EXECUTION VERSION
Exhibit
99.3
EXECUTION VERSION |
ENERMARK
INC.
U.S.
$54,000,000
5.46%
Senior Notes due October 1, 2015
______________
______________
Dated
as of October 1, 2003
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
SECTION
|
HEADING
|
PAGE
|
SECTION 1.
|
AUTHORIZATION
OF NOTES
|
1
|
SECTION 2.
|
SALE
AND PURCHASE OF NOTES
|
1
|
SECTION 2.1.
|
SALE
AND PURCHASE OF NOTES
|
1
|
SECTION 2.2.
|
SUBSIDIARY
GUARANTY
|
2
|
SECTION 2.3.
|
SUBORDINATION
AGREEMENTS
|
2
|
SECTION 3.
|
CLOSING
|
2
|
SECTION 4.
|
CONDITIONS
TO CLOSING
|
3
|
SECTION 4.1.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
3
|
SECTION 4.2.
|
PERFORMANCE;
NO DEFAULT
|
3
|
SECTION 4.3.
|
COMPLIANCE
CERTIFICATES
|
3
|
SECTION 4.4.
|
OPINIONS
OF COUNSEL
|
4
|
SECTION 4.5.
|
PURCHASE
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ETC.
|
4
|
SECTION 4.6.
|
SALE
OF OTHER NOTES
|
4
|
SECTION 4.7.
|
PAYMENT
OF SPECIAL COUNSEL FEES.
|
4
|
SECTION 4.8.
|
PRIVATE
PLACEMENT NUMBER
|
5
|
SECTION 4.9.
|
CHANGES
IN LEGAL STRUCTURE
|
5
|
SECTION 4.10.
|
CERTAIN
AGREEMENTS
|
5
|
SECTION 4.11.
|
FUNDING
INSTRUCTIONS
|
5
|
SECTION 4.12.
|
PROCEEDINGS
AND DOCUMENTS
|
5
|
SECTION 5.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
5
|
SECTION 5.1.
|
ORGANIZATION;
POWER AND AUTHORITY
|
5
|
SECTION 5.2.
|
AUTHORIZATION,
ETC
|
6
|
SECTION 5.3.
|
DISCLOSURE
|
6
|
SECTION 5.4.
|
ORGANIZATION
AND OWNERSHIP OF SHARES OF SUBSIDIARIES; AFFILIATES
|
6
|
SECTION 5.5.
|
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
|
7
|
SECTION 5.6.
|
COMPLIANCE
WITH LAWS, OTHER INSTRUMENTS, ETC
|
7
|
SECTION 5.7.
|
GOVERNMENTAL
AUTHORIZATIONS, ETC
|
7
|
SECTION 5.8.
|
LITIGATION;
OBSERVANCE OF AGREEMENTS, STATUTES AND ORDERS
|
8
|
SECTION 5.9.
|
TAXES
|
8
|
SECTION 5.10.
|
TITLE
TO PROPERTY; LEASES
|
8
|
SECTION 5.11.
|
LICENSES,
PERMITS, ETC
|
8
|
SECTION 5.12.
|
COMPLIANCE
WITH PENSION LAWS
|
9
|
SECTION 5.13.
|
PRIVATE
OFFERING BY THE COMPANY
|
10
|
SECTION 5.14.
|
USE
OF PROCEEDS; MARGIN REGULATIONS
|
10
|
SECTION 5.15.
|
EXISTING
DEBT; FUTURE LIENS
|
00
|
-x-
XXXXXXX 5.16.
|
FOREIGN
ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS, ETC
|
11
|
SECTION 5.17.
|
STATUS
UNDER CERTAIN STATUTES
|
11
|
SECTION 5.18.
|
NOTES
RANK PARI PASSU
|
11
|
SECTION 5.19.
|
ENVIRONMENTAL
MATTERS
|
11
|
SECTION 6.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
OF THE PURCHASER
|
12
|
SECTION 6.1.
|
PURCHASE
FOR INVESTMENT
|
12
|
SECTION 6.2.
|
SOURCE
OF FUNDS
|
12
|
SECTION 7.
|
INFORMATION
AS TO THE COMPANY
|
13
|
SECTION 7.1.
|
FINANCIAL
AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
|
13
|
SECTION 7.2.
|
OFFICER’S
CERTIFICATE
|
16
|
SECTION 7.3.
|
INSPECTION
|
16
|
SECTION 8.
|
PAYMENT
OF THE NOTES
|
17
|
SECTION 8.1.
|
REQUIRED
REPAYMENTS
|
17
|
SECTION 8.2.
|
OPTIONAL
PREPAYMENTS
|
17
|
SECTION 8.3.
|
DESIGNATED
EVENT
|
17
|
SECTION 8.4.
|
REDEMPTION
FOR REASONS OF TAXATION
|
19
|
SECTION 8.5.
|
ALLOCATION
OF PARTIAL PREPAYMENTS
|
19
|
SECTION 8.6.
|
MATURITY;
SURRENDER, ETC.
|
20
|
SECTION 8.7.
|
PURCHASE
OF NOTES
|
20
|
SECTION 8.8.
|
MAKE-WHOLE
AMOUNT
|
20
|
SECTION 9.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
|
21
|
SECTION 9.1.
|
COMPLIANCE
WITH LAW
|
21
|
SECTION 9.2.
|
INSURANCE
|
22
|
SECTION 9.3.
|
MAINTENANCE
OF PROPERTIES
|
22
|
SECTION 9.4.
|
PAYMENT
OF TAXES AND CLAIMS
|
22
|
SECTION 9.5.
|
LEGAL
EXISTENCE, ETC.
|
23
|
SECTION 9.6.
|
NATURE
OF BUSINESS
|
23
|
SECTION 9.7.
|
NOTES
TO RANK PARI PASSU
|
23
|
SECTION 9.8.
|
SUBSIDIARY
GUARANTY AND SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT
|
23
|
SECTION 10.
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
|
24
|
SECTION 10.1.
|
INTEREST
COVERAGE RATIO
|
24
|
SECTION 10.2.
|
MAXIMUM
DEBT TO CONSOLIDATED PRESENT VALUE OF TOTAL PROVEN
RESERVES
|
24
|
SECTION 10.3.
|
LIMITATION
ON DEBT
|
24
|
SECTION 10.4.
|
LIMITATION
ON LIENS
|
24
|
SECTION 10.5.
|
RESTRICTED
PAYMENTS
|
28
|
SECTION 10.6.
|
MERGERS,
CONSOLIDATIONS AND SALES OF ASSETS
|
28
|
SECTION
10.7.
|
SALE
OF ASSETS
|
29
|
SECTION 10.8.
|
DESIGNATION
OF RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES
|
29
|
-ii-
SECTION 10.9.
|
TRANSACTIONS
WITH AFFILIATES
|
29
|
SECTION 10.10.
|
NOTEHOLDER
CONSENT FOR CERTAIN AMENDMENTS
|
30
|
SECTION
10.11.
|
REPAYMENT
OF BANK FACILITY
|
30
|
SECTION 11.
