Credit Agreement Dated as of September 2, 2008 among ABC Funding, Inc., as Borrower, CIT Capital USA Inc., as Administrative Agent, and The Lenders Party Hereto Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner CIT Capital Securities LLC
Dated
as of
September
2, 2008
among
as
Borrower,
CIT
Capital USA Inc.,
as
Administrative Agent,
and
The
Lenders Party Hereto
Sole
Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner
CIT
Capital Securities LLC
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
AND ACCOUNTING MATTERS
|
Section
1.01Terms Defined Above
|
|
Section
1.02Certain Defined Terms
|
|
Section
1.03Types of Loans and Borrowings
|
|
Section
1.04Terms Generally; Rules of
Construction
|
|
Section
1.05Accounting Terms and Determinations;
GAAP
|
ARTICLE
II
THE
CREDITS
|
Section
2.01Commitments
|
|
Section
2.02Loans and Borrowings
|
|
Section
2.03Requests for Borrowings
|
|
Section
2.04Interest Elections; Conversions
|
|
Section
2.05Funding of Borrowings
|
|
Section
2.06Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts
|
|
Section
2.07Borrowing Base
|
|
Section
2.08Letters of Credit
|
ARTICLE
III
PAYMENTS
OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST; PREPAYMENTS; FEES
|
Section
3.01Repayment of Loans
|
|
Section
3.02Interest
|
|
Section
3.03Alternate Rate of Interest
|
|
Section
3.04Prepayments
|
|
Section
3.05Fees
|
ARTICLE
IV
PAYMENTS;
PRO RATA TREATMENT; SHARING OF SET-OFFS
|
Section
4.01Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of
Set-offs
|
|
Section
4.02Presumption of Payment by the
Borrower
|
|
Section
4.03Certain Deductions by the Administrative
Agent
|
|
Section
4.04Disposition of Proceeds
|
ARTICLE
V
INCREASED
COSTS; BREAK FUNDING PAYMENTS; TAXES
|
Section
5.01Increased Costs
|
|
Section
5.02Break Funding Payments
|
|
Section
5.03Taxes
|
|
Section
5.04Designation of Different Lending
Office
|
ARTICLE
VI
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
|
Section
6.01Effective Date
|
|
Section
6.02Each Credit Event
|
ARTICLE
VII
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
Section
7.01Organization; Powers
|
|
Section
7.02Authority; Enforceability
|
|
Section
7.03Approvals; No Conflicts
|
|
Section
7.04Financial Condition; No Material Adverse
Change
|
|
Section
7.05Litigation
|
|
Section
7.06Environmental Matters
|
|
Section
7.07Compliance with the Laws and Agreements; No
Defaults
|
|
Section
7.08Investment Company Act
|
|
Section
7.09Taxes
|
|
Section
7.10ERISA
|
|
Section
7.11Disclosure; No Material
Misstatements
|
|
Section
7.12Insurance
|
|
Section
7.13Restriction on Liens
|
|
Section
7.14Subsidiaries
|
|
Section
7.15Location of Business and
Offices
|
|
Section
7.16Properties; Titles, Etc
|
|
Section
7.17Maintenance of Properties
|
|
Section
7.18Gas Imbalances, Prepayments
|
|
Section
7.19Marketing of Production
|
|
Section
7.20Swap Agreements
|
|
Section
7.21Use of Loans and Letters of
Credit
|
|
Section
7.22Solvency
|
|
Section
7.23Casualty Events
|
|
Section
7.24Material Agreements
|
|
Section
7.25No Brokers
|
|
Section
7.26Reliance
|
|
Section
7.27Payments by Purchasers of
Production
|
|
Section
7.28Existing Accounts Payable
|
|
Section
7.29Development Plan
|
|
Section
7.30Acquisition
|
ARTICLE
VIII
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
|
Section
8.01Financial Statements; Ratings Change; Other
Information
|
|
Section
8.02Notices of Material Events
|
|
Section
8.03Existence; Conduct of Business
|
|
Section
8.04Payment of Obligations
|
|
Section
8.05Operation and Maintenance of
Properties
|
|
Section
8.06Insurance
|
|
Section
8.07Books and Records; Inspection
Rights
|
|
Section
8.08Compliance with Laws
|
|
Section
8.09Environmental Matters
|
|
Section
8.10Further Assurances
|
|
Section
8.11Reserve Reports
|
|
Section
8.12Title Information
|
|
Section
8.13Additional Collateral; Additional
Guarantors
|
|
Section
8.14ERISA Compliance
|
|
Section
8.15Swap Agreements
|
|
Section
8.16Marketing Activities
|
|
Section
8.17Development Plan
|
|
Section
8.18Operating Account
|
ARTICLE
IX
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
|
Section
9.01Financial Covenants
|
|
Section
9.02Debt
|
|
Section
9.03Liens
|
|
Section
9.04Dividends, Distributions and
Redemptions
|
|
Section
9.05Investments, Loans and Advances
|
|
Section
9.06Nature of Business
|
|
Section
9.07Limitation on Leases
|
|
Section
9.08Proceeds of Notes
|
|
Section
9.09ERISA Compliance
|
|
Section
9.10Sale or Discount of Receivables
|
|
Section
9.11Mergers, Etc
|
|
Section
9.12Sale of Properties
|
|
Section
9.13Environmental Matters
|
|
Section
9.14Material Agreements
|
|
Section
9.15Transactions with Affiliates
|
|
Section
9.16Subsidiaries
|
|
Section
9.17Negative Pledge Agreements; Dividend
Restrictions
|
|
Section
9.18Gas Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other
Prepayments
|
|
Section
9.19Swap Agreements
|
|
Section
9.20Development Plan
|
|
Section
9.21Acquisition Documents
|
ARTICLE
X
EVENTS OF
DEFAULT; REMEDIES
|
Section
10.01Events of Default
|
|
Section
10.02Remedies
|
ARTICLE
XI
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
|
Section
11.01Appointment; Powers
|
|
Section
11.02Duties and Obligations of Administrative
Agent
|
|
Section
11.03Action by Administrative Agent
|
|
Section
11.04Reliance by Administrative
Agent
|
|
Section
11.05Subagents
|
|
Section
11.06Resignation or Removal of Administrative
Agent
|
|
Section
11.07Administrative Agent as Lender
|
|
Section
11.08No Reliance
|
|
Section
11.09Administrative Agent May File Proofs of
Claim
|
|
Section
11.10Authority of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and
Liens
|
|
Section
11.11The Arranger
|
ARTICLE
XII
MISCELLANEOUS
|
Section
12.01Notices
|
|
Section
12.02Waivers; Amendments
|
|
Section
12.03Expenses, Indemnity; Damage
Waiver
|
|
Section
12.04Successors and Assigns
|
|
Section
12.05Survival; Revival;
Reinstatement
|
|
Section
12.06Counterparts; Integration;
Effectiveness
|
|
Section
12.07Severability
|
|
Section
12.08Right of Setoff
|
|
Section
12.09GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF
PROCESS
|
|
Section
12.10Headings
|
|
Section
12.11Confidentiality
|
|
Section
12.12Interest Rate Limitation
|
|
Section
12.13EXCULPATION PROVISIONS
|
|
Section
12.14Collateral Matters; Swap
Agreements
|
|
Section
12.15No Third Party Beneficiaries
|
|
Section
12.16USA Patriot Act Notice
|
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 Development
Plan
Exhibit
F Security
Instruments
Exhibit
G Form
of Assignment and Assumption
Schedule
1.02 Approved
Counterparties
Schedule
6.01
Hedging
Program
Schedule
7.05 Litigation
Schedule
7.14 Subsidiaries
and Partnerships
Schedule
7.18 Gas
Imbalances
Schedule
7.19 Marketing
Contracts
Schedule
7.20 Swap
Agreements
Schedule
7.24 Material
Agreements
Schedule
7.28 Existing
Accounts Payable
THIS CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as
of September
2, 2008, is among ABC Funding, Inc., a corporation duly formed and
existing under the laws of the State of Nevada (the “Borrower”); each of
the Lenders from time to time party hereto and CIT Capital USA
Inc. (in its
individual capacity, “CIT”),
as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its
successors in such capacity, the “Administrative
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.
“Acquisition” means
the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par
value $0.01, per share of Voyager pursuant to the terms and conditions of the
Acquisition Documents.
“Acquisition
Documents” means (a) the Stock Purchase and Sale Agreement between
Voyager Gas Holdings L.P., as Seller, and Borrower, as Buyer dated May 22, 2008,
to be effective as of September 2, 2008 as amended by the First Agreement to
Stock Purchase and Sale Agreement dated August 15, 2008 and the Second Amendment
to Stock Sale and Purchase Agreement dated September 2, 2008 and (b) the
Registration Rights Agreement related thereto.
“Acquisition
Properties” means all of the issued and outstanding shares of common
stock, par value $0.01, per share of Voyager and other properties acquired by
the Borrower or any Guarantor pursuant to the Acquisition
Documents.
“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 1/100 of 1%)
equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the
Statutory Reserve Rate.
“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.
“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 one-half percent (1/2%). 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, or with
respect to the Commitment Fee Rate, 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
|
<33%
|
>33% - <50%
|
>50% - <80%
|
>80%
|
|||||||||||||
Eurodollar
Loans
|
1.750 | % | 2.000 | % | 2.250 | % | 2.500 | % | |||||||||
ABR
Loans
|
0.750 | % | 1.000 | % | 1.250 | % | 1.500 | % | |||||||||
Commitment
Fee Rate
|
0.375 | % | 0.375 | % | 0.375 | % | 0.500 | % |
Each
change in the Applicable Margin or Commitment Fee Rate 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 8.11(a), and until such Reserve
Report is delivered then the “Applicable Margin”
and the “Commitment
Fee Rate” 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-/A3 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 as of the Effective Date or approved by the
Administrative Agent in writing hereafter, provided that, with respect to (b)
and (c) above, such Person shall have executed an intercreditor agreement in
form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Agent.
