percentage of LC Disbursements in respect of Deposit
Letters of Credit that are not reimbursed by the applicable Borrower pursuant
to
Section
2.04(d)
or (e),
and that no other
or further payments shall be required to be made by any Deposit Lender in
respect of any such funding or reimbursement obligations.
ARTICLE
3
Conditions
Section
3.01 .
Effective
Date; Conditions to Initial Credit Event. This
Agreement and
the other Loan Documents, and the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans
hereunder and of the Issuing Banks to issue Letters of Credit hereunder, shall
not become effective until the date (the “Effective
Date”)
on which each of
the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section
10.02):
(a) This
Agreement and
each other Loan Document to be executed and delivered on or before the Effective
Date shall have been executed by each party thereto, and each of the
Administrative Agent (or its counsel) and the Company (or its counsel) shall
have received from each party hereto and thereto either (i)
a counterpart of
this Agreement and each such other Loan Document, signed on behalf of each
party
thereto or (ii)
written evidence
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy
transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement or such other Loan
Document) that such party has signed a counterpart hereof or thereof.
(b) The
Administrative
Agent shall have received the following in form and substance satisfactory
to
the Administrative Agent and in sufficient copies for each Lender:
(i) true
and correct
copies of the resolutions of the Board of Directors (or a committee thereof)
of
each of the Borrowers, certified as to authenticity by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary (or equivalent) of such Borrower, approving the borrowings
and any Guaranties contemplated hereby and authorizing the execution of this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents, to the extent such Borrower is a party
thereto, and of all documents evidencing other required Business Entity action
of each of the Borrowers and required governmental approvals to each of the
Borrowers, if any, with respect to this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents.
(ii) true
and correct
copies of the resolutions of the Board of Directors (or a committee thereof)
of
each of the Subsidiary Guarantors (but excluding any Released Parties),
certified as to authenticity by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (or
equivalent) of such Subsidiary Guarantor, approving the Guaranty of the
Subsidiary Guarantors pursuant to the Subsidiary Guarantee Agreement as
contemplated hereby and authorizing the execution of such Subsidiary Guarantee
Agreement and the other Loan Documents, to the extent such Subsidiary Guarantor
is a party thereto, and of all documents evidencing other required Business
Entity action of each of the Subsidiary Guarantors and required governmental
approvals to each of the Subsidiary Guarantors, if any, with respect to the
Subsidiary Guarantee Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
(iii) a
certificate of
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (or the equivalent) of each of the
Credit Parties (but excluding any Released Parties) certifying the names and
true signatures of the officers of each such Credit Party authorized to sign
any
Loan Document and any other documents to be delivered by it hereunder or
thereunder.
(iv) true
and correct
copies of the Business Entity organizational or formation documents of each
Credit Party and of each Pledged Company (but excluding any Released Parties),
certified as to the receipt and filing of public record thereof by the
appropriate filing officer (or the office thereof) to the extent such documents
are required by law to be on file in the jurisdiction of organization or
formation of such Person, and further certified as to authenticity and
completeness by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (or the equivalent)
of
such Person.
(v) copies
of
certificates dated as of a recent date from the Secretary of State or other
appropriate authority of such jurisdiction, evidencing the good standing (or
equivalent status) of each of the Credit Parties and of each Pledged Company
(but excluding any Released Parties) in its state of organization or
formation.
(vi) written
opinions of
(A)
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx LLP,
counsel for the Credit Parties, substantially in the form of Exhibit
F-1,
and (B)
the General
Counsel or Associate General Counsel of the Company, substantially in the form
of Exhibit F-2.
The Borrowers
hereby request such counsel to deliver such opinions.
(vii) a
letter from the
Process Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit
G,
agreeing to act as Process Agent for each of the Borrowers and the Subsidiary
Guarantors and to forward forthwith all process received by it to the Company
and such other Credit Party, as applicable.
(viii) certificates,
dated
the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial
Officer of the Company and of each Pipeline Company Borrower, confirming
compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a)
and (b)
of Section
3.02.
(ix) certificates,
dated
the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial
Officer of the Company and each Pipeline Company Borrower, confirming that
no
default or event of default that has not been waived shall have occurred and
be
continuing under the Existing Facility (as in effect immediately prior to the
Effective Date).
(c) The
Administrative
Agent shall have received (or shall receive from the proceeds of a Borrowing
on
the Effective Date) all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior
to
the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment
of all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid
by
the Borrowers hereunder.
(d) (i)
All Term Loans
(as such term is defined in the Existing Facility) outstanding under the
Existing Facility shall have been prepaid (or shall be prepaid simultaneously
with the closing hereunder), together with accrued interest thereon and accrued
commitment and other fees and all other amounts thereunder, and the
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence satisfactory to it of the
foregoing, (ii) all Revolving Loans, Revolving Letters of Credit and Revolving
Commitments (as such terms are defined in the Existing Facility) outstanding
under the Existing Facility shall be deemed Revolving Loans, Revolving Letters
of Credit and Revolving Commitments, respectively, hereunder and (iii) all
Deposit Loans, Deposit Letters of Credit and Deposit Commitments (as such terms
are defined in the Existing Facility) outstanding under the Existing Facility
shall be deemed Deposit Loans, Deposit Letters of Credit and Deposit
Commitments, respectively, hereunder.
(e) The
Administrative
Agent shall have received (i)
evidence in form
and substance satisfactory to it that all filings, recordings, registrations
and
other actions, including, without limitation, the filing of duly completed
Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, necessary or, in the opinion
of
the Administrative Agent, desirable to perfect the Transaction Liens shall
have
been completed, (ii)
the certificates,
if any, representing the stock, limited partnership interests, limited liability
company interests and general partnership interests or any other Equity Interest
pledged as of the Effective Date pursuant to the Security Agreement, together
with an undated stock power or other transfer certificate for each such
certificate executed in blank by a duly authorized officer of the pledgor
thereof, and (iii)
such other
evidence of the control of the applicable Collateral by the Collateral Agent
acceptable to the Administrative Agent as may be requested the Administrative
Agent.
(f) Each
of the
Pipeline Company Borrowers, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Pledged Companies
shall be a wholly-owned, direct or indirect, Subsidiary of the
Company.
(g) The
Administrative
Agent shall have received (i) the audited consolidated financial statements
of
the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2005 and (ii) the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company
and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the fiscal quarter ended March 31,
2006.
The
Administrative
Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders of the Effective Date and
the
satisfaction (or waiver in accordance with Section
10.02)
of the conditions set forth in this Section
3.01,
and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks to issue
Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the
foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section
10.02)
at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 31, 2006 (and, in the
event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall
terminate at such time).
On
the Effective Date, the commitments under the Existing Facility shall terminate,
without further action by any party thereto. The Lenders which are parties
to
the Existing Facility, comprising the “Majority Lenders” as defined therein,
hereby waive any requirement of notice of termination of the commitments
pursuant to Section 2.07(c) of the Existing Facility and of prepayment of Loans
to the extent necessary to give effect to Section 3.01(d) and the immediately
preceding sentence.
Section
3.02 .
Each Credit
Event. The
obligation of
each Lender to make a Loan (excluding any continuation or conversion of a Loan
and any Loan financing the repayment of an LC Disbursement but including the
Loans to be made on the Effective Date) on the occasion of any Borrowing, and
the obligation of any Issuing Bank to issue a requested Letter of Credit
(including the Letters of Credit to be deemed issued hereunder on the Effective
Date but excluding the extension or renewal of Letters of Credit) for the
account of any Borrower (or amend or increase the stated amount of any issued
Letter of Credit), is subject to the satisfaction of the following
conditions:
(a) The
representations
and warranties of each Borrower and each other Credit Party set forth in this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material
respects on and as of the date of such Borrowing, or the date of issuance (or
amendment or increase in the stated amount) of such Letter of Credit, as
applicable, unless stated to be made on or as of, or to relate to, a specific
date or period other than the date of such Borrowing or issuance (or amendment
or increase in the stated amount).
(b) At
the time of and
immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing (and, if any proceeds thereof
are being applied substantially contemporaneously to satisfy any other
obligation, to such application) or the issuance (or amendment or increase
in
the stated amount) of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall
have occurred and be continuing.
(c) In
the case of the
issuance of a Letter of Credit, to the extent not already in effect between
the
Company and the Issuing Bank issuing such Letter of Credit, the applicable
Borrower shall have executed and delivered standard documentation for account
parties or reimbursement obligors in connection with the issuances of letters
of
credit as is customary for such Issuing Bank and that is not otherwise
inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement.
Each
Borrowing and
each issuance of a (or amendment of or increase in the stated amount of an
issued) Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and
warranty by the applicable Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters
specified in paragraphs (a)
and (b)
of this
Section.
ARTICLE
4
Representations
and
Warranties
The
Company, and
each Pipeline Company Borrower, in each case with respect to itself and its
Subsidiaries, represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent, the
Collateral Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Lender that:
Section
4.01 .
Organization;
Powers. The
Company is a
Business Entity duly formed, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Delaware. Each other Credit Related Party is duly organized
or formed, validly existing and, if applicable, in good standing in the
jurisdiction of its organization or formation. Each Credit Related Party
possesses all applicable Business Entity powers and all other authorizations
and
licenses necessary to engage in its business and operations as now conducted,
the failure to obtain or maintain which would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section
4.02 .
Authorization. The
execution,
delivery and performance by each Credit Party of the Loan Documents to which
it
is a party are within such Credit Party’s applicable Business Entity powers,
have been duly authorized by all necessary applicable Business Entity action,
and do not contravene (a)
any Credit Related
Party’s organizational documents, or (b)
any law or any
material contractual restriction binding on or affecting any Credit Related
Party.
Section
4.03 .
Governmental
Approvals; No Conflicts. No
authorization or
approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any Governmental
Authority is required for the due execution, delivery and performance by any
Credit Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party, except those necessary
to comply with laws, rules, regulations and orders required in the ordinary
course to comply with ongoing obligations of such Credit Party under Sections
5.01,
5.02
and 5.07,
as
applicable.
Section
4.04 .
Binding
Obligation; Enforceability. This
Agreement
constitutes, and the other Loan Documents when delivered hereunder shall
constitute, the legal, valid and binding obligations of each Credit Party that
is a party thereto, enforceable against such Credit Party in accordance with
their respective terms, except as may be limited by any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’
rights generally or by general principles of equity.
Section
4.05 .
Financial
Condition.
(a) (a)
The
consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries
as
of December 31, 2005, and the related consolidated statements of income and
cash
flows of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the fiscal year
then
ended, reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public
accountants, copies of which have been furnished to the Administrative Agent
and
the Lenders prior to the date hereof, present fairly, in all material respects,
the consolidated financial condition of the Company and its consolidated
Subsidiaries as at such date and the consolidated results of the operations
of
the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the period ended on such
date,
all in accordance with GAAP consistently applied (except as approved by the
chief financial officer of such entity and as disclosed therein) , excluding
for
purposes of this representation the effect of any subsequent revisions or
restatements thereto that may be required by the SEC with respect to (i) the
accounting treatment relating to the negative revision in the proven reserves
of
crude oil and natural gas of the Company effected as of or prior to
December 31, 2003 by an amount equal to approximately 1.83 trillion cubic
feet equivalent and (ii) the manner in which the Company reported changes to
the
accounting for various hedging transactions and related ceiling test impairment
charges.
(b) The
consolidated
balance sheets of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of March
31,
2006, and the related consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the
Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the fiscal period then ended,
copies of which have been furnished to the Administrative Agent on or prior
to
the date hereof, present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated
financial condition of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as at
such
date and the consolidated results of the operations of the Company and its
consolidated Subsidiaries for the period ended on such date, all in accordance
with GAAP consistently applied (except as approved by the chief financial
officer of such entity and as disclosed therein), subject in the case of such
unaudited statements to normal year-end audit adjustments and reduced footnote
disclosure, excluding for purposes of this representation the effect of any
subsequent revisions or restatements thereto that may be required by the SEC
with respect to (i) the accounting treatment relating to the negative revision
in the proven reserves of crude oil and natural gas of the Company effected
as
of or prior to December 31, 2003 by an amount equal to approximately 1.83
trillion cubic feet equivalent and (ii) the manner in which the Company reported
changes to the accounting for various hedging transactions and related ceiling
test impairment charges.
(c) Except
as set forth
in Schedule 4.05 (collectively, the “Disclosure
Update”),
as of the
Effective Date, since December 31, 2005, there has been no Material Adverse
Effect.
Section
4.06 .