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
|
30
|
SECTION 12.
|
REMEDIES
ON DEFAULT, ETC
|
33
|
SECTION 12.1.
|
ACCELERATION
|
33
|
SECTION 12.2.
|
OTHER
REMEDIES
|
33
|
SECTION 12.3.
|
RESCISSION
|
33
|
SECTION 12.4.
|
NO
WAIVERS OR ELECTION OF REMEDIES, EXPENSES, ETC
|
34
|
SECTION 13.
|
REGISTRATION;
EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES
|
34
|
SECTION 13.1.
|
REGISTRATION
OF NOTES
|
34
|
SECTION 13.2.
|
TRANSFER
AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES
|
34
|
SECTION 13.3.
|
REPLACEMENT
OF NOTES
|
35
|
SECTION 14.
|
PAYMENTS
ON NOTES
|
35
|
SECTION 14.1.
|
PLACE
OF PAYMENT
|
35
|
SECTION 14.2.
|
HOME
OFFICE PAYMENT
|
35
|
SECTION 14.3.
|
PAYMENT
FREE AND CLEAR OF TAXES
|
36
|
SECTION 15.
|
EXPENSES,
ETC
|
37
|
SECTION 15.1.
|
TRANSACTION
EXPENSES
|
37
|
SECTION 15.2.
|
SURVIVAL
|
37
|
SECTION 16.
|
SURVIVAL
OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT
|
38
|
SECTION 17.
|
AMENDMENT
AND WAIVER
|
38
|
SECTION 17.1.
|
REQUIREMENTS
|
38
|
SECTION 17.2.
|
SOLICITATION
OF HOLDERS OF NOTES
|
38
|
SECTION 17.3.
|
BINDING
EFFECT, ETC
|
39
|
SECTION 17.4.
|
NOTES
HELD BY COMPANY, ETC
|
39
|
SECTION 18.
|
NOTICES
|
39
|
SECTION 19.
|
REPRODUCTION
OF DOCUMENTS
|
40
|
SECTION 20.
|
CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION
|
40
|
SECTION 21.
|
SUBSTITUTION
OF PURCHASER
|
41
|
-iii-
SECTION 22.
|
MISCELLANEOUS
|
41
|
SECTION 22.1.
|
CURRENCY
OF PAYMENTS, INDEMNIFICATION
|
00
|
XXXXXXX
00.0.
|
XXXXXXXX
XXX XX XXXXXX
|
42
|
SECTION 22.3.
|
TIME
|
42
|
SECTION 22.4.
|
SUCCESSORS
AND ASSIGNS
|
42
|
SECTION 22.5.
|
PAYMENTS
DUE ON NON-BUSINESS DAYS
|
42
|
SECTION 22.6.
|
SEVERABILITY
|
42
|
SECTION 22.7.
|
CONSTRUCTION
|
42
|
SECTION 22.8.
|
COUNTERPARTS
|
43
|
SECTION 22.9.
|
GOVERNING
LAW
|
43
|
SECTION 22.10.
|
SUBMISSION
TO JURISDICTION
|
43
|
SIGNATURE | 44 |
-iv-
SCHEDULE A
|
-
|
Information
Relating to Purchasers
|
SCHEDULE B
|
-
|
Defined
Terms
|
SCHEDULE 4.9
|
-
|
Changes
in Legal Structure
|
SCHEDULE 5.3
|
-
|
Disclosure
Materials
|
SCHEDULE 5.4
|
-
|
Subsidiaries
of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary Stock
|
SCHEDULE 5.5
|
-
|
Financial
Statements
|
SCHEDULE 5.8
|
-
|
Certain
Litigation
|
SCHEDULE 5.11
|
-
|
Patents,
Etc.
|
SCHEDULE 5.14
|
-
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
SCHEDULE 5.15
|
-
|
Existing
Debt
|
EXHIBIT 1
|
-
|
Form
of 5.46% Senior Note due October 1, 2015
|
EXHIBIT
2.2
|
-
|
Form
of Subsidiary Guaranty
|
EXHIBIT
2.3
|
-
|
Form
of Subordination Agreement
|
EXHIBIT 4.4(a)
|
-
|
Form
of Opinion of Special Canadian Counsel to the Company, the Fund and the
Subsidiary Guarantor
|
EXHIBIT 4.4(b)
|
-
|
Form
of Opinion of Special Canadian Counsel to the
Purchasers
|
EXHIBIT 4.4(c)
|
-
|
Form
of Opinion of Special Counsel to the
Purchasers
|
-v-
ENERMARK
INC.
THE
DOME TOWER
3000,
000 - 0xx Xxxxxx X.X.
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx X0X 0X0
U.S.
$54,000,000 5.46% Senior Notes due
OCTOBER 1, 2015
Dated
as of
October 1,
2003
TO
THE PURCHASER LISTED IN THE ATTACHED
SCHEDULE
A WHO IS A SIGNATORY HERETO:
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
ENERMARK
INC., a body corporate constituted under the laws of Alberta (the “Company”) and, for purposes
of Section 10.10,
ENERPLUS RESOURCES FUND, a trust formed in accordance with the laws of Alberta
(the “Fund”) and
ENERPLUS RESOURCES CORPORATION, a body corporate amalgamated under the laws of
Alberta and ENERPLUS OIL & GAS LTD., a body corporate incorporated under the
laws of Alberta (each, a “Subsidiary Guarantors” and
collectively, the “Subsidiary
Guarantors”), hereby agree with you as follows:
SECTION 1.
|
AUTHORIZATION
OF NOTES.
|
The
Company will authorize the issue and sale of U.S. $54,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of its 5.46% Senior Notes due October 1, 2015 (the “Notes”, such term to include
any such notes issued in substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13 of this
Agreement or the Other Agreements (as hereinafter defined)). The
Notes shall be substantially in the form set out in Exhibit 1, with such
changes therefrom, if any, as may be approved by you and the
Company. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined
in Schedule B;
references to a “Section,” “Schedule” or an “Exhibit” are, unless
otherwise specified, to a Section of, or a Schedule or an Exhibit attached to,
this Agreement.
SECTION 2.
|
SALE
AND PURCHASE OF NOTES.
|
Section
2.1. Sale and Purchase of
Notes. Subject to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to you and you
will purchase from the Company, at the Closing provided for in Section 3, Notes in the
principal amount specified opposite your name in Schedule A at the
purchase price of 100% of the principal amount
thereof. Contemporaneously with entering into this Agreement, the
Company is entering into separate Note Purchase Agreements (the “Other Agreements”) identical
with this Agreement with each of the other purchasers named in Schedule A (the “Other Purchasers”),
providing for the sale at such Closing to each of the Other Purchasers of Notes
in the principal amount specified opposite its name in Schedule A. Your
obligation hereunder, and the obligations of the Other Purchasers under the
Other Agreements, are several and not joint obligations, and you shall have no
obligation under any Other Agreement and no liability to any Person for the
performance or nonperformance by any Other Purchaser thereunder.
Section 2.2.Subsidiary
Guaranty. Payment by the Company of all amounts due with
respect to the Notes shall be absolutely and unconditionally guaranteed by the
Subsidiary Guarantors pursuant to a guaranty agreement dated as of the date
hereof substantially in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 2.2 (the “Subsidiary Guaranty”) in
favor of the holders of the Notes.
