Credit Agreement Dated as of April 19, 2006 among McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC, as Borrower, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Toronto-Dominion (Texas) LLC, as Syndication Agent, and The Lenders Party Hereto Sole Lead Arranger and Sole...
Credit
Agreement
Dated
as of
April
19, 2006
among
McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC,
as
Borrower,
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.,
as
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxx-Xxxxxxxx
(Xxxxx) LLC,
as
Syndication Agent,
and
The
Lenders Party Hereto
Sole
Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
AND ACCOUNTING MATTERS
Section
1.01
|
Terms
Defined Above
|
1
|
Section
1.02
|
Certain
Defined Terms
|
1
|
Section
1.03
|
Types
of Loans and Borrowings
|
19
|
Section
1.04
|
Terms
Generally; Rules of Construction
|
19
|
Section
1.05
|
Accounting
Terms and Determinations; GAAP
|
20
|
ARTICLE
II
THE
CREDITS
Section
2.01
|
Commitments
|
20
|
Section
2.02
|
Loans
and Borrowings
|
20
|
Section
2.03
|
Requests
for Borrowings
|
21
|
Section
2.04
|
Interest
Elections
|
22
|
Section
2.05
|
Funding
of Borrowings
|
23
|
Section
2.06
|
Termination,
Reduction and Increase of Aggregate Maximum
|
|
Credit
Amounts
|
24
|
|
Section
2.07
|
Borrowing
Base
|
26
|
Section
2.08
|
Letters
of Credit
|
28
|
ARTICLE
III
PAYMENTS
OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST; PREPAYMENTS; FEES
Section
3.01
|
Repayment
of Loans
|
33
|
Section
3.02
|
Interest
|
33
|
Section
3.03
|
Alternate
Rate of Interest
|
34
|
Section
3.04
|
Prepayments
|
35
|
Section
3.05
|
Fees
|
36
|
ARTICLE
IV
PAYMENTS;
PRO RATA TREATMENT; SHARING OF SET-OFFS
Section
4.01
|
Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs
|
37
|
Section
4.02
|
Presumption
of Payment by the Borrower
|
38
|
Section
4.03
|
Certain
Deductions by the Administrative Agent
|
39
|
Section
4.04
|
Disposition
of Proceeds
|
39
|
ARTICLE
V
INCREASED
COSTS; BREAK FUNDING PAYMENTS; TAXES; ILLEGALITY
Section
5.01
|
Increased
Costs
|
39
|
Section
5.02
|
Break
Funding Payments
|
40
|
Section
5.03
|
Taxes.
|
41
|
Section
5.04
|
Mitigation
Obligations
|
42
|
Section
5.05
|
Illegality
|
42
|
i
ARTICLE
VI
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
Section
6.01
|
Effective
Date
|
42
|
Section
6.02
|
Each
Credit Event
|
45
|
ARTICLE
VII
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
Section
7.01
|
Organization;
Powers
|
46
|
Section
7.02
|
Authority;
Enforceability
|
46
|
Section
7.03
|
Approvals;
No Conflicts
|
46
|
Section
7.04
|
Financial
Condition; No Material Adverse Change
|
46
|
Section
7.05
|
Litigation
|
47
|
Section
7.06
|
Environmental
Matters
|
47
|
Section
7.07
|
Compliance
with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults
|
48
|
Section
7.08
|
Investment
Company Act
|
49
|
Section
7.09
|
Taxes
|
49
|
Section
7.10
|
ERISA
|
49
|
Section
7.11
|
Disclosure;
No Material Misstatements
|
50
|
Section
7.12
|
Insurance
|
50
|
Section
7.13
|
Restriction
on Liens
|
51
|
Section
7.14
|
Subsidiaries
|
51
|
Section
7.15
|
Location
of Business and Offices
|
51
|
Section
7.16
|
Properties;
Titles, Etc
|
51
|
Section
7.17
|
Maintenance
of Properties
|
52
|
Section
7.18
|
Gas
Imbalances, Prepayments
|
53
|
Section
7.19
|
Marketing
of Production
|
53
|
Section
7.20
|
Swap
Agreements
|
53
|
Section
7.21
|
Use
of Loans and Letters of Credit
|
53
|
Section
7.22
|
Solvency
|
53
|
ARTICLE
VIII
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
Section
8.01
|
Financial
Statements; Other Information
|
54 |
Section
8.02
|
Notices
of Material Events
|
56 |
Section
8.03
|
Existence;
Conduct of Business
|
57 |
Section
8.04
|
Payment
of Obligations
|
57 |
Section
8.05
|
Performance
of Obligations under Loan Documents
|
57 |
Section
8.06
|
Operation
and Maintenance of Properties
|
57 |
Section
8.07
|
Insurance
|
58 |
Section
8.08
|
Books
and Records; Inspection Rights
|
58 |
Section
8.09
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
59 |
Section
8.10
|
Environmental
Matters
|
59 |
Section
8.11
|
Further
Assurances
|
60 |
Section
8.12
|
Reserve
Reports
|
60 |
Section
8.13
|
Title
Information
|
61 |
Section
8.14
|
Additional
Collateral; Additional Guarantors
|
62 |
ii
Section
8.15
|
ERISA
Compliance
|
63 |
Section
8.16
|
Marketing
Activities
|
63 |
ARTICLE
IX
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
Section
9.01
|
Financial
Covenants
|
64 |
Section
9.02
|
Debt
|
64 |
Section
9.03
|
Liens
|
65 |
Section
9.04
|
Dividends,
Distributions and Redemptions
|
66 |
Section
9.05
|
Investments,
Loans and Advances
|
66 |
Section
9.06
|
Nature
of Business; International Operations
|
67 |
Section
9.07
|
Proceeds
of Notes
|
68 |
Section
9.08
|
ERISA
Compliance
|
68 |
Section
9.09
|
Sale
or Discount of Receivables
|
69 |
Section
9.10
|
Mergers,
Etc
|
69 |
Section
9.11
|
Sale
of Properties
|
69 |
Section
9.12
|
Environmental
Matters
|
70 |
Section
9.13
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
70 |
Section
9.14
|
Subsidiaries
|
70 |
Section
9.15
|
Negative
Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions
|
70 |
Section
9.16
|
Gas
Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments
|
70 |
Section
9.17
|
Swap
Agreements
|
71 |
ARTICLE
X
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES
Section
10.01
|
Events
of Default
|
71 |
Section
10.02
|
Remedies
|
73 |
ARTICLE
XI
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Section
11.02
|
Duties
and Obligations of Administrative Agent
|
74 |
Section
11.03
|
Action
by Administrative Agent
|
75 |
Section
11.04
|
Reliance
by Administrative Agent
|
76 |
Section
11.05
|
Subagents
|
76 |
Section
11.06
|
Resignation
or Removal of Administrative Agent
|
76 |
Section
11.07
|
Agents
as Lenders
|
77 |
Section
11.08
|
No
Reliance
|
77 |
Section
11.09
|
Administrative
Agent May File Proofs of Claim
|
78 |
Section
11.10
|
Authority
of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral
|
|
and
Liens
|
78 | |
Section
11.11
|
The
Arranger and the Syndication Agent
|
78 |
ARTICLE
XII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section
12.01
|
Notices
|
79 |
Section
12.02
|
Waivers;
Amendments
|
79 |
Section
12.03
|
Expenses,
Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
|
81 |
iii
Section
12.04
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
83
|
Section
12.05
|
Survival;
Revival; Reinstatement
|
86
|
Section
12.06
|
Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness
|
87
|
Section
12.07
|
Severability
|
87
|
Section
12.08
|
Right
of Setoff
|
87
|
Section
12.09
|
Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process
|
88
|
Section
12.10
|
Headings
|
89
|
Section
12.11
|
Confidentiality
|
89
|
Section
12.12
|
Interest
Rate Limitation
|
89
|
Section
12.13
|
Exculpation
Provisions
|
90
|
Section
12.14
|
Collateral
Matters; Swap Agreements
|
91
|
Section
12.15
|
No
Third Party Beneficiaries
|
91
|
Section
12.16
|
USA
Patriot Act Notice
|
91
|
iv
ANNEXES,
EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES
Annex
I
|
List
of Maximum Credit Amounts
|
Exhibit
A
|
Form
of Note
|
Exhibit
B
|
Form
of Borrowing Request
|
Exhibit
C
|
Form
of Interest Election Request
|
Exhibit
D
|
Form
of Compliance Certificate
|
Exhibit
E
|
Form
of Legal Opinion of Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
special counsel to the
|
Borrower
|
|
Exhibit
F-1
|
Security
Instruments
|
Exhibit
F-2
|
Form
of Guaranty and Collateral Agreement
|
Exhibit
G
|
Form
of Assignment and Assumption
|
Exhibit
H-1
|
Form
of Maximum Credit Amount Increase Certificate
|
Exhibit
H-2
|
Form
of Additional Lender Certificate
|
Schedule
1.02
|
Approved
Counterparties
|
Schedule
7.05
|
Litigation
|
Schedule
7.10(d)
|
ERISA
Plan
|
Schedule
7.10(f)
|
Under-funded
ERISA Plan
|
Schedule
7.12
|
Insurance
|
Schedule
7.14
|
Subsidiaries
|
Schedule
7.18
|
Gas
Imbalances
|
Schedule
7.19
|
Marketing
Contracts
|
Schedule
7.20
|
Swap
Agreements
|
Schedule
8.14
|
Mortgaged
Properties with Pending Assignments
|
Schedule
9.05
|
Investments
|
v
THIS
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as
of April
19,
2006,
is
among: McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (the
“Borrower”);
each
of the Lenders from time to time party hereto; JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. (in
its
individual capacity, “JPMorgan”),
as
administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its
successors in such capacity, the “Administrative
Agent”);
and
Toronto-Dominion (Texas) LLC, as syndication agent for the Lenders (in such
capacity, together with its successors in such capacity, the “Syndication
Agent”).
R
E C I T A L S
A. The
Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide certain loans to and extensions
of credit on behalf of the Borrower.
B. The
Lenders have agreed to make such loans and extensions of credit subject to
the
terms and conditions of this Agreement.
C. In
consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and of
the
loans, extensions of credit and commitments hereinafter referred to, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I
Definitions
and Accounting Matters
Section
1.01 Terms
Defined Above.
As used
in this Agreement, each term defined above has the meaning indicated
above.
Section
1.02 Certain
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.
“Additional
Lender”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.06(c)(i).
“Additional
Lender Certificate”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.06(c)(ii)(F).
“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
Questionnaire”
means
an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative
Agent.
“Affected
Loans”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
5.05.
“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,
collectively, the Administrative Agent and the Syndication Agent; and “Agent”
shall mean either of the Administrative Agent or the Syndication Agent, as
the
context requires.
“Aggregate
Maximum Credit Amounts”
at
any
time shall equal the sum of the Maximum Credit Amounts, as the same may be
reduced or terminated pursuant to Section
2.06.
“Agreement”
means
this Credit Agreement, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified,
supplemented or restated.
“Alternate
Base Rate”
means,
for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greater 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.
“Applicable
Margin”
means,
for any day, with respect to any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan, as the case may
be, the rate per annum set forth in the Borrowing Base Utilization Grid below
based upon the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage then in
effect:
Borrowing
Base Utilization Grid
|
||||
Borrowing
Base
Utilization
Percentage
|
<50%
|
≥50%
<75%
|
≥75%
<90%
|
≥90%
|
ABR
Loans
|
0.000%
|
0.250%
|
0.500%
|
0.750%
|
Eurodollar
Loans
|
1.500%
|
1.750%
|
2.000%
|
2.250%
|
Each
change in the Applicable Margin shall apply during the period commencing on
the
effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding
the
effective date of the next such change, provided, however, that if at any time
the Borrower fails to deliver a Reserve Report pursuant to Section
8.12(a),
then
the “Applicable
Margin”
means
the rate per annum set forth on the grid when the Borrowing Base Utilization
Percentage is at its highest level.
“Applicable
Percentage”
means,
with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts represented by such Lender’s Maximum Credit Amount as such percentage is
set forth on Annex I.
“Approved
Counterparty”
means
(a) any Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender, (b) any other Person whose long
term senior unsecured debt rating is A/A2 by S&P or Xxxxx’x (or their
equivalent) or higher, or (c) with regard to Swap Agreements in respect of
commodities, and subject to the conditions set forth therein, any other Person
listed on Schedule 1.02.
2
“Approved
Petroleum Engineers”
means
(a) Netherland, Xxxxxx & Associates, Inc., (b) Xxxxx Xxxxx Company Petroleum
Consultants, L.P. and (c) any other independent petroleum engineers reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
“Arranger”
means
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
in its
capacities as the sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner hereunder.
“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
12.04(b)),
and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit G or any other
form
approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Availability
Period”
means
the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the
Termination Date.
“Board”
means
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of
America or any successor Governmental Authority.
“Borrowing”
means
Loans of the same Type, 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
Base”
means
at any time an amount equal to the amount determined in accordance with
Section
2.07,
as the
same may be adjusted from time to time pursuant to Section
8.13(c)
or
Section 9.11(d).
“Borrowing
Base Deficiency”
occurs
if at any time the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the Borrowing Base
then in effect.
“Borrowing
Base Utilization Percentage”
means,
as of any day, the fraction expressed as a percentage, the numerator of which
is
the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures of the Lenders on such day, and the
denominator of which is the Borrowing Base in effect on such day.
“Borrowing
Request”
means
a
request by the 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 or Houston, Texas are authorized or required by law to remain
closed; and if such day relates to a Borrowing or continuation of, a payment
or
prepayment of principal of or interest on, or a conversion of or into, or the
Interest Period for, a Eurodollar Loan or a notice by the Borrower with respect
to any such Borrowing or continuation, payment, prepayment, conversion or
Interest Period, any day which is also a day on which dealings in dollar
deposits are carried out in the London interbank market.
“Capital
Leases”
means,
in respect of any Person, all leases which shall have been, or should have
been,
in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases on the balance sheet of
the
Person liable (whether contingent or otherwise) for the payment of rent
thereunder.
3
“Casualty
Event”
means
any loss, casualty or other insured damage to, or any nationalization, taking
under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of,
any
Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries having a fair market value
in excess of $1,000,000.
“Change
in Control”
means
(a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of
record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date
hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than 35%
of the
aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity
Interests of the Parent, (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than
vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Parent by Persons who were
neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Parent nor (ii) appointed
by directors so nominated, (c) the acquisition of direct or indirect Control
of
the Parent by any Person or group or (d) the failure of the Parent to at any
time own, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, 100% of all of
the
issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower.
“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 the Issuing Bank
(or,
for purposes of Section
5.01(b)),
by any
lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or the 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.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any
successor statute.
“Commitment”
means,
with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Loans and
to
acquire participations in Letters of Credit hereunder, expressed as an amount
representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit
Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) modified from time to time
pursuant to Section
2.06
and (b)
modified from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant
to Section
12.04(b).
The
amount representing each Lender’s Commitment shall at any time be the lesser of
such Lender’s Maximum Credit Amount and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of
the then effective Borrowing Base.
“Commitment
Fee Rate”
means,
for any day, the rate per annum set forth below based upon the Borrowing Base
Utilization Percentage then in effect:
Borrowing
Base
Utilization
Percentage
|
<75%
|
≥75%
|
0.375%
|
0.500%
|
“Consolidated
Net Income”
means
with respect to the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries, for any period,
the aggregate of the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and the Consolidated
Subsidiaries after allowances for taxes for such period determined on a
4
consolidated
basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded from such
net income (to the extent otherwise included therein) the following: (a) the
net
income of any Person in which the Borrower or any Consolidated Subsidiary has
an
interest (which interest does not cause the net income of such other Person
to
be consolidated with the net income of the Borrower and the Consolidated
Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP), except to the extent of the amount of
dividends or distributions actually paid in cash during such period by such
other Person to the Borrower or to a Consolidated Subsidiary, as the case may
be; (b) the net income (but not loss) during such period of any Consolidated
Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar
distributions or transfers or loans by that Consolidated Subsidiary is not
at
the time permitted by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement,
instrument or Governmental Requirement applicable to such Consolidated
Subsidiary or is otherwise restricted or prohibited, in each case determined
in
accordance with GAAP; (c) the net income (or loss) of any Person acquired in
a
pooling-of-interests transaction for any period prior to the date of such
transaction; (d) any extraordinary non-cash gains or losses during such period
and (e) non-cash gains or losses under FAS 133 resulting from the net change
in
Borrower’s xxxx to market portfolio of commodity price risk management
activities during that period and (f) any gains or losses attributable to
writeups or writedowns of assets, including ceiling test writedowns; provided
that if the Borrower or any Consolidated Subsidiary shall acquire or dispose
of
any Property or Person, including without limitation K-Mc Venture I LLC, during
the period of four fiscal quarters ending on the last day of the fiscal quarter
immediately preceding the date of determination for which financial statements
are available and up to and including the date of the consummation of such
acquisition or disposition, then Consolidated Net Income shall be calculated
after giving pro
forma
effect
to such acquisition or disposition, as if such acquisition or disposition had
occurred on the first day of such period.
“Consolidated
Subsidiaries”
means
each Subsidiary of the Borrower (whether now existing or hereafter created
or
acquired) the financial statements of which shall be (or should have been)
consolidated with the financial statements of the Borrower in accordance with
GAAP.
“Control”
means
the possession, directly or indirectly, 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. For the purposes of this
definition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Person
that owns directly or indirectly 10% or more of the Equity Interests having
ordinary voting power for the election of the directors or other governing
body
of a Person (other than as a limited partner of such other Person) will be
deemed to “control” such other Person. “Controlling”
and
“Controlled”
have
meanings correlative thereto.
“Debt”
means,
for any Person, the sum of the following (without duplication): (a) all
obligations of such Person for borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, bankers’
acceptances, debentures, notes or other similar instruments; (b) all obligations
of such Person (whether contingent or otherwise) in respect of letters of
credit, surety or other bonds and similar instruments; (c) all accounts payable
and all accrued expenses, liabilities or other obligations of such Person to
pay
the deferred purchase price of Property or services; (d) all obligations under
Capital Leases; (e) all obligations under Synthetic Leases; (f) all Debt (as
defined in the other clauses of this definition) of others secured by (or for
which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise,
to
be secured by) a Lien on any Property of such Person,
5
whether
or not such Debt is assumed by such Person; (g) all Debt (as defined in the
other clauses of this definition) of others guaranteed by such Person or in
which such Person otherwise assures a creditor against loss of the Debt
(howsoever such assurance shall be made) but only to the extent of the lesser
of
the amount of such Debt and the maximum stated amount of such guarantee or
assurance against loss; (h) all obligations or undertakings of such Person
to
maintain or cause to be maintained the financial position or covenants of others
or to purchase the Debt or Property of others; (i) obligations to deliver
commodities, goods or services, including, without limitation, Hydrocarbons,
in
consideration of one or more advance payments, other than gas balancing
arrangements in the ordinary course of business; (j) obligations to pay for
goods or services even if such goods or services are not actually received
or
utilized by such Person; (k) any Debt of a partnership for which such Person
is
liable either by agreement, by operation of law or by a Governmental Requirement
but only to the extent of such liability; (l) Disqualified Capital Stock; and
(m) the undischarged balance of any production payment created by such Person
or
for the creation of which such Person directly or indirectly received payment.
The Debt of any Person shall include all obligations of such Person of the
character described above to the extent such Person remains legally liable
in
respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is not included as
a
liability of such Person under GAAP.
“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.
“Disqualified
Capital Stock”
means
any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into
which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable) or upon the happening
of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable for any consideration other
than other Equity Interests (which would not constitute Disqualified Capital
Stock), pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is convertible
or
exchangeable for Debt or redeemable for any consideration other than other
Equity Interests (which would not constitute Disqualified Capital Stock) at
the
option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date
that
is one year after the earlier of (a) the Maturity Date and (b) the date on
which
there are no Loans, LC Exposure or other obligations hereunder outstanding
and
all of the Commitments are terminated.
“dollars”
or
“$”
refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“Domestic
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is organized under the laws of the United
States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
“EBITDAX”
means,
for any period, the sum of Consolidated Net Income for such period plus the
following expenses or charges to the extent deducted from Consolidated Net
Income in such period: interest, income taxes, depreciation, depletion,
amortization, exploration expenses and other similar noncash charges, minus
all
noncash income added to Consolidated Net Income.
“Effective
Date”
means
the date on which the conditions specified in Section
6.01
are
satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section
12.02).
“Engineering
Reports”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.07(c)(i).
6
“Environmental
Laws”
means
any and all Governmental Requirements pertaining in any way to health, safety
the environment or the preservation or reclamation of natural resources, in
effect in any and all jurisdictions in which the Borrower or any Subsidiary
is
conducting or at any time has conducted business, or where any Property of
the
Borrower or any Subsidiary is located, including without limitation, the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA”),
as
amended, the Clean Air Act, as amended, the Comprehensive Environmental,
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”),
as
amended, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976 (“RCRA”),
as
amended, the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, the Toxic Substances Control
Act, as amended, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986,
as
amended, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, as amended, and other
environmental conservation or protection Governmental Requirements. The term
“oil” shall have the meaning specified in OPA, the terms “hazardous
substance”
and
“release”
(or
“threatened
release”)
have
the meanings specified in CERCLA, the terms “solid
waste”
and
“disposal”
(or
“disposed”)
have
the meanings specified in RCRA and the term “oil
and gas waste”
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 91.1011 of the Texas Natural Resources
Code (“Section
91.1011”);
provided, however, that (a) in the event either OPA, CERCLA, RCRA or Section
91.1011 is amended so as to broaden the meaning of any term defined thereby,
such broader meaning shall apply subsequent to the effective date of such
amendment and (b) to the extent the laws of the state or other jurisdiction
in
which any Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is located establish a
meaning for “oil,”
“hazardous
substance,”
“release,”
“solid
waste,”
“disposal”
or
“oil
and gas waste”
which
is broader than that specified in either OPA, CERCLA, RCRA or Section 91.1011,
such broader meaning shall apply.
“Equity
Interests”
means
shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a
limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity
ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights
entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such Equity
Interest.
“ERISA”
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any
successor statute.
“ERISA
Affiliate”
means
each trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which together with the
Borrower or a Subsidiary would be deemed to be a “single employer” within the
meaning of section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA or subsections (b), (c), (m) or (o)
of
section 414 of the Code.
“ERISA
Event”
means
(a) a “Reportable Event” described in section 4043 of ERISA and the regulations
issued thereunder, (b) the withdrawal of the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any
ERISA
Affiliate from a Plan during a plan year in which it was a “substantial
employer” as defined in section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA, (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, (d) the institution of proceedings
to
terminate a Plan by the PBGC, (e) receipt of a notice of withdrawal liability
pursuant to Section 4202 of ERISA or (f) any other event or condition which
might constitute grounds under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of,
or
the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan.
7
“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 such term in Section
10.01.
“Excepted
Liens”
means:
(a) Liens for Taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies which
are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate
action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with
GAAP; (b) Liens in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance
or other social security, old age pension or public liability obligations which
are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate
action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with
GAAP; (c) statutory landlord’s liens, operators’, vendors’, carriers’,
warehousemen’s, repairmen’s, mechanics’, suppliers’, workers’, materialmen’s,
construction or other like Liens arising by operation of law in the ordinary
course of business or incident to the exploration, development, operation and
maintenance of Oil and Gas Properties each of which is in respect of obligations
that are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by
appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in
accordance with GAAP; (d) contractual Liens which arise in the ordinary course
of business under operating agreements, joint venture agreements, oil and gas
partnership agreements, oil and gas leases, farm-out agreements, division
orders, contracts for the sale, transportation or exchange of oil and natural
gas, unitization and pooling declarations and agreements, area of mutual
interest agreements, overriding royalty agreements, marketing agreements,
processing agreements, net profits agreements, development agreements, gas
balancing or deferred production agreements, injection, repressuring and
recycling agreements, salt water or other disposal agreements, seismic or other
geophysical permits or agreements, and other agreements which are usual and
customary in the oil and gas business and are for claims which are not
delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action
and
for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP,
provided that any such Lien referred to in this clause does not materially
impair the use of the Property covered by such Lien for the purposes for which
such Property is held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or materially impair
the
value of such Property subject thereto; (e) Liens arising solely by virtue
of
any statutory or common law provision relating to banker’s liens, rights of
set-off or similar rights and remedies and burdening only deposit accounts
or
other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution, provided that
no
such deposit account is a dedicated cash collateral account or is subject to
restrictions against access by the depositor in excess of those set forth by
regulations promulgated by the Board and no such deposit account is intended
by
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to provide collateral to the depository
institution; (f) easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions,
covenants, exceptions or reservations in any Property of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary for the purpose of roads, pipelines, transmission lines,
transportation lines, distribution lines for the removal of gas, oil, coal
or
other minerals or timber, and other like purposes, or for the joint or common
use of real estate, rights of way, facilities and equipment, that do not secure
any monetary obligations and which in the aggregate do not materially impair
the
use of such Property for the purposes of which such Property is held by the
Borrower or any or materially impair the value of such Property subject thereto;
(g) Liens on cash or securities pledged to secure performance of tenders, surety
and appeal bonds, government contracts, performance and return of money bonds,
bids, trade contracts, leases,
8
statutory
obligations, regulatory obligations and other obligations of a like nature
incurred in the ordinary course of business and (h) judgment and attachment
Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default, provided that any appropriate
legal proceedings which may have been duly initiated for the review of such
judgment shall not have been finally terminated or the period within which
such
proceeding may be initiated shall not have expired and no action to enforce
such
Lien has been commenced; provided, further that Liens described in clauses
(a)
through (e) shall remain “Excepted Liens” only for so long as no action to
enforce such Lien has been commenced and no intention to subordinate the first
priority Lien granted in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
is to
be hereby implied or expressed by the permitted existence of such Excepted
Liens.