Compliance
with Laws and Agreements. Each
of the Company
and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, rules, regulations and
orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property except
where the failure to comply, individually or in the aggregate, would not, in
the
reasonable judgment of the Company, be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect; provided
that the alleged
failures to comply with such laws, rules, regulations, and orders that are
disclosed in any annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q
or
current report on Form 8-K filed by any Borrower with the SEC prior to the
date
hereof shall not be deemed at any time by the parties to the Loan Documents
to
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect for any purposes
hereof.
Section
4.07 .
Litigation.
There
is no action,
suit or proceeding pending, or to the knowledge of any Borrower threatened,
against or involving any Credit Related Party in any court, or before any
arbitrator of any kind, or before or by any Governmental Authority, existing
as
of the Effective Date (x) that in the reasonable judgment of the Company (taking
into account the availability of appeals) could reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect, except for the proceedings described in the Company’s
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 or its quarterly
report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2006 (the
“1st
Quarter
2006 10-Q”)
as filed with
the SEC (the “Disclosed
Proceedings”)
or (y) which
purports to affect the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability
of
the Loan Documents. Since the date of filing of the 1st
Quarter 2006 10-Q,
there has been no adverse change in the status of the Disclosed Proceedings
that, taking into account the availability of any appeals, could reasonably
be
expected to increase materially the likelihood of a Material Adverse Effect
resulting therefrom.
Section
4.08 .
Taxes.
Each
Credit Related
Party has duly filed all tax returns required to be filed by it, and has duly
paid and discharged all taxes, assessments and governmental charges upon it
or
against its properties now due and payable, the failure to file or pay which,
as
applicable, would have a Material Adverse Effect, unless and to the extent
only
that the same are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings
by the Company or the applicable Credit Related Party.
Section
4.09 .
Properties.
(a) Each
Credit Related
Party has good title to its respective properties and assets, free and clear
of
all mortgages, liens and encumbrances, except for (i)
Transaction Liens
and (ii)
other mortgages,
liens and other encumbrances (including covenants, restrictions, rights,
easements and minor irregularities in title) that do not materially interfere
with the business or operations of such Credit Related Party as presently
conducted or that are permitted by Section
6.01.
(b) As
of the Effective
Date, the Company is aware of no Liens permitted by Section 6.01(a) solely
by
reason of clause (d) of the definition of Collateral Permitted Liens.
Section
4.10 .
ERISA.
(a)
No Termination
Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Plan
which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute
an
Event of Default under paragraph (h) of Article
7.
(b) Each
Plan has
complied with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code where the failure
to so comply would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(c) The
statement of
assets and liabilities of each Plan and the statements of changes in fund
balance and in financial position, or the statement of changes in net assets
available for plan benefits, for the most recent plan year for which an
accountant’s report with respect to such Plan has been prepared, copies of which
report have been made available to the Administrative Agent, present fairly,
in
all material respects, the financial condition of such Plan as at such date
and
the results of operations of such Plan for the plan year ended on such
date.
(d) Neither
the Company
nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or is reasonably expected to incur, any
Withdrawal Liability to any Multiemployer Plan which, when aggregated with
all
other amounts required to be paid to Multiemployer Plans in connection with
Withdrawal Liability (as of the date of determination), would have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(e) Neither
the Company
nor any ERISA Affiliate has received any notification that any Multiemployer
Plan is in reorganization, insolvent or has been terminated, within the meaning
of Title IV of ERISA, and no Multiemployer Plan is reasonably expected to be
in
reorganization, to be insolvent or to be terminated within the meaning of Title
IV of ERISA the effect of which reorganization, insolvency or termination would
be the occurrence of an Event of Default under paragraph (h) of Article
7.
Section
4.11 .
Investment
Company Act. No
Credit Party is
an “investment company” or a “company” controlled by an “investment company”
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
Section
4.12 .
Federal
Reserve Regulations. The
Borrowings by
any Borrower under this Agreement and the Notes and the application of the
proceeds thereof as provided herein will not violate Regulation T, U or X of
the
Board of Governors.
Section
4.13 .
Collateral.
The
Security
Agreement is effective to create in favor of the Collateral Agent, for the
benefit of the Secured Parties, a valid Lien on, and security interest in,
all
right, title and interest of each Credit Party, as applicable, in the
Collateral, as security for the Secured Obligations, prior and superior in
right
to any other Lien (except for Collateral Permitted Liens), except in each case
above as may be limited by any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights
generally. All financing statements have been filed that are necessary to
perfect any security interest created pursuant to any Security Document that
can
be perfected by the filing of such financing statements and all actions
necessary to provide control to the Collateral Agent, with respect to any
Collateral for which control can be established in favor of the Collateral
Agent
have been taken, including delivery of such Collateral to the Collateral Agent
to the extent such Collateral is certificated or for which possession can
provide perfection with respect thereto.
Section
4.14 .
Solvency.
Immediately
after
the Transactions are consummated and after giving effect to the application
of
the proceeds of each Loan made (or deemed made) and each Letter of Credit issued
(or deemed issued) on the Effective Date, (a) the fair value of the assets
of
each Credit Party, at a fair valuation, will exceed its debts and liabilities,
subordinated, contingent or otherwise; (b) the present fair saleable value
of
the property of each Credit Party will exceed the amount that will be required
to pay the probable liability of its debts and other liabilities, subordinated,
contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute
and
matured; (c) each Credit Party will be able to pay its debts and liabilities,
subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become
absolute and matured; and (d) no Credit Party will have unreasonably small
capital with which to conduct the business in which it is engaged as such
business is now conducted and proposed to be conducted after the Effective
Date.
Section
4.15 .
Environmental
Matters. Except
for the
matters set forth on Schedule 4.15 and other matters that, in the aggregate,
could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, no
Credit Related Party (a) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or
to
obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required
under any Environmental Law, (b) is subject to any Environmental Liability,
(c)
has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability
or
(d) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.
Section
4.16 .
Insurance.
The
Company has
adequate insurance for itself and its Subsidiaries and their properties from
financially sound and reputable insurance companies that are not affiliates
of
the Company in such amounts and covering such risks (with such types and amounts
of retained risk) as are available on commercially reasonable economic terms
and
are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning
similar properties in localities where the Company and its Subsidiaries
operate.
Section
4.17 .
Disclosure.
The
publicly
available information filed by any Credit Related Party with the SEC when taken
as a whole does not contain any material misstatement of fact or omit to state
any material facts necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Section
4.18 .
Subsidiaries.
Schedule
4.18 sets
forth the name of, and the ownership interest of the Company in, each of its
Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2006. All the Company’s Subsidiaries are, and will
at all times be, fully consolidated in its consolidated financial
statements.
All
representations
and warranties made by the Credit Parties herein, and any other Loan Document
delivered pursuant hereto, shall survive the making of the Loans, the issuance
of any Letter of Credit and the execution and delivery by the Credit Parties
of
the Loan Documents.
ARTICLE
5
Affirmative
Covenants
Until
the Final
Payment Date shall have occurred, unless the Majority Lenders shall otherwise
consent in writing, each Borrower will, with respect to Sections 5.01
through
5.06,
and the Company
will, with respect to Sections 5.07
through
5.10:
Section
5.01 .
Preservation
of Existence. Preserve
and
maintain, and, in the case of the Company, cause each other Credit Related
Party
to preserve and maintain, its (a)
existence,
(b)
rights
(organizational and statutory), and (c)
material
franchises, except as otherwise permitted by Section 6.04
or 6.05
or where the
failure to so preserve would not have a Material Adverse Effect and except
that
nothing herein shall prevent any change in Business Entity form of the Company
or any other Credit Related Party.
Section
5.02 .
Compliance
with Laws. Comply,
and, in the
case of the Company, cause each other Credit Related Party to comply, in all
material respects with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders
(including all Environmental Laws and laws requiring payment of all taxes,
assessments and governmental charges imposed upon it or upon its property except
to the extent contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings) the failure
to
comply with which would have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
5.03 .
Visitation
Rights. At
any reasonable
time and from time to time, permit the Administrative Agent or any of the
Lenders or any agents or representatives thereof, to examine and make copies
of
and abstracts from the records and books of account of, and visit the properties
of, the Company and any of its Subsidiaries, and to discuss the affairs,
finances and accounts of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries with any of
their officers and, in the company of an officer of the Company or the
applicable Subsidiary if so requested by the Company, with their independent
certified public accountants.
Section
5.04 .
Books and
Records. Keep,
and, in the
case of the Company, cause each of its Subsidiaries to keep, proper books of
record and account, in which full and correct entries shall be made of all
its
respective financial transactions and the assets and business of the Company
and
each of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, in accordance with GAAP either
(a)
consistently
applied or (b)
applied in a
changed manner provided such change shall have been disclosed to the
Administrative Agent and shall have been consented to by the accountants which
(as required by Section
5.08)
report on the financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries for
the
fiscal year in which such change shall have occurred.
Section
5.05 .
Maintenance
of Properties. Maintain
and
preserve, and, in the case of the Company, cause each other Credit Related
Party
to maintain and preserve, all of its properties that are used in the conduct
of
its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear
excepted, to the extent that any failure to do so would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section
5.06 .
Maintenance
of Insurance. Maintain,
and, in
the case of the Company, cause each other Credit Related Party to maintain,
insurance with responsible and reputable insurance companies or associations
in
such amounts and covering such risks as is usually carried by companies engaged
in similar businesses and owning similar properties in the same general areas
in
which the Company or such other Credit Related Party operates and which is
available on commercially reasonable economic terms.
Section
5.07 .
Security
Interests in Collateral. (a)
Execute and
deliver, and cause each Subsidiary Guarantor to execute and deliver, to the
Administrative Agent such guaranties, security agreements and supplements,
amendments and joinders to the Security Documents, in each case in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and as the
Administrative Agent deems necessary or advisable in order to ensure that the
applicable Guarantor guarantees, as primary obligor and not as surety, the
full
and punctual payment when due of the Secured Obligations and that the Secured
Obligations are secured by valid, perfected and enforceable first-priority
Transaction Liens (subject only to Collateral Permitted Liens) over all of
the
Collateral owned by the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor as security for
the
Secured Obligations, and (b)
deliver, or cause
to be delivered, to the Administrative Agent such opinions of counsel and other
related documents as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent
with respect to the requirements of this Section
5.07.
Section
5.08 .