Section 2.3.Subordination
Agreements. The Fund, the Subsidiary Guarantors, Enerplus
Energy Ltd. (“EEL”), a
body corporate incorporated under the laws of Alberta, for and on behalf of
itself and PCC Limited Partnership, a limited partnership formed in accordance
with the laws of Alberta (“PCCLP”), and the Company on
behalf of Enerplus Limited Partnership, a limited partnership formed in
accordance with the laws of Alberta (“Enerplus LP”), shall enter
into separate and several Subordination Agreements dated as of the date hereof
substantially in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 2.3
(individually, a “Subordination Agreement,”
and, collectively, the “Subordination Agreements”)
pursuant to which each of the Fund, the Subsidiary Guarantors EEL, PCCLP, and
the Company on behalf of Enerplus LP will subordinate its right to receive
payments of Debt, interest accrued thereon and premium, if any, royalty payments
and obligations and all other sums which may from time to time be due and owing
to it (a) from the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or any other
Restricted Subsidiary to the Fund (for the Fund’s Subordination Agreement) and
to EEL, PCCLP and Enerplus LP (for their respective Subordination Agreements)
and (b) from the Company (for the Subsidiary Guarantors’ Subordination
Agreement), in each case, to the prior payment in full in cash of the Notes, all
upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Subordination
Agreements.
SECTION 3.
|
CLOSING.
|
The
sale and purchase of the Notes to be purchased by you and the Other Purchasers
shall occur at the offices of Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, at 10:00 a.m. Chicago time, at a closing (the “Closing”) on October 1,
2003. At the Closing, the Company will deliver to you the Notes to be
purchased by you in the form of a single Note (or such greater number of Notes
in denominations of at least U.S. $1,000,000 as you may request) dated the date
of the Closing and registered in your name (or in the name of your nominee),
against delivery by you to the Company or its order of immediately available
funds in the amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of
immediately available funds for the account of the Company to account number
[Information
Redacted]. If at the Closing the Company shall fail to tender
such Notes to you as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the
conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have
been fulfilled to your satisfaction, you shall, at your election, be relieved of
all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights
you may have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment.
-2-
SECTION 4.
|
CONDITIONS
TO CLOSING.
|
Your
obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to you at the Closing is
subject to the fulfillment to your satisfaction, prior to or at the Closing, of
the following conditions:
Section 4.1.Representations and
Warranties. (a) The representations and warranties of the
Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and at the time of the
Closing.
(b)The representations and warranties of
the Fund in the Subordination Agreement to which it is a party shall be correct
when made and at the time of the Closing.
(c)The representations and warranties of
the Subsidiary Guarantors in the Subsidiary Guaranty shall be correct when made
and at the time of the Closing.
Section 4.2.Performance; No
Default. Each of the Company, the Fund and the Subsidiary
Guarantors shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions
contained in this Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty or the Subordination
Agreements required to be performed or complied with by the Company, the Fund or
the Subsidiary Guarantors, as the case may be, prior to or at the Closing, and
after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of
the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Schedule 5.14), no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing. The Company shall not have entered into, or permitted or
caused the Fund or any Restricted Subsidiary to enter into, any transaction
since the date of the Memorandum that would have been prohibited by Section 10 hereof had
such Section applied since such date.
Section 4.3.Compliance
Certificates.
(a)Company Officer’s
Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to you an
Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of the Closing, certifying that the
conditions specified in Sections 4.1(a), 4.2 and 4.9 (as such conditions relate
to the Company) have been fulfilled.
(b)Fund Officer’s
Certificate. The Company, for and on behalf of the Fund, shall
have delivered to you an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of the Closing,
certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1(b), 4.2 and 4.9 (as such conditions relate
to the Fund) have been fulfilled.
(c)Subsidiary Guarantors’
Certificates. Each of the Subsidiary Guarantors shall have
delivered to you a certificate of an authorized officer, dated the date of the
Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1(c), 4.2 and 4.9 (as such conditions relate
to such Subsidiary Guarantor) have been fulfilled.
(d)Company Secretary’s
Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to you a
certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other
corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery by
the Company of the Notes and the Agreements.
-3-
(e)Fund Secretary’s
Certificate. The Company, for and on behalf of the Fund, shall
have delivered to you a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached
thereto and other legal proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and
delivery by the Fund of the Subordination Agreement to which it is a
party.
(f)Subsidiary Guarantors Secretary’s
Certificate. Each of the Subsidiary Guarantors shall have
delivered to you a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto
and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and
delivery by the Subsidiary Guarantors of the Subsidiary Guaranty and the
Subordination Agreement to which it is a party.
(g)Subordinators Secretary’s
Certificate. Each of EEL, PCCLP and Enerplus LP shall have
delivered to you a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto
and the other corporate or partnership proceedings relating to the
authorization, execution and delivery of the Subordination Agreement to which it
is a party.
Section 4.4.Opinions of
Counsel. You shall have received opinions in form and
substance satisfactory to you, dated the date of the Closing (a) from
Blake, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, special Canadian counsel for the Company, the
Fund and the Subsidiary Guarantor covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and
covering such other matters incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as
you or your counsel may reasonably request (and the Company, the Fund and the
Subsidiary Guarantors hereby instruct their counsel to deliver such opinion to
you) (b) from Fraser Xxxxxx Casgrain, your special Canadian counsel, covering
the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering
such other matters incident to the transaction contemplated hereby as you may
reasonably request, and (c) from Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxx LLP, your special
counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially in the form set
forth in Exhibit 4.4(c) and
covering such other matters incident to such transactions as you may reasonably
request.
Section 4.5.Purchase Permitted by Applicable
Law, Etc. On the date of the Closing your purchase of Notes
shall (a) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to
which you are subject, without recourse to provisions (such as
Section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting limited
investments by insurance companies without restriction as to the character of
the particular investment, (b) not violate any applicable law or regulation
(including, without limitation, Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System) and (c) not subject you to any tax, penalty
or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or
regulation was not in effect on the date hereof. If requested by you,
you shall have received on the date of the Closing an Officer’s Certificate
certifying as to such matters of fact as you may reasonably specify to enable
you to determine whether such purchase is so permitted.
Section 4.6.Sale of Other
Notes. Contemporaneously with the Closing, the Company shall
sell to the Other Purchasers, and the Other Purchasers shall purchase, the Notes
to be purchased by them at the Closing as specified in Schedule A.
Section 4.7.Payment of Special Counsel
Fees. Without limiting the provisions of Section 15.1, the Company
shall have paid on or before the Closing the fees, charges and disbursements of
your special counsel referred to in Section 4.4 to the extent
reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to the Company at least one
Business Day prior to the Closing.
-4-
Section 4.8.Private Placement
Number. A Private Placement Number issued by Standard &
Poor’s CUSIP Service Bureau (in cooperation with the Securities Valuation Office
of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners) shall have been obtained
for the Notes.