“Excluded
Taxes”
means,
with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any
other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation
of
the Borrower or any Guarantor hereunder or under any other Loan Document, (a)
income or franchise taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the
United States of America or such other 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, (b)
any
branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar
tax
imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower or any Guarantor is
located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender, any withholding tax that is
imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign
Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office)
or
is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to comply with Section
5.03(e),
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 with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section
5.03(a)
or
Section
5.03(c).
“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.
“Financial
Officer”
means,
for any Person, any vice president, the chief financial officer, principal
accounting officer, treasurer or controller of such Person. Unless otherwise
specified, all references herein to a Financial Officer means a Financial
Officer of the Borrower.
“Financial
Statements”
means
the financial statement or statements of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries referred to in Section
7.04(a),
including all footnotes attached thereto.
“Foreign
Lender”
means
any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that
in
which the Borrower is located. For purposes of this definition, the United
States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be
deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
9
“Foreign
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary.
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as
in
effect from time to time subject to the terms and conditions set forth in
Section
1.05.
“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 over the
Borrower, any Subsidiary, any of their Properties, any Agent, the Issuing Bank
or any Lender.
“Governmental
Requirement”
means
any law, statute, code, ordinance, order, determination, rule, regulation,
judgment, decree, injunction, franchise, permit, certificate, license,
authorization or other directive or requirement, whether now or hereinafter
in
effect, including, without limitation, Environmental Laws, energy regulations
and occupational, safety and health standards or controls, of any Governmental
Authority.
“Guarantors”
means:
(a)
|
the
Parent;
|
(b)
|
K-Mc
Venture I LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company;
|
(c)
|
Freeport
Canadian Exploration Company, a Delaware
corporation;
|
(d)
|
McMoRan
International Inc., a Delaware corporation; and
|
(e)
|
each
other Domestic Subsidiary that guarantees the Indebtedness pursuant
to
Section
8.14(b).
|
“Guaranty
Agreement”
means
an agreement executed by the Guarantors in substantially the form of Exhibit
F-2
unconditionally guarantying on a joint and several basis, payment of the
Indebtedness, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time
to
time.
“Highest
Lawful Rate”
means,
with respect to each Lender, the maximum nonusurious interest rate, if any,
that
at any time or from time to time may be contracted for, taken, reserved, charged
or received on the Notes or on other Indebtedness under laws applicable to
such
Lender which are presently in effect or, to the extent allowed by law, under
such applicable laws which may hereafter be in effect and which allow a higher
maximum nonusurious interest rate than applicable laws allow as of the date
hereof.
“Hydrocarbon
Interests”
means
all rights, titles, interests and estates now or hereafter acquired in and
to
oil and gas leases, oil, gas and mineral leases, or other liquid or gaseous
hydrocarbon leases, mineral fee interests, overriding royalty and royalty
interests, net profit interests and production payment interests, including
any
reserved or residual interests of whatever nature.
10
“Hydrocarbons”
means
oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate,
distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all products refined
or separated therefrom.
“Indebtedness”
means
any and all amounts owing or to be owing by the Borrower, any Subsidiary or
any
Guarantor (whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption),
absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter
arising): (a) to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender under
any Loan Document; (b) to any Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender under any
Swap
Agreement between the Borrower or any Subsidiary and such Lender or Affiliate
of
a Lender while such Person (or in the case of its Affiliate, the Person
affiliated therewith) is a Lender hereunder and (c) all renewals, extensions
and/or rearrangements of any of the above.
“Indemnified
Taxes”
means
Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Initial
Reserve Report”
means
the
engineering information prepared by the Borrower and delivered to the
Administrative Agent, with respect to the value of the Oil and Gas Properties
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2005.
“Interest
Election Request”
means
a
request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with
Section
2.04.
“Interest
Expense”
means,
for any period, the sum (determined without duplication) of the aggregate gross
interest expense of the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries for such
period, including to the extent included in interest expense under GAAP: (i)
amortization of debt discount, (ii) capitalized interest and (iii) the portion
of any payments or accruals under Capital Leases allocable to interest expense,
plus the portion of any payments or accruals under Synthetic Leases allocable
to
interest expense whether or not the same constitutes interest expense under
GAAP.
“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 and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar
month that is one, two, three or six months (or, with the consent of each
Lender, nine or twelve months) thereafter, as the 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 pertaining to a Eurodollar Borrowing 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
11
last
calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day
of
the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date
of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made
and
thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or
continuation of such Borrowing.
“Interim
Redetermination”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.07(b).
“Interim
Redetermination Date”
means
the date on which a Borrowing Base that has been redetermined pursuant to an
Interim Redetermination becomes effective as provided in Section
2.07(d).
“Investment”
means,
for any Person: (a) the acquisition (whether for cash, Property, services or
securities or otherwise) of Equity Interests of any other Person or any
agreement to make any such acquisition (including, without limitation, any
“short sale” or any sale of any securities at a time when such securities are
not owned by the Person entering into such short sale); (b) the making of any
advance, loan or capital contribution to, the assumption of Debt of, the
purchase or other acquisition of any other Debt of or equity participation
or
interest in, or other extension of credit to, any other Person (including the
purchase of Property from another Person subject to an understanding or
agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such Property to such Person
for
any value other than the then fair market value of such Property, but excluding
any such advance, loan or extension of credit having a term not exceeding ninety
(90) days representing the purchase price of inventory, material, equipment
or
supplies sold by such Person in the ordinary course of business); (c) the
purchase or acquisition (in one or a series of transactions) of Property of
another Person that constitutes a business unit or (d) the entering into of
any
guarantee of, or other contingent obligation (including the deposit of any
Equity Interests to be sold) with respect to, Debt or other liability of any
other Person and (without duplication) any amount committed to be advanced,
lent
or extended to such Person.
“Issuing
Bank”
means JPMorgan,
in its
capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in
such capacity as provided in Section
2.08(i).
The
Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit
to be issued by Affiliates of the Issuing Bank, in which case the term
“Issuing
Bank”
shall
include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such
Affiliate.
“LC
Commitment”
at
any
time means Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00).
“LC
Disbursement”
means
a
payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
“LC
Exposure”
means,
at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding
Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC
Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower
at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable
Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time.
“Lenders”
means
the Persons listed on Annex I and any 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, and any
Person that shall have become a party hereto as an Additional Lender pursuant
to
Section 2.06(c).
12
“Letter
of Credit”
means
any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.
“Letter
of Credit Agreements”
means
all letter of credit applications and other agreements (including any
amendments, modifications or supplements thereto) submitted by the Borrower,
or
entered into by the Borrower, with the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter
of
Credit.
“LIBO
Rate”
means,
with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate
appearing on Page 3750 of the Dow Xxxxx Market Service (or on any successor
or
substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such
Service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on
such page of such Service, as determined 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
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) 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 interest in Property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person
other than the owner of the Property, whether such interest is based on the
common law, statute or contract, and whether such obligation or claim is fixed
or contingent, and including but not limited to (a) the lien or security
interest arising from a mortgage, encumbrance, pledge, security agreement,
conditional sale or trust receipt or a lease, consignment or bailment for
security purposes or (b) production payments and the like payable out of Oil
and
Gas Properties. The term “Lien”
shall
include easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions, covenants,
exceptions or reservations. For the purposes of this Agreement, the Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be the owner of any Property which it has
acquired or holds subject to a conditional sale agreement, or leases under
a
financing lease or other arrangement pursuant to which title to the Property
has
been retained by or vested in some other Person in a transaction intended to
create a financing.
“Loan
Documents”
means
this Agreement, the Notes, the Letter of Credit Agreements, the Letters of
Credit and the Security Instruments.
“Loans”
means
the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Majority
Lenders”
means,
at any time while no Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders having greater
than fifty (50%) percent of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts; and at any
time while any Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders holding greater
than
fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Loans
or participation interests in Letters of Credit (without regard to any sale
by a
Lender of a participation in any Loan under Section
12.04(c)).
13
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
a
material adverse change in, or material adverse effect on (a) the business,
operations, Property or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower
and
the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower, any
Subsidiary or any Guarantor to perform any of its obligations under any Loan
Document to which it is a party, (c) the validity or enforceability of any
Loan
Document or (d) the rights and remedies of or benefits available to the
Administrative Agent, any other Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender under
any
Loan Document.
“Material
Indebtedness”
means
Debt (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect
of
one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $1,000,000.
For
purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the
obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement
at any time shall be the Swap Termination Value.
“Maturity
Date”
means
April
19,
2010.
“Maximum
Credit Amount”
means,
as to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex I
under the caption “Maximum Credit Amounts”, as the same may be (a) reduced or
terminated from time to time in connection with a reduction or termination
of
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts pursuant to Section
2.06(b),
(b)
increased from time to time pursuant to Section 2.06(c) or (c) modified from
time to time pursuant to any assignment permitted by Section
12.04(b).
“Maximum
Credit Amount Increase Certificate”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.06(c)(ii)(E).
“Moody’s”
means
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto that is a nationally
recognized rating agency.
“Mortgaged
Property”
means
any Property owned by the Borrower or any Guarantor which is subject to the
Liens existing and to exist under the terms of the Security
Instruments.
“Multiemployer
Plan”
means
a
Plan which is a multiemployer plan as defined in section 3(37) or 4001 (a)(3)
of
ERISA.
“New
Borrowing Base Notice”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.07(d).
“Notes”
means
the promissory notes of the Borrower described in Section
2.02(d)
and
being substantially in the form of Exhibit A, together with all amendments,
modifications, replacements, extensions and rearrangements thereof.
“Oil
and Gas Properties”
means
(a) Hydrocarbon Interests; (b) the Properties now or hereafter pooled or
unitized with Hydrocarbon Interests; (c) all presently existing or future
unitization, pooling agreements and declarations of pooled units and the units
created thereby (including without limitation all units created under orders,
regulations and rules of any Governmental Authority) which may affect all or
any
portion of the Hydrocarbon Interests; (d) all operating agreements,
contracts and other agreements, including production sharing
14
contracts
and agreements, which relate to any of the Hydrocarbon Interests or the
production, sale, purchase, exchange or processing of Hydrocarbons from or
attributable to such Hydrocarbon Interests; (e) all Hydrocarbons in and under
and which may be produced and saved or attributable to the Hydrocarbon
Interests, including all oil in tanks, and all rents, issues, profits, proceeds,
products, revenues and other incomes from or attributable to the Hydrocarbon
Interests; (f) all tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and Properties in
any
manner appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental to the Hydrocarbon
Interests and (g) all Properties, rights, titles, interests and estates
described or referred to above, including any and all Property, real or
personal, now owned or hereinafter acquired and situated upon, used, held for
use or useful in connection with the operating, working or development of any
of
such Hydrocarbon Interests or Property (excluding drilling rigs, automotive
equipment, rental equipment or other personal Property which may be on such
premises for the purpose of drilling a well or for other similar temporary
uses)
and including any and all oil xxxxx, gas xxxxx, injection xxxxx or other xxxxx,
buildings, structures, fuel separators, liquid extraction plants, plant
compressors, pumps, pumping units, field gathering systems, tanks and tank
batteries, fixtures, valves, fittings, machinery and parts, engines, boilers,
meters, apparatus, equipment, appliances, tools, implements, cables, wires,
towers, casing, tubing and rods, surface leases, rights-of-way, easements and
servitudes together with all additions, substitutions, replacements, accessions
and attachments to any and all of the foregoing.
“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 and any other Loan Document.
“Parent”
means
McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware corporation.
“Parent
Loan”
means
the intercompany loan agreement by and between the Borrower and the Parent
dated
as of April 17, 2006.
“Participant”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
12.04(c)(i).
“PBGC”
means
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any successor thereto.
“Person”
means
any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint
venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other
entity.
“Plan”
means
any employee pension benefit plan, as defined in section 3(2) of ERISA, which
(a) is currently or hereafter sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the
Borrower, a Subsidiary or an ERISA Affiliate or (b) was at any time during
the
six calendar years preceding the date hereof, sponsored, maintained or
contributed to by the Borrower or a Subsidiary or an ERISA
Affiliate.
“Prime
Rate”
means
the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by
JPMorgan 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. Such rate is set by the Administrative
Agent as a general reference rate of interest, taking into account such factors
as the Administrative Agent may deem appropriate; it
15
being
understood that many of the Administrative Agent’s commercial or other loans are
priced in relation to such rate, that it is not necessarily the lowest or best
rate actually charged to any customer and that the Administrative Agent may
make
various commercial or other loans at rates of interest having no relationship
to
such rate.
“Property”
means
any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed,
or tangible or intangible, including, without limitation, cash, securities,
accounts and contract rights.
“Proposed
Borrowing Base”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section
2.07(c)(i).
“Proposed
Borrowing Base Notice”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section
2.07(c)(ii).
“Redemption”
means
with respect to any Debt, the repurchase, redemption, prepayment, repayment,
defeasance or any other acquisition or retirement for value (or the segregation
of funds with respect to any of the foregoing) of such Debt. “Redeem”
has
the
correlative meaning thereto.
“Redetermination
Date”
means,
with respect to any Scheduled Redetermination or any Interim Redetermination,
the date that the redetermined Borrowing Base related thereto becomes effective
pursuant to Section
2.07(d).
“Register”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
12.04(b)(iv).
“Regulation
D”
means
Regulation D of the Board, as the same may be amended, supplemented or replaced
from time to time.
“Related
Parties”
means,
with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the
respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors (including
attorneys, accountants and experts) of such Person and such Person’s
Affiliates.
“Remedial
Work”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
8.10(a).
“Reserve
Report”
means
a
report, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent, setting forth, as of each January 1st or July 1st (or such other date
in
the event of an Interim Redetermination) the oil and gas reserves attributable
to the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries, together
with a projection of the rate of production and future net income, taxes,
operating expenses and capital expenditures with respect thereto as of such
date, based upon the economic assumptions consistent with the Administrative
Agent’s lending requirements at the time.
“Responsible
Officer”
means,
as to any Person, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Financial
Officer or any Vice President of such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all
references to a Responsible Officer herein shall mean a Responsible Officer
of
the Borrower.
16
“Restricted
Payment”
means
any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other
Property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other Property),
including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase,
redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such
Equity Interests in the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any option,
warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower
or
any of its Subsidiaries.
“Revolving
Credit Exposure”
means,
with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal
amount of such Lender’s Loans and its LC Exposure at such time.
“Scheduled
Redetermination”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.07(b).
“Scheduled
Redetermination Date”
means
the date on which a Borrowing Base that has been redetermined pursuant to a
Scheduled Redetermination becomes effective as provided in Section
2.07(d).
“SEC”
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor Governmental
Authority.
“Security
Instruments”
means
the Guaranty Agreement, mortgages, deeds of trust and other agreements,
instruments or certificates described or referred to in Exhibit F-1, and any
and
all other agreements, instruments, consents or certificates now or hereafter
executed and delivered by the Borrower or any other Person (other than Swap
Agreements with the Lenders or any Affiliate of a Lender or participation or
similar agreements between any Lender and any other lender or creditor with
respect to any Indebtedness pursuant to this Agreement) as security for the
payment or performance of the Indebtedness, the Notes, this Agreement, or
reimbursement obligations under the Letters of Credit, as such agreements may
be
amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“S&P”
means
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies,
Inc., and any successor thereto that is a nationally recognized rating
agency.
“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 to which the
Administrative Agent is subject, with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for
eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in
Regulation D of the Board). 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:
(a) any Person of which at least a majority of the outstanding Equity Interests
having by the terms thereof ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the
board of
17
directors,
manager or other governing body of such Person (irrespective of whether or
not
at the time Equity Interests of any other class or classes of such Person shall
have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency)
is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the Borrower or
one
or more of its Subsidiaries or by the Borrower and one or more of its
Subsidiaries and (b) any partnership of which the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries is a general partner. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each
reference to the term “Subsidiary”
shall
mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower.
“Super-Majority
Lenders”
means,
at any time while no Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders having at
least seventy-five percent (75%) of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts; and
at
any time while any Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders holding at
least
seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of
the
Loans or participation interests in Letters of Credit (without regard to any
sale by a Lender of a participation in any Loan under Section
12.04(c)).
“Swap
Agreement”
means
any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative
transaction or option or similar agreement, whether exchange traded,
“over-the-counter” or otherwise, involving, or settled by reference to, one or
more interest 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; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing
for payments only on account of services provided by current or former
directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the
Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Swap
Termination Value”
means,
in respect of any one or more Swap Agreements, after taking into account the
effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap
Agreements, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Agreements have
been
closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such
termination value(s) and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause
(a), the amount(s) determined as the xxxx-to-market value(s) for such Swap
Agreements, as determined by the counterparties to such Swap
Agreements.
“Synthetic
Leases”
means,
in respect of any Person, all leases which shall have been, or should have
been,
in accordance with GAAP, treated as operating leases on the financial statements
of the Person liable (whether contingently or otherwise) for the payment of
rent
thereunder and which were properly treated as indebtedness for borrowed money
for purposes of U.S. federal income taxes, if the lessee in respect thereof
is
obligated to either purchase for an amount in excess of, or pay upon early
termination an amount in excess of, 80% of the residual value of the Property
subject to such operating lease upon expiration or early termination of such
lease.
“Taxes”
means
any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions,
charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“Termination
Date”
means
the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the
Commitments.
18
“Total
Debt”
means,
at any date, all Debt of the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries on
a
consolidated basis, excluding (i) non-cash obligations under FAS 133 and (ii)
accounts payable and other accrued liabilities (for the deferred purchase price
of Property or services) from time to time incurred in the ordinary course
of
business which are not greater than ninety (90) days past the date of invoice
or
which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for which
adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP.
“Transactions”
means,
with respect to (a) the Borrower, the execution, delivery and performance by
the
Borrower of this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which it is a party,
the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of
Letters of Credit hereunder, and the grant of Liens by the Borrower on Mortgaged
Properties and other Properties pursuant to the Security Instruments and (b)
each Guarantor, the execution, delivery and performance by such Guarantor of
each Loan Document to which it is a party, the guaranteeing of the Indebtedness
and the other obligations under the Guaranty Agreement by such Guarantor and
such Guarantor’s grant of the security interests and provision of collateral
under the Security Instruments, and the grant of Liens by such Guarantor on
Mortgaged Properties and other Properties pursuant to the Security
Instruments.
“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 Alternate Base Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“Wholly-Owned
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary of which all of the outstanding Equity Interests (other than
any
directors’ qualifying shares mandated by applicable law), on a fully-diluted
basis, are owned by the Borrower or one or more of the Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries
or are owned by the Borrower and one or more of the Wholly-Owned
Subsidiaries.
Section
1.03 Types
of Loans and Borrowings.
For
purposes of this Agreement, Loans and Borrowings, respectively, may be
classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar
Loan”
or
a
“Eurodollar
Borrowing”).
Section
1.04 Terms
Generally;
Rules of Construction.
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 in the Loan Documents), (b) any reference herein to any law shall
be
construed as referring to such law as amended, modified, codified or reenacted,
in whole or in part, and in effect from time to time, (c) any reference herein
to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns
(subject to the restrictions contained in the Loan Documents), (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
19
hereof,
(e) with respect to the determination of any time period, the word “from” means
“from and including” and the word “to” means “to and including” and (f) any
reference herein to Articles, Sections, Annexes, Exhibits and Schedules shall
be
construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Annexes, Exhibits and
Schedules to, this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document shall be interpreted or construed against any Person solely because
such Person or its legal representative drafted such provision.
Section
1.05 Accounting
Terms and Determinations; GAAP.
Unless
otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be
interpreted, all determinations with respect to accounting matters hereunder
shall be made, and all financial statements and certificates and reports as
to
financial matters required to be furnished to the Administrative Agent or the
Lenders hereunder shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP, applied on a
basis
consistent with the Financial Statements except for changes in which Borrower’s
independent certified public accountants concur and which are disclosed to
Administrative Agent on the next date on which financial statements are required
to be delivered to the Lenders pursuant to Section
8.01(a);
provided that, unless the Borrower and the Majority Lenders shall otherwise
agree in writing, no such change shall modify or affect the manner in which
compliance with the covenants contained herein is computed such that all such
computations shall be conducted utilizing financial information presented
consistently with prior periods.
ARTICLE
II
The
Credits
Section
2.01 Commitments.
Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Loans
to the Borrower during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount
that will not result in (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding
such Lender’s Commitment or (b) the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding
the total Commitments. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms
and
conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow the
Loans.
Section
2.02 Loans
and Borrowings
(a) Borrowings;
Several Obligations.
Each
Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans made by the
Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments. 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 are
several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to
make Loans as required.
(b) Types
of Loans.
Subject
to Section
3.03,
each
Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the
Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Lender at its option may
make
any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate
of
such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall
not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance
with
the terms of this Agreement.
(c) Minimum
Amounts; Limitation on Number of Borrowings.
At the
commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing, such
Borrowing shall be
20
in
an
aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than
$1,000,000. At the time that each ABR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall
be
in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $250,000 and not less
than $1,000,000; provided that an ABR Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount
that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments or that
is
required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated
by
Section
2.08(e).
Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same time, provided
that there shall not at any time be more than a total of ten
(10)
Eurodollar Borrowings outstanding. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert
or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto
would end after the Maturity Date.
(d) Notes.
The
Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced by a single promissory note of
the
Borrower in substantially the form of Exhibit A, dated, in the case of (i)
any
Lender party hereto as of the date of this Agreement, as of the date of this
Agreement, (ii) any Lender that becomes a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment
and Assumption, as of the effective date of the Assignment and Assumption,
or
(iii) any Lender that becomes a party hereto in connection with an increase
in
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts pursuant to Section 2.06(c), as of the
effective date of such increase, payable to the order of such Lender in a
principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount as in effect on such date,
and otherwise duly completed. In the event that any Lender’s Maximum Credit
Amount increases or decreases for any reason (whether pursuant to Section
2.06,
Section
12.04(b)
or
otherwise), the Borrower shall deliver or cause to be delivered on the effective
date of such increase or decrease, a new Note payable to the order of such
Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount after giving
effect to such increase or decrease, and otherwise duly completed. The date,
amount, Type, interest rate and, if applicable, Interest Period of each Loan
made by each Lender, and all payments made on account of the principal thereof,
shall be recorded by such Lender on its books for its Note, and, prior to any
transfer, may be endorsed by such Lender on a schedule attached to such Note
or
any continuation thereof or on any separate record maintained by such Lender.
Failure to make any such notation or to attach a schedule shall not affect
any
Lender’s or the Borrower’s rights or obligations in respect of such Loans or
affect the validity of such transfer by any Lender of its Note.
Section
2.03 Requests
for Borrowings
To
request a Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of
such
request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than
11:00 a.m., Houston time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed
Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m.,
Houston time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that no such
notice shall be required for any deemed request of an ABR Borrowing to finance
the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section
2.08(e).
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
Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify
the
following information in compliance with Section
2.02:
(i) the
aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii) the
date
of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
21
(iii) whether
such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
(iv) in
the
case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable
thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term
“Interest Period”;
(v) the
amount of the then effective Borrowing Base, the current total Revolving Credit
Exposures (without regard to the requested Borrowing) and the pro
forma
total
Revolving Credit Exposures (giving effect to the requested Borrowing);
and
(vi) the
location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be
disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section
2.05.
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 Borrower shall be deemed to have
selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Each Borrowing Request
shall constitute a representation that the amount of the requested Borrowing
shall not cause the total Revolving Credit Exposures to exceed the total
Commitments (i.e., the lesser of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts and the
then effective Borrowing Base).
Promptly
following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section
2.03,
the
Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender 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 Interest
Elections.
(a) Conversion
and Continuance.
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. Thereafter, the Borrower
may elect 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
2.04.
The
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) Interest
Election Requests.
To make
an election pursuant to this Section
2.04,
the
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone
by
the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section
2.03
if the
Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election
to
be made on the 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
substantially the form of Exhibit C and signed by the Borrower.
22
(c) Information
in Interest Election Requests.
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 Section
2.04(c)(iii)
and
(iv)
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) Notice
to Lenders by the Administrative Agent.
Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative
Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s
portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e) Effect
of Failure to Deliver Timely Interest Election Request and Events of Default
and
Borrowing Base Deficiencies on Interest Election.
If the
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 or a
Borrowing Base Deficiency has occurred and is continuing: (i) no outstanding
Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing (and any
Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to,
or
continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective)
and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Borrowing shall be converted to an
ABR
Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.
Section
2.05 Funding
of Borrowings.
(a) Funding
by Lenders.
Each
Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date
thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 1:00 p.m., Houston
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 Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so
received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower maintained with the
Administrative Agent in Houston, Texas and
23
designated
by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Loans
made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in
Section
2.08(e)
shall be
remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing Bank.
Nothing
herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for its Loan
in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any
Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for its Loan in any
particular place or manner.
(b) Presumption
of Funding by the Lenders.
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 Section
2.05(a)
and may,
in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding
amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the
applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable
Lender and the 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 the 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. 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 Termination,
Reduction and Increase of Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.
(a) Scheduled
Termination of Commitments.
Unless
previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
If
at any time the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts or the Borrowing Base is
terminated or reduced to zero, then the Commitments shall terminate on the
effective date of such termination or reduction.
(b) Optional
Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Credit Amounts.
(i) The
Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Aggregate
Maximum Credit Amounts; provided that (A)
each
reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be in an amount that
is
an integral multiple of $1,000,000
and not
less than $1,000,000
and
(B)
the
Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
if,
after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance
with
Section
3.04(c),
the
total Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total
Commitments.