Reporting
Requirements. Furnish
to each
Lender in such reasonable quantities as shall from time to time be requested
by
such Lender:
(a) as
soon as publicly
available, and in any event within 60 days after the end of each of the first
three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of each of the Company and each other
Credit Related Party that is required to file a Form 10-Q and/or Form 10-K
with
the SEC, a consolidated balance sheet of each of the Company and such other
Credit Related Party and its respective consolidated Subsidiaries as of the
end
of such quarter, and consolidated statements of income and cash flows of each
of
the Company and such other Credit Related Party and its respective Subsidiaries
each for the period commencing at the end of the previous fiscal year and ending
with the end of such quarter, certified (subject to normal year-end adjustments
and the absence of footnotes) as being fairly stated in all material respects
by
a Financial Officer and accompanied by a certificate of such officer stating
(i)
whether or not
such officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Event of Default that is
continuing hereunder or of any event not theretofore remedied that with notice
or lapse of time or both would constitute such an Event of Default and, if
so,
stating in reasonable detail the facts with respect thereto, (ii)
all relevant facts
in reasonable detail to evidence, and the computations as to, whether or not
(A)
the Company is in compliance with the requirements set forth in Section
6.02
and (B) each Pipeline Company Borrower is in compliance with the requirements
set forth in Section
6.03,
and (iii)
a listing of all
Credit Related Parties and consolidated Subsidiaries of the Company showing
the
extent of its direct and indirect holdings of their stocks;
(b) as
soon as publicly
available and in any event within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year
of
each of the Company and each other Credit Related Party that is required to
file
a Form 10-Q and/or Form 10-K with the SEC, a copy of the annual report for
such
year for each of the Company and such other Credit Related Party and its
respective consolidated Subsidiaries containing financial statements for such
year reported on by nationally recognized independent public accountants
acceptable to the Lenders (without any qualification or exception as to the
scope of such audit), accompanied by a report signed by said accountants stating
that such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP;
(c) within
120 days
after the close of each of the Company’s fiscal years, a certificate of a
Financial Officer stating (i)
whether or not he
has knowledge of the occurrence of any Event of Default that is continuing
hereunder or of any event not theretofore remedied that with notice or lapse
of
time or both would constitute such an Event of Default and, if so, stating
in
reasonable detail the facts with respect thereto, (ii)
all relevant facts
in reasonable detail to evidence, and the computations as to, whether or not
(A)
the Company is in compliance with the requirements set forth in Section
6.02
and (B) each Pipeline Company Borrower is in compliance with the requirements
set forth in Section
6.03,
and (iii)
a listing of all
Credit Related Parties and consolidated Subsidiaries of the Company showing
the
extent of its direct and indirect holdings of their stocks;
(d) promptly
after the
sending or filing thereof, copies of all publicly available reports that the
Company or any other Credit Related Party sends to any of its security holders
and copies of all publicly available reports and registration statements that
the Company or any other Credit Related Party files with the SEC or any national
securities exchange other than registration statements relating to employee
benefit plans and to registrations of securities for selling security
holders;
(e) within
10 days
after sending or filing thereof, a copy of FERC Form No. 2: Annual Report
of Major Natural Gas Companies, sent or filed by any Credit Related Party with
FERC with respect to each fiscal year of such Credit Related Party;
(f) promptly
in
writing, notice of all litigation and of all proceedings before any Governmental
Authority against or involving the Company or any other Credit Related Party,
except any litigation or proceeding that in the reasonable judgment of the
Company (taking into account the availability of appeals) is not likely to
have
a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition of the Company
and its consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(g) within
three
Business Days after a Financial Officer obtains knowledge thereof (i) notice
of
the occurrence of any Default that is continuing, together with a detailed
statement by a responsible officer of the Company of the steps being taken
by
the Company or the appropriate Subsidiary of the Company to cure the effect
of
such event,
(ii) notice of
the occurrence of any event that could reasonably be expected to result in
a
Material Adverse Effect and (iii) notice of the execution of any agreement
relating to, or the consummation of, any Disposition that could reasonably
be
expected to result in a Mandatory Asset Reduction Event,
(h) as
soon as
practicable and in any event (i)
within 30 days
after the Company or any ERISA Affiliate knows or has reason to know that any
Termination Event described in clause (a) of the definition of Termination
Event
with respect to any Plan has occurred that could reasonably be expected to
have
a Material Adverse Effect, and (ii)
within 10 days
after the Company or any ERISA Affiliate knows or has reason to know that any
other Termination Event with respect to any Plan has occurred, a statement
of a
Financial Officer describing such Termination Event and the action, if any,
that
the Company or such ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect
thereto;
(i) promptly
and in any
event within five Business Days after receipt thereof by the Company or any
ERISA Affiliate, copies of each notice received by the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate from the PBGC stating its intention to terminate any Plan or to have
a
trustee appointed to administer any Plan which termination could reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(j) promptly
and in any
event within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Internal Revenue Service,
copies of each Schedule B (Actuarial Information) to the annual report (Form
5500 Series) with respect to each Single Employer Plan;
(k) promptly
and in any
event within five Business Days after receipt thereof by the Company or any
ERISA Affiliate from the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan, a copy of each notice
received by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate concerning (i)
the imposition of
Withdrawal Liability by a Multiemployer Plan, (ii)
the determination
that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, in reorganization or
insolvent within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA, (iii)
the termination of
a Multiemployer Plan within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA, or (iv)
the amount of
liability incurred, or expected to be incurred, by the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate in connection with any event described in clause (i),
(ii),
or (iii)
above, in each
case if such event could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect; and
(l) as
soon as
practicable but in any event within 60 days of any notice of request therefor,
such other information respecting the financial condition and results of
operations of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company as any Lender through
the Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request.
Each
balance sheet
and other financial statement furnished pursuant to Sections 5.08(a)
and 5.08(b)
shall contain
comparative financial information which conforms to the presentation required
in
Form 10-Q and 10-K, as appropriate, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended. The electronic posting of any financial statements, reports, notices
or other items required to be furnished pursuant to this Section
5.08
on a website established for Lender access shall constitute delivery for all
purposes this of Section
5.08.
Section
5.09 .
Cash
Collateral for Secured Hedging Agreements. Not
later than the
fifth Business Day after the last day of each March, June, September and
December after the date hereof, (x) determine the aggregate net settlement
value
on a xxxx-to-market basis in accordance with GAAP as at the close of business
on
the last Business Day of each such March, June, September and December (each,
a
“calculation
date”)
of all of the
outstanding Secured Hedging Agreements as of such calculation date and (y)
if
and to the extent such aggregate net settlement value as of such calculation
date exceeds $50,000,000, deposit or cause to be deposited into the Excess
Cash
Account cash in an amount equal to such excess amount (the “Excess
Amount”)
as Cash
Collateral to be held in accordance with the terms and provisions of the
Security Agreement; provided,
that if on any
calculation date the amount of cash then on deposit in the Excess Cash Account
exceeds the Excess Amount as so determined, and no Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing, then the Collateral Agent shall, upon the request
of
the Company, promptly release and pay over to the Company free of the
Transaction Liens all such amounts on deposit in the Excess Cash Account in
excess of the Excess Amount.
Section
5.10 .
Collateral
Reporting. Furnish,
and cause
each Subsidiary Guarantor to furnish, to the Collateral Agent, on a quarterly
basis, as of March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each calendar
year, within 60 days after the end of each of the first three calendar quarters
and within 120 days after the end of each calendar year, commencing September
30, 2006, a supplement to Schedule V to the Security Agreement.
ARTICLE
6
Negative
Covenants
Until
the Final
Payment Date shall have occurred, unless the Majority Lenders shall otherwise
consent in writing:
Section
6.01 .
Liens.
(a) The
Company shall
not, and shall not permit any Subsidiary of the Company to, create, assume,
incur, or suffer to exist, any Liens (other than Collateral Permitted Liens)
upon or with respect to (x) any of the Collateral or (y) any capital stock
of
ANR Company, ANR Holding or ANR.
(b) The
Company shall
not, and shall not permit any Subsidiary of the Company (other than Southern
Natural Gas Company and its Subsidiaries) to, create, assume, incur, or suffer
to exist, any Lien securing Debt that would require the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to equally and ratably secure such Debt with any Specified
Indenture Debt of the Company or any consolidated Subsidiary of the Company
unless the Secured Obligations shall be secured equally and ratably with, or
prior to, such Debt so long as such Specified Indenture Debt shall be so equally
and ratably secured.
(c) The
Company shall
not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to create, assume, incur or suffer to
exist
any Lien on any property or asset of such Restricted Subsidiary except
for:
(i) Liens
on the Equity
Interests in, or Indebtedness or other obligations of, or assets of, any Project
Financing Subsidiary (or any Equity Interests in, or Indebtedness or other
obligations of, any Business Entity that is directly or indirectly owned by
any
Project Financing Subsidiary) securing the payment of a Project Financing and
related obligations;
(ii) Permitted
Liens;
(iii) Liens
created by
any Alternate Program permitted under Section 6.04(b)(iv) (or any document
executed by any Borrower or any Subsidiary of a Borrower in connection
therewith);
(iv) Liens
(other than
Liens with respect to the Collateral) in existence on the Effective Date, plus
any successive renewals or extensions of such Liens, and any grant of a Lien,
in
connection with any successive refinancing, extension or renewal of the Debt
or
any liability under any Guaranty secured by such Liens, provided
that (A) the
aggregate principal amount of the Debt or any liability under any Guaranty
(and
any successive refinancing, extension or renewal thereof) secured by such Liens
does not increase from that amount outstanding at the time of such renewal,
extension or grant of the Lien or such refinancing and any such successive
renewal, extension or grant of the Lien does not encumber any additional
property or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary (except as contemplated by
clause (vii) below) and (B) no such Liens shall be granted after the Effective
Date to secure Debt owed to the Company or to any of its Subsidiaries that
is
not a Restricted Subsidiary;
(v) any
Lien on any
asset (including a Capital Lease) securing Indebtedness incurred or assumed
for
the purpose of financing all or any part of the cost of acquiring such asset,
provided
that such Lien
attaches to such asset concurrently with or within 180 days after the
acquisition thereof;
(vi) the
Transaction
Liens and Liens permitted by the Security Documents; and
(vii) any
Lien on
products and proceeds (including dividends, distributions, interest and like
payments on or with respect to, and insurance and condemnation proceeds and
rental, lease, licensing and similar proceeds) of, and property evidencing
or
embodying, or constituting rights or other general intangibles directly relating
to or arising out of, and accessions and improvements to, property or assets
subject to such Liens, so long as such Lien on such property or assets is
permitted by this Section
6.01.
Section
6.02 .
Financial
Covenants.
(a) (a)
Leverage
Ratio.
The Company shall
not permit the ratio of (i) the sum of (A) the aggregate amount of consolidated
Debt of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, plus
(A) the aggregate
amount of consolidated Guaranties of the Company and its consolidated
Subsidiaries, plus
(A) the
outstanding principal (or equivalent) amount of financing extended to the
Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries pursuant to any Alternate Program,
regardless of whether such financing gives rise to “Indebtedness” hereunder,
minus
(A)
all
unrestricted cash balances of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries
(in
each case, without duplication of amounts under this clause (i) and determined
as to all of the foregoing entities on a consolidated basis) (it being
understood that cash balances in the Qualified Investments Account or any
Qualified Investments Subaccount are not restricted for purposes of this clause
(D) minus
(A) all restricted
cash balances of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries securing or
otherwise supporting the payment of Debt or Guaranties of the Company and its
consolidated Subsidiaries included in (A) above to (ii) Consolidated EBITDA
of
the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the then most recently ended
period of four fiscal quarters to exceed (x) 5.75:1 at any time prior to June
30, 2007, (y) 5.50:1 at any time on or after June 30, 2007 and prior to June
30,
2008 and (z) 5.25:1 at any time on or after June 30, 2008.
(b) Fixed
Charge
Coverage Ratio.
The Company shall
not permit the ratio of (i) Consolidated EBITDA of the Company and its
consolidated Subsidiaries for the then most recently ended period of four fiscal
quarters to (ii) the sum of its consolidated interest expense plus its total
dividends paid, in each case for the then most recently ended period of four
fiscal quarters to be less than (x) 1.75:1 prior to December 31, 2006, (y)
1.80:1 at any time on or after December 31, 2006 and prior to June 30, 2008
and
(z) 2.0:1 at any time on or after June 30, 2008.
Section
6.03 .
Debt. No
Pipeline Company
Borrower and no Subsidiary of a Pipeline Company Borrower shall incur or become
liable for any Debt (other than loans from a FERC-Regulated Restricted
Subsidiary that are subordinated to the Obligations pursuant to Acceptable
Subordination Provisions and the proceeds of which are used to make a Qualified
Investment or fund working capital) or any liability under Guaranties if,
immediately after giving effect to such Debt or liability under such Guaranties
and the receipt and application of any proceeds thereof (or of any Debt so
guaranteed) or value received in connection therewith, (i)
the ratio of Debt
(excluding loans from a FERC-Regulated Restricted Subsidiary that are
subordinated to the Obligations pursuant to Acceptable Subordination Provisions
and the proceeds of which are used to make a Qualified Investment or fund
working capital) and liabilities under Guaranties, without duplication, of
the
applicable Pipeline Company Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries to
Consolidated EBITDA of such Pipeline Company Borrower and its consolidated
Subsidiaries, in each case on a consolidated basis for the applicable Pipeline
Company Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries, for the then most recently
completed four quarter period for which financial statements have been delivered
as required by Section
5.08
would exceed 5 to 1, or (ii)
the proceeds of
any such Debt (or of the underlying Debt guaranteed by any such Guaranty) would
be used for any purpose other than (A) the funding of working capital of the
applicable Pipeline Company Borrower or Subsidiary, (A) the successive
refinancing of Debt incurred to fund working capital, (C) the making of
Qualified Investments
or (D) the
refinancing or replacement of Debt.
Section
6.04 .
Disposition
of Property or Assets.
(a) The
Company shall
not, and shall not permit any Credit Related Party to, Dispose of any interest
in any asset or property constituting Collateral, except
(i) in connection
with a change in form of Business Entity that does not (x) result in a Person
other than a Credit Related Party owning any Equity Interests in the resulting
Business Entity or (y) adversely affect the validity, perfection or priority
of
the Transaction Liens on any of the Collateral, (ii) any Disposition that is
the
result of any casualty or condemnation of Collateral or any order (whether
or
not having the force of law) of the FERC or any other Governmental Authority
with respect to such Collateral, so long as the Commitments shall be permanently
reduced to the extent required by Section
2.07(d),
and (iii)
Dispositions of Collateral in a transaction permitted by Section
6.05.