Section 4.9.Changes in Legal
Structure. Except as specified in Schedule 4.9, neither the
Company, the Fund nor the Subsidiary Guarantors shall have changed its
jurisdiction of organization or been a party to any merger, consolidation or
amalgamation and none of them shall have succeeded to all or any substantial
part of the liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of
the most recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5.
Section 4.10.Certain
Agreements. On the date of the Closing, the Subsidiary
Guaranty and each Subordination Agreement shall have been duly executed and
delivered by the parties thereto, shall be in full force and effect and you
shall have received true, correct and complete copies of each of
them.
Section 4.11.Funding
Instructions. At least three Business Days prior to the date
of the Closing, you shall have received written instructions executed by a
Responsible Officer of the Company directing the manner of the payment of funds
and setting forth (1) the name and address of the transferee bank,
(2) such transferee bank’s ABA number, (3) the account name and number
into which the purchase price for the Notes is to be deposited, and (4) the
name and telephone number of the account representative responsible for
verifying receipt of such funds.
Section 4.12.Proceedings and
Documents. All legal and other proceedings in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and
instruments incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory to you and your
special counsel, and you and your special counsel shall have received all such
counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as you or
they may reasonably request.
SECTION 5.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES.
|
The
Company represents and warrants to you on and as of the date of the Closing
that:
Section 5.1.Organization; Power and
Authority. The Company is a corporation duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of
incorporation, and is duly qualified as an extra-provincial or a foreign
corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or
hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to
transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and
deliver this Agreement, the Other Agreements and the Notes and to perform the
provisions hereof and thereof. The Company is subject to the relevant
commercial law and civil law and is generally subject to suit and it is not, nor
does any of its properties or revenues, enjoy any right of immunity from any
judicial proceedings, including attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid
of execution, execution of the judgment or otherwise. The Company
represents that the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Other
Agreements and the Notes constitute private and commercial acts rather than
governmental or public acts of the Company.
-5-
Section 5.2.Authorization,
Etc. This Agreement, the Other Agreements and the Notes have
been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the
Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof
each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such
enforceability may be limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity
(regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law).
Section 5.3.Disclosure. The
Company, through its agent, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
has delivered to you and each Other Purchaser a copy of a
Confidential Offering Memorandum dated August 18, 2003 (the “Memorandum”), relating to
the transactions contemplated hereby. The Memorandum fairly
describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the business and
principal properties of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.3, this
Agreement, the Memorandum, the documents, certificates or other writings
delivered to you by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby and the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, taken as a
whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in
light of the circumstances under which they were made. Except as
disclosed in the Memorandum or as expressly described in Schedule 5.3, or in one
of the documents, certificates or other writings identified therein, or in the
financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, since
December 31, 2002, there
has been no
change in the financial condition,
operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary except changes that individually or in the aggregate could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no
fact known to the Company that could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein or in the Memorandum or in the
other documents, certificates and other writings delivered to you by or on
behalf of the Company specifically for use in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby.
Section 5.4.Organization and Ownership of Shares
of Subsidiaries; Affiliates. (a) Schedule 5.4 contains
(except as noted therein) complete and correct lists (i) of the Company’s
Subsidiaries, showing, as to each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the
jurisdiction of its organization and the percentage of shares of each class of
its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company
and each other Subsidiary, (ii) of the Company’s Affiliates, other than
Subsidiaries, and (iii) of the Company’s directors and senior
officers.
(b)All of the outstanding shares of
capital stock or similar equity interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being
owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully
paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free
and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 5.4).
-6-
(c)Each Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.4 is a
corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly
qualified as an extra-provincial or a foreign corporation or other legal entity
and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is
required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so
qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each such
Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under
lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the
business it transacts and proposes to transact.
(d)No Restricted Subsidiary is a party
to, or otherwise subject to, any legal restriction or any agreement (other than
this Agreement and customary limitations imposed by corporate law or legally
equivalent statutes) restricting the ability of such Restricted Subsidiary to
pay dividends out of profits or make any other similar distributions of profits
to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that owns outstanding
shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of such Restricted
Subsidiary.
Section 5.5.Financial
Statements. The Company has delivered to each Purchaser copies
of the financial statements of the Fund listed on Schedule 5.5. All
of said financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and
notes) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial
position of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the respective
dates specified in such financial statements and the consolidated results of the
Fund’s operations and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and
have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the
periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case
of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end
adjustments).
Section 5.6.Compliance with Laws, Other
Instruments, Etc. The execution, delivery and performance by
the Company of this Agreement and the Notes will not (a) contravene, result
in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of
any Lien in respect of any property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit
agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws or the legal equivalent of the
foregoing, or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected,
(b) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or
provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary,
or (c) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of
any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary.
Section 5.7.Governmental Authorizations,
Etc. No consent, approval or authorization of, or
registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required
in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this
Agreement or the Notes.
-7-
Section 5.8.Litigation; Observance of
Agreements, Statutes and Orders. (a) Except as disclosed
in Schedule 5.8,
there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in any
court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental
Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)Neither the Company nor any
Restricted Subsidiary is in default under any term of any agreement or
instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or any order,
judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority or
is in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation (including,
without limitation, Environmental Laws) of any Governmental Authority, which
default or violation, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.9.Taxes. The Company
and its Restricted Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to
have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and
payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or
their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and
assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent,
except for any taxes and assessments (a) the amount of which is not
individually or in the aggregate Material or (b) the amount, applicability
or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, as
the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance with
GAAP. The Company knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment
that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of Canadian federal,
provincial or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate. The
Canadian federal and provincial income tax liabilities, if any, of the Company
and its Restricted Subsidiaries have been assessed by Canada Customs and Revenue
Agency and paid for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2002.
Section 5.10.Title to Property;
Leases. The Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries have good
and sufficient title to their respective properties that individually or in the
aggregate are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most
recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or purported
to have been acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary after said
date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of
business), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this
Agreement. All leases that individually or in the aggregate are
Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all
material respects.
Section 5.11.Licenses, Permits,
Etc. Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.11,
(a)the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations,
patents, copyrights, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights
thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known
conflict with the rights of others;
-8-
(b)to the best knowledge of the Company,
no product of the Company infringes in any Material respect any license, permit,
franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, service xxxx, trademark, trade name
or other right owned by any other Person; and
(c)to the best knowledge of the Company,
there is no Material violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to any patent, copyright, service
xxxx, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
Section 5.12.Compliance with Pension
Laws. (a) To the extent applicable, the Company and each
ERISA Affiliate have operated and administered each Plan in compliance with all
applicable laws except for such instances of noncompliance as have not resulted
in and could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any
liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax
provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans (as defined in
Section 3 of ERISA), and no event, transaction or condition has occurred or
exists that could reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence of any such
liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, or in the imposition of any
Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate, in either case pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or to such penalty
or excise tax provisions or to Section 401(a)(29) or 412 of the Code, other
than such liabilities or Liens as could not be individually or in the aggregate
Material.