(ii) The
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate
or
reduce the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts under Section
2.06(b)(i)
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
Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant
to this Section
2.06(b)(ii)
shall
24
be
irrevocable. Any termination or reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts shall be permanent and may not be reinstated except pursuant to Section
2.06(c). Each reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be made
ratably among the Lenders in accordance with each Lender’s Applicable
Percentage.
(c) Optional
Increase in Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.
(i) Subject
to the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(c)(ii), the Borrower may increase
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts then in effect with the prior written
consent of the Administrative Agent by increasing the Maximum Credit Amount
of a
Lender or by causing a Person that at such time is not a Lender to become a
Lender (an “Additional
Lender”).
(ii) Any
increase in the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be subject to the
following additional conditions:
(A) such
increase shall not be less than $15,000,000 unless the Administrative Agent
otherwise consents, and no such increase shall be permitted if after giving
effect thereto the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts would exceed
$150,000,000;
(B) no
Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the effective date of such
increase;
(C) on
the
effective date of such increase, no Eurodollar Borrowings shall be outstanding
or if any Eurodollar Borrowings are outstanding, then the effective date of
such
increase shall be the last day of the Interest Period in respect of such
Eurodollar Borrowings unless the Borrower pays compensation required by Section
5.02;
(D) no
Lender’s Maximum Credit Amount may be increased without the consent of such
Lender;
(E) if
the
Borrower elects to increase the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts by increasing
the Maximum Credit Amount of a Lender, the Borrower and such Lender shall
execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate substantially
in
the form of Exhibit H-1 (a “Maximum
Credit Amount Increase Certificate”),
together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, and the Borrower
shall
deliver a new Note payable to the order of such Lender in a principal amount
equal to its Maximum Credit Amount after giving effect to such increase, and
otherwise duly completed; and
(F) If
the
Borrower elects to increase the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts by causing
an
Additional Lender to become a party to this Agreement, then the Borrower and
such Additional Lender shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent
a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit H-2 (an “Additional
Lender Certificate”),
together with an Administrative Questionnaire and a processing and recordation
fee of $3,500, and the Borrower shall deliver a Note payable to the order of
such Additional Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount,
and otherwise duly completed.
25
(iii) Subject
to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to Section 2.06(c)(iv), from and
after the effective date specified in the Maximum Credit Amount Increase
Certificate or the Additional Lender Certificate (or if any Eurodollar
Borrowings are outstanding, then the last day of the Interest Period in respect
of such Eurodollar Borrowings, unless the Borrower has paid compensation
required by Section 5.02): (A) the amount of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts shall be increased as set forth therein, and (B) in the case of an
Additional Lender Certificate, any Additional Lender party thereto shall be
a
party to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and have the rights and
obligations of a Lender under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
In
addition, the Lender or the Additional Lender, as applicable, shall purchase
a
pro rata portion of the outstanding Loans (and participation interests in
Letters of Credit) of each of the other Lenders (and such Lenders hereby agree
to sell and to take all such further action to effectuate such sale) such that
each Lender (including any Additional Lender, if applicable) shall hold its
Applicable Percentage of the outstanding Loans (and participation interests)
after giving effect to the increase in the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts.
(iv) Upon
its
receipt of a duly completed Maximum Credit Amount Increase Certificate or an
Additional Lender Certificate, executed by the Borrower and the Lender or the
Borrower and the Additional Lender party thereto, as applicable, the processing
and recording fee referred to in Section 2.06(c)(ii), the Administrative
Questionnaire referred to in Section 2.06(c)(ii), if applicable, and the written
consent of the Administrative Agent to such increase required by Section
2.06(c)(i), the Administrative Agent shall accept such Maximum Credit Amount
Increase Certificate or Additional Lender Certificate and record the information
contained therein in the Register required to be maintained by the
Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 12.04(b)(iv). No increase in the
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be effective for purposes of this
Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this
Section 2.06(c)(iv).
Section
2.07 Borrowing
Base.
(a) Initial
Borrowing Base.
For the
period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the first
Redetermination Date, the amount of the Borrowing Base shall be $55,000,000.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrowing Base may be subject to further
adjustments from time to time pursuant to Section
8.13(c)
or
Section 9.11(d).
(b) Scheduled
and Interim Redeterminations.
The
Borrowing Base shall be redetermined semi-annually
in accordance with this Section
2.07
(a
“Scheduled
Redetermination”),
and,
subject to Section
2.07(d),
such
redetermined Borrowing Base shall become effective and applicable to the
Borrower, the Agents, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders on April 1st and October
1st of each
year,
commencing October
1,
2006.
In
addition, the Borrower may, by notifying the Administrative Agent thereof,
and
the Administrative Agent may, at the direction of the Super-Majority Lenders,
by
notifying the Borrower thereof, two times during the 12-month period following
the Effective Date, and one time during any 12-month period thereafter, each
elect to cause the Borrowing Base to be redetermined between
26
Scheduled
Redeterminations (an “Interim
Redetermination”)
in
accordance with this Section
2.07.
(c) Scheduled
and Interim Redetermination Procedure.
(i) Each
Scheduled Redetermination and each Interim Redetermination shall be effectuated
as follows: Upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of (A)
the
Reserve Report and the certificate required to be delivered by the Borrower
to
the Administrative Agent, in the case of a Scheduled Redetermination, pursuant
to Section
8.12(a)
and
(c),
and, in
the case of an Interim Redetermination, pursuant to Section
8.12(b)
and
(c),
and
(B)
such
other reports, data and supplemental information, including, without limitation,
the information provided pursuant to Section
8.12(c),
as may,
from time to time, be reasonably requested by the Majority Lenders (the Reserve
Report, such certificate and such other reports, data and supplemental
information being the “Engineering
Reports”),
the
Administrative Agent shall evaluate the information contained in the Engineering
Reports and shall, in its sole discretion, propose a new Borrowing Base (the
“Proposed
Borrowing Base”)
based
upon such information and such other information (including, without limitation,
the status of title information with respect to the Oil and Gas Properties
as
described in the Engineering Reports and the existence of any other Debt) as
the
Administrative Agent deems appropriate in its sole discretion and consistent
with its normal oil and gas lending criteria as it exists at the particular
time.
(ii) The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Proposed
Borrowing Base (the “Proposed
Borrowing Base Notice”):
(A) in
the
case of a Scheduled Redetermination (1)
if the
Administrative Agent shall have received the Engineering Reports required to
be
delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section
8.12(a)
and
(c)
in a
timely and complete manner, then on or before March 15th and September 15th
of
such year following the date of delivery or (2)
if the
Administrative Agent shall not have received the Engineering Reports required
to
be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section
8.12(a)
and
(c)
in a
timely and complete manner, then promptly after the Administrative Agent has
received complete Engineering Reports from the Borrower and has had a reasonable
opportunity to determine the Proposed Borrowing Base in accordance with
Section
2.07(c)(i);
and
(B) in
the
case of an Interim Redetermination, promptly, and in any event, within fifteen
(15) days after the Administrative Agent has received the required Engineering
Reports.
(iii) Any
Proposed Borrowing Base that would increase the Borrowing Base then in effect
must be approved or deemed to have been approved by all of the Lenders as
provided in this Section
2.07(c)(iii);
and any
Proposed Borrowing Base that would decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base
then
in effect must be approved or be deemed to have been approved by the
Super-Majority Lenders as provided in this Section
2.07(c)(iii).
Upon
receipt of the Proposed Borrowing Base Notice, each Lender shall have fifteen
(15) days to agree with
27
the
Proposed Borrowing Base or disagree with the Proposed Borrowing Base by
proposing an alternate Borrowing Base. If at the end of such fifteen (15) days,
any Lender has not communicated its approval or disapproval in writing to the
Administrative Agent, such silence shall be deemed to be an approval of the
Proposed Borrowing Base. If, at the end of such 15-day period, all of the
Lenders, in the case of a Proposed Borrowing Base that would increase the
Borrowing Base then in effect, or the Super-Majority Lenders, in the case of
a
Proposed Borrowing Base that would decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base
then
in effect, have approved or deemed to have approved, as aforesaid, then the
Proposed Borrowing Base shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective on the
date specified in Section
2.07(d).
If,
however, at the end of such 15-day period, all of the Lenders or the
Super-Majority Lenders, as applicable, have not approved or deemed to have
approved, as aforesaid, then the Administrative Agent shall poll the Lenders
to
ascertain the highest Borrowing Base then acceptable to a number of Lenders
sufficient to constitute the Super-Majority Lenders and, so long as such amount
does not increase the Borrowing Base then in effect, such amount shall become
the new Borrowing Base, effective on the date specified in Section
2.07(d).
(d) Effectiveness
of a Redetermined Borrowing Base.
After a
redetermined Borrowing Base is approved or is deemed to have been approved
by
all of the Lenders or the Super-Majority Lenders, as applicable, pursuant to
Section
2.07(c)(iii),
the
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the amount
of
the redetermined Borrowing Base (the “New
Borrowing Base Notice”),
and
such amount shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective and applicable to
the
Borrower, the Agents, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders:
(i) in
the
case of a Scheduled Redetermination, (A) if the Administrative Agent shall
have
received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to Section
8.12(a)
and
(c)
in a
timely and complete manner, then on the April 1st or October 1st, as applicable,
following such notice, or (B) if the Administrative Agent shall not have
received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to Section
8.12(a)
and
(c)
in a
timely and complete manner, then on the Business Day next succeeding delivery
of
such notice; and
(ii) in
the
case of an Interim Redetermination, on the Business Day next succeeding delivery
of such notice.
Such
amount shall then become the Borrowing Base until the next Scheduled
Redetermination Date, the next Interim Redetermination Date or the next
adjustment to the Borrowing Base under Section
8.13(c)
or
Section 9.11(d), whichever occurs first. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
Scheduled Redetermination or Interim Redetermination shall become effective
until the New Borrowing Base Notice related thereto is received by the
Borrower.
Section
2.08 Letters
of Credit.
(a) General.
Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request the
issuance of dollar denominated Letters of Credit for its own account or for
the
account of any of its Subsidiaries, in a form reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time
during the
28
Availability
Period; provided that the Borrower may not request the issuance, amendment,
renewal or extension of Letters of Credit hereunder if a Borrowing Base
Deficiency exists at such time or would exist as a result thereof. 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 or other
agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with,
the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions
of
this Agreement shall control.
(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 Borrower shall hand deliver
or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing
so have been approved by the Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the
Administrative Agent (not less than five (5) Business Days in advance of the
requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension) a
notice:
(i) requesting
the issuance of a Letter of Credit or identifying the Letter of Credit to be
amended, renewed or extended;
(ii) specifying
the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business
Day);
(iii) specifying
the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with
Section
2.08(c));
(iv) specifying
the amount of such Letter of Credit;
(v) specifying
the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information
as
shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit;
and
(vi) specifying
the amount of the then effective Borrowing Base and whether a Borrowing Base
Deficiency exists at such time, the current total Revolving Credit Exposures
(without regard to the requested Letter of Credit or the requested amendment,
renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit) and the pro
forma
total
Revolving Credit Exposures (giving effect to the requested Letter of Credit
or
the requested amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of
Credit).
Each
notice shall constitute a representation that after giving effect to the
requested issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, as applicable, (i) the
LC
Exposure shall not exceed the LC Commitment and (ii) the total Revolving Credit
Exposures shall not exceed the total Commitments (i.e. the lesser of the
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts and the then effective Borrowing
Base).
If
requested by the Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit
application on the Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request
for a Letter of Credit.
(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
29
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 Maturity Date.
(d) Participations.
By the
issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing
the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the Issuing
Bank or the Lenders, the Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and each
Lender hereby acquires from the 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 Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally
agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Bank,
such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing
Bank and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as provided in
Section
2.08(e),
or of
any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any
reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire
participations pursuant to this Section
2.08(d)
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, the existence of a Borrowing Base Deficiency 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 the
Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit,
the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the
Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than
11:00 a.m., Houston time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if
the
Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00
a.m.,
Houston time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the
Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 11:00 a.m.,
Houston time, on (i)
the
Business Day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is received
prior to 9:00 a.m., Houston time, on the day of receipt, or (ii)
the
Business Day immediately following the day that the 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 $1,000,000, the Borrower
shall, subject to the conditions to Borrowing set forth herein, be deemed to
have requested, and the Borrower does hereby request under such circumstances,
that such payment be financed with an ABR Borrowing in an equivalent amount
and,
to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall
be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Borrowing. If the Borrower
fails
to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender
of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in
respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. Promptly
following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative
Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the 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 Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly
pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly
following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower
pursuant to this Section
2.08(e),
the
Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or,
to
the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this Section
2.08(e)
to
reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their
interests may appear.
Any
payment made by a Lender pursuant to this
30
Section
2.08(e)
to
reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding
of
ABR Loans as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not
relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC
Disbursement.
(f) Obligations
Absolute.
The
Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in Section
2.08(e)
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, any Letter of Credit
Agreement 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 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
any Letter of Credit Agreement, 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
2.08(f),
constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff
against, the Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent,
the Lenders nor the 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 the Issuing Bank; provided
that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from
liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to
consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the
Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower
that are caused by the 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 the Issuing Bank (as
finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), the Issuing Bank
shall
be deemed to have exercised all requisite 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 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.
(g) Disbursement
Procedures.
The
Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all
documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit.
The Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower
by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such demand for payment and whether
the
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 the
Borrower of its obligation to reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Lenders with
respect to any such LC Disbursement.
31
(h) Interim
Interest.
If the
Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, until the Borrower shall
have
reimbursed the Issuing Bank for such LC Disbursement (either with its own funds
or a Borrowing under Section
2.08(e)),
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 the Borrower
reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR
Loans. Interest accrued pursuant to this Section
2.08(h)
shall be
for the account of the Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after
the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to Section
2.08(e)
to
reimburse the Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent
of such payment.
(i) Replacement
of the Issuing Bank.
The
Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor
Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such
replacement of the Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become
effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of
the
replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section
3.05(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 Issuing
Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued
thereafter and (ii)
references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such
successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous
Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of the
Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto
and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of the 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.
If
(i)
any
Event of Default shall occur and be continuing and the Borrower receives notice
from the Administrative Agent or the Majority Lenders demanding the deposit
of
cash collateral pursuant to this Section
2.08(j),
or
(ii)
the
Borrower is required to pay to the Administrative Agent the excess attributable
to an LC Exposure in connection with any prepayment pursuant to Section
3.04(c),
then
the Borrower shall deposit, in an account with the Administrative Agent, in
the
name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders, an amount
in cash equal to, in the case of an Event of Default, the LC Exposure, and
in
the case of a payment required by Section
3.04(c),
the
amount of such excess as provided in Section
3.04(c),
as of
such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; 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 the Borrower or any Subsidiary described in Section
10.01(h)
or
Section
10.01(i).
The
Borrower hereby grants to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the
Issuing Bank and the Lenders, an exclusive first priority and continuing
perfected security interest in and Lien on such account and all cash, checks,
drafts, certificates and instruments, if any, from time to time deposited or
held in such account, all deposits or wire transfers made thereto, any and
all
investments purchased with funds deposited in such account, all interest,
dividends, cash, instruments, financial assets and other Property from time
to
time received, receivable or otherwise payable in respect of, or in exchange
for, any or all of the foregoing, and all proceeds, products, accessions, rents,
profits, income and benefits therefrom, and any substitutions and replacements
therefor. The Borrower’s obligation to deposit amounts pursuant to this
Section
2.08(j)
shall be
absolute
32
and
unconditional, without regard to whether any beneficiary of any such Letter
of
Credit has attempted to draw down all or a portion of such amount under the
terms of a Letter of Credit, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law, shall not be subject to any defense or be affected by a right of set-off,
counterclaim or recoupment which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries may
now
or hereafter have against any such beneficiary, the Issuing Bank, the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders or any other Person for any reason whatsoever.
Such deposit shall be held as collateral securing the payment and performance
of
the Borrower’s and the Guarantor’s obligations under this Agreement and the
other Loan Documents. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion
and
control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account. Other
than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments
shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent
and
at the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest.
Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such
account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent
to
reimburse the Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been
reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction
of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such
time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, be applied to
satisfy other obligations of the Borrower and the Guarantors under this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents. If
the
Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a
result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, and the Borrower is not
otherwise required to pay to the Administrative Agent the excess attributable
to
an LC Exposure in connection with any prepayment pursuant to Section
3.04(c),
then
such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the
Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured
or waived.
ARTICLE
III
Payments
of Principal and Interest; Prepayments; Fees
Section
3.01 Repayment
of Loans
.
The
Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the Administrative Agent
for
the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Loan on
the
Termination Date.
Section
3.02 Interest.
(a) ABR
Loans.
The
Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base
Rate plus the Applicable Margin, but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful
Rate.
(b) Eurodollar
Loans.
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 Margin, but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful
Rate.
(c) Post-Default
Rate and Borrowing Base Deficiency Rate.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, (i) if
an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or if any principal of
or
interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower or
any
Guarantor hereunder or under any other Loan Document is not paid when due,
whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, and including any
payments in respect of a Borrowing Base
33
Deficiency
under Section
3.04(c),
then
all Loans outstanding, in the case of an Event of Default, and such overdue
amount, in the case of a failure to pay amounts when due, shall bear interest,
after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to two percent
(2%)
plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in Section
3.02(a),
but in
no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, and (ii)
during any Borrowing Base Deficiency, all Loans outstanding at such time shall
bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at the rate then applicable
to
such Loans, plus the Applicable Margin, if any, plus an additional two percent
(2%), but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate.
(d) Interest
Payment Dates.
Accrued
interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment
Date
for such Loan and on the Termination Date; provided that (i) interest accrued
pursuant to Section
3.02(c)
shall be
payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any
Loan
(other than an optional prepayment of an ABR Loan prior to the Termination
Date), 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) Interest
Rate Computations.
All
interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless
such computation would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in which case interest
shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap
year), 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). 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, and be binding upon
the
parties hereto.
Section
3.03 Alternate
Rate of Interest.
If
prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar
Borrowing:
(a) the
Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent
manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining
the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period;
or
(b) the
Administrative Agent is advised by the Majority Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO
Rate or 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 Borrower and the Lenders
by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the
Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the
circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest
Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or
continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective,
and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing, such
Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing.
34
Section
3.04 Prepayments.
(a) Optional
Prepayments.
The
Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any
Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with
Section
3.04(b).
(b) Notice
and Terms of Optional Prepayment.
The
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 11:00 a.m., Houston time, three Business
Days before the date of prepayment, or (ii) in the case of prepayment of an
ABR
Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Houston time, one Business Day before
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. 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 an amount that
would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Borrowing of the same Type
as
provided in Section
2.02.
Each
prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in
the
prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to
the
extent required by Section
3.02.
(c) Mandatory
Prepayments.
(i) If,
after
giving effect to any termination or reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts pursuant to Section
2.06(b),
the
total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the total Commitments, then the
Borrower shall (A)
prepay
the Borrowings on the date of such termination or reduction in an aggregate
principal amount equal to such excess, and (B)
if any
excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a result of an LC
Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount
equal to such excess to be held as cash collateral as provided in Section
2.08(j).
(ii) Upon
any
redetermination of or adjustment to the amount of the Borrowing Base in
accordance with Section
2.07
or
Section
8.13(c),
if the
total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the redetermined or adjusted Borrowing
Base, then the Borrower shall (A)
prepay
the Borrowings in an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and
(B)
if any
excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a result of an LC
Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount
equal to such excess to be held as cash collateral as provided in Section
2.08(j).
The
Borrower shall be obligated to make such prepayment and/or deposit of cash
collateral within forty-five (45) days following its receipt of the New
Borrowing Base Notice in accordance with Section
2.07(d)
or the
date the adjustment occurs; provided that all payments required to be made
pursuant to this Section
3.04(c)(ii)
must be
made on or prior to the Termination Date.
(iii) Upon
any
adjustments to the Borrowing Base pursuant to Section 9.11(d), if the total
Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the Borrowing Base as adjusted, then the
Borrower shall (A)
prepay
the Borrowings in an aggregate principal amount
35
equal
to
such excess, and (B)
if any
excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a result of an LC
Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount
equal to such excess to be held as cash collateral as provided in Section
2.08(j).
The
Borrower shall be obligated to make such prepayment and/or deposit of cash
collateral within two (2) Business Days following the date it or any Subsidiary
receives cash proceeds as a result of such disposition; provided that all
payments required to be made pursuant to this Section
3.04(c)(iii)
must be
made on or prior to the Termination Date.
(iv) Each
prepayment of Borrowings pursuant to this Section
3.04(c)
shall be
applied, first, ratably to any ABR Borrowings then outstanding, and, second,
to
any Eurodollar Borrowings then outstanding, and if more than one Eurodollar
Borrowing is then outstanding, to each such Eurodollar Borrowing in order of
priority beginning with the Eurodollar Borrowing with the least number of days
remaining in the Interest Period applicable thereto and ending with the
Eurodollar Borrowing with the most number of days remaining in the Interest
Period applicable thereto.
(v) Prepayments
pursuant to this Section
3.04(c)
shall be
accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section
3.02.
(d) No
Premium or Penalty.
Prepayments permitted or required under this Section
3.04
shall be
without premium or penalty, except as required under Section
5.02.
Section
3.05 Fees.
(a) Commitment
Fees.
The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the applicable Commitment Fee
Rate on the average daily amount of the unused amount of the Commitment of
such
Lender during the period from and including the date of this Agreement to but
excluding the Termination Date. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in
arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year
and
on the Termination Date, commencing on the first such date to occur after the
date hereof. All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of
360
days, unless such computation would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in which
case interest 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).
(b) Letter
of Credit Fees.
The
Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of
Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Margin used to determine
the
interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Loans on the average daily amount of
such
Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed
LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the date of this
Agreement to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s
Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any
LC
Exposure, (ii) to the Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the
rate of 0.25% per annum on the average daily amount of the LC Exposure
(excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements)
during the period
36
from
and
including the date of this Agreement to but excluding the later of the date
of
termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any
LC
Exposure, provided that in no event shall such fee be less than $500 during
any
quarter, and (iii) to the Issuing Bank, for its own account, its standard fees
with respect to the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter
of
Credit or processing of drawings thereunder. Participation fees and fronting
fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and
December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following
such
last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date of this
Agreement; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the Termination
Date
and any such fees accruing after the Termination Date shall be payable on
demand. Any other fees payable to the Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section
3.05(b)
shall be
payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees
shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless such computation
would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in which case interest 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).
(c) Administrative
Agent Fees.
The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees
payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
(d) Borrowing
Base Increase Fees.
The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each
Lender then party to this Agreement, ratably in accordance with its Applicable
Percentage, a Borrowing Base increase fee in an amount equal to 0.25% on the
amount of any increase of the Borrowing Base over the highest Borrowing Base
previously in effect, payable on the effective date of any such increase to
the
Borrowing Base. No fee will be payable on such Borrowing Base amounts that
exceed the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.
ARTICLE
IV
Payments;
Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs
Section
4.01 Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.
(a) Payments
by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether
of
principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts
payable under Section
5.01,
Section
5.02,
Section
5.03
or
otherwise) prior to 11:00 a.m., Houston time, on the date when due, in
immediately available funds, without defense, deduction, recoupment, set-off
or
counterclaim. Fees, once paid, shall be fully earned and shall not be refundable
under any circumstances. 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 specified in Section
12.01,
except
payments to be made directly to the Issuing Bank as expressly provided herein
and except that payments pursuant to Section
5.01,
Section
5.02,
Section
5.03
and
Section
12.03
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. If any payment
hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a
37
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) Application
of Insufficient Payments.
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) Sharing
of Payments by Lenders.
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 Section
4.01(c)
shall
not be construed to apply to any payment made by the 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 the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof
(as to which the provisions of this Section
4.01(c)
shall
apply). The 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.
Section
4.02 Presumption
of Payment by the Borrower.
Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior
to
the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account
of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank that the Borrower will not make such payment,
the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment
on
such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption,
distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount
due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then
each
of the Lenders or the 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 Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and
including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date
of
payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds
38
Effective
Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with
banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
Section
4.03 Certain
Deductions by the Administrative Agent.
If any
Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to
Section
2.05(b),
Section
2.08(d),
Section
2.08(e)
or
Section
4.02
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
4.04 Disposition
of Proceeds.
The
Security Instruments contain an assignment by the Borrower and/or the Guarantors
unto and in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Lenders
of
all of the Borrower’s or each Guarantor’s interest in and to production and all
proceeds attributable thereto which may be produced from or allocated to the
Mortgaged Property. The Security Instruments further provide in general for
the
application of such proceeds to the satisfaction of the Indebtedness and other
obligations described therein and secured thereby. Notwithstanding the
assignment contained in such Security Instruments, until the occurrence of
an
Event of Default, (a)
the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders agree that they will neither notify the
purchaser or purchasers of such production nor take any other action to cause
such proceeds to be remitted to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, but
the
Lenders will instead permit such proceeds to be paid to the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries and (b)
the
Lenders hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to take such actions as may
be
necessary to cause such proceeds to be paid to the Borrower and/or such
Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE
V
Increased
Costs; Break Funding Payments; Taxes;
Illegality
Section
5.01 Increased
Costs.
(a) Eurodollar
Changes in Law.
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
(ii) impose
on
any Lender or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this
Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender;
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 reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable
by
such Lender (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower
will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate
such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction
suffered.
(b) Capital
Requirements.
If any
Lender or the 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
39
the
Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or the 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 Letters
of Credit issued by the Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender
or
the Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company could
have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such
Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the
Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time
to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case
may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or
the
Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such
reduction suffered.