(b) The
Company shall
not, and shall not permit any Credit Related Party to, Dispose of any property
or asset, provided
that
this Section
6.04(b)
shall not apply
to:
(i) Dispositions
of
property or assets (other than Dispositions of Collateral) by Restricted
Subsidiaries not otherwise permitted pursuant to any other provision of this
Section
6.04,
provided
that (x) any such
Disposition is conducted on an arms-length basis, (y) the consideration for
such
Disposition does not consist of Equity Interests or Indebtedness, and (z) if
the
Net Cash Proceeds of such Disposition exceed $5,000,000 on an individual basis
or $10,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year of the Company, the
Commitments shall be permanently reduced to the extent required by Section
2.07(d);
(ii) Dispositions
not
otherwise permitted pursuant to any other provision of this Section
6.04
(other than clause (i)
above) and that
result from any casualty or condemnation of any property or assets of any
Restricted Subsidiary or any order (whether or not having the force of law)
of
the FERC or any other Governmental Authority,
provided
that, if the Net
Cash Proceeds of such Disposition exceed $5,000,000 on an individual basis
or
$10,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year of the Company, the
Commitments shall be permanently reduced to the extent required by Section
2.07(d);
(iii) Dispositions
of
obsolete or worn out property or assets (or property or assets no longer useful
in the business of the relevant Credit Related Party) in the ordinary course
of
business and leases or subleases of unused office or other space entered into
by
any Credit Related Party on an arms-length basis and in the ordinary course
of
business;
(iv) Dispositions
of any
receivables and related rights pursuant to any Alternate Program so long as
immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such Disposition
the
Company is in compliance with Section
6.02(a);
(v) Dispositions
of any
Project Financing Subsidiary and/or all or any part of any such Project
Financing Subsidiary’s assets or property;
(vi) Dispositions
of
property or assets to a Restricted Subsidiary, or to a Business Entity that
after giving effect to such Disposition will become a Restricted Subsidiary
in
which the Company’s direct or indirect Equity Interest will be at least as great
as its direct or indirect Equity Interest in the transferor immediately prior
to
such Disposition;
(vii) Dispositions
permitted by, and subject to the terms of, Section
6.04(a)
and Dispositions
permitted by Section
6.05;
(viii) the
Disposition of
EPEC Realty, Inc.;
(ix) Dispositions
of
inventory in the ordinary course of business;
(x) Dispositions
constituting licenses of intellectual property in the ordinary course of
business;
(xi) Dispositions
of
cash or Cash Equivalents (other than cash or Cash Equivalents constituting
Collateral under the Security Agreement or an amount equal to proceeds of any
Disposition permitted pursuant to clauses (i)
and (ii)
above in excess of
the applicable threshold amounts specified therein, which such cash or Cash
Equivalents shall be Disposed of pursuant to the terms and provisions of this
Agreement and the Security Agreement);
(xii) Dispositions
of
Indebtedness or instruments or other obligations that are received as
consideration for any Disposition of property or assets (other than Dispositions
permitted pursuant to clauses (i)
and (ii)
above);
(xiii) Dispositions
of
investments (including Equity Interests and Indebtedness or instruments or
other
obligations) that are received in connection with the bankruptcy or
reorganization of suppliers, customers or other Persons, or in settlement of,
or
pursuant to any judgment or other order in respect of, delinquent obligations
of, or litigation proceedings or other disputes with, or from exercises of
rights or remedies against, any such Persons;
or
(xiv) Dispositions
by the
Company (on an arm’s-length basis) or by any Exempted Guarantor of any property
or assets that do not constitute Collateral.
(c) The
Company shall
not, and shall not permit any Subsidiary of the Company to, Dispose of the
Equity Interests in any of its Subsidiaries if such Disposition will result
in
the Company owning, directly or indirectly, less than 100% of the Equity
Interests in the Subsidiary Guarantors.
(d) Each
Credit Related
Party (other than the Exempted Guarantors) shall not Dispose of (in a single
or
related series of transactions) assets constituting all or substantially all
of
the consolidated assets of such Credit Related Party and its Subsidiaries taken
as a whole, provided
that this
Section
6.04(d)
shall not apply
to
(i)
any transaction permitted by Section
6.04(a),
Section
6.04(b)(ii),
(b)(vi),
(b)(vii)
or (b)(xiii)
or Section
6.05
or (ii) any transaction required by a final order of any Governmental Authority
of competent jurisdiction.
Section
6.05 .
Mergers.
The
Company shall
not, and shall not permit any other Credit Related Party to, merge or
consolidate with, or liquidate into, any Person, except that, provided no Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing (both before and immediately after
giving effect to any merger, consolidation or liquidation permitted
below):
(a) any
Credit Related
Party (other than the Company) in addition to mergers, consolidations and
liquidations provided for in clauses (b)
and (c)
below, may merge
or consolidate with, or liquidate into, any other Credit Related Party (other
than the Company), provided
that (i)
no Guaranty
Reduction Event occurs as a result thereof, (ii)
the continuing or
surviving Credit Related Party unconditionally assumes by written agreement
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent all of the performance and payment
obligations of the other Credit Related Party under any Loan Documents to which
it is a party and (iii)
the Lien under the
Security Documents in favor of the Collateral Agent on any Collateral owned
by
any applicable Subsidiary Guarantor immediately prior to such merger,
consolidation or liquidation remains effective and perfected immediately
thereafter with no loss of relative priority to any other class of creditor
from
that existing immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or liquidation;
provided,
however,
that any Pledged
Company shall be permitted to merge with another Restricted Subsidiary (other
than an Exempted Guarantor), so long as the Equity Interests of the surviving
Business Entity are subject to perfected Transaction Liens and neither the
priority of such Liens nor the value of the Collateral is diminished as a result
of such merger;
(b) any
Exempted
Guarantor may merge or consolidate with, or liquidate into, any other Exempted
Guarantor or other Business Entity that is not a Credit Related Party,
provided
that (i)
the surviving
Business Entity is, directly or indirectly, a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the
Company and remains a Subsidiary Guarantor, (ii)
if the Exempted
Guarantor is not the continuing or surviving Business Entity, the continuing
or
surviving Business Entity unconditionally assumes by written agreement
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent all of the obligations of such Exempted
Guarantor under the Loan Documents to which the applicable Exempted Guarantor
is
a party and (iii)
the Lien under the
Security Documents in favor of the Collateral Agent on any Collateral owned
by
the applicable Exempted Guarantor immediately prior to such merger,
consolidation or liquidation remains effective and perfected immediately
thereafter with no loss of relative priority to any other class of creditor
from
that existing immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or liquidation;
and
(c) the
Company may
merge or consolidate with, or liquidate into, any Business Entity other than
a
Credit Related Party, provided
that (i) (A) the
Company is the continuing or surviving Business Entity or (B) the continuing
or
surviving Business Entity is organized under the laws of the United States
or a
State thereof and unconditionally assumes by written agreement satisfactory
to
the Administrative Agent all of the performance and payment obligations of the
Company under any Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (ii) the Lien
under
the Security Documents in favor of the Collateral Agent on any Collateral owned
by the Company immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or liquidation
remains effective and perfected immediately thereafter with no loss of relative
priority to any other class of creditor (either contractually, by structural
subordination or otherwise) from that existing immediately prior to such merger,
consolidation or liquidation.
Section
6.06 .
Use of
Proceeds. No
Borrower shall
use the proceeds of any Loan or any Letter of Credit for any purpose that would
(a) whether directly or indirectly, entail a violation of any of the Regulations
of the Board of Governors, including Regulations T, U and X or
(b) constitute a
use other than a general corporate purpose.
Section
6.07 .
Transactions
with Affiliates. No
Credit Related
Party (other than an Exempted Guarantor) will sell, lease or otherwise transfer
any property to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property from,
or
otherwise engage in any other transaction with, any Affiliate of the Company
that is not a Subsidiary of the Company, whether or not in the ordinary course
of business, except (a) transactions on fair and reasonable terms no less
favorable to such Credit Related Party as would be obtainable by such Credit
Related Party at the time in a comparable arm’s-length transaction or series of
transactions with a person other than an Affiliate of the Company, (b)
any
Disposition permitted under Section
6.04
or any merger permitted under Section 6.05 and (c) transactions the value of
which are de
minimis
in relation to the
assets, liabilities or revenues of the Credit Related Party engaging in such
transaction.
Section
6.08 .
Restrictive
Agreements. No
Credit Related
Party will, directly or indirectly, enter into or permit to exist any agreement
or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition on
(a)
the ability of any Credit Related Party (other than the Company and an Exempted
Guarantor) to create or permit to exist any Lien on any of its property or
(b)
the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary or Pipeline Company Borrower to pay
dividends or other distributions with respect to any shares of its capital
stock
or to make or repay loans or advances to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor
or to Guarantee Debt of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or to otherwise
transfer assets to or invest in the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor;
provided
that (i) the
foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or
by
any Loan Document, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and
conditions existing on the date hereof and identified on Schedule 6.08, or
any
extension, refinancing or renewal thereof on market terms and conditions, (iii)
the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained
in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale,
provided
that such
restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold
and
such sale is permitted hereunder, (iv) clause (a) of this Section shall not
apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured
Debt permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only
to the property securing such Debt, (v) clause (a) of this Section shall not
apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts entered into in
the
ordinary course of business restricting the assignment thereof, (vi) the
foregoing shall not apply to any Pipeline Company Borrower or its Subsidiary
in
connection with the issuance of debt otherwise permitted hereunder on
market-clearing terms that are no less favorable to such Pipeline Company
Borrower or its Subsidiary than the ANR Indenture and (vii) clause (a) and
(b)
of this Section shall not apply to any assets that are the subject of an
Alternate Program or to any Restricted Subsidiary whose only activities are
to
purchase receivables from a Pipeline Company Borrower or a Subsidiary of a
Pipeline Company Borrower and resell such receivables, in each case pursuant
to
an Alternate Program.