(b)To the extent applicable, the present
value of the aggregate benefit liabilities under each of the Plans (other than
Multiemployer Plans), determined as of the end of such Plan’s most recently
ended plan year on the basis of the actuarial assumptions specified for funding
purposes in such Plan’s most recent actuarial valuation report, did not exceed
the aggregate current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to such benefit
liabilities. The term “benefit liabilities” has the meaning
specified in Section 4001 of ERISA and the terms “current value” and
“present value” have the meaning specified in Section 3 of
ERISA.
(c)To the extent applicable, the Company
and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred withdrawal liabilities (and are not
subject to contingent withdrawal liabilities) under Section 4201 or 4204 of
ERISA in respect of Multiemployer Plans that individually or in the aggregate
are Material.
(d)To the extent applicable, the
expected post-retirement benefit obligation (determined as of the last day of
the Company’s most recently ended fiscal year in accordance with Financial
Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 106, without regard to liabilities
attributable to continuation coverage mandated by Section 4980B of the
Code) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not
Material.
(e)Each Non-U.S. Pension Plan has been
maintained in substantial compliance with its terms and with the requirements of
any and all applicable laws, statutes, rules, regulations and orders and has
been maintained, where required, in good standing with applicable regulatory
authorities; neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary has incurred any
obligation in connection with the termination of or withdrawal from any Non-U.S.
Pension Plan; and the present value of the accrued benefit liabilities (whether
or not vested) under each Non-U.S. Pension Plan, determined as of the end of the
Company’s most recently ended fiscal year on the basis of actuarial assumptions,
each of which is reasonable, did not exceed the current value of the assets of
such Non-U.S. Pension Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities. All
contributions required to be made with respect to a Non-U.S. Pension Plan have
been timely made.
-9-
(f)The execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes hereunder will not involve any
transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of Section 406 of ERISA or
in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to
Section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code. The representation by the
Company in the first sentence of this Section 5.12(f) is made
in reliance upon and subject to the accuracy of your representation in Section 6.2 as to the
sources of the funds to be used to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be
purchased by you.
Section 5.13.Private Offering by the
Company. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf
has offered the Notes or any similar securities for sale to, or solicited any
offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in
respect thereof with, any Person other than you, the Other Purchasers and not
more than 20 other Institutional Investors, each of which has been offered the
Notes at a private sale for investment. Neither the Company nor
anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would
subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of
Section 5 of the Securities Act.
Section 5.14.Use of Proceeds; Margin
Regulations. The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale
of the Notes as set forth in Schedule 5.14. No
part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly
or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin stock within the
meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System (12 CFR 221), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading in
any securities under such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation
of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or
dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR
220). Margin stock does not constitute more than 2% of the value of
the consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and the
Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will constitute
more than 2% of the value of such assets. As used in this Section,
the terms “margin stock” and “purpose of buying or carrying” shall have the
meanings assigned to them in said Regulation U.
Section 5.15.Existing Debt; Future
Liens. (a) Except as described therein, Schedule 5.15 sets forth
a complete and correct list of all outstanding Debt of the Fund and all
outstanding Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of June 30,
2003, since which date there has been no Material change in the amounts,
interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Debt of
the Fund, the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries. Neither the
Fund, the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of
default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on
any Debt of the Fund, the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary and no event or
condition exists with respect to any Debt of the Fund, the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of
time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Debt to become
due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled
dates of payment.
-10-
(b)Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15, neither
the Fund, the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary has agreed or consented to
cause or permit in the future (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise)
any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a
Lien not permitted by Section 10.4.
Section 5.16.Foreign Assets Control Regulations,
Etc. Neither the sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder
nor its use of the proceeds thereof will violate the Trading with the Enemy Act,
as amended, or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United
States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended)
or any enabling legislation or executive order relating
thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, (a) neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary (i) is or will become a person whose property or
interests in property are blocked pursuant to Xxxxxxx 0 xx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 Blocking Property and
Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support
Terrorism (66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (2001)) or (ii) to its knowledge, engages or will engage
in any dealings or transactions, or be otherwise associated, with any such
person and (b) the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are in
compliance, in all Material respects, with the U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001
(signed into law October 26, 2001).
Section 5.17.Status under Certain
Statutes. Neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary is
an “investment company” registered or required to be registered subject to
regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or is subject
to regulation under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended,
or the Federal Power Act, as amended.
Section 5.18.Notes Rank Pari
Passu. The obligations of the Company under this Agreement and
the Notes rank at least pari
passu in right of payment with all other senior unsecured Debt
(actual or contingent) of the Company, including, without limitation, all senior
unsecured Debt of the Company described in Schedule 5.15.
Section 5.19.Environmental
Matters. Neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary has
knowledge of any claim or has received any notice of any claim, and no
proceeding has been instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries or any of their respective real properties now or
formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or other assets, alleging any
damage to the environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in
each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed to you in
writing:
(a)neither the Company nor any Restricted
Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would give rise to any claim, public
or private, of violation of Environmental Laws or damage to the environment
emanating from, occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or
formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other assets or their
use, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in
a Material Adverse Effect;
-11-
(b)neither the Company nor any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries has stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties
now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or has disposed of any
Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in each case
in any manner that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect; and
(c)all buildings on all real properties
now owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries are in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, except where
failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
SECTION 6.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
OF THE PURCHASER.
|
Section 6.1.Purchase for
Investment. You represent that (a) you are purchasing the
Notes for your own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by
you or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view
to the distribution thereof; provided that the disposition
of your or their property shall at all times be within your or their control and
(b) you are an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501 of
Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act. You understand
that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or qualified
for distribution by a prospectus under Canadian federal or provincial securities
laws and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the
Securities Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under
circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required
by law, and may be resold in Canada only in compliance with applicable Canadian
federal and provincial securities laws and that the Company is not required to
register the Notes in the United States or Canada.
Section 6.2.Source of
Funds. You represent that at least one of the following
statements is an accurate representation as to each source of funds (a “Source”) to be used by you
to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by you
hereunder:
(a)the Source is an “insurance company
general account” within the meaning of Department of Labor Prohibited
Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95-60 (issued
July 12, 1995) and there is no employee benefit plan, treating as a single
plan, all plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization, with
respect to which the amount of the general account reserves and liabilities for
all contracts held by or on behalf of such plan, exceed ten percent (10%) of the
total reserves and liabilities of such general account (exclusive of separate
account liabilities) plus surplus, as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement
filed with your State of domicile; or
(b)the Source is either (i) an
insurance company pooled separate account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1
(issued January 29, 1990), or (ii) a bank collective investment fund,
within the meaning of the PTE 91-38 (issued July 12, 1991) and, except as
you have disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this Section 6.2(b), no
employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the same employer or
employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to
such pooled separate account or collective investment fund; or
-12-
(c)the Source constitutes assets of an
“investment fund” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption)
managed by a “qualified professional asset manager” or “QPAM” (within the
meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets
that are included in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of all
other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or
by an affiliate (within the meaning of Section V(c)(1) of the QPAM
Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization and managed by
such QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM, the
conditions of Part l(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied,
neither the QPAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the QPAM (applying
the definition of “control” in Section V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns a
5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such QPAM and
(ii) the names of all employee benefit plans whose assets are included in
such investment fund have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to
this Section 6.2(c);
or
(d)the Source is a governmental plan;
or
(e)the Source is one or more employee
benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more
employee benefit plans, each of which has been identified to the Company in
writing pursuant to this Section 6.2(e);
or
(f)the Source does not include assets of
any employee benefit plan, other than a plan exempt from the coverage of
ERISA.