(c) Certificates.
A
certificate of a Lender or the Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts
necessary to compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or its holding company,
as the case may be, as specified in Section
5.01(a)
or
(b)
shall be
delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The
Borrower shall pay such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the
amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt
thereof.
(d) Effect
of Failure or Delay in Requesting Compensation.
Failure
or delay on the part of any Lender or the Issuing Bank to demand compensation
pursuant to this Section
5.01
shall
not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s right to demand
such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to
compensate a Lender or the Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section
5.01
for any
increased costs or reductions incurred more than 365 days prior to the date
that
such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower
of
the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of
such
Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor;
provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs
or reductions is retroactive, then the 365-day period referred to above shall
be
extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
Section
5.02 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), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan into an ABR
Loan
other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, or (c)
the
failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date
specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto, then, in any such event,
the
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 principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at
the
Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such 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
period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the
amount of interest which would accrue 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 eurodollar market.
A
certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender
is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section
5.02
shall be
delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive
40
absent
manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due
on
any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
Section
5.03 Taxes.
(a) Payments
Free of Taxes.
Any and
all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower or any Guarantor
under any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction
for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if the Borrower or
any
Guarantor 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
5.03(a)),
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) the Borrower or such Guarantor shall make such deductions and
(iii) the Borrower or such Guarantor shall pay the full amount deducted to
the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable
law.
(b) Payment
of Other Taxes by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law.
(c) Indemnification
by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the 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 the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment
by or
on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified
Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable
under this Section
5.03)
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 of the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the Issuing Bank as to
the
amount of such payment or liability under this Section
5.03
shall be
delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.
(d) Evidence
of Payments.
As soon
as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the
Borrower or a Guarantor to a Governmental Authority, the 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) Foreign
Lenders.
Any
Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding
tax under the law 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 or any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower (with
a
copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable
law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable
law or reasonably requested by the Borrower as will permit such payments to
be
made without withholding or at a reduced rate.
41
Section
5.04 Mitigation
Obligations.
If any
Lender requests compensation under Section
5.01,
or
if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or
any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to
Section
5.03,
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
5.01
or
Section
5.03,
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. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses
incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or
assignment.
Section
5.05 Illegality.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, in the event that it
becomes unlawful for any Lender or its applicable lending office to honor its
obligation to make or maintain Eurodollar Loans either generally or having
a
particular Interest Period hereunder, then (a)
such
Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof
and such Lender’s obligation to make such Eurodollar Loans shall be suspended
(the “Affected
Loans”)
until
such time as such Lender may again make and maintain such Eurodollar Loans
and
(b)
all
Affected Loans which would otherwise be made by such Lender shall be made
instead as ABR Loans (and, if such Lender so requests by notice to the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent, all Affected Loans of such Lender then outstanding
shall be automatically converted into ABR Loans on the date specified by such
Lender in such notice) and, to the extent that Affected Loans are so made as
(or
converted into) ABR Loans, all payments of principal which would otherwise
be
applied to such Lender’s Affected Loans shall be applied instead to its ABR
Loans.
ARTICLE
VI
Conditions
Precedent
Section
6.01 Effective
Date.
The
obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue
Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which
each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with
Section
12.02):
(a) The
Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders shall have received 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 out-of-pocket expenses
required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of the Secretary or
an
Assistant Secretary of the Borrower and each Guarantor setting forth
(i)
resolutions of its board of directors or other appropriate governing body with
respect to the authorization of the Borrower or such Guarantor to execute and
deliver the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to enter into the
transactions contemplated in those documents, (ii)
the
officers of the Borrower or such Guarantor (y) who are authorized to sign the
Loan Documents to which the Borrower or such Guarantor is a party and (z) who
will, until replaced by another officer or officers duly authorized for that
purpose, act as its representative for the purposes of signing documents and
giving notices and other communications in connection with this Agreement and
42
the
transactions contemplated hereby, (iii)
specimen
signatures of such authorized officers, and (iv)
the
articles or certificate of incorporation and by-laws or other applicable
organizational documents of the Borrower and such Guarantor, certified as being
true and complete. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders may conclusively
rely on such certificate until the Administrative Agent receives notice in
writing from the Borrower to the contrary.
(c) The
Administrative Agent shall have received certificates of the appropriate State
agencies with respect to the existence, qualification and good standing of
the
Borrower and each Guarantor.
(d) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a compliance certificate which shall
be
substantially in the form of Exhibit D, duly and properly executed by a
Responsible Officer and dated as of the date of Effective Date.
(e) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from each party hereto counterparts
(in
such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent) of this Agreement
signed on behalf of such party.
(f) The
Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed Notes payable to the
order of each Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount
dated as of the date hereof.
(g) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from each party thereto duly executed
counterparts (in such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent)
of
the Security Instruments, including the Guaranty Agreement and the other
Security Instruments described on Exhibit F-1. In connection with the execution
and delivery of the Security Instruments, the Administrative Agent
shall:
(i) be
reasonably satisfied that the Security Instruments create first priority,
perfected Liens (subject only to Excepted Liens identified in clauses (a) to
(d)
and (f) of the definition thereof, but subject to the provisos at the end of
such definition) on at least 65% of the total value of the Oil and Gas
Properties evaluated in the Initial Reserve Report; and
(ii) have
received certificates, together with undated, blank stock powers for each such
certificate, representing all of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests
of
the Borrower, each of the Guarantors and not less than 65% of all of the issued
and outstanding capital stock of each Foreign Subsidiary that is not a
Guarantor, which is directly owned by either the Borrower or a Domestic
Subsidiary.
(h) The
Administrative Agent shall have received an opinion of Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
special
counsel to the Borrower, substantially in a form and of substance reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
(i) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of insurance coverage
of
the Borrower evidencing that the Borrower is carrying insurance in accordance
with Section
7.12.
43
(j) The
Administrative Agent shall have received title information as the Administrative
Agent may reasonably require satisfactory to the Administrative Agent setting
forth the status of title to at least 85% of the total value of the Oil and
Gas
Properties evaluated in the Initial Reserve Report.
(k) The
Administrative Agent shall be reasonably satisfied with the environmental
condition of the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries.
(l) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer
of the Borrower certifying that the Borrower has received all consents and
approvals required by Section
7.03.
(m) The
Administrative Agent shall have received the financial statements referred
to in
Section
7.04(a)
and the
Initial Reserve Report accompanied by a certificate covering the matters
described in Section
8.12(c).
(n) The
Administrative Agent shall have received appropriate UCC search certificates
reflecting no prior Liens encumbering the Properties of the Borrower and the
Subsidiaries for each of the following jurisdictions: Delaware,
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and
any
other jurisdiction requested by the Administrative Agent;
other
than those being assigned or released on or prior to the Effective Date or
Liens
permitted by Section
9.03.
(o) The
Administrative Agent shall have received confirmation of the transfer of 100%
of
the issued and outstanding Equity Interests in K-Mc Venture I LLC to the
Borrower.
(p) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from the Borrower a written policy
regarding its and its Subsidiaries’ marketing activities for Hydrocarbons and
furnish a copy thereof to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, such policy
to be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Majority
Lenders.
(q) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from the Borrower any and all
documentation relating to the Parent Loan with an accompanying certificate
of a
Responsible Officer certifying (i) any amounts currently outstanding under
the
Parent Loan and (ii) that all documentation delivered is true and
complete.
(r) The
Administrative Agent shall have received certified copies of the recorded
assignments filed in the real estate records or similar records of the proper
Louisiana parish for those assignments and Mortgaged Properties listed in
Schedule 8.14.
(s) The
Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the
Administrative Agent or special counsel to the Administrative Agent may
reasonably request.
The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective
Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing
Bank
to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each
of
the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section
12.02)
at or
prior to 1:00 p.m., Houston time, on May
15,
2006
(and,
44
in
the
event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall
terminate at such time).
Section
6.02 Each
Credit Event.
The
obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing
(including the initial funding), and of the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew
or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following
conditions:
(a) At
the
time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no
Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(b) At
the
time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no
event, development or circumstance has occurred or shall then exist that has
resulted in, or could reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse
Effect.
(c) The
representations and warranties of the Borrower and the Guarantors set forth
in
this Agreement and in the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct on
and
as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal
or
extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, except to the extent any
such
representations and warranties are expressly limited to an earlier date, in
which case, on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, such
representations and warranties shall continue to be true and correct as of
such
specified earlier date.
(d) The
making of such Loan or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such
Letter of Credit, as applicable, would not conflict with, or cause any Lender
or
the Issuing Bank to violate or exceed, any applicable Governmental Requirement,
and no Change in Law shall have occurred, and no litigation shall be pending
or
threatened, which does or, with respect to any threatened litigation, seeks
to,
enjoin, prohibit or restrain, the making or repayment of any Loan, the issuance,
amendment, renewal, extension or repayment of any Letter of Credit or any
participations therein or the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(e) The
receipt by the Administrative Agent of a Borrowing Request in accordance with
Section
2.03
or a
request for a Letter of Credit in accordance with Section
2.08(b),
as
applicable.
Each
request for a Borrowing and each request for the issuance, amendment, renewal
or
extension of any Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation
and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified
in
Section
6.02(a)
through
(e).
45
ARTICLE
VII
Representations
and Warranties
The
Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
Section
7.01 Organization;
Powers.
Each of
the Borrower and the Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all
requisite power and authority, and has all material governmental licenses,
authorizations, consents and approvals necessary, to own its assets and to
carry
on its business as now conducted, and is qualified to do business in, and is
in
good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required,
except where failure to have such power, authority, licenses, authorizations,
consents, approvals and qualifications could not reasonably be expected to
have
a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
7.02 Authority;
Enforceability.
The
Transactions are within the Borrower’s and each Guarantor’s corporate powers and
have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required,
stockholder action (including, without limitation, any action required to be
taken by any class of directors of the Borrower or any other Person, whether
interested or disinterested, in order to ensure the due authorization of the
Transactions). Each Loan Document to which the Borrower and each Guarantor
is a
party has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and such Guarantor
and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower and such
Guarantor, as applicable, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject
to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws
affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of
equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law.
Section
7.03 Approvals;
No
Conflicts.
The
Transactions (a)
do not
require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other
action by, any Governmental Authority or any other third Person (including
shareholders or any class of directors, whether interested or disinterested,
of
the Borrower or any other Person), nor is any such consent, approval,
registration, filing or other action necessary for the validity or
enforceability of any Loan Document or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated thereby, except such as have been obtained or made and are in
full
force and effect other than the recording and filing of the Security Instruments
as required by this Agreement, (b)
will not
violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other
organizational documents of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any order of
any
Governmental Authority, (c)
will not
violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other
instrument binding upon the Borrower or any Subsidiary or its Properties, or
give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the
Borrower or such Subsidiary and (d)
will not
result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any Property of the Borrower
or any Subsidiary (other than the Liens created by the Loan
Documents).
Section
7.04 Financial
Condition; No Material Adverse Change.
(a) The
Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet
and statement of operations, member’s equity and cash flows as of and for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, reported on by
Ernst
& Young LLP,
independent public
46
accountants.
Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower
and
its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in
accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence
of
footnotes in the case of the unaudited quarterly financial
statements.
(b) Since
December
31, 2005,
(i)
there
has been no event, development or circumstance that has had or could reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii)
the
business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has been conducted only in the
ordinary course consistent with past business practices.
(c) Neither
the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has on the date hereof any material Debt
(including Disqualified Capital Stock) or any contingent liabilities,
off-balance sheet liabilities or partnerships, liabilities for taxes, unusual
forward or long-term commitments or unrealized or anticipated losses from any
unfavorable commitments, except as referred to or reflected or provided for
in
the Financial Statements.
Section
7.05 Litigation.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule 7.05, there are no actions, suits, investigations or
proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending
against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting
the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i)
not
fully covered by insurance (except for normal deductibles) as to which there
is
a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination that, if adversely
determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate,
to
result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii)
that
involve any Loan Document or the Transactions.
(b) Since
the
date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the matters
disclosed in Schedule 7.05 that, individually or in the aggregate, has
resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section
7.06 Environmental
Matters.
Except
as could not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (or with
respect to (c), (d) and (e) below, where the failure to take such actions could
not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect):
(a) neither
any Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary nor the operations conducted
thereon violate any order or requirement of any court or Governmental Authority
or any Environmental Laws.
(b) no
Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary nor the operations currently
conducted thereon are in violation of or subject to any existing, pending or
threatened action, suit, investigation, inquiry or proceeding by or before
any
court or Governmental Authority or to any remedial obligations under
Environmental Laws.
(c) all
notices, permits, licenses, exemptions, approvals or similar authorizations,
if
any, required to be obtained or filed in connection with the operation or use
of
any and all Property of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, including, without
limitation, past or present treatment, storage, disposal or release of a
hazardous substance, oil and gas waste or
47
solid
waste into the environment, have been duly obtained or filed, and the Borrower
and each Subsidiary are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all
such
notices, permits, licenses and similar authorizations.
(d) all
hazardous substances, solid waste and oil and gas waste, if any, generated
at
any and all Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary have in the past been
transported, treated and disposed of in accordance with Environmental Laws
and
so as not to pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health
or
the environment, and, to the actual knowledge of the Borrower, all such
transport carriers and treatment and disposal facilities have been and are
operating in compliance with Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an
imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or the environment,
and
are not the subject of any existing, pending or threatened action, investigation
or inquiry by any Governmental Authority in connection with any Environmental
Laws.
(e) the
Borrower has taken all steps reasonably necessary to determine and has
determined that no oil, hazardous substances, solid waste or oil and gas waste,
have been disposed of or otherwise released and there has been no threatened
release of any oil, hazardous substances, solid waste or oil and gas waste
on or
to any Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary except in compliance with
Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an imminent and substantial
endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment.
(f) to
the
extent applicable, all Property of the Borrower and each Subsidiary currently
satisfies all design, operation, and equipment requirements imposed by the
OPA,
and the Borrower does not have any reason to believe that such Property, to
the
extent subject to the OPA, will not be able to maintain compliance with the
OPA
requirements during the term of this Agreement.
(g) neither
the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has any known contingent liability or Remedial
Work in connection with any release or threatened release of any oil, hazardous
substance, solid waste or oil and gas waste into the environment.
Section
7.07 Compliance
with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults.
(a) Each
of
the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance with all Governmental
Requirements applicable to it or its Property and all agreements and other
instruments binding upon it or its Property, and possesses all licenses,
permits, franchises, exemptions, approvals and other governmental authorizations
necessary for the ownership of its Property and the conduct of its business,
except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could
not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Neither
the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default nor has any event or circumstance
occurred which, but for the expiration of any applicable grace period or the
giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default or would require the
Borrower or a Subsidiary to Redeem or make any offer to Redeem all or any
portion of any Debt outstanding under any indenture, note, credit agreement
or
instrument pursuant to which any Material Indebtedness is outstanding or by
which the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their Properties is
bound.
(c) No
Default has occurred and is continuing.
48
Section
7.08 Investment
Company Act.
Neither
the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is an “investment company” or a company
“controlled” by an “investment company,” within the meaning of, or subject to
regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
Section
7.09 Taxes.
Each of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all
Tax
returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be
paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are
being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower
or
such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves
in
accordance with GAAP or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges,
accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in
respect of Taxes and other governmental charges are, in the reasonable opinion
of the Borrower, adequate. No Tax Lien has been filed and, to the knowledge
of
the Borrower, no claim is being asserted with respect to any such Tax or other
such governmental charge.
Section
7.10 ERISA.
(a) The
Borrower, the Subsidiaries and each ERISA Affiliate have complied in all
material respects with ERISA and, where applicable, the Code regarding each
Plan.
(b) Each
Plan
is, and has been, maintained in substan-tial compliance with ERISA and, where
applicable, the Code.
(c) No
act,
omission or transaction has occurred which could result in imposition on the
Borrower, any Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate (whether directly or indirectly)
of (i)
either a
civil penalty assessed pursuant to subsections (c), (i) or (l) of section 502
of
ERISA or a tax imposed pursuant to Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of the Code or
(ii)
breach
of fiduciary duty liability damages under section 409 of ERISA.
(d) Except
as
provided in Schedule 7.10(d), no Plan (other than a defined contribu-tion plan)
or any trust created under any such Plan has been terminated since
September 2, 1974. No liability to the PBGC (other than for the payment of
current premiums which are not past due) by the Borrower, any Subsidiary or
any
ERISA Affiliate has been or is expected by the Borrower, any Subsidiary or
any
ERISA Affiliate to be incurred with respect to any Plan. No ERISA Event with
respect to any Plan has occurred.
(e) Full
payment when due has been made of all amounts which the Borrower, the
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate is required under the terms of each Plan
or
applicable law to have paid as contribu-tions to such Plan as of the date
hereof, and no accumulated funding deficiency (as defined in section 302 of
ERISA and section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, exists with respect
to any Plan.
(f) Except
as
provided in Schedule 7.10(f), the actuarial present value of the benefit
liabili-ties under each Plan which is subject to Title IV of ERISA does
not, as of the end of the Borrower’s most recently ended fiscal year, exceed the
current value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in accordance
with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities
by an amount in excess of $500,000. The term “actuarial
49
present
value of the benefit liabilities” shall have the meaning specified in section
4041 of ERISA.
(g) Neither
the Borrower, the Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains,
or
contributes to an employee welfare benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1)
of
ERISA, including, without limitation, any such plan maintained to provide
benefits to former employees of such entities, that may not be terminated by
the
Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate in its sole discretion at any
time
without any material liability.
(h) Neither
the Borrower, the Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains
or
contributes to, or has at any time in the six-year period preceding the date
hereof sponsored, maintained or contributed to, any Multiemployer
Plan.
(i) Neither
the Borrower, the Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate is required to provide
security under section 401(a)(29) of the Code due to a Plan amendment that
results in an increase in current liability for the Plan.
Section
7.11 Disclosure;
No Material Misstatements.
The
Borrower has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all material
agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or
any
of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that,
individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in
a
Material Adverse Effect. None of the other reports, financial statements,
certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower
or
any Subsidiary to the Administrative Agent or any Lender or any of their
Affiliates in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or any other
Loan Document or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (as
modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any
material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary
to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they
were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial
information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared
in
good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time. There
is no fact peculiar to the Borrower or any Subsidiary which could reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or in the future is reasonably likely
to have a Material Adverse Effect and which has not been set forth in this
Agreement or the Loan Documents or the other documents, certificates and
statements furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders by or on behalf
of the Borrower or any Subsidiary prior to, or on, the date hereof in connection
with the transactions contemplated hereby. There are no statements or
conclusions in any Reserve Report which are based upon or include misleading
information or fail to take into account material information regarding the
matters reported therein.
Section
7.12 Insurance.
The
Borrower has, and has caused all of its Subsidiaries to have, (a)
all
insurance policies sufficient for the compliance by each of them with all
material Governmental Requirements and all material agreements and (b)
insurance coverage in at least amounts and against such risk (including, without
limitation, public liability) that are usually insured against by companies
similarly situated and engaged in the same or a similar business for the assets
and operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. Schedule 7.12, as of the
date hereof, sets forth a list of all insurance maintained by the Borrower
and
all its Subsidiaries. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders have been named
as additional insureds in respect of such
50
liability
insurance policies and the Administrative Agent has been named as loss payee
with respect to Property loss insurance.
Section
7.13 Restriction
on Liens.
Neither
the Borrower nor any of the Subsidiaries is a party to any material agreement
or
arrangement (other than Capital Leases creating Liens permitted by Section
9.03(c),
but
then only on the Property subject of such Capital Lease), or subject to any
order, judgment, writ or decree, which either restricts or purports to restrict
its ability to grant Liens to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders on or
in
respect of their Properties to secure the Indebtedness and the Loan
Documents.
Section
7.14 Subsidiaries.
Except
as set forth on Schedule 7.14 or as disclosed in writing to the Administrative
Agent (which shall promptly furnish a copy to the Lenders), which shall be
a
supplement to Schedule 7.14, the Borrower has no Subsidiaries.
Section
7.15 Location
of Business and Offices.
The
Borrower’s jurisdiction of organization is Delaware;
the
name of the Borrower as listed in the public records of its jurisdiction of
organization is McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC;
and the
organizational identification number of the Borrower in its jurisdiction of
organization is 2927213
(or, in
each case, as set forth in a notice delivered to the Administrative Agent
pursuant to Section
8.01(m)
in
accordance with Section
12.01).
The
Borrower’s principal place of business and chief executive offices are located
at the address specified in Section
12.01
(or as
set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section
8.01(m)
and
Section
12.01(c)).
Each
Subsidiary’s jurisdiction of organization, name as listed in the public records
of its jurisdiction of organization, organizational identification number in
its
jurisdiction of organization, and the location of its principal place of
business and chief executive office is stated on Schedule 7.15 (or as set forth
in a notice delivered pursuant to Section
8.01(m)).
Section
7.16 Properties;
Titles, Etc.
(a) Each
of
the Borrower and the Subsidiaries has good and defensible title to the Oil
and
Gas Properties evaluated in the most recently delivered Reserve Report and
good
title to all its personal Properties, in each case, free and clear of all Liens
except Liens permitted by Section
9.03.
After
giving full effect to the Excepted Liens, the Borrower or the Subsidiary
specified as the owner owns the net interests in production attributable to
the
Hydrocarbon Interests as reflected in the most recently delivered Reserve
Report, and the ownership of such Properties shall not in any material respect
obligate the Borrower or such Subsidiary to bear the costs and expenses relating
to the maintenance, development and operations of each such Property in an
amount in excess of the working interest of each Property set forth in the
most
recently delivered Reserve Report that is not offset by a corresponding
proportionate increase in the Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s net revenue
interest in such Property.
(b) All
material leases and agreements necessary for the conduct of the business of
the
Borrower and the Subsidiaries are valid and subsisting, in full force and
effect, and there exists no default or event or circumstance which with the
giving of notice or the passage of time or both would give rise to a default
under any such lease or leases, which could reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect.
51
(c) The
rights and Properties presently owned, leased or licensed by the Borrower and
the Subsidiaries including, without limitation, all easements and rights of
way,
include all rights and Properties necessary to permit the Borrower and the
Subsidiaries to conduct their business in all material respects in the same
manner as its business has been conducted prior to the date hereof.
(d) All
of
the Properties of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries which are reasonably
necessary for the operation of their businesses are in good working condition
and are maintained in accordance with prudent business standards.
(e) The
Borrower and each Subsidiary owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks,
tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual Property material to
its
business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and such Subsidiary does not
infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements
that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries either
own or have valid licenses or other rights to use all databases, geological
data, geophysical data, engineering data, seismic data, maps, interpretations
and other technical information used in their businesses as presently conducted,
subject to the limitations contained in the agreements governing the use of
the
same, which limitations are customary for companies engaged in the business
of
the exploration and production of Hydrocarbons, with such exceptions as could
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
7.17 Maintenance
of Properties.
Except
for such acts or failures to act as could not be reasonably expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect, the Oil and Gas Properties (and Properties unitized
therewith) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have been maintained, operated
and developed in a good and workmanlike manner and in conformity with all
Governmental Requirements and in conformity with the provisions of all leases,
subleases or other contracts comprising a part of the Hydrocarbon Interests
and
other contracts and agreements forming a part of the Oil and Gas Properties
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. Specifically in connection with the
foregoing, except for those as could not be reasonably expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect, (i)
no Oil
and Gas Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is subject to having
allowable production reduced below the full and regular allowable (including
the
maximum permissible tolerance) because of any overproduction (whether or not
the
same was permissible at the time) and (ii)
none of
the xxxxx comprising a part of the Oil and Gas Properties (or Properties
unitized therewith) of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is deviated from the
vertical more than the maximum permitted by Governmental Requirements, and
such
xxxxx are, in fact, bottomed under and are producing from, and the well bores
are wholly within, the Oil and Gas Properties (or in the case of xxxxx located
on Properties unitized therewith, such unitized Properties) of the Borrower
or
such Subsidiary. All pipelines, xxxxx, gas processing plants, platforms and
other material improvements, fixtures and equipment owned in whole or in part
by
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that are necessary to conduct normal
operations are being maintained in a state adequate to conduct normal
operations, and with respect to such of the foregoing which are operated by
the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in a manner consistent with the Borrower’s
or its Subsidiaries’ past practices (other than those the failure of which to
maintain in accordance with this Section 7.17 could not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect).
52
Section
7.18 Gas
Imbalances,
Prepayments.
Except
as set forth on Schedule 7.18 or on the most recent certificate delivered
pursuant to Section
8.12(c),
on a
net basis there are no gas imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments which
would require the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to deliver Hydrocarbons
produced from the Oil and Gas Properties at some future time without then or
thereafter receiving full payment therefor exceeding 100,000 Mcf of gas (on
an
Mcf equivalent basis) in the aggregate.
Section
7.19 Marketing
of Production.
Except
for contracts listed and in effect on the date hereof on Schedule 7.19, and
thereafter either disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent or included
in the most recently delivered Reserve Report (with respect to all of which
contracts the Borrower represents that it or its Subsidiaries are receiving
a
price for all production sold thereunder which is computed substantially in
accordance with the terms of the relevant contract and are not having deliveries
curtailed substantially below the subject Property’s delivery capacity), no
material agreements exist which are not cancelable on 60 days notice or less
without penalty or detriment for the sale of production from the Borrower’s or
its Subsidiaries’ Hydrocarbons (including, without limitation, calls on or other
rights to purchase, production, whether or not the same are currently being
exercised) that (a)
pertain
to the sale of production at a fixed price and (b)
have a
maturity or expiry date of longer than six (6) months from the date
hereof.