ARTICLE
7
Events
of
Default
If
any of the following events (“Events
of
Default”)
shall occur and
be continuing:
(a) Any
Borrower shall
fail to pay any installment of principal of any of its Loans or Notes when
due,
or any interest on any of its Loans or Notes or any other amount payable by
it
hereunder within five Business Days after the same shall be due; or
(b) Any
representation
or warranty made or deemed made by any Credit Related Party herein or by any
Credit Related Party (or any of its officers) in connection with this Agreement
shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed
made and, if such representation or warranty is capable of being cured, such
inaccuracy shall remain unremedied for 30 days after written notice thereof
shall have been given to such Credit Related Party by the Administrative Agent
or by any Lender with a copy to the Administrative Agent; or
(c) Any
Credit Related
Party shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant, or agreement
applicable to it contained in Section
5.01(a)
(other than
mergers and entity conversions permitted under Section
6.05)
or 5.08(g) or Article
6;
or
(d) Any
Credit Related
Party shall fail to perform or observe any other term, covenant or agreement
contained in the Loan Documents (other than those specified in paragraphs
(a)
through (c) above)
on its part to be performed or observed and any such failure shall remain
unremedied for 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to
such Credit Related Party by the Administrative Agent or by any Lender with
a
copy to the Administrative Agent; or
(e) The
Company or any
consolidated Subsidiary shall fail to pay any Debt or Guaranty (excluding Debt
and Guarantees incurred pursuant hereto) or Hedging Agreement of such Person
in
an aggregate principal amount of $200,000,000 or more, or any installment of
principal thereof or interest or premium thereon, when due (whether by scheduled
maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise) and such
failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified
in
the agreement or instrument relating to such Debt, Guaranty or Hedging
Agreement; or any other default under any agreement or instrument relating
to
any such Debt in such aggregate principal amount (excluding Debt and Guarantees
incurred hereunder) or any Secured Hedging Agreement, or any other event (other
than an exercise of voluntary prepayment or voluntary purchase option or
analogous right or any issuance or Disposition of Equity Interests or other
assets, or an incurrence or issuance of Debt or other obligations, giving rise
to a repayment or prepayment obligations in respect of such Debt or such Secured
Hedging Agreement), shall occur and shall continue after the applicable grace
period, if any, specified in such agreement or instrument, if the effect of
such
default or event is to accelerate the maturity of such Debt in such aggregate
principal amount or such Secured Hedging Agreement or to enable or permit (with
or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or
holders of any such Debt in such aggregate principal amount or such Secured
Hedging Agreement or any trustee or agent on its behalf or on behalf of such
holder or holders to cause any such Debt in such aggregate principal amount
or
such Secured Hedging Agreement to become due, or to require the prepayment,
repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled
maturity;
or
(f) (i)
Any Borrower,
any Guarantor or any other Credit Related Party (other than any Borrower or
Guarantor) having total Assets in excess of $100,000,000 (any of the foregoing,
a “Material
Credit Party”)
shall (A)
generally not pay its debts as such debts become due; or (B) admit in writing
its inability to pay its debts generally; or (C) make a general assignment
for
the benefit of creditors; or (ii) any proceeding shall be instituted or
consented to by any Material Credit Party seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt
or
insolvent, or seeking liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement,
adjustment, protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any
law
relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors,
or
seeking the entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver,
trustee, or other similar official for it or for any substantial part of its
property; or (iii) any such proceeding shall have been instituted against any
Material Credit Party and either such proceeding shall not be stayed or
dismissed for 60 consecutive days or any of the actions referred to above sought
in such proceeding (including the entry of an order for relief against it or
the
appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for
it
or any substantial part of its property) shall occur; or (iv) any Material
Credit Party shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the actions
set
forth above in this paragraph (f); or
(g) Any
judgment or
order for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $100,000,000
(net of insurance coverage which is reasonably expected to be paid by the
insurer) shall be rendered against the Company, any Credit Related Party or
any
combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of
60
consecutive days during which execution (other than any enforcement proceedings
consisting of the mere obtaining and filing of a judgment lien or obtaining
of a
garnishment or similar order so long as no foreclosure, levy or similar process
in respect of such judgment lien, or payment over in respect of such garnishment
or similar order, has commenced and is continuing or has been completed
(collectively, the “Permitted
Execution Actions”))
shall not be
effectively stayed, or any action, other than a Permitted Execution Action,
shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any
property or assets of the Company or any other Credit Related Party to enforce
any such judgment or order; provided,
however,
that with respect
to any such judgment or order that is subject to the terms of one or more
settlement agreements that provide for the obligations thereunder to be paid
or
performed over time, such judgment or order shall not be deemed hereunder to
be
undischarged unless and until the Company or any other Credit Related Party
shall have failed to pay any amounts due and owing thereunder (payment of which
shall not have been stayed) for a period of 30 consecutive days after the
respective final due dates for the payment of such amounts; or
(h) (i)
Any Termination
Event with respect to a Plan shall have occurred and, 30 days after notice
thereof shall have been given to the Company by the Administrative Agent, such
Termination Event shall still exist; or (ii) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate
shall have been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that it has
incurred Withdrawal Liability to such Multiemployer Plan; or (iii) the Company
or any ERISA Affiliate shall have been notified by the sponsor of a
Multiemployer Plan that such Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization, or is
insolvent or is being terminated, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA;
or
(iv) any Person shall engage in a “prohibited transaction” (as defined in
Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) involving any Plan; and in
each case in clauses (i) through (iv) above, such event or condition, together
with all other such events or conditions, if any, would result in an aggregate
liability of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that would have a Material
Adverse Effect; or
(i) Upon
completion of,
and pursuant to, a transaction, or a series of transactions (which may include
prior acquisitions of capital stock of the Company in the open market or
otherwise), involving a tender offer (i)
a “person” (within
the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) other
than
the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan
maintained for employees of the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries or the
trustee therefor, shall have acquired direct or indirect ownership of and paid
for in excess of 50% of the outstanding capital stock of the Company entitled
to
vote in elections for directors of the Company and (ii)
at any time before
the later of (A)
six months after
the completion of such tender offer and (B)
the next annual
meeting of the shareholders of the Company following the completion of such
tender offer more than half of members of the Board of Directors of the Company
consists of individuals who (1)
were not members
of the Board of Directors of the Company before the completion of such tender
offer and (2)
were not
appointed, elected or nominated by the Board of Directors of the Company in
office prior to the completion of such tender offer (other than any such
appointment, election or nomination required or agreed to in connection with,
or
as a result of, the completion of such tender offer); or
(j) Any
event of
default shall occur under any agreement or instrument relating to or evidencing
any Debt now or hereafter existing of any Credit Related Party as the result
of
any change in control of the Company; or
(k) Any
of the
guarantees contained in any Credit Party Guarantee, or any other material
provision of any Loan Document, shall cease, for any reason, to be valid and
binding upon or enforceable against any Credit Party that is a party thereto,
or
any such Credit Party shall so assert in writing, provided
that if such
invalidity or unenforceability is of a nature so as to be amenable to cure
within five Business Days and if, within one Business Day after the Company
receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent or
otherwise becomes aware that such material provision is not valid or is
unenforceable as aforesaid, the Company delivers written notice to the
Administrative Agent that the applicable Credit Party intends to cure such
invalidity or unenforceability as soon as possible, then an Event of Default
shall not exist pursuant to this paragraph (k) of Article
7
unless the Company or the relevant Credit Party shall fail to deliver or cause
to be delivered an amendment or other modification, or other agreement or
undertaking, having the same economic effect as the invalid or unenforceable
provision within four Business Days after the delivery of such written notice
of
intent; or
(l) Any
Security
Document shall for any reason fail or cease to create a valid and enforceable
Lien on any Collateral stated to be covered thereby or, except as permitted
by
the Loan Documents, such Lien shall fail or cease to be a perfected and
first-priority (subject only to Collateral Permitted Liens) Lien, or any Credit
Related Party shall so state in writing and, if such invalidity or lack of
perfection or priority relates solely to Collateral with an aggregate value
of
$1,000,000 or less and such invalidity or lack of perfection or priority is
such
so as to be amenable to cure without material disadvantage to the position
of
the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties,
such invalidity or lack of perfection or priority shall not be cured within
10
days of the earlier of such Credit Related Party so stating in writing or
delivery of notice thereof by the Administrative Agent to the Company (or such
shorter period as shall be specified by the Administrative Agent and is
reasonable under the circumstances);
then,
and in every
such event (other than an event with respect to any Credit Related Party
described in paragraph (f)
of this Article
except for clause (i)(A)
thereof), and at
any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative
Agent may, and at the request of the Majority Lenders shall, by notice to the
Company, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different
times: (i) declare the Commitments to be terminated and thereupon the
Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans and the
Notes then outstanding, all interest thereon and all other amounts payable
under
this Agreement to be forthwith due and payable in whole (or in part, in which
case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be
declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so
declared to be due and payable together with accrued interest thereon and all
fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder, shall become
due
and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or further notice
of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrowers;
provided,
however,
that if an Event
of Default under paragraph (f)
(except under
clause (i)(A)
thereof) shall
occur, (A) the Commitments shall automatically terminate and (B) the principal
of the Loans and the Notes then outstanding, together with accrued interest
thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder
shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest
or any notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the
Borrowers.
ARTICLE
8
Company
Guarantee
Section
8.01 .
Company
Guarantee.
(a) The
Company hereby
unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to the Collateral Agent, for the
ratable benefit of the Lenders and each of their respective permitted
successors, endorsees, transferees and assigns, the prompt and complete payment
by the Pipeline Company Borrowers when due (whether at the stated maturity,
by
acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations. This is a guarantee of payment
and not collection and the liability of the Company is primary and not
secondary.
(b) The
guarantee
contained in this Article
8
shall remain in full force and effect until the Final Payment Date,
notwithstanding that from time to time during the term of this Agreement, no
Obligations may be outstanding.
(c) No
payment made by
any Pipeline Company Borrower, any of the Subsidiary Guarantors, any other
guarantor or any other Person, or received or collected by any Agent or any
Lender from any Pipeline Company Borrower, any of the Subsidiary Guarantors,
any
other guarantor or any other Person, by virtue of any action or proceeding
or
any set-off or appropriation or application at any time or from time to time
in
reduction of or in payment of the Obligations shall be deemed to modify, reduce,
release or otherwise affect the liability of the Company hereunder which shall,
notwithstanding any such payment (other than any payment made by the Company
in
respect of the Obligations or any payment received or collected from the Company
in respect of the Obligations), remain liable for the Obligations until the
Final Payment Date.
Section
8.02 .
No
Subrogation. Notwithstanding
any
payment made by any Pipeline Company Borrower hereunder, the Company under
this
Article 8 or the Parent Guarantee or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the
Subsidiary Guarantee or any set-off or application of funds of any Pipeline
Company Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor by any Agent or any Lender, the
Company shall not be entitled to be subrogated to any of the rights of any
Agent
or any Lender against any Pipeline Company Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor
or any collateral security or guarantee or right of offset held by any Agent
or
any Lender for the payment of the Obligations, nor shall the Company seek or
be
entitled to seek any contribution or reimbursement from any Pipeline Company
Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of payments made by the Company
hereunder, until the Final Payment Date. If any amount shall be paid to the
Company on account of such subrogation rights prior to the Final Payment Date,
such amount shall be held by the Company in trust for the Agents and the
Lenders, segregated from other funds of the Company, and shall, forthwith upon
receipt by the Company, be turned over to the Administrative Agent in the exact
form received by the Company (duly indorsed by the Company to the Administrative
Agent, if required), to be applied against the Obligations, whether matured
or
unmatured), in such order as the Administrative Agent may determine but subject
in any event to the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the Security
Agreement.
Section
8.03 .
Amendments,
etc. with respect to the Obligations. The
Company shall
remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that, without any reservation of
rights against the Company and without notice to or further assent by the
Company, any demand for payment of any of the Obligations made by any Agent
or
any Lender may be rescinded by such Agent or such Lender and any of the
Obligations continued, and the Obligations, or the liability of any other Person
upon or for any part thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee therefor
or right of offset with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or
in
part, be renewed, extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived,
surrendered or released by any Agent or any Lender, and this Agreement and
the
other Loan Documents and any other documents executed and delivered in
connection therewith may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated,
in
whole or in part, as the Administrative Agent (or the Majority Lenders or all
Lenders, as the case may be) may deem advisable from time to time, and any
collateral security, guarantee or right of offset at any time held by any Agent
or any Lender for the payment of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived,
surrendered or released. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent
nor any Lender or other Secured Party shall have any obligation to protect,
secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it as security for the
Obligations or for the guarantee contained in this Article
8
or
any property subject thereto.
Section
8.04 .
Guarantee
Absolute and Unconditional. The
Company waives
any and all notice of the creation, renewal, extension or accrual of any of
the
Obligations and notice of or proof of reliance by any Agent or any Lender upon
the guarantee contained in this Article
8
or
acceptance of the guarantee contained in this Article
8;
the
Obligations, and any of them, shall conclusively be deemed to have been created,
contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended or waived, in reliance
upon the guarantee contained in this Article
8;
and
all dealings between the Company, any of the Pipeline Company Borrowers and
any
Subsidiary Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Agents and the Lenders, on the
other hand, likewise shall be conclusively presumed to have been had or
consummated in reliance upon the guarantee contained in this Article
8.
The
Company waives diligence, presentment, protest, demand for payment and notice
of
default or nonpayment to or upon the Pipeline Company Borrowers or any of the
Subsidiary Guarantors with respect to the Obligations. The Company understands
and agrees that the guarantee contained in this Article
8
shall be construed as a continuing, absolute and unconditional guarantee of
payment without regard to (a)
the validity or
enforceability of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any of the
Obligations or any other collateral security therefor or guarantee or right
of
offset with respect thereto at any time or from time to time held by any Agent
or any Lender, (b)
any defense,
set-off or counterclaim (other than a defense of payment or performance) which
may at any time be available to or be asserted by any Pipeline Company Borrower,
any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Person against any Agent or any Lender,
or
(c)
any other
circumstance whatsoever (with or without notice to or knowledge of the Pipeline
Company Borrowers, the Subsidiary Guarantors or the Company), other than payment
or performance, which constitutes, or might be construed to constitute, an
equitable or legal discharge of Pipeline Company Borrowers or the Subsidiary
Guarantors for the Obligations, or of the Company under the guarantee contained
in this Article
8,
in
bankruptcy or in any other instance. When making any demand hereunder or
otherwise pursuing its rights and remedies hereunder against the Company, any
Agent or any Lender may, but shall be under no obligation to, make a similar
demand on or otherwise pursue such rights and remedies as it may have against
any Pipeline Company Borrower, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Person
or
against any collateral security or guarantee for the Obligations or any right
of
offset with respect thereto, and any failure by any Agent or any Lender to
make
any such demand, to pursue such other rights or remedies or to collect any
payments from any Pipeline Company Borrower, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any
other Person or to realize upon any such collateral security or guarantee or
to
exercise any such right of offset, or any release of any Pipeline Company
Borrower, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Person or any such collateral
security, guarantee or right of offset, shall not relieve the Company of any
obligation or liability hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights
and
remedies, whether express, implied or available as a matter of law, of any
Agent
or any Lender against the Company. For the purposes hereof “demand” shall
include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.
Section
8.05 .