“Approved Fund” means
(i) any Person (other than a natural person) engaged in making, purchasing,
holding, or investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit and
that is advised, administered, or managed by a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender
(or an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers, advises or manages
a Lender); (ii) with respect to any Lender that is an investment fund, any other
investment fund that invests in loans and that is advised, administered or
managed by the same investment advisor as such Lender or by an Affiliate of such
investment advisor; and (iii) any third party which provides “warehouse
financing” to a Person described in the preceding clause (i) or (ii) (and any
Person described in said clause (i) or (ii) shall also be deemed an Approved
Fund with respect to such third party providing such warehouse
financing).
“Approved Petroleum
Engineers” means (a) Xxxxx X. Xxxxx Associates, Inc. and (b) any other
independent petroleum engineer reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Agent.
“Arranger” means CIT Capital Securities
LLC, in its capacities as the sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby.
“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(a)), 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 8.12(c)
and 9.12(d).
“Borrowing Base
Deficiency” occurs if at any time the total Revolving Credit Exposure
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 banks are open for
dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.
“Capital Expenditures”
means, in respect of any Person, for any period, the aggregate (determined
without duplication) of all exploration and development expenditures and costs
that should be capitalized in accordance with GAAP and any other expenditures
that are capitalized on the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with
GAAP.
“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.
“Cash Receipts” means
all cash or cash equivalents received by or on behalf of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries with respect to the following: (a) sales from the Oil and Gas
Properties (including any other working interest owner receipts received by
Borrower or its Affiliates as operator of Oil and Gas Properties), (b) cash
representing operating revenue earned or to be earned by the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, (c) any insurance proceeds received by the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries, (d) any net proceeds from Swap Agreements and (e) any other cash
or cash equivalents received by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries from whatever
source; provided that
advances under the Loans, and any capital contributions or transfers made to the
Borrower by any of its members, or by the Borrower to any of its Subsidiaries,
shall not constitute “Cash Receipts”.
“Casualty Event” means
any loss, casualty or other insured damage to any Property of the Borrower or
any of its Subsidiaries in an amount greater than $250,000, or any
nationalization, taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or
similar proceeding of such Property having a fair market of value to such
Property in excess of $250,000.
“Change in Control”
means the occurrence of the following events (a) the acquisition of ownership,
directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group of
Equity Interests representing more than 20% of the
aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity
Interests of the Borrower, (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than
vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower by Persons who were
neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Borrower nor (ii)
appointed by directors so nominated, (c) the acquisition of direct or indirect
Control of the Borrower by any Person or group other than the Permitted Holders
or (d) the management or board of directors of the Borrower is, in the
reasonable opinion of the Lenders, substantially diminished as a result of the
departure of any one or combination of the Permitted Holders; provided that in
the event of the death or permanent disability of any one of the Permitted
Holders, the Borrower shall have sixty (60) days to provide the Lenders with
satisfactory evidence that such death or permanent disability will not
substantially diminish the management or board of directors of the
Borrower.
“Change in Law” means
(a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement
by any Governmental Authority, (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. 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”
has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Applicable
Margin.”
“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 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 its 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 gains or
losses during such period; (e) non-cash gains, losses or adjustments under FASB
Statement Nos. 133 or 143; and (f) any gains or losses attributable to writeups
or writedowns of assets, including ceiling test writedowns and writedowns under
FASB Statements Nos. 19, 142 and 144; and provided further that
if the Borrower or any Consolidated Subsidiary shall acquire or dispose of any
Property during such period, 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, without duplication and on a consolidated basis, 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 in each case which are greater than sixty (60) days past the date of
invoice or delinquent; (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, 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) 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 whether or not 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 of such Person; 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 that upon notice,
lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of
Default.
“Development Plan”
shall mean the Borrower’s Plan of Development for the Oil and Gas Properties and
the related Hydrocarbon Interests as of the Effective Date attached as Exhibit E as the same
may be amended from time to time pursuant to Section
9.20.
“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 Termination Date.
“dollars” or “$”
refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“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; provided that EBITDAX for the
fiscal quarters ending December 31, 2008, March 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009 shall
be calculated as follows:
(a) for
the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2008, EBITDAX shall be EBITDAX for such
quarter multiplied by four.
(b) for
the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2009, EBITDAX shall be EBITDAX for the
six-month period ending on such date multiplied by two.
(c) for
the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2009, EBITDAX shall be EBITDAX for the
nine-month period ending on such date multiplied by four/thirds.
Thereafter,
EBITDAX shall be calculated using EBITDAX for 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.
“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).
“Environmental Laws”
means any and all Governmental Requirements pertaining in any way to health,
safety, the environment, the preservation or reclamation of natural resources,
or the management, Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous Materials, 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 Law, 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.
“Environmental Permit”
means any permit, registration, license, notice, approval, consent, exemption,
variance, or other authorization required under or issued pursuant to applicable
Environmental Laws.
“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.
“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 Subsidiary 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, statutory obligations,
regulatory obligations and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the
ordinary course of business; (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; (i) consents to assignment and similar contractual
provisions affecting an Oil and Gas Property to the extent and only to the
extent, such consents are not affected by or required for the execution,
delivery, performance and enforcement of any Loan Document or, if affected or
required, have been obtained and (j) preferential rights to purchase and similar
contractual provisions affecting an Oil and Gas Property to the to the extent
and only to the extent, such consents are not affected by delivery of any Loan
Document or, if affected, have been waived; 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.
“Excess Cash Flow” for
any period shall mean EBITDAX for such period less cash payments for (a) taxes
during such period, (b) any changes in working capital from the preceding period
(as determined in accordance with GAAP) made during such period, (c) budgeted
General and Administrative Costs approved by the Lenders and (d) Capital
Expenditures made during such period that are approved by the Majority Lenders
or are otherwise permitted under this Agreement.
“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).
“Existing
Credit Agreement” means that
certain Credit Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2005, as amended as of October
3, 2005, June 30, 2006 and July 31, 2006, among Voyager and Bank of Texas,
N.A.
“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 JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing
selected by it.
“Fee Letter” means,
collectively, (a) that certain Proposal Letter dated as of August 19, 2008, by
and between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and (b) that certain Fee
Letter dated as of September 2, 2008 by and between the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent.
“Financial Officer”
means, for any Person, 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 acting on behalf 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).
“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.
“Foreign Subsidiary”
means any Subsidiary that is not organized under the laws of the United States
of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
“GAAP” means generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect from
time to time subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Section 1.05.
“General and Administrative
Costs” means reasonable, normal and customary expenses and costs paid or
payable that are classified as general and administrative costs, including
salaries and all other compensation to the management of the Borrower,
consulting fees, salary, rent, supplies, travel and entertainment, insurance,
accounting, legal, engineering and broker related fees, required to manage the
affairs of the Borrower.
“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, the Administrative Agent 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 or not having the force of law), 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 any
Subsidiary of the Borrower that guarantees the Indebtedness pursuant to Section
8.13(b).
“Guaranty Agreement”
means that certain Guaranty and Collateral Agreement executed by the Borrower
and the Guarantors in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent 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.
“Hazardous Material”
means any substance regulated or as to which liability might arise under any
applicable Environmental Law and including without limitation: (a)
any chemical, compound, material, product, byproduct, substance or waste defined
as or included in the definition or meaning of “hazardous substance,” “hazardous
material,” “hazardous waste,” “solid waste,” “toxic waste,” “extremely hazardous
substance,” “toxic substance,” “contaminant,” “pollutant,” or words of similar
meaning or import found in any applicable Environmental Law; (b) Hydrocarbons,
petroleum products, petroleum substances, natural gas, oil, oil and gas waste,
crude oil, and any components, fractions, or derivatives thereof; and (c)
radioactive materials, explosives, asbestos or asbestos containing materials,
polychlorinated biphenyls, radon, infectious or medical wastes.
“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.
“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 Approved Counterparty under any Swap Agreement
between the Borrower or any Subsidiary and such Approved Counterparty 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 reports prepared on behalf of the Borrower by Xxxxx X.
Xxxxx Associates, Inc. dated as of May 13, 2008, with respect to certain Oil and
Gas Properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of April 1, 2008.
“Intercreditor
Agreement” means that certain Intercreditor Agreement dated as of even
date herewith, among the Borrower, the Subsidiaries of the Borrower named
therein, CIT, as collateral agent for and on behalf of the Lenders, and CIT, as
collateral agent for and on behalf of lenders under the Second Lien Term Loan
Agreement, as the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise
modified from time to time.
“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: (a) amortization of debt discount, (b) capitalized interest and
(c) 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; provided that Interest Expense for the fiscal
quarters ending December 31, 2008, March 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009 shall be
calculated as follows:
(a) for
the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2008, Interest Expense shall be Interest
Expense for such quarter multiplied by four;
(b) for
the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2009, Interest Expense shall be Interest
Expense for the six-month period ending on such date multiplied by
two.
(c) for
the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2009, Interest Expense shall be Interest
Expense for the nine-month period ending on such date multiplied by
four/thirds.
Thereafter,
Interest Expense shall be calculated using Interest Expense for 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.
“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, three or six 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 that commences on the last
Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically
corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end
on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest
Period. 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, the
contribution of capital to 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) or capital contribution; (b) the making of any deposit
with, or advance, loan or capital contribution to, assumption of Debt of,
purchase or other acquisition of any other Debt 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, but
excluding any such advance, loan or extension of credit having a term not
exceeding ninety (90) days representing the purchase price of inventory, goods
or supplies sold by such Person in the ordinary course of business); or (c) 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 Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit or
any other Person named as an Issuing Bank by the Administrative Agent with the
consent of the Borrower.
“LC Commitment” at any
time means five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
“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.