Section
7.20 Swap
Agreements.
Schedule 7.20, as of the date hereof, and after the date hereof, each report
required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section
8.01(e),
sets
forth, a true and complete list of all Swap Agreements of the Borrower and
each
Subsidiary, the material terms thereof (including the type, term, effective
date, termination date and notional amounts or volumes), the net xxxx to market
value thereof, all credit support agreements relating thereto (including any
margin required or supplied) and the counterparty to each such
agreement.
Section
7.21 Use
of
Loans and Letters of Credit.
The
proceeds of the Loans and the Letters of Credit shall be used to provide working
capital for exploration and production operations and to provide funding for
general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. The Borrower
and its Subsidiaries are not engaged principally, or as one of its or their
important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose,
whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or carrying margin stock
(within the meaning of Regulation T, U or X of the Board). No part of the
proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit will be used for any purpose which
violates the provisions of Regulations T, U or X of the Board.
Section
7.22 Solvency.
After
giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby, (a)
the
aggregate assets (after giving effect to amounts that could reasonably be
received by reason of indemnity, offset, insurance or any similar arrangement),
at a fair valuation, of the Borrower and the Guarantors, taken as a whole,
will
exceed the aggregate Debt of the Borrower and the Guarantors on a consolidated
basis, as the Debt becomes absolute and matures, (b)
each of
the Borrower and the Guarantors will not have incurred or intended to incur,
and
will not believe that it will incur, Debt beyond its ability to pay such Debt
(after taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be received by
each
of the Borrower and the Guarantors and the amounts to be payable on or in
respect of its liabilities, and giving effect to amounts that could reasonably
be received by reason of indemnity, offset, insurance or any similar
arrangement) as such Debt becomes absolute and matures and (c)
each of
the Borrower and the Guarantors will not have
53
(and
will have no reason to believe that it will have thereafter) unreasonably small
capital for the conduct of its business.
ARTICLE
VIII
Affirmative
Covenants
Until
the
Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest
on
each Loan and all fees payable hereunder and all other amounts payable under
the
Loan Documents shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall
have
expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed,
the
Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
Section
8.01 Financial
Statements; Other Information.
The
Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) Annual
Financial Statements.
As soon
as available, but in any event in accordance with then applicable law and not
later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Parent and the
Borrower, each of their audited consolidated balance sheets and related
statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, as applicable, and cash flows as
of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative
form
the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by Ernst
& Young LLP
or other
independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going
concern” or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or
exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated
financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial
condition and results of operations of the Parent and the Borrower and their
consolidated subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP
consistently applied.
(b) Quarterly
Financial Statements.
As soon
as available, but in any event in accordance with then applicable law and not
later than 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters
of
each fiscal year of the Parent and the Borrower, each of their consolidated
balance sheet and related statements of operations and cash flows as of the
end
of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year,
setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding
period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of)
the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as
presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results
of operations of the Parent and the Borrower and their consolidated subsidiaries
on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject
to
normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.
(c) Certificate
of Financial Officer -- Compliance.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section
8.01(a)
or
Section
8.01(b),
a
certificate of a Financial Officer in substantially the form of Exhibit D hereto
(i)
certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred,
specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken
with
respect thereto, (ii)
setting
forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with
Section
9.01
and
(iii)
stating
whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since
the
date of the audited financial
54
statements
referred to in Section
7.04
and, if
any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the
financial statements accompanying such certificate.
(d) Certificate
of Accounting Firm - Defaults.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section 8.01(a),
a
certificate of the accounting firm that reported on such financial statements
stating whether they obtained knowledge during the course of their examination
of such financial statements of any Default (which certificate may be limited
to
the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines).
(e) Certificate
of Financial Officer - Swap Agreements.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section
8.01(a)
and
Section
8.01(b),
a
certificate of a Financial Officer, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent, setting forth as of the last Business Day of such fiscal
quarter or fiscal year, a true and complete list of all Swap Agreements of
the
Borrower and each Subsidiary, the material terms thereof (including the type,
term, effective date, termination date and notional amounts or volumes), the
net
xxxx-to-market value therefor, any new credit support agreements relating
thereto not listed on Schedule 7.20, any margin required or supplied under
any
credit support document, and the counterparty to each such
agreement.
(f) Certificate
of Insurer -- Insurance Coverage.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section
8.01(a),
a
certificate of insurance coverage from each insurer with respect to the
insurance required by Section
8.07,
in form
and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, and, if requested by
the
Administrative Agent or any Lender, all copies of the applicable
policies.
(g) Other
Accounting Reports.
Promptly upon receipt thereof, a copy of each other report or letter submitted
to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries by independent accountants in
connection with any annual, interim or special audit made by them of the books
of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary, and a copy of any response by the
Borrower or any such Subsidiary, or the board of directors or other appropriate
governing body of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary, to such letter or
report.
(h) SEC
and Other Filings; Reports to Shareholders.
Promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and
other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Borrower or
any
Subsidiary with the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, or
distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may
be.
(i) Notices
Under Material Instruments.
Promptly after the furnishing thereof, copies of any financial statement, report
or notice furnished to or by any Person pursuant to the terms of any preferred
stock designation, indenture, loan or credit or other similar agreement, other
than this Agreement and not otherwise required to be furnished to the Lenders
pursuant to any other provision of this Section
8.01.
(j) Lists
of Purchasers.
Concurrently with the delivery of any Reserve Report to the Administrative
Agent
pursuant to Section
8.12,
a list
of all Persons purchasing Hydrocarbons from the Borrower or any
Subsidiary.
55
(k) Notice
of Sales of Oil and Gas Properties.
In the
event the Borrower or any Subsidiary intends to sell, transfer, assign or
otherwise dispose of any Oil or Gas Properties or any Equity Interests in any
Subsidiary in accordance with Section 9.11, prior written notice of such
disposition, the price thereof and the anticipated date of closing and any
other
details thereof requested by the Administrative Agent or any
Lender.
(l) Notice
of Casualty Events.
Prompt
written notice, and in any event within three Business Days, of the occurrence
of any Casualty Event or the commencement of any action or proceeding that
could
reasonably be expected to result in a Casualty Event.
(m) Information
Regarding Borrower and Guarantors.
Prompt
written notice of (and in any event at least ten (10) Business Days following)
any change (i) in
the Borrower or any Guarantor’s corporate name or in any trade name used to
identify such Person in the conduct of its business or in the ownership of
its
Properties, (ii) in
the location of the Borrower or any Guarantor’s chief executive office or
principal place of business, (iii) in
the Borrower or any Guarantor’s identity or corporate structure or in the
jurisdiction in which such Person is incorporated or formed, (iv)
in the
Borrower or any Guarantor’s jurisdiction of organization or such Person’s
organizational identification number in such jurisdiction of organization,
and
(v) in
the Borrower or any Guarantor’s federal taxpayer identification
number.
(n) Production
Report and Lease Operating Statements.
Within
60 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, a report setting forth, for each
calendar month during the then current fiscal year to date, the volume of
production and sales attributable to production (and the prices at which such
sales were made and the revenues derived from such sales) for each such calendar
month from the Oil and Gas Properties, and setting forth the related ad valorem,
severance and production taxes and lease operating expenses attributable thereto
and incurred for each such calendar month.
(o) Other
Requested Information.
Promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the
operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary (including, without limitation, any Plan or Multiemployer Plan and
any reports or other information required to be filed under ERISA), or
compliance with the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, as
the
Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.
Section
8.02 Notices
of Material Events.
The
Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written
notice of the following:
(a) the
occurrence of any Default;
(b) the
filing or commencement of, or the threat in writing of, any action, suit,
proceeding, investigation or arbitration by or before any arbitrator or
Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliate
thereof not previously disclosed in writing to the Lenders or any material
adverse development in any action, suit, proceeding, investigation or
arbitration (whether or not previously disclosed to the Lenders) that, in either
case could reasonably be expected to result in liability in excess of $750,000,
not fully covered by insurance, subject to normal deductibles;
56
(c) the
occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA
Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $750,000;
and
(d) any
other
development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in,
a
Material Adverse Effect.
Each
notice delivered under this Section
8.02
shall be
accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer setting forth the details
of
the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed
to be taken with respect thereto.
Section
8.03 Existence;
Conduct of Business.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal
existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material
to the conduct of its business and maintain, if necessary, its qualification
to
do business in each other jurisdiction in which its Oil and Gas Properties
is
located or the ownership of its Properties requires such qualification, except
where the failure to so qualify could not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any
merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section
9.10.
Section
8.04 Payment
of Obligations.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, pay its obligations, including
Tax liabilities of the Borrower and all of its Subsidiaries before the same
shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a)
the
validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings, (b)
the
Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with
respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c)
the
failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected
to
result in a Material Adverse Effect or result in the seizure or levy of any
Property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
Section
8.05 Performance
of Obligations under Loan Documents.
The
Borrower will pay the Notes according to the reading, tenor and effect thereof,
and the Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, do and perform every
act and discharge all of the obligations to be performed and discharged by
them
under the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, this Agreement, at
the
time or times and in the manner specified.
Section
8.06 Operation
and Maintenance of Properties.
The
Borrower, at its own expense, will, and will cause each Subsidiary
to:
(a) operate
its Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties or cause such Oil
and
Gas Properties and other material Properties to be operated in a careful and
efficient manner in accordance with the practices of the industry and in
compliance with all applicable contracts and agreements and in compliance with
all Governmental Requirements, including, without limitation, applicable pro
ration requirements and Environmental Laws, and all applicable laws, rules
and
regulations of every other Governmental Authority from time to time constituted
to regulate the development and operation of its Oil and Gas Properties and
the
production and sale of Hydrocarbons and other minerals therefrom, except, in
each case, where the failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to
have
a Material Adverse Effect.
57
(b) keep
and
maintain all Property material to the conduct of its business in good working
order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted preserve, maintain and
keep
in good repair, working order and efficiency (ordinary wear and tear excepted)
all of its material Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties,
including, without limitation, all equipment, machinery and
facilities.
(c) promptly
pay and discharge, or make reasonable and customary efforts to cause to be
paid
and discharged, all delay rentals, royalties, expenses and indebtedness accruing
under the leases or other agreements affecting or pertaining to its Oil and
Gas
Properties and will do all other things necessary to keep unimpaired their
rights with respect thereto and prevent any forfeiture thereof or default
thereunder.
(d) promptly
perform or make reasonable and customary efforts to cause to be performed,
in
accordance with industry standards, the obligations required by each and all
of
the assignments, deeds, leases, sub-leases, contracts and agreements affecting
its interests in its Oil and Gas Properties and other material
Properties.
(e) operate
its Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties or cause or make
reasonable and customary efforts to cause such Oil and Gas Properties and other
material Properties to be operated in accordance with the practices of the
industry and in material compliance with all applicable contracts and agreements
and in compliance in all material respects with all Governmental Requirements.
(f) to
the
extent the Borrower is not the operator of any Property, the Borrower shall
use
commercially reasonable efforts to cause the operator to comply with this
Section
8.06.
Section
8.07 Insurance.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain, with financially
sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against
such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or
similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations. The loss payable
clauses or provisions in said insurance policy or policies insuring any of
the
collateral for the Loans shall be endorsed in favor of and made payable to
the
Administrative Agent as its interests may appear and such policies shall name
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders as “additional insureds” and provide
that the insurer will endeavor to give at least 30 days prior notice of any
cancellation to the Administrative Agent.
Section
8.08 Books
and Records; Inspection Rights.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, keep proper books of record
and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings
and
transactions in relation to its business and activities. The Borrower will,
and
will cause each Subsidiary to, permit any representatives designated by the
Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit
and
inspect its Properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records,
and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and
independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably
requested.
58
Section
8.09 Compliance
with Laws.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, comply with all laws, rules,
regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its
Property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate,
could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section
8.10 Environmental
Matters.
(a) The
Borrower shall
at
its sole expense: (i) comply, and shall cause its Properties and operations
and
each Subsidiary and each Subsidiary’s Properties and operations to comply, with
all applicable Environmental Laws, the breach of which could be reasonably
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) not dispose of or otherwise
release, and shall cause each Subsidiary not to dispose of or otherwise release,
any oil, oil and gas waste, hazardous substance, or solid waste on, under,
about
or from any of the Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ Properties or any other
Property to the extent caused by the Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’
operations except in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, the disposal
or release of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect; (iii) timely obtain or file, and shall cause each Subsidiary to timely
obtain or file, all notices, permits, licenses, exemptions, approvals,
registrations or other authorizations, if any, required under applicable
Environmental Laws to be obtained or filed in connection with the operation
or
use of the Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ Properties, which failure to obtain
or file could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iv)
promptly commence and diligently prosecute to completion, and shall cause each
Subsidiary to promptly commence and diligently prosecute to completion, any
assessment, evaluation, investigation, monitoring, containment, cleanup,
removal, repair, restoration, remediation or other remedial obligations
(collectively, the “Remedial
Work”)
in the
event any Remedial Work is required or reasonably necessary under applicable
Environmental Laws because of or in connection with the actual or suspected
past, present or future disposal or other release of any oil, oil and gas waste,
hazardous substance or solid waste on, under, about or from any of the
Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ Properties, which failure to commence and
diligently prosecute to completion could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect; and (v) establish and implement, and shall cause
each Subsidiary to establish and implement, such policies of environmental
audit
and compliance as may be necessary to continuously determine and assure that
the
Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ obligations under this Section
8.10(a)
are
timely and fully satisfied, which failure to establish and implement could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) The
Borrower will promptly, but in no event later than five days of the occurrence
of a triggering event, notify the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in
writing of any threatened action, investigation or inquiry by any Governmental
Authority or any threatened demand or lawsuit by any landowner or other third
party against the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or their Properties of which
the
Borrower has knowledge in connection with any Environmental Laws (excluding
routine testing and corrective action) if the Borrower reasonably anticipates
that such action will result in liability (whether individually or in the
aggregate) in excess of $750,000, not fully covered by insurance, subject to
normal deductibles.
59
Section
8.11 Further
Assurances.
(a) The
Borrower at its sole expense will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, promptly
execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent all such other documents,
agreements and instruments reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent
to
comply with, cure any defects or accomplish the conditions precedent, covenants
and agreements of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, in the
Loan Documents, including the Notes, or to further evidence and more fully
describe the collateral intended as security for the Indebtedness, or to correct
any omissions in this Agreement or the Security Instruments, or to state more
fully the obligations secured therein, or to perfect, protect or preserve any
Liens created pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Security Instruments
or
the priority thereof, or to make any recordings, file any notices or obtain
any
consents, all as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate, in the sole
discretion of the Administrative Agent, in connection therewith.
(b) The
Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to file one or more
financing or continuation statements, and amendments thereto, relative to all
or
any part of the Mortgaged Property without the signature of the Borrower or
any
other Guarantor where permitted by law. A carbon, photographic or other
reproduction of the Security Instruments or any financing statement covering
the
Mortgaged Property or any part thereof shall be sufficient as a financing
statement where permitted by law.
Section
8.12 Reserve
Reports.
(a) On
or
before March 1st and September 1st of each year, commencing September
1,
2006,
the
Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders a Reserve
Report evaluating the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries as of the immediately preceding January 1 and July 1. The Reserve
Report as of December 31 of each year shall be prepared by one or more Approved
Petroleum Engineers, and the June 30 Reserve Report of each year shall be
prepared by or under the supervision of the chief engineer of the Borrower
who
shall certify such Reserve Report to be true and accurate and to have been
prepared in accordance with the procedures used in the immediately preceding
January 1 Reserve Report.
(b) In
the
event of an Interim Redetermination, the Borrower shall furnish to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders a Reserve Report prepared by or under
the
supervision of the chief engineer of the Borrower who shall certify such Reserve
Report to be true and accurate and to have been prepared in accordance with
the
procedures used in the immediately preceding January 1 Reserve Report. For
any
Interim Redetermination requested by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower
pursuant to Section
2.07(b),
the
Borrower shall provide such Reserve Report with an “as of” date as required by
the Administrative Agent as soon as possible, but in any event no later than
forty-five (45) days following the receipt of such request.
(c) With
the
delivery of each Reserve Report, the Borrower shall provide to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders a certificate from a Responsible Officer
certifying that in all material respects: (i)
the
information contained in the Reserve Report and any other information delivered
in connection therewith is true and correct, (ii)
the
Borrower or its Subsidiaries owns good and defensible title to the Oil and
Gas
Properties evaluated in such
60
Reserve
Report and such Properties are free of all Liens except for Liens permitted
by
Section
9.03,
(iii)
except
as set forth on an exhibit to the certificate, on a net basis there are no
gas
imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments in excess of the volume specified
in Section
7.18
with
respect to its Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in such Reserve Report which
would require the Borrower or any Subsidiary to deliver Hydrocarbons either
generally or produced from such Oil and Gas Properties at some future time
without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor, (iv)
none of
their Oil and Gas Properties have been sold since the date of the last Borrowing
Base determination except as set forth on an exhibit to the certificate, which
certificate shall list all of its Oil and Gas Properties sold and in such detail
as reasonably required by the Administrative Agent, (v)
attached
to the certificate is a list of all marketing agreements entered into subsequent
to the later of the date hereof or the most recently delivered Reserve Report
which the Borrower could reasonably be expected to have been obligated to list
on Schedule 7.19 had such agreement been in effect on the date hereof and
(vi)
attached
thereto is a schedule of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve
Report that are Mortgaged Properties and demonstrating the percentage of the
total proved value of such Mortgaged Properties represent in compliance with
Section
8.14(a).
Section
8.13 Title
Information.
(a) On
or
before the delivery to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of each Reserve
Report required by Section
8.12(a),
the
Borrower will deliver title information in form and substance acceptable to
the
Administrative Agent covering enough of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated
by
such Reserve Report that were not included in the immediately preceding Reserve
Report, so that the Administrative Agent shall have received together with
title
information previously delivered to the Administrative Agent, satisfactory
title
information on at least 85% of the total value of the Oil and Gas Properties
evaluated by such Reserve Report.
(b) If
the
Borrower has provided title information for additional Properties under
Section
8.13(a),
the
Borrower shall, within 60 days of notice from the Administrative Agent that
title defects or exceptions exist with respect to such additional Properties,
either (i)
cure any
such title defects or exceptions (including defects or exceptions as to
priority) which are not permitted by Section
9.03
raised
by such information, (ii)
substitute acceptable Mortgaged Properties with no title defects or exceptions
except for Excepted Liens (other than Excepted Liens described in clauses (e),
(g) and (h) of such definition) having an equivalent value or (iii)
deliver
title information in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent
so that the Administrative Agent shall have received, together with title
information previously delivered to the Administrative Agent, satisfactory
title
information on at least 85% of the value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated
by such Reserve Report.
(c) If
the
Borrower is unable to cure any title defect requested by the Administrative
Agent or the Lenders to be cured within the 60-day period or the Borrower does
not comply with the requirements to provide acceptable title information
covering 85% of the value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in the most
recent Reserve Report, such default shall not be a Default, but instead the
Administrative Agent and/or the Majority Lenders shall have the right to
exercise the following remedy in their sole discretion from time to time, and
any failure to so exercise this remedy at any time shall not be a waiver as
to
future exercise of the
61
remedy
by
the Administrative Agent or the Lenders. To the extent that the Administrative
Agent or the Majority Lenders are not satisfied with title to any Mortgaged
Property after the 60-day period has elapsed, such unacceptable Mortgaged
Property shall not count towards the 85% requirement, and the Administrative
Agent may send a notice to the Borrower and the Lenders that the then
outstanding Borrowing Base shall be reduced by an amount as determined by the
Super-Majority Lenders to cause the Borrower to be in compliance with the
requirement to provide acceptable title information on 85% of the value of
the
Oil and Gas Properties. This new Borrowing Base shall become effective
immediately after receipt of such notice.
Section
8.14 Additional
Collateral; Additional Guarantors.
(a) In
connection with each redetermination of the Borrowing Base, the Borrower shall
review the Reserve Report and the list of current Mortgaged Properties (as
described in Section
8.12(c)(vi))
to
ascertain whether the Mortgaged Properties represent at least 85% of the total
value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in the most recently completed
Reserve Report after giving effect to exploration and production activities,
acquisitions, dispositions and production. In the event that the Mortgaged
Properties do not represent at least 85% of such total value, then the Borrower
shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, grant, within thirty (30) days
of
delivery of the certificate required under Section
8.12(c),
to the
Administrative Agent as security for the Indebtedness a first-priority Lien
interest (provided that Excepted Liens of the type described in clauses (a)
to
(d) and (f) of the definition thereof may exist, but subject to the provisos
at
the end of such definition) on additional Oil and Gas Properties not already
subject to a Lien of the Security Instruments such that after giving effect
thereto, the Mortgaged Properties will represent at least 85% of such total
value. All such Liens will be created and perfected by and in accordance with
the provisions of deeds of trust, security agreements and financing statements
or other Security Instruments, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory
to the Administrative Agent and in sufficient executed (and acknowledged where
necessary or appropriate) counterparts for recording purposes. In order to
comply with the foregoing, if any Subsidiary places a Lien on its Oil and Gas
Properties and such Subsidiary is not a Guarantor, then it shall become a
Guarantor and comply with Section
8.14(b).
(b) The
Borrower shall promptly cause each Domestic Subsidiary to guarantee the
Indebtedness pursuant to the Guaranty Agreement. In connection with any such
guaranty, the Borrower shall, or shall cause such Domestic Subsidiary to
(A)
execute
and deliver a supplement to the Guaranty Agreement executed by such Subsidiary,
(B)
pledge
all of the Equity Interests of such new Subsidiary (including, without
limitation, delivery (if applicable) of original certificates evidencing the
Equity Interests of such Subsidiary, together with an appropriate undated stock
powers for each certificate duly executed in blank by the registered owner
thereof) and (C)
execute
and deliver such other additional closing documents, certificates and legal
opinions as shall reasonably be requested by the Administrative
Agent.
(c) In
the
event that the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary becomes the owner of a
Foreign Subsidiary, then the Borrower shall promptly cause such Domestic
Subsidiary to guarantee the Indebtedness pursuant to the Guaranty Agreement.
In
connection with any such guaranty, the Borrower shall, or shall cause such
Domestic Subsidiary to, (1) execute and deliver a supplement to the Guaranty
Agreement, (2) pledge 65% of all the Equity
62
Interests
of such Foreign Subsidiary (including, without limitation, delivery of original
stock certificates evidencing such Equity Interests of such Foreign Subsidiary,
together with appropriate stock powers for each certificate duly executed in
blank by the registered owner thereof) and (3) execute and deliver such other
additional closing documents, certificates and legal opinions as shall
reasonably be requested by the Administrative Agent.
(d) The
Borrower shall receive approval from the Mineral Management Services of the
United States Department of Interior (the “MMS”)
within
90 days of the Effective Date for those assignments listed in Schedule 8.14
and
shall provide evidence of such approval to the Administrative Agent, in such
form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent. To the extent that
the Borrower fails to receive approval from the MMS within this 90-day period
for any of the Mortgaged Properties listed in Schedule 8.14 and thereafter
for
so long as such approval is not forthcoming, then such properties shall be
excluded from the total value of the Oil and Gas Properties for purposes of
determining the Borrower's compliance with the requirement in Section 8.14(a)
that the Mortgaged Properties represent at least 85% of the total value of
the
Oil and Gas properties evaluated in the most recently completed Reserve Report.
To the extent, however, that any assignment listed in Schedule 8.14 is not
a
transaction for which the MMS typically issues approval, Borrower shall be
deemed to have met its obligations hereunder by providing the Administrative
Agent with certified copies of any such assignment showing recordation in the
real estate or similar records of the proper Louisiana parish pursuant to
Section 6.01(r).
Section
8.15 ERISA
Compliance.
The
Borrower will promptly furnish and will cause the Subsidiaries and any ERISA
Affiliate to promptly furnish to the Administrative Agent (i)
immediately upon becoming aware of the occurrence of any ERISA Event or of
any
“prohibited transaction,” as described in section 406 of ERISA or in section
4975 of the Code, in connection with any Plan or any trust created thereunder,
a
written notice signed by the President or the principal Financial Officer,
the
Subsidiary or the ERISA Affiliate, as the case may be, specifying the nature
thereof, what action the Borrower, the Subsidiary or the ERISA Affiliate is
taking or proposes to take with respect thereto, and, when known, any action
taken or proposed by the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor
or
the PBGC with respect thereto, and (ii)
immediately upon receipt thereof, copies of any notice of the PBGC’s intention
to terminate or to have a trustee appointed to administer any Plan. With respect
to each Plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan), the Borrower will, and will
cause each Subsidiary and ERISA Affiliate to, (i)
satisfy
in full and in a timely manner, without incurring any late payment or
underpayment charge or penalty and without giving rise to any lien, all of
the
contribution and funding requirements of section 412 of the Code (determined
without regard to subsections (d), (e), (f) and (k) thereof) and of section
302
of ERISA (determined without regard to sections 303, 304 and 306 of ERISA),
and
(ii)
pay, or
cause to be paid, to the PBGC in a timely manner, without incurring any late
payment or underpayment charge or penalty, all premiums required pursuant to
sections 4006 and 4007 of ERISA.