Reinstatement. The
guarantee
contained in this Article
8
shall continue to be effective, or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at
any
time payment, or any part thereof, of any of the Obligations is rescinded or
must otherwise be restored or returned by any Agent or any Lender upon the
insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of the
Company, any Pipeline Company Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor, or upon
or
as a result of the appointment of a receiver, intervenor or conservator of,
or
trustee or similar officer for, the Company, any Pipeline Company Borrower
or
any Subsidiary Guarantor or any substantial part of its or their respective
property, or otherwise, all as though such payments had not been
made.
ARTICLE
9
The
Agents
Each
of the Lenders
and each Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints each of the Administrative
Agent and the Collateral Agent as its agent and authorizes each of the
Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent to take such actions on its behalf
and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent and
the
Collateral Agent by the terms hereof and of the other Loan Documents, together
with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
Any
bank serving as
an Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as
a
Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not
an
Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money
to
and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrowers or any
Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not an Agent
hereunder.
No
Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth
herein or in the Security Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, (a)
no Agent shall be
subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a
Default has occurred and is continuing, (b)
no Agent shall
have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary
powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby
that such Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Majority
Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary
under the circumstances as provided in Section
10.02),
and (c)
except as
expressly set forth herein, no Agent shall have any duty to disclose, and shall
not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the
Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained
by
the bank serving as an Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. No Agent
shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or
at
the request of the Majority Lenders (or such other number or percentage of
the
Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in
Section
10.02)
or in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. No Agent
shall be deemed to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice
thereof is given to such Agent by a Borrower or a Lender, and no Agent shall
be
responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i)
any statement,
warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement,
(ii)
the contents of
any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection
herewith, (iii)
the performance or
observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions
set
forth herein, (iv)
the validity,
enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement or any other
agreement, instrument or document, or (v)
the satisfaction
of any condition set forth in Article
3
or
elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required
to
be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
Each
Agent shall be
entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon,
any
notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other
writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the
proper Person. Each Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally
or
by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall
not
incur any liability for relying thereon. Each Agent may consult with legal
counsel (who may be counsel for a Credit Party), independent accountants and
other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken
or
not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants
or experts.
Any
Agent may
perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through
any one or more sub-agents appointed by such Agent. Any Agent and any such
sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers
through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the
preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related
Parties of any Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective
activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided
for herein as well as activities as an Agent.
Subject
to the
appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent or Collateral
Agent as provided in this paragraph, each of the Administrative Agent and the
Collateral Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, each Issuing
Bank and the Company. Upon any such resignation, the Majority Lenders shall
have
the right, in consultation with the Company, to appoint a successor. If no
successor shall have been so appointed by the Majority Lenders and shall have
accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Agent gives notice
of its resignation, then the retiring Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and
each Issuing Bank, appoint a successor Agent which shall be a bank with an
office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any such bank. Upon the
acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent or Collateral Agent
hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested
with
all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Agent, and the
retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder.
The fees payable by the Borrowers to a successor Agent shall be the same as
those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Company
and
such successor. After an Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this
Article and Section
10.03
shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Agent, its sub-agents
and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted
to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent or
Collateral Agent.
Each
Lender
acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon any Agent
or
any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed
appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this
Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without
reliance upon any Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and
information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make
its
own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement,
any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or
thereunder.
ARTICLE
10
Miscellaneous
Section
10.01 .
Notices.
(a)
Except in the case
of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone
(and subject to paragraph (b)
below), all
notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and
shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified
or
registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:
(i) if
to the Company,
to it at El Paso Building, 0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000,
Attention of Treasurer (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000);
(ii) if
to EPNGC, TGPC
or CIG, to it c/o the Company at the address specified in clause (i)
above;
(iii) if
to the
Administrative Agent, to:
(iv) JPMorgan
Chase
Bank, N.A.
Technology,
Shared
Tech & Operation Commercial Loans
L&A
Project
Texas
0000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx
00
Xxxxxxx,
XX
00000
Attention
of Xxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Telecopy
No. (000)
000-0000
with
a copy
to:
JPMorgan
Chase
Bank, N.A.
000
Xxxxxx,
00xx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx,
XX
00000
Attention
of Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Telecopy
No. (000)
000-0000
(v) if
to the
Collateral Agent, to:
(vi) JPMorgan
Chase
Bank, N.A.
Institutional
Trust
Services
0
Xxx Xxxx Xxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX
00000
Attention
of
International/Project Finance, Xxxxx Xxxxx
Telecopy
No. (000)
000-0000
with
a copy
to:
JPMorgan
Chase
Bank, N.A.
000
Xxxxxx,
00xx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx,
XX
00000
Attention
of Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Telecopy
No. (000)
000-0000
(vii) if
to JPMCB in its
capacity as an Issuing Bank, to it at XXXxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx, X.X., 00000 Highland
Manor Drive, 4th Floor, Xxxxx Xxx, Xxxxxxx 00000, Attention of Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000;
(viii) if
to Citibank in
its capacity as an Issuing Bank, to it at Citibank, N.A., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx /
Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention of Xxx Xxxxxx, Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000;
(ix) if
to any other
Lender in its capacity as an Issuing Bank, to it at the address provided to
the
Company for notices to such Issuing Bank in such capacity; and
(x) if
to any other
Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its
Administrative Questionnaire.
(b) Notices
and other
communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by
electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative
Agent; provided
that the foregoing
shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article
2
unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender.
The Administrative Agent or a Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept
notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications
pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided
that approval of
such procedures may be limited to particular notices or
communications.
(c) Any
party hereto
may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications
hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other
communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions
of
this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given and effective, if sent by
mail
or courier on the date of delivery thereof to the address specified herein
for
such notice, or if by telecopier when the answerback is received or if by other
means, on the date of receipt; provided
that
a notice given
by telecopier or electronic communication in accordance with this Section 10.01
but received on any day other than a Business Day or after business hours in
the
place of receipt, will be deemed to be received on the next Business Day in
that
place.
Section
10.02 .
Waivers;
Amendments. (a)
No failure or
delay by any Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right
or
power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or
partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or
discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other
or
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights
and remedies of the Agents, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder are
cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would
otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to
any
departure by any Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless
the
same shall be permitted by paragraph (b)
of this Section,
and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance
and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not
be
construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether any Agent, any
Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default
at
the time.
(b) Except
as expressly
provided herein or in the applicable Loan Document, no provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document may be waived, amended or modified, and
no
consent may be granted with respect to any departure by the Administrative
Agent, any Lender or any Credit Party with respect hereto or thereto, except
pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrowers
and the Majority Lenders or by the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent with
the consent of the Majority Lenders; provided
that no such
waiver, amendment or modification of this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
and no consent with respect to any departure by the Administrative Agent, any
Lender, or any Credit Party with respect hereto or thereto, shall:
(i) (A)
increase the
Commitment of any Lender, without the written consent of such Lender or (B)
increase the LC Commitment of any Issuing Bank, without the written consent
of
such Issuing Bank;
(ii) reduce
or forgive
the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of
interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the Deposit
Return, without the written consent of each Lender affected
thereby;
(iii) postpone
the
scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC
Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce
the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled
date
of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender
affected thereby;
(iv) issue
any Letter of
Credit with an expiration date, or extend the expiration date of any Letter
of
Credit, to a date that is later than the fifth Business Days prior to the
Revolving Maturity Date, without the written consent of each Revolving Lender
and the Issuing Bank of such Letter of Credit;
(v) change
Section
2.16(b)
or 2.16(c)
in a manner that
would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the
written consent of each Lender;
(vi) release
any
Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guarantee
Agreement, without the written consent of each Lender, except in connection
with
the Disposition or merger of such Subsidiary Guarantor that is otherwise
permitted hereunder;
(vii) release
the Company
from its guarantee obligations under Article
8,
without the written consent of each Lender;
(viii) release
all or
substantially all of the Collateral, without the written consent of each
Lender;
(ix) change
any of the
percentages contained in the definition of “Mandatory Asset Reduction Amount”,
without the written consent of each Lender;
(x) change
any of the
provisions of this Section or the definitions of “Majority Lenders”, “Majority
Class Lenders”, or any other provision hereof specifying the number or
percentage of Lenders (or Lenders of any Class) required to waive, amend or
modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent
hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender or each Lender of such
Class, as the case may be;
(xi) change
any
provision of any Loan Document in a manner that by its terms adversely affects
the rights in respect of payments due to Lenders holding Credit Exposures of
any
Class differently than those holding Credit Exposures of any other Class,
without the written consent of Majority Class Lenders of each adversely affected
Class;
(xii) waive
any condition
set forth in Section
3.02
(including by amending or waiving any provision of Article 4,
5,
6
or 7
if the effect of
such amendment or waiver would be to waive any such condition) for purposes
of
any Borrowing of Loans or any issuance (or amendment or increase in the stated
amount) of a Letter of Credit of any Class, without the written consent of
the
Majority Class Lenders; or
(xiii) alter
the required
application of any repayments or prepayments as among the Credit Exposures
of
different Classes, without the written consent of the Majority Class Lenders
of
each adversely affected Class;
(xiv) provided
further that
(x) no such
agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of any
Agent or any Issuing Bank hereunder or under any other Loan Document without
the
prior written consent of such Agent or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be,
and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification of this Agreement that by its
terms affects the rights or duties under this Agreement of one Class of Lenders
(but not of any other Class of Lenders) may be effected by an agreement or
agreements in writing entered into by the Company and the requisite percentage
in interest of the affected Class of Lenders that would be required to consent
thereto under this Section if such Class of Lenders were the only Class of
Lenders hereunder at the time.
Any such waiver
and any such amendment or modification shall apply equally to each of the
Lenders and shall be binding upon the Borrowers, the Lenders, the Issuing Banks
and the Agents. In the case of any waiver, the Borrower, the Lenders, the
Issuing Banks and the Agents shall be restored to their former position and
rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, and any Default or Event
of
Default waived shall be deemed waived ab
initio
and not continuing
unless such waiver expressly provides otherwise; but no such waiver shall extend
to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default; and provided
further that, in
addition to Dispositions of Collateral permitted by Section
6.04(a),
the Majority
Lenders may consent to additional Dispositions of Collateral so long as each
such Disposition is for fair market value on an arms-length basis in a cash
transaction and 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds thereof shall be deposited into
the Collateral Account pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Security
Agreement.
In
addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be amended with
the
written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Borrowers and the Lenders
providing the relevant Replacement Revolving Facility (as defined below) to
permit the refinancing of all Revolving Exposures with a replacement hereunder
(“Replacement
Revolving Facility”);
provided
that (a) the
aggregate amount of such Replacement Revolving Facility shall not exceed the
aggregate amount of the replaced Revolving Exposures, (b) the maturity date
of
such Replacement Revolving Facility shall not be earlier than the Revolving
Maturity Date at the time of such replacement and (c) all other terms applicable
to such Replacement Revolving Facility shall be substantially the same as those
applicable to the Revolving Exposures hereunder. The Administrative Agent shall
not unreasonably withhold its consent to the Replacement Revolving
Facility.
Section
10.03 .
Expenses;
Indemnity; Damage Waiver. (a)
The Company shall
pay (i)
all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates,
including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the
Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this
Agreement or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof
(whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be
consummated), (ii)
all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Issuing Bank in connection with the
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit by it or
any
demand for payment thereunder made by such Issuing Bank (unless included in
the
fees charged separately by such Issuing Bank in respect of such Letter of
Credit) and (iii)
all out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by any Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the
fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent,
any
Issuing Bank or, during the continuation of any Default, any other Agent or
any
Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in
connection with this Agreement, including its rights under this Section, or
in
connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including
all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring
or
negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b) Each
of the
Borrowers shall indemnify, without duplication, each Agent, each Issuing Bank
and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each
such Person being called an “Indemnitee”)
against, and
hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages,
liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements
of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any
Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i)
the execution or
delivery of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby,
the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder
or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated
hereby, (ii)
any Loan or Letter
of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the
applicable Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit
issued by it in accordance with applicable law if the documents presented in
connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter
of Credit), (iii)
any actual or
alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property
owned
or operated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental
Liability related in any way to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or
(iv)
any actual or
prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any
of
the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and
regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided
that such
indemnity shall not, in any of the foregoing circumstances as to any Indemnitee,
be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final
and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from or to have been attributable
to
the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or its employees
or agents.
The
indemnification provisions of this Section
10.03(b)
are not intended
to constitute a guaranty of payment of any principal, interest, facility or
commitment fees, rental or other lease payments, or analogous amounts, under
the
Loans or any other Secured Obligations; provided
that nothing in
this Section
10.03(b)
shall limit the
liability of any Borrower for the payment of the Loans or any Secured
Obligations, which liability arises under any other Loan Document, including
any
liability arising under this Agreement.
