1
EXHIBIT 4.9
TRUST AGREEMENT
OF
OCEAN ENERGY ROYALTY TRUST
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT OF OCEAN ENERGY ROYALTY TRUST is made as of July
14, 1999 (this "Trust Agreement"), by and among Ocean Energy Inc., a Delaware
corporation, as sponsor (the "Sponsor"), Bank One, Texas, N.A., a national
banking association, as property trustee, and Bank One Delaware, Inc., a
Delaware corporation, as Delaware trustee, (collectively, the "Trustees"). The
Sponsor and the Trustees hereby agree as follows:
1. The trust created hereby shall be known as "Ocean Energy Royalty
Trust" (the "Trust"), in which name the Trustees or the Sponsor, to the extent
provided herein, may conduct the business of the Trust, make and execute
contracts, and xxx and be sued.
2. The Sponsor hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and sets over to the
Trust the sum of $10. Such amount shall constitute the initial trust estate. It
is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust created hereby constitute
a business trust under Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code, 12 Del. C.
ss. 3801, et seq. (the "Business Trust Act"), and that this document constitute
the governing instrument of the Trust. The Trustees are hereby authorized and
directed to execute and file a certificate of trust with the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware in such form as the Trustees may approve.
3. The Sponsor and the Trustees will enter into an amended and restated
Trust Agreement satisfactory to each such party to provide for the contemplated
operation of the Trust created hereby and the issuance of the trust securities
referred to therein. Prior to the execution and delivery of such amended and
restated Trust Agreement, the Trustees shall not have any duty or obligation
hereunder or with respect of the trust estate, except as otherwise contemplated
by this Trust Agreement, required by applicable law or as may be necessary to
obtain prior to such execution and delivery any licenses, consents or approvals
required by applicable law or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Trustees may take all actions deemed proper as are necessary to effect the
transactions contemplated herein.
4. The Sponsor, as sponsor of the Trust is hereby authorized, in its
sole discretion, (i) to prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") and to execute, in the case of the 1933 Act
Registration Statement and 1934 Act Registration Statement (as herein defined),
on behalf of the Trust, (a) a Registration Statement (the "1933 Act Registration
Statement"), including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments thereto,
relating to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"1933 Act"), of the trust securities of the Trust, (b) any preliminary
prospectus or prospectus or supplement thereto relating to the trust securities
of the Trust required to be filed pursuant to the 1933 Act, and (c) a
Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other appropriate form (the "1934 Act
Registration Statement"), including all pre-effective and post-effective
amendments thereto, relating to the registration of the trust securities of the
Trust under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; (ii) if and at such
time as determined by the Sponsor, to file with the New York Stock Exchange or
other exchange, or the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"), and
execute on behalf of the Trust a listing application and all other applications,
statements,
2
certificates, agreements and other instruments as shall be necessary or
desirable to cause the trust securities of the Trust to be listed on the New
York Stock Exchange or such other exchange, or the NASD's Nasdaq National
Market; (iii) to file and execute on behalf of the Trust, such applications,
reports, surety bonds, irrevocable consents, appointments of attorney for
service of process and other papers and documents that shall be necessary or
desirable to register the trust securities of the Trust under the securities or
"blue sky" laws of such jurisdictions as the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust,
may deem necessary or desirable; (iv) to execute and deliver letters or
documents to, or instruments for filing with, a depository relating to the trust
securities of the Trust; and (v) to execute, deliver and perform on behalf of
the Trust an underwriting agreement with one or more underwriters relating to
the offering of the trust securities of the Trust.
In the event that any filing referred to in this Section 4 is required
by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York Stock Exchange or
other exchange, NASD, or state securities or "blue sky" laws to be executed on
behalf of the Trust by the Trustees, the Trustees, in their capacity as trustees
of the Trust, are hereby authorized to join in any such filing and to execute on
behalf of the Trust any and all of the foregoing, it being understood that the
Trustees, in their capacity as trustees of the Trust, shall not be required to
join in any such filing or execute on behalf of the Trust any such document
unless required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York
Stock Exchange or other exchange, NASD, or state securities or "blue sky" laws;
provided, however, that the Trustees in their discretion may resign if they
elect not to join in any such filing or to execute any such document.
5. This Trust Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts.
6. The number of trustees of the Trust initially shall be two and
thereafter the number of trustees of the Trust shall be such number as shall be
fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed by the Sponsor which may
increase or decrease the number of trustees of the Trust; provided, however,
that to the extent required by the Business Trust Act, one trustee of the Trust
shall either be a natural person who is a resident of the State of Delaware or,
if not a natural person, an entity that has its principal place of business in
the State of Delaware and otherwise meets the requirements of applicable law.
Subject to the foregoing, the Sponsor is entitled to appoint or remove without
cause any trustee of the Trust at any time. Any trustee of the Trust may resign
upon thirty days' prior notice to the Sponsor.
7. Bank One Delaware, Inc., in its capacity as Delaware Trustee of the
Trust, shall not have any of the powers or duties of the Trustees set forth
herein and shall be a Trustee of the Trust for the sole purpose of satisfying
the requirements of Section 3807 of the Business Trust Act.
8. The Sponsor hereby agrees to (i) reimburse the Trustees for all
reasonable expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and other
experts) and (ii) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustees and any of
the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustees (the "Indemnified
Persons") from and against and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims,
actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees
and expenses of counsel), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever
(collectively, "Expenses"), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are
imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with
respect to the performance of this Trust Agreement,
-2-
3
the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions
contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Sponsor shall not be required
to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses that are a result of the
willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such Indemnified Person.
9. The Trust may be dissolved and terminated before the issuance of the
trust securities of the Trust at the election of the Sponsor.
10. This Trust Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (without regard to conflict
of laws principles).
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Trust Agreement
to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
Ocean Energy Inc., as Sponsor
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary
Bank One, Texas, N.A., as property trustee
By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxx
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx Xxxx
Title: Assistant Vice President
Bank One Delaware, Inc., as Delaware
trustee
By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President
-3-