“Letter of Credit”
means any letter of credit issued or deemed issued pursuant to this
Agreement.
“LIBO Rate” means,
with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate
appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (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
(2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate
for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest
Period. In the event that such rate is not available at such time for
any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for
such Interest Period shall be the rate at which dollar deposits of an amount
comparable to such Eurodollar Borrowing and for a maturity comparable to such
Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of a banking
institution selected by the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds
in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2)
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 Fee Letter, the Letters of Credit, the
Intercreditor Agreement, the Lock-up Agreement and the Security
Instruments.
“Loans” means the
loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Lock-up Agreement”
means that certain Lock-up Agreement, dated September 2, 2008, between CIT and
the Permitted Holders.
“Majority Lenders”
means, at any time while no Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding,
Lenders having more than fifty percent (50%) of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts; and at any time while any Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders
holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding aggregate principal
amount of the Loans and 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)); provided, that if there are only two
Lenders, both Lenders shall be required to constitute the “Majority
Lenders”.
“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 its 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, (c) the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document
or (d) the rights and remedies of or benefits available to the Administrative
Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender under any Loan Document.
“Material Agreements”
has the meaning assigned such term in Section 7.24.
“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 $250,000. 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.
“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) or (b) modified from time to time
pursuant to any assignment permitted by Section
12.04.
“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 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 hereafter 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.
“Operating Account”
means (a) the deposit account #0000000 maintained at the Borrower’s expense with
Amegy Bank of Texas existing on the Effective Date or (b) if the foregoing
account is closed, a deposit account opened with an bank reasonably acceptable
to the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section
8.18(b) maintained at the Borrower’s expense.
“Operating Account
Bank” means the bank where Borrower maintains the Operating
Account.
“Organizational
Documents” means, with respect to any Person, (a) in the case of any
corporation, the certificate of incorporation and by-laws (or similar documents)
of such Person, (b) in the case of any limited liability company, the
certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement (or similar
documents) of such Person, (c) in the case of any limited partnership, the
certificate of formation and limited partnership agreement (or similar
documents) of such Person, (d) in the case of any general partnership, the
partnership agreement (or similar document) of such Person and (e) in any other
case, the functional equivalent 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.
“Participant” has the
meaning assigned such term in Section
12.04(c)(i).
“Patriot Act” has the
meaning assigned such term in Section
12.16.
“Permitted Holders”
means Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, an employee and director; Xxxx X. Xxxxx, an employee;
Xxxxx Xxxxx, a consultant; and Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, a director, in each case of the
Borrower.
“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.
“Post Default Rate”
shall mean, in respect of the principal of any Loan or any other amount payable
by the Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, a rate per
annum during the period commencing on the date of occurrence of an Event of
Default until such amount is paid in full or all Events of Default are cured or
waived equal to the applicable interest rate plus three percent 3% per annum,
but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate.
“Prime Rate” means the
rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. 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 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as a general reference rate of interest,
taking into account such factors as the JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. may deem
appropriate; it being understood that many of the JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.’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 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. 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).
“Proved Reserves”
means “Proved Reserves” as defined in the Definitions for Oil and Gas Reserves
(in this paragraph, the “Definitions”) promulgated by the Society of Petroleum
Engineers (or any generally recognized successor) as in effect at the time in
question. “Proved Developed Producing
Reserves” means Proved Reserves which are categorized as both “Developed”
and “Producing” in the Definitions, “Proved Developed
Nonproducing Reserves” means Proved Reserves which are categorized as
both “Developed” and “Nonproducing” in the Definitions, and “Proved Undeveloped
Reserves” means Proved Reserves which are categorized as “Undeveloped” in the
Definitions
“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.
“Release” means any
depositing, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, placing, emitting, discarding,
abandoning, emptying, discharging, migrating, injecting, escaping, leaching,
dumping, or disposing.
“Remedial Work” has
the meaning assigned such term in Section
8.09(a).
“Required Lenders”
means, at any time while no Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders having
at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the Aggregate Maximum
Credit Amounts; and at any time while any Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding,
Lenders holding at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the
outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Loans or participation interests
in such Letters of Credit (without regard to any sale by a Lender of a
participation in any Loan under Section 12.04(c))
provided, that if there are only two Lenders, both Lenders shall be required to
constitute the “Required Lenders”.
“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 proved 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.
“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.
“Second Lien Notes”
means the $22,000,000 Second Lien Term Notes issued pursuant to the Second Lien
Term Loan Agreement, together with all amendments, modifications, replacements,
extensions and rearrangements thereof permitted by Section 9.04(b).
“Second Lien Term Loan
Agreement” means that certain Second Lien Term Loan Agreement dated as of
the date hereof among the Borrower, CIT, as the Second Lien Administrative
Agent, and the lenders party thereto, together with all amendments,
modifications and supplements thereto permitted by Section 9.04(b).
“Second Lien Term Loan
Documents” means the Second Lien Term Loan Agreement, the Second Lien
Notes and any “Loan Documents” (as defined therein), in each case, together with
all amendments, modifications and supplements thereto permitted by Section 9.04(b).
“Security Instruments”
means the Guaranty Agreement, mortgages, deeds of trust and other agreements,
instruments or certificates described or referred to in Exhibit F, and any and
all other agreements, guarantees, 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) in connection with, or
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 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.
“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 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 to occur of (i) three years from the Effective Date or (ii)
the date that the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amount is sooner terminated pursuant
to Section 2.06 or Section
10.02.
“Total Reserve Value”
means, with respect to any Proved Reserves expected to be produced from any Oil
and Gas Properties, the net present value, discounted at 10% per annum, of the
future net revenues expected to accrue to the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’
collective interests in such reserves during the remaining expected economic
lives of such reserves. Each calculation of such expected future net
revenues shall be made in accordance with the then existing standards of the
Society of Petroleum Engineers, provided that in any event (a) appropriate
deductions shall be made for severance and ad valorem taxes, and for operating,
gathering, transportation and marketing costs required for the production and
sale of such reserves, (b) the pricing assumptions used in determining Total
Reserve Value for any particular reserves shall be based upon (i) annual
quotations on the New York Mercantile Exchange for Xxxxx Hub (natural gas) or
Cushing, Oklahoma (oil) futures on the date of the relevant Reserve Report for
each calendar year to the extent such quotations are available for future
periods, provided that with respect to quotations for calendar years after the
fifth calendar year, the quotation for the fifth calendar year shall be applied,
(ii) with respect to future periods for which quotations are not available on
the New York Mercantile Exchange, constant pricing for such periods based on the
quotation for the last period for which a quotation is available on the New York
Mercantile Exchange for Xxxxx Hub (natural gas) or Cushing, Oklahoma (oil), (c)
operating expenses shall be held constant, (d) future Capital Expenditures shall
be expressed in current year dollars (i.e., inflation shall not be assumed), (e)
to the extent basis Swap Agreements are not in place, the cash-flows derived
from the pricing assumptions set forth in clause (b) above shall be further
adjusted to account for the historical basis differentials for each month during
the preceding 12-month period calculated by comparing realized crude oil and
natural gas prices to Cushing, Oklahoma and Xxxxx Hub NYMEX prices for each
month during such period and (f) to the extent that Swap Agreements are in place
the cash-flows derived from the pricing assumptions set forth in clause (b)
above shall be, (i) in the case of volumes subject to a swap or other fixed
priced hedge, at the applicable fixed price and (ii) in the case of volumes
subject to a floor or ceiling hedge (including a collar), at the price set out
in the preceding clause (b)(i), but not to exceed such ceiling or to be less
than such floor.
“Transactions” means,
with respect to (a) the Borrower, the execution, delivery and performance by the
Borrower of this Agreement and each other Loan Document and Acquisition Document
to which it is a party, the Acquisition, 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 and Acquisition Document to
which it is a party, the Acquisition, 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.
“Voyager” means
Voyager Gas Corporation, a Delaware corporation.
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 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 the Borrower’s independent
certified public accountants concur and which are disclosed to the
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 in an aggregate
amount that is an integral multiple of $250,000 and not less
than $250,000. 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 $250,000; 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 five (5) 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 Termination 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 or (ii) any Lender that becomes a party hereto pursuant to an
Assignment and Assumption, as of the effective date of the Assignment and
Assumption 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
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 12:00 noon, New York City time, three (3)
Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an
ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, one Business Day
before 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;
(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;
Conversions.
(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;
Conversion Requests. To make an election or conversion, as the
case may be, 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 was 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.
(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 funding date in the Borrowing Request by wire transfer of
immediately available funds by 1:00 p.m., New York City time, to the account of
the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by
notice to the Lenders. The Administrative Agent will make such Loans
available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like
funds, to an account of the Borrower and 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
severally and the Borrower agrees 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 and Reduction of
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.
(a) Scheduled Termination of
Commitments. Unless previously terminated, the Commitments
shall terminate on the Termination 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
$250,000 and
not less than $250,000 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(a), 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 (3) 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 be irrevocable. Any termination or reduction of
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be permanent and may not be
reinstated. Each reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with each Lender’s
Applicable Percentage.
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 $14,000,000. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Borrowing Base may be subject to further adjustments from
time to time pursuant to Section 8.12(c) or Section 9.12.
(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 Issuing Bank and the Lenders on May 1st and
November 1st of each year, provided that the initial Scheduled Redetermination
shall occur on November 30, 2008. In addition, the Borrower may, by
notifying the
Administrative Agent thereof, and the Administrative Agent may, at the direction
of the Required Lenders, by notifying the Borrower thereof, one time during any
12-month period, each elect to cause the Borrowing Base to be redetermined
between 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 8.11(a) and (c), and, in the case of an Interim Redetermination,
pursuant to Section 8.11(b) and (c), and (B) such other reports, data and supplemental
information, including, without limitation, the information provided pursuant to
Section 8.11(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 good faith, 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. In no event shall the Proposed Borrowing Base exceed
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.