(c) To
the extent that
any Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to any Agent
or
any Issuing Bank under paragraph (a)
or (b)
of this Section,
each Lender (limited with respect to amounts owed by an Issuing Bank of any
Class to the Lenders of such Class) severally agrees to pay to such Agent or
such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such Lender’s pro rata share (determined
as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment
is
sought based on the Commitments at such time, or if the Commitments have
terminated or expired, based on the Credit Exposures (or if the Commitments
of a
Class have terminated or expired, the Revolving Exposures or Deposit Exposures,
as the case may be) at such time) of such unpaid amount; provided
that the
unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related
expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such Agent
or
such Issuing Bank in its capacity as such.
(d) To
the extent
permitted by applicable law, the Borrowers shall not and each Indemnitee, by
its
acceptance of any right to or benefit of indemnification under this Agreement
and as a condition to its rights to and benefits of indemnification provided
for
herein, agrees that it shall not, assert, and hereby waives, any claim against
any Indemnitee or any Borrower, respectively, on any theory of liability, for
special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct
or
actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this
Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions,
any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.
(e) All
amounts due
under this Section shall be payable not later than 30 days after the delivery
of
written demand to the Company therefor.
Section
10.04 .
Successors
and Assigns. (a)
The provisions of
this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including
any Affiliate of an Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except
that
(i)
the Borrowers may
not assign or otherwise transfer any of their respective rights or obligations
hereunder in a transaction not permitted hereunder without the prior written
consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by any Borrower
without such consent shall be null and void), and (ii)
no Lender may
assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in
accordance with this Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied,
shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto,
their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any
Affiliate of an Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants
(to
the extent provided in paragraph (c)
of this Section)
and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each
of
the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this
Agreement.
(b) (i)
Subject to the
conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii)
below, any Lender
may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and
obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment,
its Loans and its Deposit (if any)) with the prior written consent (such consent
not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) of:
(A) the
Company,
provided
that no consent of
the Company shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of
a
Lender, an Approved Fund (as defined below) or, if an Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and
(B) the
Administrative
Agent, provided
that no consent of
the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of any Deposit
Exposure to an assignee that is a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an
Approved Fund; and
(C) each
Issuing Bank,
provided
that no consent of
any Issuing Bank shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion
of
any Deposit Exposure.
(ii) Assignments
shall
be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except
(i) in the
case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved
Fund or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s
Commitment (or, if the applicable Commitment is not then in effect, the
outstanding principal balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject
to
each such assignment) or (ii) if each of the Company (unless an Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing) and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent,
the amount of the Commitment (or, if the applicable Commitment is not then
in
effect, the outstanding principal balance of the Loans) of the assigning Lender
subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and
Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative
Agent) shall be $5,000,000 or any increment of $1,000,000 in excess thereof;
provided
that
related
Approved Funds shall be aggregated for purposes of such minimum assigned
amount;
(B) each
partial
assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the
assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, except that this
clause (B)
shall not prohibit
the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and
obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;
(C) the
parties to each
assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment
and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500;
provided
that only one such
fee shall be payable in connection with simultaneous assignments to or by two
or
more related Approved Funds;
(D) the
assignee, if it
shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an
Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more
individuals (each such individual, a “Credit
Contact”)
to whom all
syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information
about the Borrowers, the Credit Parties and their Related Parties or their
respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such
information in accordance with the assignee’s compliance procedures and
applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws;
(E) in
connection with
each assignment of Deposit Exposure, the Deposit of the assignor Lender shall
not be released, but shall instead be purchased by the relevant assignee and
continue to be held for application (to the extent not already applied) in
accordance with Article 2 to satisfy such assignee’s obligations in respect of
Deposit Loans and Deposit LC Exposure. Each Deposit Lender agrees that
immediately prior to each assignment (i) the Administrative Agent shall
establish a new Deposit Sub-Account in the name of the assignee, (ii) a
corresponding portion of the Deposit credited to the Deposit Sub-Account of
the
assignor Lender shall be purchased by the assignee and shall be transferred
from
the assignor’s Deposit Sub-Account to the assignee’s Deposit Sub-Account and
(iii) if after giving effect to such assignment the Deposit Commitment of the
assignor Lender shall be zero, the Administrative Agent shall close the Deposit
Sub-Account of such assignor Lender; and
(F) in
the case of an
assignment by a Lender to a CLO (as defined below) managed or administered
by
such Lender or an Affiliate of such Lender, the assigning Lender shall retain
the sole right to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision
of this Agreement, provided
that the
Assignment and Assumption between such Lender and such CLO may provide that
such
Lender will not, without the consent of such CLO, agree to any amendment,
modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section
10.02(b)
that affects such
CLO.
For
the purposes of
this Section
10.04(b),
the terms
“Approved Fund” and “CLO” have the following meanings:
“Approved
Fund”
means,
with
respect to any Lender, (a) a CLO managed or administered by such Lender or
an
Affiliate of such Lender and (b) with respect to any Lender that is a fund
which
invests in bank loans and similar extensions of credit, any other fund that
invests in bank loans and similar extensions of credit and is managed by the
same investment advisor as such Lender or by an Affiliate of such investment
advisor.
“CLO”
means,
with
respect to any Lender, any entity (whether a corporation, partnership, trust
or
otherwise) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing
in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course and is
administered or managed by such Lender or an Affiliate of such
Lender.
(iii) Subject
to
execution and delivery thereof and acceptance and recording thereof pursuant
to
paragraph (b)(iv)
of this Section,
from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption
the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the
interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and
obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender
thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment
and
Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in
the
case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s
rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be
a
party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections
2.13,
2.14,
2.15
and 10.03).
Any assignment
or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that
does
not comply with this Section
10.04
shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of
a
participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph
(c)
of this
Section.
(iv) The
Administrative
Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers, shall maintain
at
one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it
and
a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and
the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing
to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the
“Register”).
The entries in
the Register as to the identity of the Lenders shall be conclusive, and as
to
the other items referred to above shall be conclusive absent manifest error,
and
the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders
may
treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms
hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding
notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the
Company, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time
to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon
its receipt of
a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender
and
an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the
assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation
fee referred to in paragraph (b)
of this Section
and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b)
of this Section,
the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record
the information contained therein in the Register. No assignment shall be
effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the
Register as provided in this paragraph.
(c) Any
Lender may,
without the consent of the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, or any Issuing
Bank, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a
“Participant”)
in all or a
portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including
all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it and Notes held
by
it); provided
that (A)
such Lender’s
obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B)
such Lender shall
remain the holder of its Notes (if any) for all purposes of this Agreement
and
shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance
of such obligations and (C)
the Borrowers, the
Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the other Lenders shall continue
to
deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s
rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument
pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such
Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve
any
amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement;
provided
that such
agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the
consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver
described in the first proviso to Section
10.02(b)
that affects such
Participant. Subject to paragraph (d)
of this Section,
the Borrowers agree that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits
of
Sections 2.13,
2.14
and 2.15
with respect to
its participations hereunder to the same extent as if it were a Lender and
had
acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b)
of this Section
and provided
that such
Participant shall have complied with any obligation in respect thereof that
it
would have had as a Lender. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant
also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section
10.08
as though it were a Lender, provided
such Participant
agrees to be subject to Section
2.16(c)
as though it were
a Lender.
(d) A
Participant shall
not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.13
or 2.15
than the
applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the
participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation
to
such Participant is made with the Company’s prior written consent. A Participant
that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to
the
benefits of Section
2.15
unless the Company is notified of the participation sold to such Participant
and
such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrowers, to comply with
Section
2.15(e)
and (f)
as though it were
a Lender.
(e) Any
Lender may at
any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its
rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including
any
pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this
Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest;
provided
that no such
pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any
of
its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such
Lender as a party hereto.
Section
10.05 .
Survival.
All
covenants,
agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrowers herein and
in
the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant
to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other
parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement
and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless
of
any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and
notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender
may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation
or
warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in
full force and effect as of the date made, or any date referred to therein,
as
applicable, (but without being deemed remade on or as of any subsequent date
by
reason of this Section
10.05)
as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee
or
any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or
any
Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired
or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.13,
2.14,
2.15
and 10.03
and Article
9
shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the
expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the
termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
Section
10.06 .
Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness. This
Agreement may
be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different
counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which
when
taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and the other
Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable
to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties
relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous
agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter
hereof. Except as provided in Section
3.01,
this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the
Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received
counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each
of
the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to
the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by
telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart
of
this Agreement.
Section
10.07 .
Severability.
To
the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law any provision of this Agreement held to
be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such
jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or
unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability
of
the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision
in
a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other
jurisdiction.
Section
10.08 .
Right of
Setoff. If
an Event of
Default shall have occurred and be continuing, subject to the terms and
provisions of the Security Agreement and the other Loan Documents, each Lender
and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to
time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and
all
deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any
time
held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to
or
for the credit or the account of a Borrower against any of and all the
obligations of such Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement
held
by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made
any
demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured.
The
rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and
remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have but
are
subject to the terms and provisions of the Security Agreement and the other
Loan
Documents.
Section
10.09 .
Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a)
This Agreement
shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State
of
New York.
(b) Each
Borrower
hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property,
to
the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the
Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in
any
action or proceeding by the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent any
Issuing Bank or any Lender arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or
for
recognition or enforcement of any judgment obtained in any such action or
proceeding, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or
proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent
permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees
that
a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may
be
enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner
provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to
bring
any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against any Borrower or
its
properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(c) Each
Borrower
hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may
legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter
have
to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b)
of this Section.
Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of
such action or proceeding in any such court.
(d) Each
party to this
Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in any action or proceeding
referred to in Section
10.09
by the mailing thereof by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed
as
provided in Section
10.01(a),
with a copy
thereof to the “General Counsel” of such Person at such same address. Each
Borrower also hereby irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System (the
“Process
Agent”),
with an office
on the date hereof at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000, as its agent to receive on behalf of such Borrower and its
property service of copies of the summons and complaint and any other process
which may be served by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the holder of
any
Note in any such action or proceeding in any aforementioned court in respect
of
any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the
Notes
issued pursuant this Agreement and any other Loan Document . Such service may
be
made by delivering a copy of such process to the Company by courier and by
certified mail (return receipt requested), fees and postage prepaid, both
(i) in
care of
the Process Agent at the Process Agent’s above address and (ii) at
the
Company’s address specified pursuant to Section
10.01,
and each Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Process Agent
to
accept such service on its behalf. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the
right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner
permitted by law.
Section
10.10 .
Waiver Of
Jury Trial. EACH
PARTY HERETO
HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT
IT
MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY
ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED
HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO
(a)
CERTIFIES THAT NO
REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY
OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION,
SEEK
TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER, AND (b)
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT
BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS
SECTION.
Section
10.11 .
Headings.
Article
and Section
headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference
only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction
of,
or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
Section
10.12 .
Confidentiality. Each
of the
Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders
agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below),
except that Information may be disclosed (a)
to its and its
Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants,
legal counsel and other advisors involved in the financing provided for herein
(it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will
be
informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep
such Information confidential), (b)
to the extent
requested by any regulatory authority, (c)
to the extent
required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal
process, applicable to it, (d)
to any other party
to this Agreement, (e)
in connection with
the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding
relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (f)
subject to an
agreement to comply with the provisions of this Section
10.12
or a separate agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those
of
this Section, to (i)
any assignee of or
Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its
rights or obligations under this Agreement, (ii)
any pledgee
referred to in Section
10.04(e)
or (iii)
any actual or
prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction
relating to any Borrower and its obligations, (g)
with the consent
of a Borrower or (h)
to the extent such
Information (i)
becomes publicly
available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii)
becomes available
to the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, any Issuing Bank or any
Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than a Borrower or any
of
its Subsidiaries, the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, any Issuing
Bank or any other Lender. For the purposes of this Section, “Information”
means
all
information received from a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to
any
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or its businesses, other than any such
information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent,
any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure
by
such Borrower; provided
that, in the case
of information received from a Borrower after the date hereof, such information
is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person
required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this
Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if
such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the
confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own
confidential information; and nothing in the foregoing authorization shall
apply
to any disclosure that would constitute a violation of applicable federal and
state securities laws.