SECTION 7.
|
INFORMATION
AS TO THE COMPANY.
|
Section 7.1.Financial and Business
Information. The Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes
that is an Institutional Investor:
(a)Quarterly Statements - within
60 days after the end of each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the
Fund (other than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year),
duplicate copies of:
(i)an unaudited consolidated balance sheet
of the Fund (on a consolidated basis with respect to the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries) as at the end of such quarter, and
(ii)unaudited consolidated statements of
earnings, retained earnings and cash flows of the Fund (on a consolidated basis
with respect to the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries) for such quarter and
(in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal
year ending with such quarter,
setting
forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods
in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance
with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial statements generally, and certified
by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material respects,
the consolidated financial position of the Fund being reported on and the
results of operations and cash flows;
-13-
(b)Annual Statements - within
120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Fund, duplicate copies
of,
(i)a consolidated balance sheet of the
Fund (on a consolidated basis with respect to the Fund and its consolidated
Subsidiaries), as at the end of such year, and
(ii)consolidated statements of earnings,
retained earnings and cash flows in financial position of the Fund (on a
consolidated basis with respect to the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries),
for such year,
setting
forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year,
all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by a
report thereon of a firm of independent chartered accountants selected by the
Fund to the effect that such financial statements present fairly, in all
material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries and their consolidated results of operations and cash
flows and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, and that the examination
of such accountants in connection with such financial statements has been made
in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and included such tests
of the accounting records and such other auditing procedures as said accountants
deemed necessary in the circumstances.
(c)Alberta Securities Commission and
Other Reports - promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of
(i) each financial statement sent by the Fund, the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary to securities holders generally, and (ii) each
regular or material periodic report, each registration statement (without
exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and
all amendments thereto filed by the Fund, the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary with any securities commission, including, without limitation, the
Alberta Securities Commission or the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission or any successor agency to any of the foregoing or any other Canadian
or United States Federal or state or provincial securities regulatory authority
or with any Canadian or United States stock exchange and of all press releases
and other statements made available generally by the Fund, the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are
Material;
(d)Notice of Default or Event of
Default - promptly, and in any event within five days after a Responsible
Officer becoming aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or
that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a
claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any
action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(g), a written
notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the
Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;
-14-
(e)ERISA Matters - promptly, and
in any event within five days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any
of the following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the
action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with
respect thereto:
(i)with respect to any Plan, any
reportable event, as defined in Section 4043(b) of ERISA and the
regulations thereunder, for which notice thereof has not been waived pursuant to
such regulations as in effect on the date hereof; or
(ii)the taking by the PBGC of steps to
institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings
under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a
trustee to administer, any Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate of a notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken
by the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or
(iii)any event, transaction or condition
that could result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax
provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition
of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any
ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such penalty or excise tax
provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken together with any other such
liabilities or Liens then existing, could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect;
(f)Notices from Governmental Authority
- promptly, and in any event within 30 days of receipt thereof,
copies of any notice to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from any
Governmental Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or
regulation that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(g)Current Reserve Reports -
concurrently with the delivery of the annual financial statements of the
Fund pursuant to Section
7.1(b), a Current Reserve Report pertaining to the immediately preceding
fiscal year;
(h)Unrestricted Subsidiaries -
if and for so long as Unrestricted Subsidiaries contribute in the
aggregate 10% or more of the consolidated revenue of the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries, then the Fund shall be required, within the
respective periods provided in Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b), to provide
consolidated financial statements of the Restricted Group pursuant to Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b), without taking into
consideration the financial statements pertaining to Unrestricted Subsidiaries,
together with a table reflecting eliminations or adjustments required to
reconcile such financial statements to the financial statements of the Fund and
its consolidated Subsidiaries, with the effect and result that financial terms
and definitions used in determining compliance with financial covenants herein
contained shall apply to the Restricted Group, rather than the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries; and
-15-
(i)Requested Information - with
reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business,
operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or relating to the ability of the Company to
perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to time may
be reasonably requested by any such holder of Notes, including without
limitation, such information as is required by SEC Rule 144A under the
Securities Act to be delivered to any prospective transferee of the
Notes.
Section 7.2.Officer’s
Certificate. Each set of financial statements delivered to a
holder of Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) hereof
shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer setting
forth:
(a)Covenant Compliance - the
information (including detailed calculations) required in order to establish
whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Sections 10.1 through
10.7 hereof, inclusive,
during the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being
furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the
calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case
may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections, and the calculation of the
amount, ratio or percentage then in existence); and
(b)Event of Default - a
statement that such officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made,
or caused to be made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions
and conditions of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries from the beginning
of the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished
to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the
existence during such period of any condition or event that constitutes a
Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or
exists (including, without limitation, any such event or condition resulting
from the failure of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to comply with any
Environmental Law), specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and
what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect
thereto.
Section 7.3.Inspection. The
Company shall permit the representatives of each holder of Notes that is an
Institutional Investor:
(a)No Default - if no Default or
Event of Default then exists, at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable
prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the
Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Restricted Group
with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent
will not be unreasonably withheld) its independent chartered accountants, and
(with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably
withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Restricted Group, all
at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested in writing;
and
-16-
(b)Default - if a Default or
Event of Default then exists, at the expense of the Company, to visit and
inspect any of the offices or properties of the Restricted Group, to examine all
their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make
copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances
and accounts with their respective officers and independent chartered
accountants (and by this provision the Fund and Company authorize said
accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Restricted
Group), all at such times and as often as may be requested.
SECTION 8.
|
PAYMENT
OF THE NOTES.
|
Section 8.1.Required Repayments. In
addition to paying the remaining outstanding principal amount of and the
interest due on the Notes on the maturity date thereof, on October 1, 2011
and on each October 1 thereafter to and including October 1, 2014 the
Company will repay $10,800,000 principal amount (or such lesser principal amount
as shall then be outstanding) of the Notes at par and without payment of the
Make-Whole Amount or any premium.
Section 8.2.Optional
Prepayments. The Company may, at its option, upon notice
provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the
Notes in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the
Notes then outstanding, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together
with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, plus the
Make-Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such
principal amount. The Company will give each holder of Notes written
notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not less than
30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such
prepayment. Each such notice shall specify such date, the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid on such date, the principal amount
of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with
Section 8.5), and
the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal
amount being prepaid, and shall also be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior
Financial Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in connection with
such prepayment (calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the
prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two
Business Days prior to any prepayment pursuant to this Section 8.2, the Company
shall deliver to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial
Officer specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the specified
prepayment date.
Section 8.3.Designated
Event.
(a)Notice of Designated Event.