Section
8.16 Marketing
Activities.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage in
marketing activities for any Hydrocarbons or enter into any contracts related
thereto other than (i)
contracts for the sale of Hydrocarbons scheduled or reasonably estimated to
be
produced from their proved Oil and Gas Properties during the period of such
contract, (ii)
contracts for the sale of Hydrocarbons scheduled or reasonably estimated to
63
be
produced from proved Oil and Gas Properties of third parties during the period
of such contract associated with the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries that the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries has the right
to
market pursuant to joint operating agreements, unitization agreements or other
similar contracts that are usual and customary in the oil and gas business
and
(iii)
other
contracts for the purchase and/or sale of Hydrocarbons of third parties (A)
which have generally offsetting provisions (i.e. corresponding pricing
mechanics, delivery dates and points and volumes) such that no “position” is
taken and (B) for which appropriate credit support has been taken to alleviate
the material credit risks of the counterparty thereto.
ARTICLE
IX
Negative
Covenants
Until
the
Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on
each
Loan and all fees payable hereunder and all other amounts payable under the
Loan
Documents have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or
terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower
covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
Section
9.01 Financial
Covenants.
(a) Ratio
of Total Debt to EBITDAX.
The
Borrower will not, at any time, permit its ratio of Total Debt as of such time
to EBITDAX for the four fiscal quarters ending on the last day of the fiscal
quarter immediately preceding the date of determination for which financial
statements are available to be greater than 2.5 to 1.0. For the period ending
March 31, 2006, the Ratio of Total Debt to EBITDAX shall be calculated after
giving pro forma effect to the acquisition of K-Mc Venture I LLC.
(b) Current
Ratio.
The
Borrower will not permit, as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, its ratio
of
(i)
consolidated current assets (including the unused amount of the total
Commitments, but excluding non-cash assets under FAS 133) to (ii)
consolidated current liabilities (excluding non-cash obligations under FAS
133
and current maturities under this Agreement) to be less than 1.0 to 1.0. For
the
period ending March 31, 2006, the Current Ratio shall be calculated after giving
pro forma effect to the acquisition of K-Mc Venture I LLC.
Section
9.02 Debt.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, incur, create, assume
or suffer to exist any Debt, except:
(a) the
Notes
or other Indebtedness arising under the Loan Documents or any guaranty of or
suretyship arrangement for the Notes or other Indebtedness arising under the
Loan Documents.
(b) Debt
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries existing on the date hereof that is reflected
in the Financial Statements.
(c) accounts
payable and accrued expenses, liabilities or other obligations to pay the
deferred purchase price of Property or services, from time to time incurred
in
the ordinary course of business which are not greater than ninety (90) days
past
the date of invoice
64
or
which
are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for which adequate
reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP.
(d) Debt
of
the Borrower or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction
or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including obligations under
Capital Leases and any Debt assumed in connection with the acquisition of any
such assets or secured by a Lien on any such asset prior to the acquisition
thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Debt that do
not
increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; provided that (i) such Debt
is incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion
of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate principal amount
of
Indebtedness permitted by this clause (d) shall not exceed
$1,000,000.
(e) Debt
associated with bonds or surety obligations required by Governmental
Requirements in connection with the operation of the Oil and Gas
Properties.
(f) intercompany
Debt between (i) the Borrower and the Parent and (ii) the Borrower and any
Subsidiary or between Subsidiaries to the extent permitted by Section 9.05(g);
provided that (1) such Debt is not held, assigned, transferred, negotiated
or
pledged to any Person other than, in the case of the Parent Loan, the Parent
and
otherwise, the Borrower or one of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, (2) any such
Debt owed by either the Borrower or a Guarantor shall be subordinated to the
Indebtedness on terms set forth in the Guaranty Agreement, (3) any such Debt
shall not have any scheduled amortization prior to April 19, 2011, (4) in the
case of the Parent Loan, no payments may be made to the extent that prior to
and
after giving effect to such payment, the Borrower would have unused Commitments
of not less than 33% of the then available aggregate Commitments and (5) in
the
case of the Parent Loan, the Borrower will not make and the Parent will not
accept any payments if an Event of Default is occurring and continuing or would
result.
(g) endorsements
of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of
business.
(h) Debt
(other than for borrowed money) incurred in the ordinary course of business
in
connection with Hydrocarbon transportation, Hydrocarbon purchasing or other
similar arrangements, provided that such arrangements are disclosed to the
Administrative Agent.
(i) Debt
incurred in connection with vendor financing provided by Midland Pipe
Corporation and its affiliates not to exceed $15,000,000 in the aggregate at
any
one time outstanding.
(j) other
Debt not to exceed $1,000,000
in
the aggregate at any one time outstanding.
Section
9.03 Liens.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume
or permit to exist any Lien on any of its Properties (now owned or hereafter
acquired), except:
(a) Liens
securing the payment of any Indebtedness.
65
(b) Excepted
Liens.
(c) Liens
on
fixed
or capital assets acquired, constructed or improved by the Borrower or any
Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Liens secure Indebtedness permitted by
Section 9.02(d), (ii) such Liens and the Debt secured thereby are incurred
prior
to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such
construction or improvement, (iii) the Debt secured thereby does not exceed
100%
of the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets
and (iv) such security interests shall not apply to any other property or assets
of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
(d) Liens
on
Property not constituting collateral for the Indebtedness and not otherwise
permitted by the foregoing clauses of this Section
9.03;
provided that the aggregate principal or face amount of all Debt secured under
this Section
9.03(d)
shall
not exceed $1,000,000 at any time.
Section
9.04 Dividends,
Distributions and Redemptions.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare
or
make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment,
return any capital or make any distribution of its Property to its Equity
Interest holders, except (a) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends with
respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its
Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Capital Stock), (b) Subsidiaries
may
declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests and
(c)
the Borrower may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with
stock option plans or other benefit plans for management or employees of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
Section
9.05 Investments,
Loans and Advances.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, make or permit to
remain outstanding any Investments in or to any Person, except that the
foregoing restriction shall not apply to:
(a) Investments
reflected in the Financial Statements or which are disclosed to the Lenders
in
Schedule 9.05.
(b) accounts
receivable arising in the ordinary course of business.
(c) direct
obligations of the United States or any agency thereof, or obligations
guaranteed by the United States or any agency thereof, in each case maturing
within one year from the date of creation thereof.
(d) commercial
paper maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof rated in the
highest grade by S&P or Xxxxx’x.
(e) deposits
maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof with, including
certificates of deposit issued by, any Lender or any office located in the
United States of any other bank or trust company which is organized under the
laws of the United States or any state thereof, has capital, surplus and
undivided profits aggregating at least $100,000,000 (as of the date of such
bank
or trust company’s most recent financial reports) and has a short term deposit
rating of no lower than A2 or P2, as such rating is set forth from time to
time,
by S&P or Xxxxx’x, respectively.
66
(f) deposits
in money market funds investing exclusively in Investments described in
Section
9.05(c),
Section
9.05(d)
or
Section
9.05(e).
(g) Investments
(i) made by the Borrower in or to the Guarantors, (ii) made by any Domestic
Subsidiary in or to the Borrower or any Guarantor, and (iii) made by the
Borrower or any Guarantor in or to Foreign Subsidiaries which are not Guarantors
in an aggregate amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed
$500,000.
(h) subject
to the limits in Section 9.06, Investments (including, without limitation,
capital contributions) in general or limited partnerships or other types of
entities (each a “venture”)
entered into by the Borrower or a Subsidiary with others in the ordinary course
of business; provided that (i)
any such
venture is engaged exclusively in oil and gas exploration, development,
production, processing and related activities, including transportation,
(ii)
the
interest in such venture is acquired in the ordinary course of business and
on
fair and reasonable terms and (iii)
such
venture interests acquired and capital contributions made (valued as of the
date
such interest was acquired or the contribution made) do not exceed, in the
aggregate at any time outstanding an amount equal to $1,000,000.
(i) Investments
in direct ownership interests in additional Oil and Gas Properties and gas
gathering systems related thereto or related to farm-out, farm-in, joint
operating, joint venture or area of mutual interest agreements, gathering
systems, pipelines or other similar arrangements which are usual and customary
in the oil and gas exploration and production business located within the
geographic boundaries of the United States of America.
(j) loans
or
advances to employees, officers or directors in the ordinary course of business
of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case only as permitted
by
applicable law, including Section 402 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, but
in
any event not to exceed $500,000 in the aggregate at any time.
(k) Investments
in stock, obligations or securities received in settlement of debts arising
from
Investments permitted under this Section
9.05
owing to
the Borrower or any Subsidiary as a result of a bankruptcy or other insolvency
proceeding of the obligor in respect of such debts or upon the enforcement
of
any Lien in favor of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that
the
Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent prompt written notice in the event
that the aggregate amount of all Investments held at any one time under this
Section
9.05(k)
exceeds
$500,000.
(l) other
Investments not to exceed $2,000,000 in the aggregate at any time.
Section
9.06 Nature
of Business;
International Operations.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, allow any material
change to be made in the character of its business as an independent oil and
gas
exploration and production company. Except as permitted by Section 9.05(g)
or
otherwise in an amount not to exceed an amount of $1,000,000 per year, the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries will not acquire or make any other expenditures
(whether such expenditure is capital, operating or otherwise) in or related
to,
any Oil and Gas Properties not located within the geographical boundaries of
the
United States or Canada.
67
Section
9.07 Proceeds
of Notes.
The
Borrower will not permit the proceeds of the Notes to be used for any purpose
other than those permitted by Section
7.21.
Neither
the Borrower nor any Person acting on behalf of the Borrower has taken or will
take any action which might cause any of the Loan Documents to violate
Regulations T, U or X or any other regulation of the Board or to violate Section
7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any rule or regulation thereunder,
in each case as now in effect or as the same may hereinafter be in effect.
If
requested by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish to the
Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing effect in
conformity with the requirements of FR Form U-1 or such other form referred
to
in Regulation U, Regulation T or Regulation X of the Board, as the case may
be.
Section
9.08 ERISA
Compliance.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, at any
time:
(a) engage
in, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to engage in, any transaction in connection
with which the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate could be subjected
to either a civil penalty assessed pursuant to subsections (c), (i) or (l)
of
section 502 of ERISA or a tax imposed by Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of
the Code.
(b) terminate,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to terminate, any Plan in a manner, or take any
other action with respect to any Plan, which could result in any liability
of
the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate to the PBGC.
(c) fail
to
make, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to fail to make, full payment when due
of
all amounts which, under the provisions of any Plan, agreement relating thereto
or applicable law, the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate is required
to pay as contribu-tions thereto.
(d) permit
to
exist, or allow any ERISA Affiliate to permit to exist, any accumulated funding
deficiency within the meaning of section 302 of ERISA or section 412 of the
Code, whether or not waived, with respect to any Plan.
(e) permit,
or allow any ERISA Affiliate to permit, the actuarial present value of the
benefit liabilities under any Plan maintained by the Borrower, a Subsidiary
or
any ERISA Affiliate which is regulated under Title IV of ERISA to exceed
the current value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in
accordance with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan allocable to such benefit
liabilities. The term “actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities” shall
have the meaning specified in section 4041 of ERISA.
(f) contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate
to
contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to, any Multiemployer
Plan.
(g) acquire,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to acquire, an interest in any Person that causes
such Person to become an ERISA Affiliate with respect to the Borrower or a
Subsidiary or with respect to any ERISA Affiliate of the Borrower or a
Subsidiary if such Person sponsors, maintains or contributes to, or at any
time
in the six-year period preceding such acquisition has sponsored, maintained,
or
contributed to, (1)
any
Multiemployer Plan, or (2)
any
68
other
Plan that is subject to Title IV of ERISA under which the actuarial present
value of the benefit liabilities under such Plan exceeds the current value
of
the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in accordance with
Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan allocable to such benefit
liabilities.
(h) incur,
or
permit any ERISA Affiliate to incur, a liability to or on account of a Plan
under sections 515, 4062, 4063, 4064, 4201 or 4204 of ERISA.
(i) contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate
to
contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to, any employee welfare
benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1) of ERISA, including, without
limitation, any such plan maintained to provide benefits to former employees
of
such entities, that may not be terminated by such entities in their sole
discretion at any time without any material liability.
(j) amend,
or
permit any ERISA Affiliate to amend, a Plan resulting in an increase in current
liability such that the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate is
required to provide security to such Plan under section 401(a)(29) of the
Code.
Section
9.09 Sale
or Discount of Receivables.
Except
for receivables obtained by the Borrower or any Subsidiary out of the ordinary
course of business or the settlement of joint interest billing accounts in
the
ordinary course of business or discounts granted to settle collection of
accounts receivable or the sale of defaulted accounts arising in the ordinary
course of business in connection with the compromise or collection thereof
and
not in connection with any financing transaction, the Borrower will not, and
will not permit any Subsidiary to, discount or sell (with or without recourse)
any of its notes receivable or accounts receivable.
Section
9.10 Mergers,
Etc.
Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will merge into or with or consolidate
with any other Person, or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in one
transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its
Property to any other Person, except that any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary may merge
with any other Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and that the Borrower may merge with
any
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary so long as the Borrower is the survivor.
Section
9.11 Sale
of Properties.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, sell, assign,
farm-out, convey or otherwise transfer any Property except for (a)
the sale
of Hydrocarbons in the ordinary course of business; (b)
farmouts
in the ordinary course of business of undeveloped acreage or undrilled depths
and assignments in connection with such farmouts; (c)
the sale
or transfer of equipment that is no longer necessary for the business of the
Borrower or such Subsidiary or is replaced by equipment of at least comparable
value and use; (d) the sale or other disposition (including Casualty Events)
of
any Oil and Gas Property or any interest therein or any Subsidiary owning Oil
and Gas Properties; provided that (i)
100% of
the consideration received in respect of such sale or other disposition shall
be
cash, (ii)
the
consideration received in respect of such sale or other disposition shall be
equal to or greater than the fair market value of the Oil and Gas Property,
interest therein or Subsidiary subject of such sale or other disposition if
requested by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall deliver a certificate
of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying to that effect),
(iii)
if such
sale or other disposition of Oil and Gas Property or Subsidiary owning Oil
and
Gas Properties included
69
in
the
most recently delivered Reserve Report during any period between two successive
Scheduled Redetermination Dates has a fair market value in excess of five
percent (5%) of the Borrowing Base as then in effect (as determined by the
Administrative Agent), individually or in the aggregate, the Borrowing Base
shall be reduced, effective immediately upon such sale or disposition, by an
amount equal to the value, if any, assigned such Property in the most recently
delivered Reserve Report and (iv)
if any
such sale or other disposition is of a Subsidiary owning Oil and Gas Properties,
such sale or other disposition shall include all the Equity Interests of such
Subsidiary; and (e) sales and other dispositions of Properties not regulated
by
Section 9.11(a) to (d) having a fair market value not to exceed $1,000,000
during any 12-month period.
Section
9.12 Environmental
Matters.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, cause or permit any
of
its Property to be in violation of, or do anything or permit anything to be
done
which will subject any such Property to any Remedial Work under any
Environmental Laws, assuming disclosure to the applicable Governmental Authority
of all relevant facts, conditions and circumstances, if any, pertaining to
such
Property where such violations or remedial obligations could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
9.13 Transactions
with Affiliates.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any
transaction, including, without limitation, any purchase, sale, lease or
exchange of Property or the rendering of any service, with any Affiliate (other
than the Guarantors and Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of the Borrower and FM
Services, Inc.) unless such transactions are otherwise permitted under this
Agreement and are upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to it than
it
would obtain in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person not an
Affiliate.
Section
9.14 Subsidiaries.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create or acquire
any
additional Subsidiaries unless the Borrower gives written notice to the
Administrative Agent of such creation or acquisition and complies with
Section
8.14(b)
and
Section 8.14(c). The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any Subsidiary
to,
sell, assign or otherwise dispose of any Equity Interests in any Subsidiary
except in compliance with Section 9.11(d).
Section
9.15 Negative
Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume
or suffer to exist any contract, agreement or understanding (other than this
Agreement, the Security Instruments or Capital Leases creating Liens permitted
by Section
9.03(c)
and (d))
which in any way prohibits or restricts the granting, conveying, creation or
imposition of any Lien on any of its Property in favor of the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders or restricts any Subsidiary from paying dividends or
making distributions to the Borrower or any Guarantor, or which requires the
consent of or notice to other Persons in connection therewith.
Section
9.16 Gas
Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, allow gas imbalances,
take-or-pay or other prepayments with respect to the Oil and Gas Properties
of
the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would require the Borrower or such
Subsidiary to deliver Hydrocarbons at some future time
70
without
then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor to exceed 100,000 Mcf of
gas
(on an Mcf equivalent basis) in the aggregate.
Section
9.17 Swap
Agreements.
The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any Swap
Agreements with any Person other than (a)
Swap
Agreements in respect of commodities (i)
with an
Approved Counterparty and (ii)
the
notional volumes for which (when aggregated with other commodity Swap Agreements
then in effect other than basis differential swaps on volumes already hedged
pursuant to other Swap Agreements) do not exceed, as of the date such Swap
Agreement is executed, 60% of the reasonably anticipated projected production
from proved, developed, producing Oil and Gas Properties for each month during
the period during which such Swap Agreement is in effect for each of crude
oil
and natural gas, calculated separately, and (b)
Swap
Agreements in respect of interest rates with an Approved Counterparty which
effectively convert interest rates from floating to fixed, the notional amounts
of which (when aggregated with all other Swap Agreements of the Borrower and
its
Subsidiaries then in effect effectively converting interest rates from floating
to fixed) do not exceed 75% of the then outstanding principal amount of the
Borrower’s Debt for borrowed money which bears interest at a floating rate.
Except for any Swap Agreement entered into with a Lender or an Affiliate of
a
Lender in connection herewith, in no event shall any Swap Agreement contain
any
requirement, agreement or covenant for the Borrower or any Subsidiary to post
collateral or margin to secure their obligations under such Swap Agreement
or to
cover market exposures.
ARTICLE
X
Events
of Default; Remedies
Section
10.01 Events
of Default.
One or
more of the following events shall constitute an “Event
of Default”:
(a) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement
obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become
due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for
prepayment thereof, by acceleration or otherwise.
(b) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other
amount (other than an amount referred to in Section
10.01(a))
payable
under any Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable,
and
such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of three (3) Business
Days.
(c) any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Parent,
the Borrower or any Subsidiary in or in connection with any Loan Document or
any
amendment or modification of any Loan Document or waiver under such Loan
Document, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document
furnished pursuant to or in connection with any Loan Document or any amendment
or modification thereof or waiver thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect
when made or deemed made.
71
(d) the
Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to observe or perform any
covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 8.01(j), Section
8.01(m),
Section
8.02,
Section
8.03,
Section
8.14 or in ARTICLE
IX.
(e) the
Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to observe or perform any
covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those
specified in Section
10.01(a),
Section
10.01(b)
or
Section
10.01(d))
or any
other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period
of
30 days after the earlier to occur of (A)
notice
thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be
given at the request of any Lender) or (B)
a
Responsible Officer of the Borrower or such Subsidiary otherwise becoming aware
of such default.
(f) the
Borrower or any Guarantor shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal
or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness,
when and as the same shall become due and payable.
(g) any
event
or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due
prior
to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (following any applicable
grace period and notice) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness
or
any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness
to become due, or to require the Redemption thereof or any offer to Redeem
to be
made in respect thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity or require the Parent,
the Borrower or any Subsidiary to make an offer in respect thereof.
(h) an
involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall
be
filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of
the
Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary or its debts, or of a substantial part
of
its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency,
receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment
of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official
for the Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of
its
assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue
undismissed for thirty (30) days or an order or decree approving or ordering
any
of the foregoing shall be entered.
(i) the
Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any
proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other
relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership
or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution
of,
or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or
petition described in Section
10.01(h),
(iii)
apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian,
sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Subsidiary
or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the
material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding,
(v)
make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action
for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
or any
stockholder of the Parent shall make any request or take any action for the
purpose of calling a meeting of the stockholders of the Parent to consider
a
resolution to dissolve and wind up the Parent’s affairs.
72
(j) the
Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing
its
inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due.
(k) (i)
one or
more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of
$1,000,000 (to the extent not covered by independent third party insurance
provided by insurers of the highest claims paying rating or financial strength
as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage and is not subject to an
insolvency proceeding) or (ii)
any one
or more non-monetary judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to
have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, shall be
rendered against the Parent, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination
thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 consecutive
days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action
shall
be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of
the
Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such
judgment.
(l) the
Loan
Documents after delivery thereof shall for any reason, except to the extent
permitted by the terms thereof, cease to be in full force and effect and valid,
binding and enforceable in accordance with their terms against the Borrower
or a
Guarantor party thereto or shall be repudiated by any of them, or cease to
create a valid and perfected Lien of the priority required thereby on any of
the
collateral purported to be covered thereby, except to the extent permitted
by
the terms of this Agreement, or the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their
Affiliates shall so state in writing.
(m) an
ERISA
Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Majority Lenders, when
taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably
be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in
an
aggregate amount exceeding $1,000,000
in any
year.
(n) a
Change
in Control shall occur.
Section
10.02 Remedies.
(a) In
the
case of an Event of Default other than one described in Section
10.01(h),
Section
10.01(i)
or
Section
10.01(j),
at any
time thereafter during the continuance of such Event of Default, the
Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Majority Lenders, shall,
by
notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the
same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the
Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Notes and the
Loans then outstanding to be 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 Borrower and the Guarantors accrued hereunder and
under
the Notes and the other Loan Documents (including, without limitation, the
payment of cash collateral to secure the LC Exposure as provided in Section
2.08(j)),
shall
become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest, notice
of intent to accelerate, notice of acceleration or other notice of any kind,
all
of which are hereby waived by the Borrower and each Guarantor; and in case
of an
Event of Default described in Section
10.01(h),
Section
10.01(i)
or
Section
10.01(j),
the
Commitments shall automatically terminate and the Notes and the principal of
the
73
Loans
then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and the
other obligations of the Borrower and the Guarantors accrued hereunder and
under
the Notes and the other Loan Documents (including, without limitation, the
payment of cash collateral to secure the LC Exposure as provided in Section
2.08(j)),
shall
automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest
or
other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower and
each Guarantor.
(b) In
the
case of the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Administrative Agent and
the
Lenders will have all other rights and remedies available at law and
equity.
(c) All
proceeds realized from the liquidation or other disposition of collateral or
otherwise received after maturity of the Notes, whether by acceleration or
otherwise, shall be applied:
(i) first,
to
payment or reimbursement of that portion of the Indebtedness constituting fees,
expenses and indemnities payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity
as
such;
(ii) second,
pro
rata to payment or reimbursement of that portion of the Indebtedness
constituting fees, expenses and indemnities payable to the Lenders;
(iii) third,
pro
rata to payment of accrued interest on the Loans;
(iv) fourth,
pro
rata to payment of principal outstanding on the Loans and Indebtedness referred
to in Clause (b) of the definition of Indebtedness owing to a Lender or an
Affiliate of a Lender;
(v) fifth,
pro
rata to any other Indebtedness;
(vi) sixth,
to
serve as cash collateral to be held by the Administrative Agent to secure the
LC
Exposure; and
(vii) seventh,
any
excess, after all of the Indebtedness shall have been indefeasibly paid in
full
in cash, shall be paid to the Borrower or as otherwise required by any
Governmental Requirement.
ARTICLE
XI
The
Administrative
Agent
(a) Appointment;
Powers.
Each of
the Lenders and the Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative
Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions
on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative
Agent by the terms hereof and the other Loan Documents, together with such
actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
Section
11.02 Duties
and Obligations of Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those
expressly set forth in the Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality
of
the foregoing, (a)
the
Administrative Agent shall
74
not
be
subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a
Default has occurred and is continuing (the use of the term “agent” herein and
in the other Loan Documents with reference to the Administrative Agent is not
intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations
arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law; rather, such term is used
merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only
an administrative relationship between independent contracting parties),
(b)
the
Administrative Agent shall have no duty to take any discretionary action or
exercise any discretionary powers, except as provided in Section
11.03,
and
(c)
except
as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any
duty
to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any
information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is
communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or
any
of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed
not
to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is
given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and shall not
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 or any other Loan Document, (ii)
the
contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or
under any other Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith,
(iii)
the
performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms
or
conditions set forth herein or in any other Loan Document, (iv)
the
validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any
other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, (v)
the
satisfaction of any condition set forth in ARTICLE
VI
or
elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required
to
be delivered to the Administrative Agent or as to those conditions precedent
expressly required to be to the Administrative Agent’s satisfaction,
(vi)
the
existence, value, perfection or priority of any collateral security or the
financial or other condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or any other
obligor or guarantor, or (vii)
any
failure by the Borrower or any other Person (other than itself) to perform
any
of its obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document or the performance
or observance of any covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set
forth herein or therein. For purposes of determining compliance with the
conditions specified in ARTICLE
VI,
each
Lender shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be
satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be
consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless
the
Administrative Agent shall have received written notice from such Lender prior
to the proposed closing date specifying its objection thereto.
Section
11.03 Action
by Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent shall have no duty to take any discretionary action or
exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers
expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the
Administrative 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
12.02)
and in
all cases the Administrative Agent shall be fully justified in failing or
refusing to act hereunder or under any other Loan Documents unless it shall
(a)
receive
written instructions from the Majority Lenders or the Lenders, as applicable,
(or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under
the circumstances as provided in Section
12.02)
specifying the action to be taken and (b)
be
indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability
and
expenses which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take
any such action. The instructions as aforesaid and any action taken
75
or
failure to act pursuant thereto by the Administrative Agent shall be binding
on
all of the Lenders. If a Default has occurred and is continuing, then the
Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default as
shall be directed by the requisite Lenders in the written instructions (with
indemnities) described in this Section
11.03,
provided that, unless and until the Administrative Agent shall have received
such directions, the Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to)
take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such
Default as it shall deem advisable in the best interests of the Lenders. In
no
event, however, shall the Administrative Agent be required to take any action
which exposes the Administrative Agent to personal liability or which is
contrary to this Agreement, the Loan Documents or applicable law. If a Default
has occurred and is continuing, the Syndication Agent shall have no obligation
to perform any act in respect thereof. No Agent shall not be liable for any
action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the
Majority Lenders or the Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the
Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in
Section
12.02),
and
otherwise no Agent shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by it
hereunder or under any other Loan Document or under any other document or
instrument referred to or provided for herein or therein or in connection
herewith or therewith INCLUDING ITS OWN ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE, except for its
own
gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Section
11.04 Reliance
by Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative 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. The Administrative 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 and each of the Borrower, the Lenders and the Issuing Bank
hereby waives the right to dispute the Administrative Agent’s record of such
statement, except in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct by
the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel
(who may be counsel for the Borrower), 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.