EACH
LENDER
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN SECTION 10.12 FURNISHED TO IT
PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY INCLUDE MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION
CONCERNING THE BORROWERS AND ITS AFFILIATES AND THEIR RELATED PARTIES OR THEIR
RESPECTIVE SECURITIES, AND CONFIRMS THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES
REGARDING THE USE OF MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THAT IT WILL HANDLE
SUCH MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE PROCEDURES AND
APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
ALL
INFORMATION, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR WAIVERS AND AMENDMENTS, FURNISHED BY THE
BORROWERS OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT PURSUANT TO, OR IN THE COURSE OF
ADMINISTERING, THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE SYNDICATE-LEVEL INFORMATION, WHICH MAY
CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE BORROWER, CREDIT PARTIES
AND
THEIR RELATED PARTIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE SECURITIES. ACCORDINGLY, EACH LENDER
REPRESENTS TO THE BORROWER AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT THAT IT HAS IDENTIFIED
IN ITS ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE A CREDIT CONTACT WHO MAY RECEIVE INFORMATION
THAT MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS
COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES
LAWS.
Section
10.13 .
Security
Agreement. Each
of the
Lenders, for itself and for each of its Affiliates, and each Issuing Bank hereby
(i) approves the Security Agreement and (ii) irrevocably authorizes and directs
the Collateral Agent, and any successor thereof appointed pursuant to
Article
9,
to
take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated
to
the Collateral Agent by the terms of the Security Agreement, together with
such
actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The Collateral Agent
is
hereby authorized and directed to execute and deliver the Security Agreement
on
behalf of the Lenders. Until the Final Payment Date shall have occurred, to
the
extent the Security Agreement amends, modifies or supplements any term or
provision hereof, it shall constitute an amendment and modification to, and
supplement of, this Agreement. Each Lender that is now, or hereafter becomes,
a
party to this Agreement (including each Person that becomes a Lender pursuant
to
Section
10.04)
and each Person (including any Affiliate of a Lender that party to any Secured
Hedging Agreement) otherwise claiming rights pursuant to this Agreement (a)
consents to the provisions of the Security Agreement and (b) agrees by being
or
becoming a Lender hereunder or otherwise claiming any such rights, to become
or
be bound by the Security Agreement and each other document entered into by
the
Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties pursuant to the terms
and
provisions of the Security Agreement.
Section
10.14 .
Amendment and
Restatement and Continuing Effect. This
Agreement
constitutes for all purposes an amendment and a restatement of the Existing
Facility and as of the Effective Date all commitments or loans outstanding,
or
any letter of credit issued, under the Existing Facility shall constitute
Commitments and Letters of Credit under this Agreement. The Existing Facility,
as amended and restated hereby, continues in full force and effect as so amended
and restated by this Agreement.
Section
10.15 .
USA Patriot
Act. Each
Lender hereby
notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act,
it
is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the
Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and
other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in
accordance with the Patriot Act.
Section
10.16 .
Releases.
(a) (a)
On the
Effective Date, without further action by any party to the Loan Documents,
(1)
ANR shall cease to be a Pipeline Borrower hereunder, (2) each Subsidiary listed
on Schedule 10.16(a) (together with ANR, the “Released Parties”) shall cease to
be a Subsidiary Guarantor, (3) each of the Released Parties shall cease to
be a
“Grantor” under the Security Agreement, (4) any property of a Released Party in
which a security interest is granted by such Released Party pursuant to the
Security Documents shall be released from such security interest and shall
no
longer constitute Collateral and (5) the Released Parties shall cease to be
parties to the Loan Documents or to have any rights or obligations
thereunder.
(b) The
Administrative
Agent shall ii) from time to time upon the reasonable request of the Company,
at
the sole expense of the Company, execute and deliver to the Company such
instruments and documents as the Company may reasonably request to fully effect
solely the foregoing releases, terminations and discharges, and iii) return
to
the Company any certificate or other instruments delivered to the Administrative
Agent in connection with the Existing Credit Agreement and Security Documents
all security interests in which are released pursuant to Section
10.16(a).
[SIGNATURE
PAGES BEGIN ON NEXT PAGE]
IN
WITNESS
WHEREOF,
the parties
hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective
authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
EL
PASO CORPORATION
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
EL
PASO NATURAL GAS COMPANY
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
TENNESSEE
GAS PIPELINE COMPANY
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
ANR
PIPELINE COMPANY,
solely
as
Borrower (as such term is defined under the Existing Facility) under
the
Existing Facility
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent, as a Revolving Issuing
Bank
and Deposit Issuing Bank and as a Revolving Lender and a Deposit
Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX X.
XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
ABN
AMRO BANK N.V., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX
XXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
Xxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX X.
XXXXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
X.
Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Senior
Vice
President
|
|
BANK
OF AMERICA, N.A., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
HONEY
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
Honey
|
|
Title: Senior
Vice
President
|
BNP
PARIBAS, as
a
Revolving Lender
and as a
Revolving Issuing Bank
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX
XXXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Director
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
|
CITIBANK,
N.A., as
a
Revolving Issuing Bank
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
X. XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Attorney-in-Fact
|
CITICORP
NORTH AMERICA, INC., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
X. XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
CREDIT
SUISSE, Cayman Islands Branch, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
XXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX
XXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
Xxxxx
|
|
Title: Associate
|
|
DEUTSCHE
BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, as
a
Revolving Lender and as a Revolving Issuing Bank
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX X.
XXXXXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Director
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
X’XXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
X’Xxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
FORTIS
CAPITAL CORP., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Senior
Vice
President
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX
XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Managing
Director
|
|
XXXXXXX
XXXXX CREDIT PARTNERS L.P., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title:
Managing Director
|
THE
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND plc, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX X.
XXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
THE
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, as
a
Revolving Lender and a Deposit Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
M.D.
XXXXX
|
Name: M.D.
Xxxxx
|
|
Title: Agent
Operations
|
SOCIETE
GENERALE, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX X.
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Director
|
BAYERISCHE
HYPO-UND VEREINSBANK AG, NEW YORK BRANCH, as
a
Revolving Lender and a Deposit Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Director
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Director
|
|
XXXXXXX
XXXXX CAPITAL CORP., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX
X.X. XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
X.X.
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
XXXXXX
XXXXXXX BANK, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX
XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Authorized
Signatory
|
BAYERISCHE
LANDESBANK, Cayman Islands Branch, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
XXX XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
xxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Senior
Vice
President
|
MIZUHO
CORPORATE BANK LTD., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXX
MO
|
Name: Xxxx
Mo
|
|
Title: Senior
Vice
President
|
XXXXXX
COMMERCIAL PAPER INC., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX X.
XXXX
|
Name:
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
|
Title:
Authorized Signatory
|
UNION
BANK OF CALIFORNIA, N.A., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX X.
XXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXX
XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President
|
NATEXIS
BANQUES POPULAIRES, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXX
X’XXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxx
x’Xxxxxx
|
|
Title: Senior
Vice
President/Regional Manager
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice
President/GroupManager
|
AMARILLO
NATIONAL BANK, as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXX X.
XXXXXXX
|
Name: Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Executive
Vice President
|
MELLON
BANK, N.A., as
a
Revolving Lender
|
|
By:
|
/S/
XXXXXXX
X. XXXXXXXX
|
Name:
Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: First
Vice
President
|
SCHEDULE
1
LENDER
COMMITMENTS
Name
of Lender
|
Revolving
Commitment
|
Deposit
Commitment
|
Total
Commitments
|
||||
1.
|
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
|
$71,000,000
|
$220,000,000
|
$291,000,000
|
|||
2.
|
Citicorp
North America, Inc.
|
$71,000,000
|
$220,000,000
|
$291,000,000
|
|||
3.
|
The
Bank of
Nova Scotia
|
$71,000,000
|
$30,000,000
|
$101,000,000
|
|||
4.
|
Bayerische Hypo-und
Vereinsbank AG, New York Branch
|
$50,000,000
|
$30,000,000
|
$80,000,000
|
|||
5.
|
ABN
AMRO Bank
N.V.
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
6.
|
Bank
of
America, N.A.
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
7.
|
BNP
Paribas
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
8.
|
Credit
Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
9.
|
Deutsche
Bank
Trust Company Americas
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
10.
|
Fortis
Capital Corp.
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
11.
|
Xxxxxxx
Sach
Credit Partners L.P.
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
12.
|
The
Royal
Bank of Scotland plc
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
13.
|
Societe
Generale
|
$71,000,000
|
$0
|
$71,000,000
|
|||
14.
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Capital Corp.
|
$50,000,000
|
$0
|
$50,000,000
|
|||
15.
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx Bank
|
$50,000,000
|
$0
|
$50,000,000
|
|||
16.
|
Bayerische
Landesbank, Cayman Islands Branch
|
$50,000,000
|
$0
|
$50,000,000
|
|||
17.
|
Wachovia
Bank, National Assocaition
|
$50,000,000
|
$0
|
$50,000,000
|
|||
18.
|
Mizuho
Corporate Bank Ltd.
|
$35,000,000
|
$0
|
$35,000,000
|
|||
19.
|
Xxxxxx
Commercial Paper Inc.
|
$31,500,000
|
$0
|
$31,500,000
|
|||
20.
|
Union
bank of
California, N.A.
|
$31,500,000
|
$0
|
$31,500,000
|
|||
21.
|
Natexis
Banques Populaires
|
$25,000,000
|
$0
|
$25,000,000
|
|||
22.
|
Amarillo
National Bank
|
$15,000,000
|
$0
|
$15,000,000
|
|||
23.
|
Mellon
Bank,
N.A.
|
$10,000,000
|
$0
|
$10,000,000
|
|||
TOTAL
|
$1,250,000,000
|
$500,000,000
|
$1,750,000.00
|
SCHEDULE
2
LETTER
OF
CREDIT COMMITMENTS
Name
of Issuing Bank
|
LC
Commitment
|
|
Deposit
Issuing Bank
|
||
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
|
$500,000,000
|
|
Revolving
Issuing Banks
|
||
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
|
$300,000,000
|
|
Citibank,
N.A.
|
$300,000,000
|
|
BNP
Paribas
|
$300,000,000
|
|
Deutsche
Bank
Trust Company Americas
|
$100,000,000
|
|
SCHEDULE
3
PRICING
SCHEDULE
“Applicable
Rate”
means,
for any
day, for purposes of calculating commitment fees on Revolving Commitments or
interest on Revolving Loans, the rate per annum set forth below in the
applicable row opposite such term and in the column corresponding to the Pricing
Level that applies on such day:
Xxxxx
X
|
Xxxxx
XX
|
Xxxxx
XXX
|
Xxxxx
XX
|
|
Commitment
Fees
|
0.250%
|
0.375%
|
0.375%
|
0.500%
|
ABR
Loan
Margin
|
0.250%
|
0.500%
|
0.750%
|
1.000%
|
Euro-Dollar
Loan Margin
|
1.250%
|
1.500%
|
1.750%
|
2.000%
|
For
purposes of
this Schedule, the following terms have the following meanings, subject to
the
concluding paragraph of this Schedule:
“Level
I
Pricing”
applies
on any
day on which the Reference Rating is BB or higher by S&P and
Ba2 or higher by
Moody’s.
“Level
II
Pricing”
applies
on any
day on which (i) the Reference Rating is BB- or higher by S&P and
Ba3 or higher by
Moody’s and (ii) Level I Pricing does not apply.
“Level
III
Pricing”
applies
on any
day on which (i) the Reference Rating is B+ or higher by S&P and
B1 or higher by
Moody’s and (ii) neither Level I Pricing nor Level II Pricing
applies.
“Level
IV
Pricing”
applies
on any
day if no other Pricing Level applies on such day.
“Moody’s”
means
Xxxxx’x
Investors Service, Inc.
“Pricing
Level”
refers
to the
determination of which of Level I, Level II, Level III or Level IV Pricing
applies on any day.
The
“Reference
Rating”
is
the credit
rating assigned to the Revolving Loans by the relevant rating agency;
provided
that until such
time as Moody’s assigns an initial rating to the Revolving Loans, the Xxxxx’x
rating of the Existing Facility shall be deemed its Reference Rating. The rating
in effect for any day is that in effect at the close of business on such
day.
“S&P”
means
Standard
& Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx
Companies.
For
avoidance of
doubt, in the case of split ratings from S&P and Moody’s, the rating to be
used to determine the applicable Pricing Level is the lower of the two. For
purposes of the foregoing, if either Moody’s or S&P shall not have in effect
a rating for the Revolving Loans, then such rating agency shall be deemed to
have established a rating in Level IV. If the rating system of Moody’s or
S&P shall change, or if either such rating agency shall cease to be in the
business of rating debt obligations of the same type as the Revolving Loans,
the
Borrowers and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend this Schedule
to reflect such changed rating system or the unavailability of ratings from
such
rating agency and, pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the
Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to Level IV.