The Company will, within five Business Days after any Responsible Officer
has knowledge of the occurrence of any Designated Event, give written notice of
such Designated Event to each holder of Notes unless notice in respect of such
Designated Event shall have been given pursuant to Section 8.3(b). If
the Company for any reason whatsoever fails to comply with Section 10.11, it shall offer
to prepay Notes as described in Section 8.3(c) and the offer
shall be accompanied by the certificate described in Section 8.3(g).
-17-
(b)Condition to Company
Action. The Company will not take any action that consummates
or finalizes a Designated Event unless at least 15 days prior to such
action it shall have given to each holder of Notes written notice of its
intention to prepay the Bank Facility as a result thereof, describing such
Designated Event and the amount of such payment.
(c)Offer to Prepay
Notes. The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by Section 8.3(a) shall be
an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.3, the Notes
held by each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any
Note registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall
mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Proposed Prepayment Date”)
on an equal and pro rata basis with each of the Lenders which are being prepaid
pursuant to the Bank Facility as a result of the occurrence of such Designated
Event. If such Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an
offer contemplated by Section
8.3(a), such date shall be not less than 15 days and not more than
20 days after the date of such offer (if the Proposed Prepayment Date shall
not be specified in such offer, the Proposed Prepayment Date shall be the first
Business Day after the 15th day after the date of such offer).
(d)Rejection. A holder of Notes
may accept the offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 by causing a
notice of such acceptance to be delivered to the Company not later than
10 days after receipt by such holder of the most recent offer of
prepayment. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to
prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be deemed to
constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder.
(e)Prepayment. Prepayment
of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be at 100%
of the principal amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes
accrued to the date of prepayment, but without the Make-Whole Amount or any
other premium. The prepayment shall be made on the Proposed
Prepayment Date except as provided in Section 8.3(f).
(f)Deferral Pending Designated
Event. The obligation of the Company to prepay Notes pursuant
to the offers required by Section 8.3(c) and
accepted in accordance with Section 8.3(d) is subject
to the occurrence of the Designated Event in respect of which such offers and
acceptances shall have been made. In the event that such Designated
Event has not occurred on the Proposed Prepayment Date in respect thereof, the
prepayment shall be deferred until, and shall be made on, the date on which such
Designated Event occurs. The Company shall keep each holder of Notes
reasonably and timely informed of (i) any such deferral of the date of
prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Designated Event and the prepayment
are expected to occur, and (iii) any determination by the Company that
efforts to effect such Designated Event have ceased or been abandoned (in which
case the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this Section 8.3 in respect of
such Designated Event shall be deemed rescinded).
(g)Officer’s Certificate. Each
offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be
accompanied by a certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the
Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Proposed
Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.3;
(iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid;
(iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid,
accrued to the Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this
Section 8.3 have
been fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date or
proposed date of the Designated Event.
-18-
Section 8.4.Redemption for Reasons of
Taxation. If in the good faith opinion of the Board of
Directors of the Company (which determination shall be accompanied by a written
opinion of an independent tax counsel of recognized national standing to the
same such effect), the Company would be obligated to pay a Tax Indemnity Amount
greater than 10% of any interest payment in respect of the Notes pursuant to
Section 14.3 as a
result of a change of tax law after the date of this Agreement, then and in such
event, but only in such event, on the occasion of any payment pursuant to Section 14.3, the Company
may, by giving written notice to each holder of the Notes not less than 30 days
nor more than 60 days before the date fixed for a prepayment pursuant to this
Section 8.4, prepay
all (but not less than all) of the outstanding Notes with respect to which any
such amounts will be payable by payment of the principal amount of the Notes and
accrued interest thereon to the date of such prepayment, together with any
amount then due and owing pursuant to Section 14.3, and a
premium equal to the Make-Whole Amount, determined as of two Business Days prior
to the date of such prepayment pursuant to this Section 8.4, which Make-Whole
Amount shall be determined free and clear of Taxes. At any time on or
after the date on which any holder of the Notes receives notice pursuant to this
Section 8.4 that
the Company intends to prepay the Notes held by such holder pursuant to this
Section 8.4, but
not less than two Business Days prior to the date scheduled for such prepayment,
such holder may, by notice delivered to the Company in the manner provided in
Section 18,
irrevocably waive any and all right to any payment of any additional amounts the
Company would become obligated to pay under Section 14.3 as a result
of any deduction or withholding which would be required with respect to any
Relevant Tax, such waiver to be effective as of the date of delivery by the
Company of such notice of prepayment and to survive termination of this
Agreement and payment in full of the Notes, provided that no such waiver
shall be deemed to constitute a waiver of any right to receive a payment in full
under Section 14.3
in respect of any other event or condition that shall have given rise to the
Company’s prepayment right under this Section 8.4, including,
without limitation, any increase in the amount of any payment that a holder of
any Note would be entitled to receive under Section 14.3
notwithstanding any waiver previously delivered pursuant to this Section 8.4. Effective
upon receipt of notice of such waiver, the Company shall then cease to have any
right of prepayment with respect to such Notes under this Section 8.4 in respect of
the Relevant Tax to which the notice relates. True, correct and
complete copies of any determination by the Board of Directors of the Company as
to the existence of any such obligation to pay a Relevant Tax as hereinabove
contemplated and the opinion of independent tax counsel of recognized standing
to the same such effect shall be furnished to each holder of the Notes which
accepts prepayment thereof pursuant to this Section 8.4 concurrently
with such prepayment.
Section 8.5.Allocation of Partial
Prepayments. In the case of each partial prepayment of the
Notes pursuant to Section 8.2, the
principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid shall be allocated among all of the
Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the
respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for
prepayment. All prepayments pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 shall be applied as
therein provided.
-19-
Section 8.6.Maturity; Surrender,
Etc. In the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant to this
Section 8, the
principal amount of each Note to be prepaid shall mature and become due and
payable on the date fixed for such prepayment, together with interest on such
principal amount accrued to such date and the applicable Make-Whole Amount, if
any. From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay
such principal amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and
Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such principal amount shall
cease to accrue. Any Note paid or prepaid in full shall be
surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not be reissued, and no Note
shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount of any
Note.
Section 8.7.Purchase of
Notes. The Company will not and will not permit any Affiliate
to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of
the outstanding Notes except upon the payment or prepayment of the Notes in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Notes. The Company will
promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any Affiliate pursuant to any
payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to any provision of this
Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any such
Notes.
Section 8.8.Make-Whole
Amount. The term “Make-Whole Amount” means,
with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the
Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called
Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called Principal; provided that the Make-Whole
Amount may in no event be less than zero. For the purposes of
determining the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following
meanings:
“Called Principal” means,
with respect to any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid
pursuant to Section 8.2
or 8.4 or has
become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the
context requires.
“Discounted Value” means,
with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by
discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called
Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with
respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice
and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which
interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect
to such Called Principal.