(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 8.11(a) and (c) in a timely and complete manner, then on or before
April 15th and October 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 8.11(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 the Required 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 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 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
that 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, the
Required Lenders, in the case of a Proposed Borrowing Base that would increase
the Borrowing Base then in effect, or the 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), provided, however,
that no Lender shall be required to increase its share of the Borrowing Base
without its consent. If, however, at the end of such 15-day period,
the Required Lenders or the 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 Required Lenders or the Majority
Lenders, as applicable, for purposes of this Section
2.07 and such amount shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective on the
date specified in Section 2.07(d).
(iv) In
connection with any Scheduled Redetermination or Interim Redetermination that
would involve an increase in the Borrowing Base, the Administrative Agent and
the Majority Lenders may propose a new definition for “Applicable
Margin.” If the Borrower agrees to such new definition, such
definition shall be in effect until the next Redetermination Date; provided that
no decrease in the Applicable Margin for Loans made by any Lender shall apply to
such Lender without its consent. If the Borrower does not agree to
any proposed definition of “Applicable Margin”, then the definition of
“Applicable Margin” shall remain the same and the Borrowing Base shall not be
increased at the Redetermination Date.
(d) Effectiveness of a
Redetermined Borrowing Base. After a redetermined Borrowing
Base is approved or is deemed to have been approved by the Required Lenders or
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 Administrative Agent, 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 8.11(a) and (c) in a timely and complete manner, then on the May
1st or November 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
8.11(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
8.12(c) or Section 9.12, 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, at any time and from time to time during the 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. The Administrative Agent shall have the right to have the
Issuing Bank or another entity approved by the Borrower issue the Letter of
Credit on its behalf.
(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 to
the Administrative Agent (not less than seven (7) 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).
The
Administrative Agent shall then arrange for the Letter of Credit to be issued on
the Borrower’s behalf.
(c) Expiration
Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the
close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the
issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension
thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is
five (5) Business Days prior to the Termination 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 Administrative Agent hereby grants to each
Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from the Administrative Agent, a
participation in the Administrative Agent’s and any of its Affiliates’ rights
and obligations in respect of 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 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 the Administrative Agent (for itself or any
of its Affiliates) such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an
amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, New York City
time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the Borrower shall have
received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time,
on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the Borrower prior to
such time on such date, then not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on
(i) the Business Day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is
received prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the day of receipt, or (ii)
the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such
notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt;
provided that any such LC Disbursement 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 any Lenders that have made payments pursuant to this
Section 2.08(e) to reimburse the Administrative
Agent. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this Section 2.08(e) to reimburse the Administrative Agent
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 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 (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 or the
Administrative Agent. In furtherance of the foregoing and without
limiting the generality thereof, the Borrower agrees 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) 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(g) shall be for the
account of the Administrative Agent, except that interest accrued on and after
the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to Section
2.08(e) to reimburse the Administrative Agent shall be for the account of
such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(h) Cash
Collateralization. If (i) any Event of Default shall occur and
be continuing and the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent,
acting at the direction of the Majority Lenders, demanding the deposit of cash
collateral pursuant to this Section 2.08(h), 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 designated by 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 it 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(h) shall be
absolute 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. Any deposit account into which such deposit is made shall be
interest bearing. 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 (3)
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 in full in cash 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. 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 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 the Post Default Rate, 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 Post Default Rate, 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 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.
Section
3.04 Prepayments.
(a) Optional
Prepayments. Subject to any break funding costs payable
pursuant to Section 5.02 and prior notice in
accordance with Section 3.04(b), the Borrower shall have the right at any time and
from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, in minimum
increments of $100,000 or, if less than $100,000, the remaining balance of the
Loans.
(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 12:00 noon, New York
City time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, or (ii) in the
case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City
time, 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 prepay the Borrowings on the date of such termination or reduction in an
aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and 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(h).
(ii) Upon any
redetermination of or adjustment to the amount of the Borrowing Base in
accordance with Section 2.07, Section 8.12(c) or Section 9.12, if the total Revolving
Credit Exposures exceeds the redetermined or adjusted Borrowing Base, then the
Borrower shall:
(A) either:
(1) prepay
the Borrowings in an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess;
or
(2) pledge
additional collateral not included in the most recent Reserve Report to the
Administrative Agent having a fair market value equal to at least the amount of
the deficiency or otherwise satisfactory to the Administrative Agent such that
the total Revolving Credit Exposures are less than or equal to the Borrowing
Base as redetermined or adjusted;
and
(B) cause,
for so long as any Borrowing Base Deficiency continues to exist, 100% of Excess
Cash Flow to be used to prepay the Borrowings in an amount not to exceed such
Borrowing Base Deficiency, such amounts to be paid to the Administrative Agent
within one (1) Business Day of each delivery of an Excess Cash Flow report
required by Section 8.01(n)(ii).
The
Borrower shall be obligated to make such prepayment, pledge of collateral and/or
deposit of cash collateral within sixty (60) 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) If a
Borrowing Base Deficiency exists, or during an Event of Default, the Borrower
shall prepay the Borrowings with all net cash proceeds received from sales and
other dispositions of Properties.
(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) Each
prepayment of Borrowings shall be applied ratably to the Loans of each Lender
included in the prepaid Borrowings. Prepayment 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 Administrative Agent a fronting fee,
which shall accrue at the rate of 0.325% per annum on the average daily amount
of the 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 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 Administrative Agent for its own account, the standard fees charged to it
by the Issuing Bank 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 pursuant to this Section 3.05(b) shall be
payable within ten (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 as outlined in the
Fee Letter.
(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 to be
agreed by the Lenders and the Borrower 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.
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 5.01(d), Section 5.03 or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York
City 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 5.01(d), 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 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 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
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 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 ten (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 180 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 absent manifest
error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on
any such certificate within ten (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, each
Lender or the 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 ten (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.
Section
5.04 Designation of Different
Lending Office. 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.
ARTICLE
VI
Conditions
Precedent
Section
6.01 Effective
Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the
Administrative Agent to procure 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
commitment, facility and agency fees, including those set forth in the Fee
Letter, and all other fees and 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 (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of Xxxxxx &
Xxxxxx L.L.P., counsel to the Administrative Agent).
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of the Responsible
Officer of the Borrower and each Guarantor setting forth (i) resolutions of its
board of directors 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 (A) who are authorized to sign the
Loan Documents to which the Borrower or such Guarantor is a party and (B) 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
the transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) specimen signatures of such
authorized officers, and (iv) the 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. 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 80% of the Total Reserve Value of the Oil and Gas
Properties evaluated in the Initial Reserve Report;
(ii) have
received certificates, together with undated, blank stock powers for each such
certificate, representing all of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of
each of the Guarantors, which is directly owned by either the Borrower or a
Subsidiary; and
(iii) be
reasonably satisfied that all Property constituting security for the Second Lien
Term Loan Agreement is subject to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of
the Administrative Agent under the Security Instruments.
(h) The
Administrative Agent shall have received an opinion of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx,
LLP, special counsel to the Borrower, in form and substance satisfactory 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.
(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 80% of the Total Reserve 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 8.11(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: Nevada,
Texas 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
Borrower and the Lenders shall have agreed upon the Development Plan, which
shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Lenders.
(p) The
Administrative Agent shall (i) be satisfied with the terms of the payoff letter
from Bank of Texas, N.A., evidencing payment in full of the loans under the
Existing Credit Agreement, and have received executed copies of the same and
(ii) have received evidence that the Liens associated with such Debt, if any,
are being released contemporaneously with the funding under this
Agreement.
(q) The
Administrative Agent shall be satisfied that there is no litigation seeking to
enjoin or prevent the financing contemplated hereby or by the Second Lien Term
Loan Agreement.
(r) The
Second Lien Term Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement between the
Administrative Agent and the Second Lien Administrative Agent shall have been
duly executed and delivered.
(s) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a duly executed account control
agreement between Operating Account Bank, Borrower and the Administrative Agent,
the terms and conditions for which shall be satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent.
(t) The
Administrative Agent shall have received (i) a certificate of a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower certifying: (A) that the Borrower is
concurrently consummating the Acquisition in accordance with the terms of the
Acquisition Documents (with all of the material conditions precedent thereto
having been satisfied in all material respects by the parties thereto) and
acquiring substantially all of the Acquisition Properties contemplated by the
Acquisition Documents; (B) as to the final purchase price for the Acquisition
Properties after giving effect to all adjustments as of the closing date
contemplated by the Acquisition Documents and specifying, by category, the
amount of such adjustment; (C) that attached thereto is a true and complete list
of the Acquisition Properties which have been excluded from the Acquisition
pursuant to the terms of the Acquisition Documents, specifying with respect
thereto the basis of exclusion as (1) title defect, (2) preferential purchase
right, (3) environmental or (4) casualty loss; (D) that attached thereto is a
true and complete list of all Acquisition Properties for which any seller has
elected to cure a title defect, (E) that attached thereto is a true and complete
list of all Acquisition Properties for which any seller has elected to remediate
an adverse environmental condition, and (F) that attached thereto is a true and
complete list of all Acquisition Properties which are currently pending final
decision by a third party regarding purchase of such property in accordance with
any preferential right; (ii) a true and complete executed copy of each of the
Acquisition Documents; (iii) original counterparts or copies, certified as true
and complete, of the assignments, deeds and leases for all of the Acquisition
Properties; and (iv) such other related documents and information as the
Administrative Agent shall have reasonably requested.
(u) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that all Liens associated with
such Acquisition, if any, are being released contemporaneously with the funding
under this Agreement.
(v) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that the Borrower has put in
place the hedging program described on Schedule 6.01(w).
(w) The
Administrative Agent shall have received satisfactory evidence that the Borrower
has received an equity contribution from Natural Gas Partners L.P. in an amount
not less than $7,000,000.