The
Administrative Agent may deem and treat the payee of any Note as the holder
thereof for all purposes hereof unless and until a written notice of the
assignment or transfer thereof permitted hereunder shall have been filed with
the Administrative Agent.
Section
11.05 Subagents.
The
Administrative 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 the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative 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 Sections
of this ARTICLE
XI
shall
apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative
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 Administrative Agent.
Section
11.06 Resignation
or Removal of Administrative Agent.
Subject
to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Agent as provided in this
Section
11.06,
any
Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and
the
Borrower, and any
76
Agent
may
be removed at any time with or without cause by the Majority Lenders. Upon
any
such resignation or removal, the Majority Lenders shall have the right, in
consultation with the Borrower, 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 or removal of the retiring Agent, then the retiring Agent may,
on
behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank, appoint a successor Agent. Upon
the
acceptance of its appointment as 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 Borrower to a
successor Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless
otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the Agent’s
resignation hereunder, the provisions of this ARTICLE
XI
and
Section
12.03
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 Agent.
Section
11.07 Agents
as Lenders.
Each
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 Borrower
or
any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not an Agent
hereunder.
Section
11.08 No
Reliance.
Each
Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative Agent, any other 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 and each other Loan Document
to which it is a party. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will,
independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any other
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 other Loan
Document, any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or
thereunder. The Agents shall not be required to keep themselves informed as
to
the performance or observance by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of
this
Agreement, the Loan Documents or any other document referred to or provided
for
herein or to inspect the Properties or books of the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries. Except for notices, reports and other documents and information
expressly required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Administrative Agent
hereunder, no Agent or the Arranger shall have any duty or responsibility to
provide any Lender with any credit or other information concerning the affairs,
financial condition or business of the Borrower (or any of its Affiliates)
which
may come into the possession of such Agent or any of its Affiliates. In this
regard, each Lender acknowledges that Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P. is acting in
this transaction as special counsel to the Administrative Agent only, except
to
the extent otherwise expressly stated in any legal opinion or any Loan Document.
Each other party hereto will consult with its own legal counsel to the extent
that it deems necessary in connection with the Loan Documents and the matters
contemplated therein.
77
Section
11.09 Administrative
Agent May File Proofs of Claim.
In
case
of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy,
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial
proceeding relative to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, the
Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall
then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise
and
irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand
on
the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such
proceeding or otherwise:
(a) to
file
and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing
and
unpaid in respect of the Loans and all other Indebtedness that are owing and
unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in
order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including
any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances
of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and
counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the Administrative Agent
under
Section
12.03)
allowed
in such judicial proceeding; and
(b) to
collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on
any
such claims and to distribute the same;
and
any
custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other
similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each
Lender to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event
that
the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly
to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due
the
Administrative Agent under Section
12.03.
Nothing
contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan
of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the
Indebtedness or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative
Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such
proceeding.
Section
11.10 Authority
of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens.
Each
Lender and the Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to
release any collateral that is permitted to be sold or released pursuant to
the
terms of the Loan Documents. Each Lender and the Issuing Bank hereby authorizes
the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower, at the
Borrower’s sole cost and expense, any and all releases of Liens, termination
statements, assignments or other documents reasonably requested by the Borrower
in connection with any sale or other disposition of Property to the extent
such
sale or other disposition is permitted by the terms of Section 9.10 or is
otherwise authorized by the terms of the Loan Documents.
Section
11.11 The
Arranger
and
the Syndication Agent.
The
Arranger and the Syndication Agent shall have no duties, responsibilities or
liabilities under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents other than their
duties, responsibilities and liabilities in their capacity as Lenders
hereunder.
78
ARTICLE
XII
Miscellaneous
Section
12.01 Notices.
(a) Except
in
the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given
by
telephone (and subject to Section
12.01(b)),
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 Borrower, to it at 0000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000,
Attention of Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000);
(ii) if
to the
Administrative Agent, to it at 10 South Dearborn, Fl 19, IL1-0010, Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention of Loan and Agency Services, Attention of Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000), with a copy to 000 Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, Attention of Xxxx Xxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000),
and for all other correspondence other than borrowings, continuation, conversion
and Letter of Credit requests 000 Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000,
Attention of Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000);
(iii) 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
II,
ARTICLE
III,
ARTICLE
IV
and
ARTICLE
V
unless
otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The
Administrative Agent or the 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 on the date of
receipt.
Section
12.02 Waivers;
Amendments.
(a) No
failure on the part of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender
to exercise and no delay in exercising, and no course of dealing with respect
to, any right, power or privilege, or any abandonment or discontinuance of
steps
to enforce such right, power or privilege, under any of the Loan Documents
shall
operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any
right, power or privilege under any of the Loan Documents preclude any other
or
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the
Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are
not
exclusive of
79
any
rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision
of
this Agreement or any other Loan Document or consent to any departure by the
Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be
permitted by Section
12.02(b),
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 the Administrative
Agent, any Lender or the Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such
Default at the time.
(b) Neither
this Agreement nor any provision hereof nor any Security Instrument nor any
provision thereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an
agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Majority
Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of
the
Majority Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i)
increase
the Maximum Credit Amount of any Lender without the written consent of such
Lender, (ii)
increase
the Borrowing Base without the written consent of each Lenders, decrease or
maintain the Borrowing Base without the consent of the Super-Majority Lenders,
or modify Section
2.07
in any
manner without the consent of each Lender, (iii)
reduce
the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of
interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, or reduce any other
Indebtedness hereunder or under any other Loan Document, without the written
consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv)
postpone
the scheduled date of payment or prepayment of the principal amount of any
Loan
or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder,
or
any other Indebtedness hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or reduce
the
amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone or extend the
Termination Date without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby,
(v)
change
Section
4.01(b)
or
Section
4.01(c)
in a
manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby,
without the written consent of each Lender, (vi)
waive or
amend Section
3.04(c),
Section
6.01,
Section
8.14,
Section
10.02(c)
or
Section
12.14
or
change the definition of the terms “Domestic Subsidiary”, “Foreign Subsidiary”,
or “Subsidiary”, without the written consent of each Lender, (vii)
release
any Guarantor (except as set forth in the Guaranty Agreement), release any
of
the collateral (other than as provided in Section
11.10),
or
reduce the percentage set forth in Section
8.14(a)
to less
than 85%, without the written consent of each Lender, or (viii)
change
any of the provisions of this Section
12.02(b)
or the
definitions of “Majority Lenders” or “Super-Majority Lenders” or any other
provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to
waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or under any other Loan Documents
or
make any determination or grant any consent hereunder or any other Loan
Documents, without the written consent of each Lender; provided further that
no
such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties
of
the Administrative Agent, any other Agent or the Issuing Bank hereunder or
under
any other Loan Document without the prior written consent of the Administrative
Agent, other such Agent or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, any supplement to Schedule 7.14 (Subsidiaries) shall be effective
simply by delivering to the Administrative Agent a supplemental schedule clearly
marked as such and, upon receipt, the Administrative Agent will promptly deliver
a copy thereof to the Lenders.
80
Section
12.03 Expenses,
Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
(a) The
Borrower shall pay (i)
all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and
its
Affiliates, including, without limitation, the reasonable fees, charges and
disbursements of counsel and other outside consultants for the Administrative
Agent, the reasonable travel, photocopy, mailing, courier, telephone and other
similar expenses, and the cost of environmental audits and surveys and
appraisals, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided
for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration
(both before and after the execution hereof and including advice of counsel
to
the Administrative Agent as to the rights and duties of the Administrative
Agent
and the Lenders with respect thereto) of this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents and any amendments, modifications or waivers of or consents related
to
the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated
hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii)
all
costs, expenses, Taxes, assessments and other charges incurred by the any Agent
or any Lender in connection with any filing, registration, recording or
perfection of any security interest contemplated by this Agreement or any
Security Instrument or any other document referred to therein, (iii)
all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Issuing Bank in connection
with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit
or
any demand for payment thereunder, (iv)
all
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender,
including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Agent,
the
Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection
of
its rights in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
including its rights under this Section
12.03,
or in
connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including,
without limitation, all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout,
restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of
Credit.
(b) THE
BORROWER SHALL INDEMNIFY THE EACH AGENT, THE ARRANGER, THE 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 OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR ANY
AGREEMENT OR INSTRUMENT CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, (ii) THE PERFORMANCE
BY
THE PARTIES HERETO OR THE PARTIES TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE
OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER OR THEREUNDER OR THE CONSUMMATION OF THE TRANSACTIONS
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR BY ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, (iii) THE FAILURE OF THE
BORROWER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF ANY LOAN DOCUMENT,
INCLUDING THIS AGREEMENT, OR WITH ANY GOVERNMENTAL REQUIREMENT, (iv) ANY
INACCURACY OF ANY REPRESENTATION OR ANY BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY OR COVENANT
OF
THE BORROWER OR ANY GUARANTOR SET FORTH IN ANY OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY
INSTRUMENTS, DOCUMENTS OR CERTIFICATIONS DELIVERED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,
(v)
ANY LOAN OR LETTER OF CREDIT OR THE USE OF THE PROCEEDS THEREFROM, INCLUDING,
81
WITHOUT
LIMITATION, (A)
ANY
REFUSAL BY THE ISSUING BANK TO HONOR A DEMAND FOR PAYMENT UNDER A LETTER OF
CREDIT IF THE DOCUMENTS PRESENTED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH DEMAND DO NOT STRICTLY
COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF SUCH LETTER OF CREDIT, OR (B)
THE
PAYMENT OF A DRAWING UNDER ANY LETTER OF CREDIT NOTWITHSTANDING THE
NON-COMPLIANCE, NON-DELIVERY OR OTHER IMPROPER PRESENTATION OF THE DOCUMENTS
PRESENTED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, (vi) ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS,
(vii) THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUSINESS OF THE BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES BY
THE
BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, (viii) ANY ASSERTION THAT THE LENDERS WERE NOT
ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THE SECURITY INSTRUMENTS,
(ix) ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY OR
ANY
OF THEIR PROPERTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE PRESENCE, GENERATION,
STORAGE, RELEASE, THREATENED RELEASE, USE, TRANSPORT, DISPOSAL, ARRANGEMENT
OF
DISPOSAL OR TREATMENT OF OIL, OIL AND GAS WASTES, SOLID WASTES OR HAZARDOUS
SUBSTANCES ON ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES, (x) THE BREACH OR NON-COMPLIANCE BY
THE
BORROWER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY WITH ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER
OR ANY SUBSIDIARY, (xi) THE PAST OWNERSHIP BY THE BORROWER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY
OF
ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES OR PAST ACTIVITY ON ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES WHICH,
THOUGH LAWFUL AND FULLY PERMISSIBLE AT THE TIME, COULD RESULT IN PRESENT
LIABILITY, (xii) THE PRESENCE, USE, RELEASE, STORAGE, TREATMENT, DISPOSAL,
GENERATION, THREATENED RELEASE, TRANSPORT, ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORT OR
ARRANGEMENT FOR DISPOSAL OF OIL, OIL AND GAS WASTES, SOLID WASTES OR HAZARDOUS
SUBSTANCES ON OR AT ANY OF THE PROPERTIES OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE BORROWER
OR
ANY SUBSIDIARY OR ANY ACTUAL OR ALLEGED PRESENCE OR RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS ON OR FROM ANY PROPERTY OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE BORROWER OR ANY
OF
ITS SUBSIDIARIES, (xiii) ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY RELATED IN ANY WAY TO
THE
BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, (xiv) ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH
OR
SAFETY CONDITION IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOAN DOCUMENTS, OR (xv) 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, AND SUCH INDEMNITY
SHALL EXTEND TO EACH INDEMNITEE NOTWITHSTANDING THE SOLE OR CONCURRENT
NEGLIGENCE OF EVERY KIND OR CHARACTER WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ACTIVE OR PASSIVE,
WHETHER AN AFFIRMATIVE ACT OR AN OMISSION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL
TYPES OF NEGLIGENT CONDUCT IDENTIFIED IN THE RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS
OF
ONE OR MORE OF THE INDEMNITEES OR BY REASON OF STRICT LIABILITY IMPOSED WITHOUT
FAULT ON ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE INDEMNITEES; PROVIDED THAT SUCH INDEMNITY SHALL
NOT, 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
82
HAVE
RESULTED FROM THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF SUCH
INDEMNITEE.
(c) To
the
extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it
to
any Agent, the Arranger or the Issuing Bank under Section
12.03(a)
or
(b),
each
Lender severally agrees to pay to such Agent, the Arranger or the Issuing Bank,
as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the
time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought)
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, the Arranger or the Issuing Bank in its capacity
as such.
(d) To
the
extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby
waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, 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, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated
hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use
of
the proceeds thereof.
(e) All
amounts due under this Section
12.03
shall be
payable not later than 10
days
after written demand therefor.
Section
12.04 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 the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit),
except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its
rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender
(and any attempted assignment or transfer by the 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
12.04.
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 the Issuing Bank that issues any
Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in Section
12.04(c))
and, to
the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the
Administrative Agent, the 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 Section
12.04(b)(ii),
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
and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such
consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:
(A) the
Borrower, provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required if such
assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, or, if an Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing, is to any other assignee; and
83
(B) the
Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent
shall
be required for an assignment to an assignee that is a Lender immediately prior
to giving effect to such assignment.
(ii) Assignments
shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except
in
the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an
assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment
or Loans, the amount of the Commitment or 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
not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall
be
required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(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;
(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; and
(D) the
assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative
Agent
an Administrative Questionnaire.
(iii) Subject
to Section
12.04(b)(iv)
and the
acceptance and recording thereof, 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 Section
5.01,
Section
5.02,
Section
5.03
and
Section
12.03).
Any
assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement
that does not comply with this Section
12.04
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 Section
12.04(c).
(iv) The
Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower,
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 Maximum Credit Amount 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 shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders may treat each Person
whose
84
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 Borrower, the Issuing Bank
and
any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior
notice.
In
connection with any changes to the Register, if necessary, the Administrative
Agent will reflect the revisions on Annex I and forward a copy of such revised
Annex I to the Borrower, the Issuing Bank and each Lender.
(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
and, if required hereunder, applicable tax forms (unless the assignee shall
already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred
to
in Section
12.04(b)
and any
written consent to such assignment required by Section
12.04(b),
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 Section
12.04(b).
(c) (i)Any
Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or
the
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);
provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall
remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the
other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the 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 proviso to Section
12.02
that
affects such Participant. In addition such agreement must provide that the
Participant be bound by the provisions of Section
12.03.
Subject
to Section
12.04(c)(ii),
the
Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of
Section
5.01,
Section
5.02
and
Section
5.03
to the
same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment
pursuant to Section
12.04(b).
To the
extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits
of Section
12.08
as
though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to
Section
4.01(c)
as
though it were a Lender.
(ii) A
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under
Section
5.01
or
Section
5.03
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 Borrower’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
5.03
unless
the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such
85
Participant
and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with
Section
5.03(e)
as
though it were a Lender.
(d) 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, without limitation, any pledge or assignment to secure obligations
to
a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section
12.04(d)
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.
(e) Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Section
12.04,
no
transfer or assignment of the interests or obligations of any Lender or any
grant of participations therein shall be permitted if such transfer, assignment
or grant would require the Borrower and the Guarantors to file a registration
statement with the SEC or to qualify the Loans under the “Blue Sky” laws of any
state.
Section
12.05 Survival;
Revival; Reinstatement.
(a) All
covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower
herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection
with
or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document 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 other Agent, the 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
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 Section
5.01,
Section
5.02,
Section
5.03
and
Section
12.03
and
ARTICLE
XI
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, any other Loan Document or any provision hereof or
thereof.
(b) To
the
extent that any payments on the Indebtedness or proceeds of any collateral
are
subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside
or required to be repaid to a trustee, debtor in possession, receiver or other
Person under any bankruptcy law, common law or equitable cause, then to such
extent, the Indebtedness so satisfied shall be revived and continue as if such
payment or proceeds had not been received and the Administrative Agent’s and the
Lenders’ Liens, security interests, rights, powers and remedies under this
Agreement and each Loan Document shall continue in full force and effect. In
such event, each Loan Document shall be automatically reinstated and the
Borrower shall take such action as may be reasonably requested by the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders to effect such reinstatement.
86
Section
12.06 Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness.
(a) 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.
(b) This
Agreement, 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 thereof
and
supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written,
relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof. THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS REPRESENT THE FINAL AGREEMENT AMONG
THE
PARTIES HERETO AND THERETO AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR,
CONTEMPORANEOUS OR SUBSEQUENT ORAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES. THERE ARE NO
UNWRITTEN ORAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
(c) Except
as
provided in Section
6.01,
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
12.07 Severability
.
Any
provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document 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 or thereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision
in a
particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other
jurisdiction.
Section
12.08 Right
of Setoff
.
If an
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, 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 (of whatsoever kind, including, without limitations
obligations under Swap Agreements) at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate
to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any Subsidiary against
any of and all the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary owed to such
Lender now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand
under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations
may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section
12.08
are in
addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which
such Lender or its Affiliates may have.
87
Section
12.09 GOVERNING
LAW; JURISDICTION;
CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS.
(a) THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH,
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT UNITED STATES FEDERAL
LAW PERMITS ANY LENDER TO CONTRACT FOR, CHARGE, RECEIVE, RESERVE OR TAKE
INTEREST AT THE RATE ALLOWED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE WHERE SUCH LENDER IS
LOCATED. CHAPTER 346 OF THE TEXAS FINANCE CODE (WHICH REGULATES CERTAIN
REVOLVING CREDIT LOAN ACCOUNTS AND REVOLVING TRI-PARTY ACCOUNTS) SHALL NOT
APPLY
TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE NOTES.
(b) ANY
LEGAL
ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THE LOAN DOCUMENTS SHALL BE BROUGHT IN
THE
COURTS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS OR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF TEXAS (HOUSTON DIVISION), AND, BY EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS
AGREEMENT, EACH PARTY HEREBY ACCEPTS FOR ITSELF AND (TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED
BY
LAW) IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTY, GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY, THE JURISDICTION
OF THE AFORESAID COURTS. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION,
INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OR BASED
ON
THE GROUNDS OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO
THE
BRINGING OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS.
THIS
SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION IS NON-EXCLUSIVE AND DOES NOT PRECLUDE A PARTY FROM
OBTAINING JURISDICTION OVER ANOTHER PARTY IN ANY COURT OTHERWISE HAVING
JURISDICTION.
(c) EACH
PARTY IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO THE SERVICE OF PROCESS OF ANY OF THE
AFOREMENTIONED COURTS IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY THE MAILING OF COPIES
THEREOF BY REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL, POSTAGE PREPAID, TO IT AT THE ADDRESS
SPECIFIED IN SECTION 12.01 OR SUCH OTHER ADDRESS AS IS SPECIFIED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 12.01 (OR ITS ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION), SUCH SERVICE TO BECOME
EFFECTIVE THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER SUCH MAILING. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL AFFECT
THE
RIGHT OF A PARTY OR ANY HOLDER OF A NOTE TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER
PERMITTED BY LAW OR TO COMMENCE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS OR OTHERWISE PROCEED AGAINST
ANOTHER PARTY IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.
(d) EACH
PARTY HEREBY (i)
IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY
LAW,
TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT
OR
ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN; (ii)
IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT
IT
MAY HAVE TO CLAIM OR RECOVER IN ANY SUCH LITIGATION ANY SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY,
PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES OTHER THAN, OR IN ADDITION TO,
ACTUAL DAMAGES;
88
(iii)
CERTIFIES THAT NO PARTY HERETO NOR ANY REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF COUNSEL FOR
ANY PARTY HERETO HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, OR IMPLIED THAT SUCH
PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING
WAIVERS, AND (iv)
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT, THE LOAN
DOCUMENTS AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY BY, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION
12.09.
Section
12.10 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
12.11 Confidentiality.
Each of
the Administrative Agent, the 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 (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, (d)
to any
other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (e)
in
connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan
Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any
other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder,
(f)
subject
to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this
Section
12.11,
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 or (ii)
any
actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any Swap Agreement
relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g)
with the
consent of the Borrower or (h)
to the
extent such Information (i)
becomes
publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section
12.11
or
(ii)
becomes
available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a
nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes
of
this Section
12.11,
“Information”
means
all information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the
Borrower or any Subsidiary and their businesses, other than any such information
that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender
on
a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or a Subsidiary;
provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any
Subsidiary 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
12.11
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.
Section
12.12 Interest
Rate
Limitation.
It is
the intention of the parties hereto that each Lender shall conform strictly
to
usury laws applicable to it. Accordingly, if the transactions contemplated
hereby would be usurious as to any Lender under laws applicable to it (including
the laws of the United States of America and the State of Texas or any other
jurisdiction whose laws may be mandatorily applicable to such Lender
notwithstanding the other provisions of this
89
Agreement),
then, in that event, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any of the
Loan
Documents or any agreement entered into in connection with or as security for
the Notes, it is agreed as follows: (i)
the
aggregate of all consideration which constitutes interest under law applicable
to any Lender that is contracted for, taken, reserved, charged or received
by
such Lender under any of the Loan Documents or agreements or otherwise in
connection with the Notes shall under no circumstances exceed the maximum amount
allowed by such applicable law, and any excess shall be canceled automatically
and if theretofore paid shall be credited by such Lender on the principal amount
of the Indebtedness (or, to the extent that the principal amount of the
Indebtedness shall have been or would thereby be paid in full, refunded by
such
Lender to the Borrower); and (ii)
in the
event that the maturity of the Notes is accelerated by reason of an election
of
the holder thereof resulting from any Event of Default under this Agreement
or
otherwise, or in the event of any required or permitted prepayment, then such
consideration that constitutes interest under law applicable to any Lender
may
never include more than the maximum amount allowed by such applicable law,
and
excess interest, if any, provided for in this Agreement or otherwise shall
be
canceled automatically by such Lender as of the date of such acceleration or
prepayment and, if theretofore paid, shall be credited by such Lender on the
principal amount of the Indebtedness (or, to the extent that the principal
amount of the Indebtedness shall have been or would thereby be paid in full,
refunded by such Lender to the Borrower). All sums paid or agreed to be paid
to
any Lender for the use, forbearance or detention of sums due hereunder shall,
to
the extent permitted by law applicable to such Lender, be amortized, prorated,
allocated and spread throughout the stated term of the Loans evidenced by the
Notes until payment in full so that the rate or amount of interest on account
of
any Loans hereunder does not exceed the maximum amount allowed by such
applicable law. If at any time and from time to time (i)
the
amount of interest payable to any Lender on any date shall be computed at the
Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender pursuant to this Section
12.12
and
(ii)
in
respect of any subsequent interest computation period the amount of interest
otherwise payable to such Lender would be less than the amount of interest
payable to such Lender computed at the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such
Lender, then the amount of interest payable to such Lender in respect of such
subsequent interest computation period shall continue to be computed at the
Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender until the total amount of interest
payable to such Lender shall equal the total amount of interest which would
have
been payable to such Lender if the total amount of interest had been computed
without giving effect to this Section
12.12.
To the
extent that Chapter 303 of the Texas Finance Code is relevant for the purpose
of
determining the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to a Lender, such Lender elects
to determine the applicable rate ceiling under such Chapter by the weekly
ceiling from time to time in effect. Chapter 346 of the Texas Finance Code
does
not apply to the Borrower’s obligations hereunder.
Section
12.13 EXCULPATION
PROVISIONS.
EACH OF
THE PARTIES HERETO SPECIFICALLY AGREES THAT IT HAS A DUTY TO READ THIS AGREEMENT
AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND AGREES THAT IT IS CHARGED WITH NOTICE AND
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS; THAT
IT
HAS IN FACT READ THIS AGREEMENT AND IS FULLY INFORMED AND HAS FULL NOTICE AND
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS, CONDITIONS AND EFFECTS OF THIS AGREEMENT; THAT IT HAS
BEEN REPRESENTED BY INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL OF ITS CHOICE THROUGHOUT THE
NEGOTIATIONS PRECEDING ITS EXECUTION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE
90
OTHER
LOAN DOCUMENTS; AND HAS RECEIVED THE ADVICE OF ITS ATTORNEY IN ENTERING INTO
THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS; AND THAT IT RECOGNIZES THAT CERTAIN
OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS RESULT IN ONE PARTY
ASSUMING THE LIABILITY INHERENT IN SOME ASPECTS OF THE TRANSACTION AND RELIEVING
THE OTHER PARTY OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH LIABILITY. EACH PARTY HERETO
AGREES AND COVENANTS THAT IT WILL NOT CONTEST THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY
OF
ANY EXCULPATORY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS ON
THE
BASIS THAT THE PARTY HAD NO NOTICE OR KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH PROVISION OR THAT THE
PROVISION IS NOT “CONSPICUOUS.”
Section
12.14 Collateral
Matters; Swap Agreements.