(x) The
Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed counterparts to the
Lock-up Agreement between CIT and the Permitted Holders, the form and substance
of which shall be satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(y) 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 Administrative Agent to procure 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 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 30, 2008
(and, 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
Administrative Agent to procure or arrange to 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).
ARTICLE
VII
Representations
and Warranties
The
Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that both before and after
giving effect to the Acquisition:
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 (i) the recording
and filing of the Security Instruments as required by this Agreement and (ii)
those third party approvals or consents which, if not made or obtained, would
not cause a Default hereunder, could not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect or do not have an adverse effect on the enforceability
of the Loan Documents, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or
any Organizational Document 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 (i) its audited or unaudited,
as applicable, consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders
equity and cash flows (1) as of and for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007,
reported on by Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx PC, independent public accountants and (2) as
of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended March 31,
2008, certified by its chief financial officer and (ii) the audited consolidated
balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows for
Voyager as of December 31, 2007. 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, 2007, there has been no event, development or circumstance that has
had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(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, any Subsidiary, any Permitted Holder or involving the Acquisition
(i) 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, (ii) that involve any
Loan Document, any Acquisition Document or the Transactions or that could impair
the consummation of the Acquisition on the time and in the manner contemplated
by the Acquisition Documents.
(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 a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
7.06 Environmental
Matters. Except for such matters that, individually or in the
aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on
the Borrower:
(a) the
Borrower and the Subsidiaries and each of their respective Properties and
operations thereon are, and within all applicable statute of limitation periods
have been, in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws.
(b) the
Borrower and the Subsidiaries have obtained all Environmental Permits required
for their respective operations and each of their Properties, with all such
Environmental Permits being currently in full force and effect, and none of
Borrower or the Subsidiaries has received any written notice or otherwise has
knowledge that any such existing Environmental Permit will be revoked or that
any application for any new Environmental Permit or renewal of any existing
Environmental Permit will be protested or denied.
(c) there are
no claims, demands, suits, orders, inquiries, or proceedings concerning any
violation of, or any liability (including as a potentially responsible party)
under, any applicable Environmental Laws that is pending or, to Borrower’s
knowledge, threatened against the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their
respective Properties or as a result of any operations at such
Properties.
(d) none of
the Properties of the Borrower or any Subsidiary contain or have contained
any: (i) underground storage tanks; (ii) asbestos-containing
materials; (iii) landfills or dumps; (iv) hazardous waste management units as
defined pursuant to RCRA or any comparable state law; or (v) sites on or
nominated for the National Priority List promulgated pursuant to CERCLA or any
state remedial priority list promulgated or published pursuant to any comparable
state law.
(e) there has
been no Release or, to the Borrower’s knowledge, threatened Release, of
Hazardous Materials at, on, under or from the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s
Properties, there are no investigations, remediations, abatements, removals, or
monitorings of Hazardous Materials required under applicable Environmental Laws
at such Properties and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, none of such
Properties are adversely affected by any Release or threatened Release of a
Hazardous Material originating or emanating from any other real
property.
(f) neither
the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has received any written notice asserting an
alleged liability or obligation under any applicable Environmental Laws with
respect to the investigation, remediation, abatement, removal, or monitoring of
any Hazardous Materials at, under, or Released or threatened to be Released from
any real properties offsite the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Properties and,
to the Borrower’s knowledge, there are no conditions or circumstances that could
reasonably be expected to result in the receipt of such written
notice.
(g) there has
been no exposure of any Person or Property to any Hazardous Materials as a
result of or in connection with the operations and businesses of any of the
Borrower’s or the Subsidiaries’ Properties that could reasonably be expected to
form the basis for a claim for damages or compensation.
(h) the
Borrower and the Subsidiaries have provided to the Lenders complete and correct
copies of all environmental site assessment reports, investigations, studies,
analyses, and correspondence on environmental matters (including matters
relating to any alleged non-compliance with or liability under Environmental
Laws) that are in any of the Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ possession or
control and relating to their respective Properties or operations
thereon.
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 authorizations granted by
Governmental Authorities 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 of its Subsidiaries 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 under
any indenture, note, credit agreement or instrument pursuant to which any
Material Indebtedness is outstanding or by which the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their Properties is bound.
(c) No
Default has occurred and is continuing.
Section
7.08 Investment Company
Act. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries 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, established and maintained in substantial compliance with its
terms, 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), (l) or
(m) 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) 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 contributions to such Plan as of the date
hereof.
(e) 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.
(f) 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 employee pension benefit
plan, as defined in section 3(2) of ERISA, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA,
section 302 of ERISA or section 412 of the Code.
Section
7.11 Disclosure; No Material
Misstatements. The Borrower has disclosed to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders all 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) contained, when taken as a whole at the time of
delivery, 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, it being
understood that projections concerning volumes attributable to the Oil and Gas
Properties of the Borrower and Subsidiaries and production and cost estimates
contained in each Reserve Report are necessarily based upon professional
opinions, estimates and projections and that the Borrower and Subsidiaries do
not warrant that such opinions, estimates and projections will ultimately prove
to have been accurate.
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. The Administrative Agent and the
Lenders have been named as additional insureds in respect of such 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 and the Borrower
has no Foreign Subsidiaries.
Section
7.15 Location of Business and
Offices. The Borrower’s jurisdiction of organization is
Nevada; the name of the Borrower as listed in the public records of its
jurisdiction of organization, as of the date hereof, is ABC Funding, Inc. and in
the future will not change such name except to Cross Canyon Energy Corp. or as
permitted under the Guaranty Agreement; and the organizational identification
number of the Borrower in its jurisdiction of organization is C12847-2004 (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) As of the
date of the Acquisition, each of the Borrower and its 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 its 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.
(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 and
will 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,
(a) 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 (b) 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).
Section
7.18 Gas Imbalances,
Prepayments. Except as set forth on Schedule 7.18 or on the
most recent certificate delivered pursuant to Section
8.11(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 two
percent (2%) of the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ Proved Reserves of natural
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
sixty (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(d), 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 as set forth in the Development Plan, to refinance Debt under the
Existing Credit Agreement, to provide funding in connection with the Acquisition
and for general corporate purposes. 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 has
not incurred and does not intend to incur, and does 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 (and will have no reason to believe that it will have thereafter)
unreasonably small capital for the conduct of its business.
Section
7.23 Casualty
Events. Since December 31, 2007, neither the business nor any
Properties of the Borrower have been materially and adversely affected as a
result of any fire, explosion, earthquake, flood, drought, windstorm, accident,
strike or other labor disturbance, embargo, requisition or taking of Property or
cancellation of contracts, permits or concessions by any domestic or foreign
Governmental Authority, riot, activities or armed forces or acts of God or of
any public enemy, in any such case that could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
Section
7.24 Material
Agreements. Set forth on Schedule 7.24 hereto is a complete
and correct list of all material agreements and other instruments maintained as
of the date of this Agreement by the Borrower setting forth each counterparty
thereto (other than the Loan Documents) relating to the purchase, transportation
by pipeline, gas processing, marketing, development, sale and supply of
Hydrocarbons, farmout arrangements, joint operating agreements, contract
operating agreements or other material contracts (excluding oil and gas leases
of the Borrower) to which the Borrower is a party on or after the Effective Date
or by which its Properties is bound on or after the Effective Date (collectively
“Material
Agreements”) and copies of such documents have been provided to the
Administrative Agent. All such agreements are in full force and
effect and the Borrower is not in default thereunder, nor is there any uncured
default by any Affiliate predecessor in interest to the Borrower or, to the
Borrower’s knowledge, by any predecessor in interest to the Borrower (other than
an Affiliate predecessor) or counterparty thereto, nor has the Borrower altered
any material item of such agreements since the Effective Date without the prior
written consent of the Lenders
Section
7.25 No
Brokers. No Person, other than Global Hunter Securities, LLC,
is entitled to any brokerage fee or finders fee or similar fee or commission in
connection with arranging the Loans contemplated by this Agreement.
Section
7.26 Reliance. In
connection with the negotiation of and the entering into this Agreement, the
Borrower acknowledges and represents that none of the Lenders, the
Administrative Agent, the Arranger, or any representative of any of the
foregoing is acting as a fiduciary or financial or investment advisor for it; it
is not relying upon any representations (whether written or oral) of such
Persons; it has consulted with its own legal, regulatory, tax, business
investment, financial and accounting advisors to the extent it has deemed
necessary, and it has made its own investment, hedging, and trading decisions
based upon its own judgment and upon any advice from such advisors as it has
deemed necessary and not upon any view expressed by any Lender, the
Administrative Agent, the Arranger, or any representative of any of the
foregoing; it has not been given by any Lender, the Administrative Agent, the
Arranger, or any representative of any of the foregoing (directly or indirectly
through any other Person) any advice, counsel, assurance, guarantee, or
representation whatsoever as to the expected or projected success,
profitability, return, performance, result, effect, consequence, or benefit
(either legal, regulatory, tax, financial, accounting, or otherwise) of this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby; and it is entering into this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents with a full understanding of all of the
risks hereof and thereof (economic and otherwise), and it is capable of assuming
and willing to assume (financially and otherwise) those risks.
Section
7.27 Payments by Purchasers of
Production. All proceeds from the sale of the Borrower’s
interests in Hydrocarbons from its Oil and Gas Properties are currently being
paid in full to the Borrower by the purchaser thereof on a timely basis and at
prices and terms comparable to market prices and terms generally available at
the time such prices and terms were negotiated for oil and gas production from
producing areas situated near such Oil and Gas Properties, and none of such
proceeds are currently being held in suspense by such purchaser or any other
Person.
Section
7.28 Existing Accounts
Payable. Set forth on Schedule 7.28 hereto is a complete and
correct list of all existing accounts payable of the Borrower that as of the
date hereof were more than thirty (30) days past due.
Section
7.29 Development
Plan. The
Development Plan complies in all material respects with all applicable
restrictive covenants and Governmental Requirements and with all applicable
Environmental Laws. The Development Plan covers all work reasonably
necessary (a) to drill and complete all xxxxx scheduled to be drilled
thereunder, (b) to construct, install and commence operations of the production
facilities related thereto and (c) to complete and operate all injection xxxxx
as contemplated in connection therewith. The budget (including the
budget for capital costs described therein) for the Development Plan has been
prepared by the Borrower in good faith and represents the total costs and
expenses anticipated by the Borrower. The development schedule in the
Development Plan is realistic and feasible.
Section
7.30 Acquisition. The
copies of the Acquisition Documents previously delivered by the Borrower to the
Administrative Agent are true, accurate and complete and have not been amended
or modified in any manner, other than pursuant to amendments or modifications
previously delivered to the Administrative Agent. No party to any
Acquisition Document is in default in respect of any material term or obligation
thereunder.
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;
Ratings Change; 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 ninety (90) days after
the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its audited consolidated balance
sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity 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 Xxxxxx &
Xxxxxx PC or any independent public accountants reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent (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 Borrower and its 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 forty-five (45) days
after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of
the Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of
operations, stockholders’ equity 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 a Financial Officer as presenting fairly in all
material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the
Borrower and its 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 8.12(b) and Section
9.01, (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof
has occurred since the date of the audited financial 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, and (iv) if, at any time, all the Consolidated Subsidiaries of
the Borrower are not Consolidated Subsidiaries, setting forth consolidating
spreadsheets that show all Consolidated Subsidiaries and the eliminating
entries, in such form as would be presentable to the auditors of the
Borrower.
(d) 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.
(e) Certificate of Insurer --
Insurance Coverage. Upon change or renewal, a certificate of
insurance coverage from each insurer with respect to the insurance required by
Section 8.06, 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.
(f) 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
of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary, to such letter or report.
(g) 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.
(h) Reports to
Shareholders. Promptly after the same become publicly
available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other
materials distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders
generally.
(i) SEC and Other
Filings. Promptly after the same become publicly available,
notice of all reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the
Borrower or any Subsidiary with the SEC.
(j) Lists of
Purchasers. Concurrently with the delivery of any Reserve
Report to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section
8.11, a list of all Persons purchasing Hydrocarbons from the Borrower or any
Subsidiary.
(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 9.12, 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
Litigation/Casualty Events. Prompt written notice, and in any
event within three (3) Business Days, of the Borrower’s or any Subsidiaries’
receipt of any demand letter, or being served with notice of the filing of any
lawsuit or arbitration proceeding or the commencement of any action or
proceeding or the occurrence of any Casualty Event.
(m) Information Regarding
Borrower and Guarantors. Prompt written notice (and in any
event within thirty (30) days prior thereto) of 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) Other
Reports. The Borrower shall prepare and provide the Lenders
and Administrative Agent the following reports:
(i) on a
monthly basis by the 45th day of
each month after the end of each calendar month, a report setting forth, for the
immediately preceding calendar month, 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 described in the most recent Reserve Report, and setting forth
the related ad valorem, severance and production taxes and lease operating
expenses attributable thereto and incurred for each such calendar
month;
(ii) after the
occurrence and during the continuance of any Borrowing Base Deficiency, the
Borrower shall provide, on a monthly basis on the 15th of each
such month, a report setting forth, for the immediately preceding calendar
month, the Borrower’s Excess Cash Flow;
(iii) on a
quarterly basis by the 30th of each
month after the end of each calendar quarter, an updated report setting forth
the Borrower’s forecasted Capital Expenditure budget for following three (3)
month period; and
(iv) such
other information as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, including,
but not limited to, an unaudited income statement, a consolidated balance sheet
and a statement of cash flow (with such statement to show any variations from
the budget previously delivered), copies of the Borrower’s bank account
statements, statement of expenses for the preceding month, notice of any
material changes with regard to oil and gas prices received, contracts or
production expenses or any material litigation affecting the operation of the
Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower.
(o) Notices of Certain
Changes. Promptly, but in any event within five (5) Business
Days after the execution thereof, copies of any amendment, modification or
supplement to the Organizational Documents, any preferred stock designation or
any other organizational document of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary.
(p) Notices Relating to
Acquisition. In the event that after the Effective
Date: (i) the Borrower is required or elects to purchase any of the
Acquisition Properties which had been excluded from, or return any of the
Acquisition Properties which had been included in, the Acquisition Properties in
accordance with the terms of the Acquisition Documents, (ii) the Borrower is
required to honor any preferential purchase right in respect of any Acquisition
Property which has not been waived, (iii) any matter being disputed in
accordance with the terms of the Acquisition Documents is resolved or (iv) the
Borrower and the seller(s) calculate and agree upon the "closing adjustment
statement" or "post-closing adjustment statement" as contemplated by the
Acquisition Documents, then, in each such case, the Borrower shall promptly give
the Administrative Agent notice in reasonable detail of such
circumstances.
(q) 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, in each case, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may
reasonably request.
(r) Ratings
Change. Promptly after Xxxxx’x or S&P shall have announced
a change in the rating established or deemed to have been established for any
Material Indebtedness, written notice of such rating change.
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, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect; and
(c) 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 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 9.11.
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.
Section
8.05 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
proration 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;
(b) keep,
preserve and maintain all Property material to the conduct of its business in
good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and 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;
and
(f) to the
extent the Borrower is not the operator of any Property, the Borrower shall use
reasonable efforts to cause the operator to comply with this Section 8.05.
Section
8.06 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 thirty
(30) days prior notice of any cancellation to the Administrative
Agent.
Section
8.07 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, undertake
appraisals of such Properties 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.
Section
8.08 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
8.09 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
Release or threaten to Release, and shall cause each Subsidiary not to Release
or threaten to Release, any Hazardous Material on, under, about or from any of
the Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ Properties or any other property offsite the
Property to the extent caused by the Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’
operations except in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, the Release
or threatened 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 Environmental Permits, 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 Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous Material
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; (v) conduct, and cause
its Subsidiaries to conduct, their respective operations and businesses in a
manner that will not expose any Property or Person to Hazardous Materials that
could reasonably be expected to form the basis for a claim for damages or
compensation that would have a Material Adverse Effect; and (vi) establish
and implement, and shall cause each Subsidiary to establish and implement, such
procedures as may be necessary to continuously determine and assure that the
Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ obligations under this Section 8.09(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 (5) 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 Person against
the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or their Properties of which the Borrower has
knowledge in connection with any Environmental Laws if the Borrower could
reasonably anticipate that such action will result in liability (whether
individually or in the aggregate) in excess of $100,000, not fully covered by
insurance, subject to normal deductibles.
(c) The
Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, provide environmental
assessments, audits and tests in accordance with the most current version of the
American Society of Testing Materials standards upon request by the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders and no more than once per year in the
absence of any Event of Default (or as otherwise required to be obtained by the
Administrative Agent or the Lenders by any Governmental Authority), in
connection with any Oil and Gas Properties or other Properties.
Section
8.10 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
8.11 Reserve
Reports.
(a) Commencing
on November 1, 2008 and on or before each April 1 and October 1 of each year
thereafter, 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 1st and July
1st. The Reserve Report as of January 1 of each year shall be
prepared by one or more Approved Petroleum Engineers, and the July 1 Reserve
Report of each year shall be prepared by or under the supervision of the chief
reserve 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 reserve 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 thirty (30) 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 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 Reserve Value of the
Oil and Gas Properties that the value of such Mortgaged Properties represent in
compliance with Section 8.13(a).
Section
8.12 Title
Information.
(a) On or
before the delivery to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of each Reserve
Report required by Section 8.11(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 80% of the Total Reserve 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 8.12(a), the Borrower shall, within forty-five
(45) 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 80% of the
Total Reserve 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 45-day period or the Borrower does
not comply with the requirements to provide acceptable title information
covering 80% of the Total Reserve 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 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 80% 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 Majority Lenders to cause the Borrower
to be in compliance with the requirement to provide acceptable title information
on 80% of the Total Reserve Value of the Oil and Gas Properties. This
new Borrowing Base shall become effective immediately after receipt of such
notice.
Section
8.13 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 8.11(c)(vi)) to ascertain
whether the Mortgaged Properties represent at least 80% of the Total Reserve
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 80% of such Total Reserve Value,
then the Borrower shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, grant, within
thirty (30) days of delivery of the certificate required under Section 8.11(c), to the Administrative Agent as security
for the Indebtedness a first-priority Lien interest (provided that (i) 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 and
(ii) Liens permitted by Section 9.03(d), may exist)
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 80% of such Total Reserve
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 8.13(b).
(b) In the
event that (i) the Borrower forms or acquires any Subsidiary, the Borrower shall
promptly cause such Subsidiary to guarantee the Indebtedness pursuant to the
Guaranty Agreement. In connection with any such guaranty, the
Borrower shall, or shall cause such 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 of original stock 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) The
Borrower agrees that it will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, xxxxx x
Xxxx on any Property to secure the Second Lien Notes without first (i) giving
fifteen (15) days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent thereof and
(ii) granting to the Administrative Agent to secure the Indebtedness a
first-priority, perfected Lien on this same Property pursuant to Security
Instruments in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent. In connection therewith, the Borrower shall, or shall cause
its Subsidiaries to, execute and deliver such other additional closing
documents, certificates and legal opinions as shall reasonably be requested by
the Administrative Agent.
Section
8.14 ERISA
Compliance. The Borrower will promptly furnish and will cause
the Subsidiaries and any ERISA Affiliate to promptly furnish to the
Administrative Agent (i) promptly after the filing thereof with the United
States Secretary of Labor or the Internal Revenue Service, copies of each annual
and other report with respect to each Plan or any trust created thereunder, and
(ii) immediately upon becoming aware of the occurrence of any 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 or the Department of Labor
with respect thereto.