The
benefit of the Security Instruments and of the provisions of this Agreement
relating to any collateral securing the Indebtedness shall also extend to and
be
available to those Lenders or their Affiliates which are counterparties to
any
Swap Agreement with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries on a pro
rata
basis in
respect of any obligations of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which
arise under any such Swap Agreement while such Person or its Affiliate is a
Lender, but only while such Person or its Affiliate is a Lender, including
any
Swap Agreements between such Persons in existence prior to the date hereof.
No
Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender shall have any voting rights under any
Loan
Document as a result of the existence of obligations owed to it under any such
Swap Agreements.
Section
12.15 No
Third Party Beneficiaries.
This
Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the agreement of the Lenders to make
Loans and the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend Letters of Credit
hereunder are solely for the benefit of the Borrower, and no other Person
(including, without limitation, any Subsidiary of the Borrower, any obligor,
contractor, subcontractor, supplier or materialsman) shall have any rights,
claims, remedies or privileges hereunder or under any other Loan Document
against the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, the Issuing Bank or any
Lender for any reason whatsoever. There are no third party
beneficiaries.
Section
12.16 USA
Patriot Act Notice.
Each
Lender hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the
USA
Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001))
(the “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 Act.
[SIGNATURES
BEGIN NEXT PAGE]
91
The
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day
and
year first above written.
BORROWER:
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By:
___________________________
Name:
Title:
ADMINISTRATIVE
AGENT: JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Administrative Agent
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
SYNDICATION
AGENT:
TORONTO-DOMINION
(TEXAS) LLC,
as
Syndication Agent
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
LENDER:
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as a
Lender
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
Signature
Page
Credit
Agreement
4
LENDER:
TORONTO-DOMINION
(TEXAS) LLC, as
a
Lender
By: ______________________________
Name:
Title:
Signature
Page
Credit
Agreement
5
ANNEX
I
LIST
OF MAXIMUM CREDIT AMOUNTS
Aggregate
Maximum Credit Amounts
Name
of Lender
|
Applicable
Percentage
|
Maximum
Credit Amount
|
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
|
50.00%
|
$
50,000,000.00
|
Toronto-Dominion
(Texas) LLC
|
50.00%
|
$
50,000,000.00
|
TOTAL
|
100.00%
|
$100,000,000.00
|
Annex
I
-
1
EXHIBIT
A
FORM
OF NOTE
$[
],000,000.00 [ ],
2006
FOR
VALUE
RECEIVED, McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC,
a
Delaware
limited
liability company (the “Borrower”)
hereby
promises to pay to the order of [
]
(the
“Lender”),
at
the principal office of JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent
(the
“Administrative
Agent”),
the
principal sum of [ ]
Dollars
($[ ])
(or
such lesser amount as shall equal the aggregate unpaid principal amount of
the
Loans made by the Lender to the Borrower under the Credit Agreement, as
hereinafter defined), in lawful money of the United States of America and in
immediately available funds, on the dates and in the principal amounts provided
in the Credit Agreement, and to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount
of
each such Loan, at such office, in like money and funds, for the period
commencing on the date of such Loan until such Loan shall be paid in full,
at
the rates per annum and on the dates provided in the Credit
Agreement.
The
date,
amount, Type, interest rate, Interest Period and maturity of each Loan made
by
the Lender to the Borrower, and each payment made on account of the principal
thereof, shall be recorded by the Lender on its books and, prior to any transfer
of this Note, may be endorsed by the Lender on the schedules attached hereto
or
any continuation thereof or on any separate record maintained by the Lender.
Failure to make any such notation or to attach a schedule shall not affect
any
Lender’s or the Borrower’s rights or obligations in respect of such Loans or
affect the validity of such transfer by any Lender of this Note.
This
Note
is one of the Notes referred to in the Credit Agreement dated as of April
19,
2006
among
the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, and the other agents and lenders
signatory thereto (including the Lender), and evidences Loans made by the Lender
thereunder (such Credit Agreement as the same may be amended, supplemented
or
restated from time to time, the “Credit
Agreement”).
Capitalized terms used in this Note have the respective meanings assigned to
them in the Credit Agreement.
This
Note
is issued pursuant to, and is subject to the terms and conditions set forth
in,
the Credit Agreement and is entitled to the benefits provided for in the Credit
Agreement and the other Loan Documents. The Credit Agreement provides for the
acceleration of the maturity of this Note upon the occurrence of certain events,
for prepayments of Loans upon the terms and conditions specified therein and
other provisions relevant to this Note.
THIS
NOTE
SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE
OF
TEXAS.
Exhibit
A
- 1
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By:
____________________________
Name:
Title:
Exhibit
A
-2
EXHIBIT
B
FORM
OF BORROWING REQUEST
[ ],
2006
McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Borrower”),
pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Credit Agreement dated as of April 19, 2006
(together with all amendments, restatements, supplements or other modifications
thereto, the “Credit
Agreement”)
among
the Borrower, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent and the other
agents and lenders (the “Lenders”)
which
are or become parties thereto (unless otherwise defined herein, each capitalized
term used herein is defined in the Credit Agreement), hereby requests a
Borrowing as follows:
(i) Aggregate
amount of the requested Borrowing is
$[ ];
(ii) Date
of
such Borrowing is
[ ],
200[ ];
(iii) Requested
Borrowing is to be [an ABR Borrowing] [a Eurodollar Borrowing];
(iv) In
the
case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period applicable thereto
is
[ ];
(v) Amount
of
Borrowing Base in effect on the date hereof is
$[ ];
(vi) Total
Revolving Credit Exposures on the date hereof (i.e., outstanding principal
amount of Loans and total LC Exposure) is
$[ ];
and
(vii) Pro
forma
total
Revolving Credit Exposures (giving effect to the requested Borrowing) is
$[ ];
and
(viii) Location
and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which
shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.05 of the Credit Agreement,
is
as follows:
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
Exhibit
B
- 1
The
undersigned certifies that he/she is the
[ ]
of the Borrower, and that as such he/she is authorized to execute this
certificate on behalf of the Borrower. The undersigned further certifies,
represents and warrants on behalf of the Borrower that the Borrower is entitled
to receive the requested Borrowing under the terms and conditions of the Credit
Agreement.
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By:
_________________________
Name:
Title:
Exhibit
B
- 2
EXHIBIT
C
FORM
OF INTEREST ELECTION REQUEST
[
] [ ], 2006
McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Borrower”),
pursuant to Section 2.04 of the Credit Agreement dated as of April 19, 2006
(together with all amendments, restatements, supplements or other modifications
thereto, the “Credit
Agreement”)
among
the Borrower, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent and the other
agents and lenders (the “Lenders”)
which
are or become parties thereto (unless otherwise defined herein, each capitalized
term used herein is defined in the Credit Agreement), hereby makes an Interest
Election Request as follows:
(i) The
Borrowing to which this 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 specified pursuant to (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for
each resulting Borrowing) is
[ ];
(ii) The
effective date of the election made pursuant to this Interest Election Request
is
[ ],
200[ ];[and]
(iii) The
resulting Borrowing is to be [an ABR Borrowing] [a Eurodollar Borrowing][;
and]
[(iv) [If
the
resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing] The Interest Period applicable
to
the resulting Borrowing after giving effect to such election is
[ ]].
The
undersigned certifies that he/she is the
[ ]
of the Borrower, and that as such he/she is authorized to execute this
certificate on behalf of the Borrower. The undersigned further certifies,
represents and warrants on behalf of the Borrower that the Borrower is entitled
to receive the requested continuation or conversion under the terms and
conditions of the Credit Agreement.
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By:
________________________
Name:
Title:
Exhibit
C
- 1
EXHIBIT
D
FORM
OF
COMPLIANCE
CERTIFICATE
The
undersigned hereby certifies that he/she is the [ ]
of
McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC,
a
Delaware
limited
liability company (the “Borrower”),
and
that as such he/she is authorized to execute this certificate on behalf of
the
Borrower. With reference to the Credit Agreement dated as of April 19,
2006
(together with all amendments, restatements, supplements or other modifications
thereto being the “Agreement”)
among
the Borrower, JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.,
as
Administrative Agent, and the other agents and lenders (the “Lenders”)
which
are or become a party thereto, and such Lenders, the undersigned represents
and
warrants as follows (each capitalized term used herein having the same meaning
given to it in the Agreement unless otherwise specified):
(a) The
representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in Article VII of
the
Agreement and in the Loan Documents and otherwise made in writing by or on
behalf of the Borrower pursuant to the Agreement and the Loan Documents were
true and correct when made, and are repeated at and as of the time of delivery
hereof and are true and correct in all material respects at and as of the time
of delivery hereof, except to the extent such representations and warranties
are
expressly limited to an earlier date or the Majority Lenders have expressly
consented in writing to the contrary.
(b) The
Borrower has performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained
in the Agreement and in the Loan Documents required to be performed or complied
with by it prior to or at the time of delivery hereof [or specify default and
describe].
(c) Since
December 31, 2005, no change has occurred, either in any case or in the
aggregate, in the condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect
[or specify event].
(d) There
exists no Default or Event of Default [or specify Default and
describe].
(e) Attached
hereto are the detailed computations necessary to determine whether the Borrower
is in compliance with Section
9.01
and
Section
8.14
as of
the end of the [fiscal quarter][fiscal year] ending [ ].
EXECUTED
AND DELIVERED this [ ]
day of
[ ].
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By: __________________________
Name:
Title:
Exhibit
D
- 1
EXHIBIT
E
FORM
OF LEGAL OPINION OF XXXXX XXXXXX
Exhibit
E
- 1
EXHIBIT
F-1
SECURITY
INSTRUMENTS
1) Guaranty
and Collateral Agreement dated as of April 19, 2006 by the Borrower, and McMoRan
Exploration Co., K-Mc Venture I LLC, Freeport Canadian International Company
and
McMoRan International Inc., as the Guarantors, in favor of the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders.
2) Financing
Statements in respect of item 1.
3) Stock
Powers delivered in respect of item 1.
a) Freeport
Canadian International Company, a Delaware corporation
b) McMoRan
International Inc., a Delaware corporation
4) Mortgage,
Assignment of As-Extracted Collateral, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing
dated as of April 19, 2006 by the Borrower, as mortgagor, for the benefit of
the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and others (Louisiana).
5) Financing
Statement in respect of item 4.
6) Mortgage,
Assignment of As-Extracted Collateral, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing
dated as of April 19, 2006 by K-Mc Venture I LLC, as mortgagor, for the benefit
of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and others (Louisiana).
7) Financing
Statement in respect of item 6.
8) Mortgage,
Line of Credit Mortgage, Deed of Trust, Assignment of As-Extracted Collateral,
Security Agreement and Financing Statement dated as of April 19, 2006 by K-Mc
Venture I LLC, as mortgagor, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the
Lenders and others (Mississippi).
9) Financing
Statement in respect of item 8.
Exhibit
F-1 - 1
EXHIBIT
F-2
FORM
OF GUARANTY AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT
Exhibit
F-2 - 1
EXHIBIT
G
FORM
OF ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
This
Assignment and Assumption (the “Assignment
and Assumption”)
is
dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and
between [Insert
name of Assignor]
(the
“Assignor”)
and
[Insert
name of Assignee]
(the
“Assignee”).
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given
to
them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the “Credit
Agreement”),
receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard
Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed
to
and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and
Assumption as if set forth herein in full.
For
an
agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to
the
Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the
Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions
and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the
Administrative Agent as contemplated below (i) all of the Assignor’s rights and
obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any
other
documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to
the
amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding
rights and obligations of the Assignor under the respective facilities
identified below (including any letters of credit and guarantees included in
such facilities) and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under
applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of
the
Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or
unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other
documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions
governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing,
including contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims
and
all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations
sold
and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold
and
assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein
collectively as the “Assigned
Interest”).
Such
sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly
provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty
by the Assignor.
1. Assignor: ______________________________
2. Assignee: ______________________________
[and
is an
Affiliate of [identify
Lender]1
Select as applicable.]
3. Borrower: McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC
4. Administrative
Agent: JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit
Agreement
5. Credit
Agreement: The
Credit Agreement dated as of April 19, 2006 among McMoran Oil & Gas LLC, the
Lenders parties thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent,
and
the other agents parties thereto.
______________________
1
Select
as
applicable.
Exhibit
G
- 1
6.
Assigned
Interest:
Commitment
Assigned
|
Aggregate
Amount of Commitment/Loans for
all
Lenders
|
Amount
of
Commitment/Loans
Assigned
|
Percentage
Assigned of Commitment/Loans2
|
$
|
$
|
%
|
|
$
|
$
|
%
|
|
$
|
$
|
%
|
Effective
Date: _____________ ___, 20___ [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND
WHICH
SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER
THEREFOR.]
The
terms
set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:
ASSIGNOR
[NAME
OF ASSIGNOR]
|
By:______________________________
Title:
ASSIGNEE
[NAME
OF
ASSIGNEE]
By:______________________________
Title:
_________________
2 Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a
percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.
Exhibit
G
- 2
Consented
to and Accepted:
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A, as
Administrative Agent
By_________________________________
Name:
Title:
By_________________________________
Name:
Title:
Consented
to:
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By________________________________
Name:
Title:
Exhibit
G
- 3
ANNEX
1
STANDARD
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR
ASSIGNMENT
AND ASSUMPTION
1.
Representations
and Warranties.
1.1
Assignor.
The
Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial
owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear
of
any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and
authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this
Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements,
warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement
or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity,
enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Loan Documents or
any
collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of
its
Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any
Loan
Document or (iv) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its
Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective
obligations under any Loan Document.
1.2.
Assignee.
The
Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority,
and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment
and
Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become
a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if
any,
specified in the Credit Agreement that are required to be satisfied by it in
order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and
after
the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement
as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have
the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iv) it has received a copy of the
Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements
delivered pursuant to Section
8.01
thereof,
as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed
appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this
Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis
of
which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance
on the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and (v) if it is a Foreign
Lender, attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required
to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly
completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will,
independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, the Assignor
or
any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem
appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking
or
not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in
accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the
Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
2.
Payments.
From
and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments
in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest,
fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but
excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued
from and after the Effective Date.
3.
General
Provisions.
This
Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of,
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment
and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together
shall constitute one instrument. Delivery
of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment
and
Assumption
by
telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart
of
this Assignment
and
Exhibit
G
- 4
Assumption.
This
Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the law of the State of Texas.
Exhibit
G
- 5
EXHIBIT
H-1
FORM
OF MAXIMUM CREDIT AMOUNT INCREASE CERTIFICATE
[ ],
200[ ]
To: JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
as
Administrative Agent
The
Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Agents and certain Lenders
have
heretofore entered into the Credit Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2006, as
amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (the
“Credit
Agreement”).
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning given
to
such terms in the Credit Agreement.
This
Maximum Credit Amount Increase Certificate is being delivered pursuant to
Section 2.06(c) of the Credit Agreement.
Please
be
advised that the undersigned has agreed to (a) increase its Maximum Credit
Amount under the Credit Agreement effective [ ],
200[ ]
from
$[ ]
to
$[ ]
and (b)
that it shall continue to be a party in all respect to the Credit Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents.
The
[Borrower/Lender] shall pay the fee payable to the Administrative Agent pursuant
to Section 2.06(c)(ii) of the Credit Agreement.
Very
truly yours,
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By:
___________________________
Name:
________________________
Title:
__________________________
Exhibit
H-1 - 1
Accepted and Agreed:
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.
as
Administrative Agent
By: ________________________
Name:
______________________
Title:
_______________________
Accepted
and Agreed:
[ ]
By:
______________________
Name:
____________________
Title:
_____________________
Exhibit
H-1 - 2
EXHIBIT
H-2
FORM
OF ADDITIONAL LENDER CERTIFICATE
[ ],
200[ ]
To: JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
as
Administrative Agent
The
Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Agents and certain Lenders
have
heretofore entered into the Credit Agreement, dated as of April
19,
2006, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to
time
(the “Credit
Agreement”).
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning given
to
such terms in the Credit Agreement.
This
Additional Lender Certificate is being delivered pursuant to Section 2.06 of
the
Credit Agreement.
Please
be
advised that the undersigned has agreed (a) to become a Lender under the Credit
Agreement effective [ ],
200[ ]
with a
Maximum Credit Amount of $[ ]
and (b)
that it shall be a party in all respect to the Credit Agreement and the other
Loan Documents.
This
Additional Lender Certificate is being delivered to the Administrative Agent
together with (i) if the Additional Lender is a Foreign Lender, any
documentation required to be delivered by such Additional Lender pursuant to
Section
5.03(e)
of the
Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Additional Lender, and
(ii)
an Administrative Questionnaire in the form supplied by the Administrative
Agent, duly completed by the Additional Lender. The [Borrower/Additional Lender]
shall pay the fee payable to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section
2.06(c)(ii) of the Credit Agreement.
Very
truly yours,
MCMORAN
OIL & GAS LLC
By:
_________________________
Name: _______________________
Title: ________________________
Exhibit
H-2 - 1
Accepted and Agreed:
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.
as
Administrative Agent
By:
_________________________
Name:
_______________________
Title: ________________________
Accepted
and Agreed:
[ ]
By: ________________________
Name: ______________________
Title: _______________________
Exhibit
H-2 - 2
SCHEDULE
1.02
APPROVED
COUNTERPARTIES
None.
Schedule
1.02 - 1
SCHEDULE
7.05
LITIGATION
All
litigation matters disclosed in the annual report of McMoRan Exploration Co.
(“MMR”) filed with the SEC on March 15, 2006 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2005.
Schedule
7.05 - 1
SCHEDULE
7.10(d)
ERISA
PLAN
McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC is a participating employer in the MMR Employee Retirement
Plan. This plan is a cash balance plan and it terminated in October
2000.
Schedule
7.10(d)
-
1
SCHEDULE
7.10(f)
UNDER-FUNDED
ERISA PLAN
As
of
December 31, 2005, the actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities of
the
MMR Employee Retirement Plan exceed the current value of the assets (computed
on
a plan termination basis in accordance with title IV of ERISA) by $ 1,953,317.
The "actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities" was determined pursuant
to section 4041 of ERISA.
Schedule
7.10(f)
-
1
SCHEDULE
7.12
INSURANCE
Insurance
Policies of McMoRan Exploration Co.
Policy
|
Coverage
|
Policy
Term
|
Limits
|
Deductible
|
Workers’
Compensation (WC)/ Employers’ Liability (EL)
|
WC
provides statutory benefits pursuant to the applicable state law.
EL
provides legal liability coverage in certain employee incidents that
fall
outside workers’ compensation statutes.
|
6/30/05-06
|
WC
- Statutory EL $1MM per occurrence
|
$250,000
per loss
|
General
Liability
|
Primary
legal liability coverage including premises/operations, contractual,
products liability and other coverages
|
6/30/05-06
|
$2MM
per occurrence
|
$250,000
per occurrence
|
Auto
Liability
|
Legal
liability coverage for owned, hired, and non-owned units
|
6/30/05-06
|
$2MM
per occurrence
|
$250,000
per occurrence
|
Excess
Liability Program
|
This
program provides additional amounts of coverage applying in excess
of
certain primary underlying policies such as auto and general
liability
|
6/30/05-06
|
$250MM
in total excess limits; comprised of various policy
layers.
|
Applies
in excess of underlying policies
|
Offshore
Property
|
Coverage
for physical loss or damage to offshore platforms and pipelines including
business interruption; Builders’ risk coverage when required at premium
TBD
|
6/30/05-06
|
Physical
damage and business interruption values as scheduled for each property
subject to a combined single limit for all coverages of $75MM per
occurrence.
|
PD
- $1MM (100% interest); BI - 60 day waiting period except $1MM (at
MMR’s
interest) combined single deductible for PD and OEE and 90 day BI
waiting
period for claims resulting from Named
Windstorms.
|
SCHEDULE
7.12 - 1
Policy
|
Coverage
|
Policy
Term
|
Limits
|
Deductible
|
Operator’s
Extra Expense
|
Coverage
for well control expenses, re-drill, and pollution liability associated
with a well blowout
|
6/30/05-06
|
$75MM
(100% interest for all xxxxx except $25MM for injection; brine,
and
pressure control xxxxx at Main Pass 299 and $10MM for sulphur P&A’x
xxxxx subject to a combined single limit for all coverages of $75MM
per
occurrence
|
For
drilling xxxxx, the deductible ranges from $500K to $2MM depending
on the
total well depth. $500K deductible for other than drilling. All
deductibles are 100% interest except $1MM (at MMR’s interest) combined
single deductible for PD and OEE and 90 day BI waiting period for
claims
resulting from Named Windstorms.
|
Excess
Energy
|
Provides
coverage excess the offshore property and operator’s extra expense
coverages shown above
|
7/27/05-06
|
$50MM
(100% interest) excess of underlying coverages
|
Applies
in excess of underlying policy
|
OSFR
|
Provides
financial responsibility to the Minerals Management Service (Dept.
of the
Interior) via the insurance methods, pursuant to the Oil Spill
Financial
Responsibility regulations
|
6/30/05-06
|
$70MM
(all others) $105MM (MP Oil)
|
$100,000
|
Hull,
Protection & Indemnity (P&I)
|
Provides
coverage for physical loss or damage to vessels as well as liability
coverage (P&I)
|
6/30/05-06
|
Hull
- per values declared; P&I limit is $1MM per
occurrence
|
Hull
(PD) - $100,000 Tank Barge LLC barges;10,000 other; P&I -
$50,000
|
Marine
Cargo
|
Coverage
for physical loss or damage to goods in transit
|
6/30/05-06
|
$5MM
any one conveyance or location
|
$25,000
per loss
|
Marine
Liabilities
|
Charterers’
liability coverage and Terminal Operators liability
|
6/30/05-06
|
$1MM
per occurrence
|
$50,000
per loss
|
Schedule
7.12 - 2
SCHEDULE
7.14
SUBSIDIARIES
Subsidiaries
|
Jurisdiction
of Organization
|
Organizational
Identification Number
|
Principal
Place of Business
and
Chief Executive Office
|
Freeport
Canadian Exploration Company
|
Delaware
|
0623119
|
Registered
Office:
The
Corporation Trust Company
Corporation
Trust Center
1209
Orange Street
Wilmington,
Delaware 19801
Principal
Place of Business:
1600
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000
|
McMoRan
International Inc.
|
Delaware
|
2152546
|
Registered
Office:
The
Corporation Trust Company
Corporation
Trust Center
1209
Orange Street
Wilmington,
Delaware 19801
Principal
Place of Business:
1600
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000
|
K-Mc
Venture I LLC
|
Delaware
|
3580330
|
Registered
Office:
The
Corporation Trust Company
Corporation
Trust Center
1209
Orange Street
Wilmington,
Delaware 19801
Principal
Place of Business:
1600
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000
|
Schedule
7.14 - 1
SCHEDULE
7.18
GAS
IMBALANCES
None.
Schedule
7.18 - 1
SCHEDULE
7.19
MARKETING
CONTRACTS
None.
Schedule
7.19 - 1
SCHEDULE
7.20
SWAP
AGREEMENTS
None.
Schedule
7.20 - 1
SCHEDULE
8.14
MORTGAGED
PROPERTIES WITH PENDING ASSIGNMENTS
LEASE
|
PENDING
ASSIGMENT(S)
|
Xxxxxx
Island Block 193 OCS 0572
|
Assignment
of Operating Rights from Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC
effective July 13, 2004 (43.75% of EI 193 insofar and only insofar
as to
the W/2 below 100’ below the base of the Lower Basal Pliocene (Lower Basal
Pliocene) being defined as the stratigraphic equivalent of the sand
whose
base is seen at a measured depth of 16,952’ on the 1” High Resolution
Induction Log, McMoRan/ADTI C-1 (#3) in Xxxxxx Island Block 193,
OCS 0572
down to ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine feet (99,999’) TVD
subsea.
|
West
Cameron Block 43 OCS-G 16107
|
Assignment(s)
covering the rights earned pursuant to the Letter Agreement dated
August
2, 2005 between Helis Oil & Gas Company, L.L.C., et al and McMoRan Oil
& Gas LLC regarding the Well No. 4 (Farmout Proposal)
Assignment
of Operating Rights effective February 1, 2005 between Houston Energy,
L.P., Helis Oil & Gas Company, L.L.C., Red Willow Offshore, LLC,
PALACE EXPLORATION COMPANY and McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC (73.125%)
distributed as follows: Helis (11.25%), RWO (15%), MOXY (23.4375%),
and
PALACE (23.4375%)
(The
original of this assignment was lost and needs to be re-executed
if not
located.
Houston
Energy L.P. has been requested to make a separate assignment to McMoRan
Oil & Gas LLC of its 23.4375% interest for recording in Cameron
Parish, Louisiana.)
|
Schedule
8.14 - 1
Ship
Shoal Block 296 OCS-G 15303
|
Assignment
of Operating Rights from Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. to McMoRan
Oil
& Gas LLC effective February 1, 2005 in Operating Rights Tract No.
2.
|
Xxxxxxxxxx
Block 196 OCS-G 19760
|
Assignment
of Operating Rights effective June 1, 2005 from Halliburton Energy
Services, Inc. to McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC (35.625% from the surface down
to and including one hundred feet below the stratigraphic equivalent
of
the base of the TX-4 Sand seen at 14,360’ measured depth (-14,276’ subsea)
on the 5” HRI/Density/Neutron/Sonic-Delta-T Log in the McMoRan Oil &
Gas LLC OCS-G 19760 Well No. 2).
|
Schedule
8.14 - 2
SCHEDULE
9.05
INVESTMENTS
None.
Schedule
9.05 - 1