Section
8.15 Swap
Agreements. The Borrower shall (i) enter into Swap Agreements
with an Approved Counterparty on terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to
the Administrative Agent and Lenders, and (ii) shall neither assign, terminate
or unwind any such Swap Agreements nor sell any Swap Agreements if the effect of
such action (when taken together with any other Swap Agreements executed
contemporaneously with the taking of such action) would have the effect of
canceling its positions under such Swap Agreements required
hereby. The Borrower shall from time to time enter into Swap
Agreements in respect of commodities so that the notional volumes of all Swap
Agreements, in the aggregate, are more than 50% of the reasonably anticipated
projected production from the Borrower’s Proved Developed Producing Reserves for
each month continuing through and including the date that is thirty-six (36)
months following the effective date of each such Swap Agreement. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Borrower shall not assign,
terminate or unwind any Swap Agreement entered into on or before the Effective
Date.
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 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.
Section
8.17 Development
Plan.
(a) The
Borrower shall obtain all consents from Governmental Authorities necessary to
implement and complete in all material respects the Development Plan as in
effect on the Effective Date.
(b) The
Borrower shall comply with the capital expenditure limits set in Section 9.01(d), except for any modification of the
Development Plan which is permitted by the terms of Section 9.19. Promptly following such
modification, the Borrower shall provide the Administrative Agent a true and
correct copy of such modification.
Section
8.18 Operating
Account.
(a) All Cash
Receipts to be received by the Borrower shall be deposited, and the Borrower
shall direct (and hereby agrees to direct) each payor of any Cash Receipts
existing now and in the future to make payment to the Operating
Account. The Administrative Agent shall send notice to the Borrower
if the Administrative Agent is sending or has sent a notice to the Operating
Account Bank that the Administrative Agent is exercising its right to take
control of the Operating Account. With respect to the Operating
Account, the Administrative Agent shall receive copies of the Borrower’s bank
account statements, statement of expenses for the preceding month and such other
supporting information as shall from time to time be requested by the
Administrative Agent.
(b) Upon the
request of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall (i) close the deposit
account #0000000 with Amegy Bank of Texas and (ii) establish and maintain, at
the Borrower’s expense, a new operating account with a bank reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
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) Interest Coverage
Ratio. The Borrower will not, as of the last day of any fiscal
quarter, permit its ratio of EBITDAX to Interest Expense to be less than 2.0 to
1.0.
(b) Ratio of Debt to
EBITDAX. The Borrower will not, at any time, permit its ratio
of Debt as of such time to EBITDAX to be greater than 4.0 to 1.0.
(c) 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.
(d) Capital
Expenditures. The Borrower will not and will not permit its
Subsidiaries to either make or commit or agree to make any Capital Expenditure
(by purchase or Capital Lease or incur costs associated with the exploration and
development of Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ Oil and Gas Properties) outside
the Development Plan, after the Effective Date, that would cause the aggregate
amount of all such Capital Expenditures to exceed $250,000 unless otherwise
agreed to by the Administrative Agent.
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) 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 sixty (60) days past
the date of invoice or 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) Debt
under Capital Leases not to exceed $200,000 in aggregate principal amount at any
time outstanding;
(d) Debt
associated with bonds or surety obligations required by Governmental
Requirements in connection with the operation of the Oil and Gas
Properties;
(e) intercompany
Debt between the Borrower and any Subsidiary or between Subsidiaries to the
extent permitted by Section 9.05(f); provided that
such Debt is not held, assigned, transferred, negotiated or pledged to any
Person other than the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries, and, provided
further, that 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;
(f) Debt
under the Second Lien Notes, the principal amount of which Debt does not exceed
$22,000,000 in the aggregate;
(g) Indebtedness
as set forth on Schedule 9.02, provided that for any repayment of such debt,
after such payment has been made, no Default has occurred and the Borrower shall
have no less than $3,000,000 of availability under the Borrowing Base;
and
(h) other
Debt not to exceed $100,000 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;
(b) Excepted
Liens;
(c) Liens
securing Capital Leases permitted by Section 9.02(c)
but only on the Property under lease; and
(d) Liens on
Property securing the Second Lien Notes and any guaranties thereof as permitted
by Section 9.02(f); provided, however, that such Liens securing such Debt are
subordinate to the Liens securing the Indebtedness.
Section
9.04 Dividends, Distributions and
Redemptions.
(a) 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 to its stockholders or make any distribution of its Property
to its Equity Interest holders, except (i) 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), (ii)
Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends and make distributions to the
Borrower with respect to their Equity Interests and (iii) 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.
(b) Redemption of Second Lien
Notes; Amendment of Second Lien Term Loan Documents. The Borrower will
not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to: (i) prior to the date that is ninety
(90) days after the Termination Date, call, make or offer to make any optional
or voluntary Redemption of or otherwise optionally or voluntarily Redeem
(whether in whole or in part) the Second Lien Notes, provided that the Borrower
may optionally prepay the Second Lien Notes, including refinancings thereof, if
(A) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would exist
after giving effect to such prepayment or refinancing, and (B) after giving
effect to such prepayment or refinancing, the Borrower would have at least
$5,000,000 of unused availability under the Commitments, (ii) amend, modify,
waive or otherwise change, consent or agree to any amendment, modification,
waiver or other change to, any of the terms of any Second Lien Term Loan
Document if (A) the effect thereof would be to shorten the maturity of the
Second Lien Notes or shorten the average life or increase the amount of any
payment of principal thereof or increase the rate or add call or pre-payment
premiums or shorten any period for payment of interest thereon, (B) such action
requires the payment of a consent fee (howsoever described), (C) such action
adds additional Property as collateral to secure the Second Lien Notes unless
the Borrower complies with Section 8.13 or (D) such
action adds any covenants or defaults without this Agreement being
contemporaneously amended to add substantially similar covenants or defaults,
provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit the execution of supplemental
agreements to add guarantors if required by the terms thereof provided that any
such guarantor also guarantees the Indebtedness pursuant to the Guaranty
Agreement and each of the Borrower and such guarantor otherwise complies with Section 8.13, and (iii) designate any Debt (other than
obligations of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries pursuant to the Loan Documents)
as “Senior Indebtedness” or give any such other Debt any other similar
designation
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) accounts
receivable arising in the ordinary course of business;
(b) 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;
(c) commercial
paper maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof rated in the
highest grade by S&P or Xxxxx’x;
(d) deposit
accounts or deposits maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof
with, including certificates of deposit issued by, any Lender or any other
Person at any office located in the United States 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;
(e) deposits
in money market funds investing exclusively in Investments described in Section 9.05(b), Section
9.05(c) or Section 9.05(d);
(f) Investments
(i) made by the Borrower in or to the Guarantors, (ii) made by any Subsidiary in
or to the Borrower or any Guarantor;
(g) 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;
(h) 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 outstanding under this Section 9.05(h) exceeds
$100,000;
and
(i) Other
Investments not to exceed $200,000 in the aggregate at any time.
Section
9.06 Nature of
Business. 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. From and after the date hereof, the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries will not acquire or make any other expenditure (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.
Section
9.07 Limitation on
Leases. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any
Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any obligation for the
payment of rent or hire of Property of any kind whatsoever (real or personal but
excluding Capital Leases and leases of Hydrocarbon Interests), under leases or
lease agreements which would cause the aggregate amount of all payments made by
the Borrower and the Subsidiaries pursuant to all such leases or lease
agreements, including, without limitation, any residual payments at the end of
any lease, to exceed $150,000 in any period
of twelve consecutive calendar months during the life of such leases without the
approval of the Majority Lenders.
Section
9.08 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
9.09 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), (l) or (m)
of section 502 of ERISA or a tax imposed by Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of the
Code.
(b) 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 contributions thereto.
(c) contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to
contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to (i) 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, or (ii) any employee
pension benefit plan, as defined in section 3(2) of ERISA, that is subject to
Title IV of ERISA, section 302 of ERISA or section 412 of the Code.
Section
9.10 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
9.11 Mergers,
Etc. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary
to, merge into or with or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other
Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, 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 (whether now owned
or hereafter acquired) (any such transaction, a “consolidation”), or liquidate
or dissolve; provided that any Subsidiary may participate in a consolidation
with the Borrower (provided that the Borrower shall be the continuing or
surviving entity) or any other Subsidiary provided that if one of such
Subsidiaries is a wholly-owned Subsidiary, then the surviving Person shall be a
wholly-owned Subsidiary.
Section
9.12 Sale of
Properties. Without the consent of the Lenders, the Borrower
will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, sell, assign, farm-out, convey
or otherwise transfer (including through the sale of a production payment or
overriding royalty interest) any Property except for (a) the sale of
Hydrocarbons in the ordinary course of business; (b) farmouts of undeveloped
acreage and assignments in connection with such farmouts with the approval of
the Administrative Agent; (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 the Subsidiary subject of
such sale or other disposition (as reasonably determined by the board of
directors of the Borrower and, 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 in the most
recently delivered Reserve Report during any period between two successive
Scheduled Redetermination Dates has a fair market value in excess of $250,000,
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 9.12(a) to (d) having a fair market value not to exceed
$250,000 during any 12-month period.
Section
9.13 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 a
Release or threatened Release of Hazardous Materials, exposure to any Hazardous
Materials, or 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, Release or threatened Release, exposure, or Remedial work could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
9.14 Material
Agreements. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any
Subsidiary to, enter into or amend or otherwise modify any Material Agreement or
any other contract or agreement that involves an individual commitment from such
Person of more than $100,000 in the aggregate in any twelve month period (except
for such contracts and agreements that relate to the projects contemplated in
the Development Plan, with all such new or modified Material Agreements related
to projects contemplated in the Development Plan to be in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent).
Section
9.15 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) 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
9.16 Subsidiaries. The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create or acquire any
additional Subsidiary unless the Borrower gives written notice to the
Administrative Agent of such creation or acquisition and complies with Section 8.13(b). The Borrower shall not, and
shall not permit any Subsidiary to, sell, assign or otherwise dispose of any
Equity Interests in any Subsidiary. Neither the Borrower nor any
Subsidiary shall have any Foreign Subsidiaries.
Section
9.17 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 Second Lien Term Loan
Agreement, the Security Instruments or Capital Leases creating Liens permitted
by Section 9.03(c)) 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
9.18 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 without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor to
exceed two percent (2%) of Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ Proved Reserves of
natural gas (on an mcf equivalent basis) in the aggregate.
Section
9.19 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) for each month of the thirty-six (36) month period following the date on
which each such Swap Agreement is executed, 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, 75% of the
reasonably anticipated projected production from Proved Developed Producing
Reserves for each month during the period during which such Swap Agreement is in
effect for each of crude oil and natural gas, calculated separately or (b) Swap
Agreements in respect of interest rates with an Approved Counterparty, as
follows: (i) Swap Agreements effectively converting interest rates
from fixed to floating, 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 fixed to floating) do not exceed 50%
of the then outstanding principal amount of the Borrower’s Debt for borrowed
money which bears interest at a fixed rate and (ii) Swap Agreements effectively
converting 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. 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.
Section
9.20 Development
Plan. Without
the prior written consent of the Majority Lenders, the Borrower shall not (a)
amend, modify or supplement any term of the Development Plan if the effect of
such amendment, modification, supplement or waiver would be to materially and
adversely affect the commercial terms of the Development Plan or the schedule of
the Development Plan or (b) terminate the Development Plan.
Section
9.21 Acquisition
Documents. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of
its Subsidiaries to, amend, modify or supplement any of the Acquisition
Documents if the effect thereof could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect (and provided that the Borrower promptly furnishes to the
Administrative Agent a copy of such amendment, modification or
supplement).
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 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.
(d) the
Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to observe or perform any covenant,
condition or agreement contained in Section 8.01(m),
Section 8.02(a), Section
8.03, Section 8.13, Section 8.14 or in Article IX.
(e) 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 thirty (30)
days after the earlier to occur of (i) notice thereof from the Administrative
Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender)
or (ii) a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or such Subsidiary otherwise
becoming aware of such default.
(f) the
Borrower or any Subsidiary 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 (with or without the giving
of notice, the lapse of time or both) 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 an event or condition requires 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
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 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
forty-five (45) days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the
foregoing shall be entered.
(i) 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 Borrower shall make any request or take
any action for the purpose of calling a meeting of the stockholders of the
Borrower to consider a resolution to dissolve and wind-up the Borrower’s
affairs.
(j) 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
$50,000 (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 Borrower, any Subsidiary or any
combination thereof and, in either such case, the same shall remain undischarged
for a period of thirty (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 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) a Change
in Control shall occur.
(n) an event,
development or circumstance shall have occurred or shall exist that has resulted
in a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) a failure
to cure a Borrowing Base Deficiency as outlined in Section 3.04(c)(ii).
(p) the
Intercreditor Agreement, 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 its terms against the
Borrower or holder of the Debt subordinated thereby or shall be repudiated by
any such Person, or cause the payment of the obligations of the Second Lien
Notes to be senior or pari passu in right to the payment of obligations of this
Agreement, or any payment by the Borrower or any Guarantor is made in violation
of the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement.
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(h)), 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 such Notes and
the principal of such 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 such 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(h)), 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 and continuance 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 an Approved
Counterparty;
(v) fifth, to serve as cash
collateral to be held by the Administrative Agent to secure the LC
Exposure;
(vi) sixth, pro rata to any other
Indebtedness; 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
Section
11.01 Appointment;
Powers. Each of the Lenders 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 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 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. The Administrative
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 the Administrative Agent shall not 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 and the Lenders 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 10.02(a) 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 Administrative Agent as provided in this Section 11.06, the Administrative Agent may resign at
any time by notifying the Lenders and the Borrower, and the Administrative 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 thirty (30)
days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation or
removal of the retiring Administrative Agent, then the retiring Administrative
Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor Administrative Agent
which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of
any such bank. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as
Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to
and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the
retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be
discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. The fees
payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as
those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower
and such successor. After the Administrative Agent’s resignation
hereunder, the provisions of this Article 10.02(a)
and Section 12.03 shall continue in effect for the
benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their
respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be
taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.
Section
11.07 Administrative Agent as
Lender. Each Person serving as an Administrative 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
Administrative 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 Administrative
Agent hereunder.
Section
11.08 No
Reliance.
(a) Each
Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative 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
Administrative Agent shall not be required to keep itself 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, neither the Administrative Agent nor 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 and its Affiliates
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.
(b) The
Lenders acknowledge that the Administrative Agent and the Arranger are acting
solely in administrative capacities with respect to the structuring and
syndication of this facility and have no duties, responsibilities or liabilities
under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents other than their
administrative duties, responsibilities and liabilities specifically as set
forth in the Loan Documents and in their capacity as Lenders
hereunder. In structuring, arranging or syndicating this facility,
each Lender acknowledges that the Administrative Agent and/or Arranger may be an
agent or lender under these Notes, the Second Lien Notes, other loans or other
securities and waives any existing or future conflicts of interest associated
with the their role in such other debt instruments. If in its
administration of this facility or any other debt instrument, the Administrative
Agent determines (or is given written notice by any Lender that a conflict
exists), then it shall eliminate such conflict within ninety (90) days or resign
pursuant to Section 11.06 and shall have no liability for action taken or not
taken while such conflict existed.
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;
(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 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 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 9.12 or is
otherwise authorized by the terms of the Loan Documents.
Section
11.11 The
Arranger. The Arranger shall have no duties, responsibilities
or liabilities under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents other than its
duties, responsibilities and liabilities in its capacity as a Lender
hereunder.
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 XX 0000 Xxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000,
Attention of Xxxxxx X. Xxxx (Telecopy No.
281-315-8865), with a copy to Xxxxxxxx & Knight LLP, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
00xx
Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention of Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Esq.;
(ii) if to the
Administrative Agent and related to amendments, consents, waivers, financial
statements, operating reports, reserve reports, etc, to it at 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, attention of Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000) with a copy to 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000,
attention of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000); and
(iii) if to the
Administrative Agent and related to rate sets, drawdown requests, paydowns,
interest, fees, etc., to it at 00 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000,
attention of Xxxxx XxXxxxx (Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000) with a copy to 000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000, attention of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
(Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000).
(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, the Arranger
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, the Arranger and the Lenders hereunder
and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any
rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any
provision of this Agreement or 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, the Issuing Bank, the Arranger or any Lender 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
Commitment or the Maximum Credit Amount of any Lender without the written
consent of such Lender, (ii) increase the Borrowing Base without the written
consent of the Required Lenders, decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base without
the consent of the 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 8.13,
Section 10.02(c) or Section
12.14 or change the definition of the terms “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
8.13(a) to less than 80%, without the written consent of each Lender, or
(viii) change any of the provisions of this Section
12.02(b) or the definitions of “Required Lenders” or “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 or the Issuing Bank hereunder or under any
other Loan Document without the prior written consent of the Administrative
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.
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 Administrative 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
Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or
any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the
Administrative 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 ADMINISTRATIVE 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, 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, (ii) 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, (iii) 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, (iv)
ANY LOAN OR LETTER OF CREDIT OR THE USE OF THE PROCEEDS THEREFROM, INCLUDING,
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, (v) ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS,
(vi) THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUSINESS OF THE BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES BY THE
BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, (vii) ANY ASSERTION THAT THE LENDERS WERE NOT
ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THE SECURITY INSTRUMENTS,
(viii) 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
MATERIALS ON ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES, (ix) THE BREACH OR NON-COMPLIANCE BY THE
BORROWER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY WITH ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER
OR ANY SUBSIDIARY, (x) 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, (xi) 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
MATERIALS ON 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, (xii) ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY RELATED IN ANY WAY TO THE
BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, OR (xiii) ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH
OR SAFETY CONDITION IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOAN DOCUMENTS, OR (xiv) 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 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
the Administrative Agent, the Arranger or the Issuing Bank under Section 12.03(a) or (b),
each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative 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 the Administrative 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
promptly 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,
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,
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, an Approved Fund or, if an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, is to any other assignee;
and
(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 $1,000,000 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
any information reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent.
(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 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 providing any information reasonably
requested by the Administrative Agent (unless the assignee shall already be a
Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in this Section 12.04(b) and any written consent to such
assignment required by Section 12.04(a), 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, or 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. 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
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 10.02(a) 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.
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 or any other Loan Document by
telecopy or electronic transmission shall be effective as delivery of a manually
executed counterpart thereof.
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.
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, 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; (iii) CERTIFIES THAT NO PARTY HERETO NOR ANY REPRESENTATIVE,
AGENT OR 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 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 or any Lender on a non-confidential 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 or any Lender on a
non-confidential 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 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: (a) 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 (b) 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
(a) 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 (b) 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 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 Approved 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. No
Approved Counterparty 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 Administrative Agent to
procure and arrange 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, the Issuing Bank or any Lender for any reason
whatsoever. There are no third party beneficiaries other than swap
counterparties.
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 “Patriot Act”), it is
required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower,
which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other
information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance
with the Patriot Act.
[SIGNATURES
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The
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and
year first above written.
BORROWER: ABC FUNDING, INC.
By: /s/
Xxxx X.
Xxxxx
Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Chief Financial Officer
ADMINISTRATIVE
AGENT: CIT
CAPITAL USA INC.
as
Administrative Agent
By: /s/
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Vice President
LENDERS: CIT CAPITAL USA
INC.
By: /s/
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Chief Financial Officer
Signature Page to Credit
Agreement
[Annex,
Exhibits and Schedules Omitted]
Signature Page to Credit
Agreement