“Reinvestment Yield” means,
with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, (a) 0.50% in the case of
any prepayment of the Notes pursuant to Section 8.2 or in the
case of the acceleration of the Notes pursuant to Section 12.1 or
(b) 0.75% in the case of any prepayment or payment of the Notes pursuant to
Section 8.4 over,
in each such case the yield to maturity implied by (a) the yields reported,
as of 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second Business Day preceding the
Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated
as “Page USD” of the Bloomberg Financial Markets Services Screen (or, if not
available, any other national recognized trading screen reporting on-line
intraday trading in the U.S. Treasury securities) for actively traded on-the-run
U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life
of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date, or (b) if such yields
are not reported as of such time or the yields reported as of such time are not
ascertainable, the Treasury Constant Maturity Series Yields reported, for the
latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business
Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in
Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (or any comparable successor
publication) for actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities having a
constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal
as of such Settlement Date. Such implied yield will be determined, if
necessary, by (i) converting U.S. Treasury xxxx quotations to
bond-equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and
(ii) interpolating linearly between (1) the actively traded on-the-run
U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and greater than the
Remaining Average Life and (2) the actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury
security with the maturity closest to and less than the Remaining Average
Life.
-20-
“Remaining Average Life”
means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years (calculated to
the nearest one-twelfth year) obtained by dividing (a) such Called
Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying
(i) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with
respect to such Called Principal by (ii) the number of years (calculated to
the nearest one-twelfth year) that will elapse between the Settlement Date with
respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining
Scheduled Payment.
“Remaining Scheduled
Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all
payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after
the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such
Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date; provided that if such
Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made
under the terms of the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled
interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such
Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to
Sections 8.2, 8.4 or 12.1.
“Settlement Date” means, with
respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called
Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or 8.4 or has become or is
declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the
context requires.
SECTION 9.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
The
Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:
Section 9.1.Compliance with
Law. (a) The Company will, and will cause each of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, ordinances or governmental
rules or regulations to which each of them is subject, including, without
limitation, ERISA and applicable laws in respect of Non-U.S. Pension Plans and
all Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses,
certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations
necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of
their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that
non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations
or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates,
permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
-21-
(b)Without limiting Section 9.1(a), the
Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, to
take any action that would cause any supplemental pension plan, any employee
pension arrangement or any employee benefit plan maintained by it to be
terminated in a manner which could reasonably be anticipated to result in the
imposition of a Material Lien on any property of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary pursuant to any Canadian federal or provincial law, nor will the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries withdraw from any multiemployer
plan if such withdrawal would subject the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries to a liability that would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 9.2.Insurance. The
Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, maintain,
with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to their
respective properties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies,
of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles,
co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with
respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established
reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly
situated.
Section 9.3.Maintenance of
Properties. The Company will, and will cause each of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and
kept, their respective properties in good repair, working order and condition
(other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in
connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times; provided that this Section 9.3 shall not
prevent the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from discontinuing the
operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is
desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has concluded that such
discontinuance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 9.4.Payment of Taxes and Claims. The
Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, file all
tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge
all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes,
assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their
properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and
assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent
and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have or might
become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary; provided
that neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary need pay any such tax or
assessment or claims if (a) the amount, applicability or validity thereof
is contested by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary on a timely basis in
good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on
the books of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or (b) the
nonpayment of all such taxes and assessments in the aggregate could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
-22-
Section 9.5.Legal Existence,
Etc. The Company will at all times preserve and keep in full
force and effect its corporate existence. Subject to Sections 10.6 and 10.7, the Company will at all
times preserve and keep in full force and effect the legal existence of each of
its Restricted Subsidiaries (unless merged, amalgamated, consolidated or
wound-up into the Company or a Wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary) and all
rights and franchises of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure
to preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate existence, right or
franchise could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 9.6.Nature of
Business. Neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary
will engage in any business if, as a result, the general nature of the business,
taken on a consolidated basis, which would then be engaged in by the Company and
its Restricted Subsidiaries would be substantially changed from its business
relating to the development, production, processing and transportation of
hydrocarbons.
Section 9.7.Notes to Rank Pari
Passu. The Notes and all other obligations under this
Agreement of the Company are and at all times shall remain direct and unsecured
obligations of the Company ranking pari passu as against the
assets of the Company with all other present and future unsecured Debt (actual
or contingent) of the Company which is not expressed to be subordinate or junior
in rank to any other unsecured Debt of the Company.
Section 9.8.Subsidiary Guaranty and
Subordination Agreement. The Company will cause each
Subsidiary which it designates after the date of the Closing as a Restricted
Subsidiary or which becomes a guarantor of Debt of the Company outstanding
pursuant to the Bank Facility, to concurrently therewith enter into and become a
party to the Subsidiary Guaranty and a Subordination Agreement, and within three
Business Days thereafter shall deliver to each of the holders of the Notes the
following items:
(a)an executed counterpart of (i) a
joinder agreement in respect of the Subsidiary Guaranty and (ii) such
Subordination Agreement;
(b)a certificate signed by the President,
a Vice President or another authorized officer of such Restricted Subsidiary
making representations and warranties to the effect of those contained in Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.6 and 5.7, but with respect to such
Restricted Subsidiary, the Subsidiary Guaranty and the Subordination Agreement
to which it is a party;
(c)such documents and evidence with
respect to such Restricted Subsidiary as the Required Holders may reasonably
request in order to establish the existence and good standing of such Restricted
Subsidiary and the authorization of the transactions contemplated by the
Subsidiary Guaranty and such Subordination Agreement as it pertains to such
Restricted Subsidiary; and
(d)an opinion of independent counsel
satisfactory to the Required Holders to the effect that the Subsidiary Guaranty
and such Subordination Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and
delivered and constitute the legal, valid and binding contracts and agreements
of such Restricted Subsidiary enforceable in accordance with their respective
terms, subject to customary exceptions and assumptions.
-23-
SECTION 10.
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
The
Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:
Section 10.1.Interest Coverage
Ratio. The Company will at all times keep and maintain the
ratio of (a) Consolidated EBITDA for the four immediately preceding fiscal
quarters to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense for such four fiscal quarter
period at not less than 4.0 to 1.0.
Section 10.2.Maximum Debt to Consolidated Present
Value of Total Proven Reserves. The Company will not, as at
the end of each fiscal year, permit Consolidated Debt to exceed 60% of the
Present Value of Consolidated Total Proven Reserves, determined and calculated
not later than the last day of the first fiscal quarter of the next succeeding
fiscal year of the Company.
Section 10.3.Limitation on
Debt. (a) The Company will not at any time permit the ratio of
(i) Consolidated Debt to (ii) Consolidated EBITDA for each period of four
consecutive fiscal quarters to exceed 3.0 to 1.0; provided that notwithstanding
the foregoing such ratio may exceed 3.0 to 1.0, but in no event exceed 3.5 to
1.0, for a maximum period of six calendar months from the calendar month on
which such ratio so exceeds 3.0 to 1.0.
(b)The Company will not, and will not
permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, issue, assume, guarantee or
otherwise incur or in any manner become liable in respect of any Priority Debt,
unless at the time of the creation, issuance, assumption, guaranty or incurrence
thereof and giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds
thereof, the aggregate amount of all Consolidated Priority Debt (including the
Priority Debt then to be created, issued, assumed, guaranteed or otherwise
incurred) shall not exceed 20% of Consolidated Net Worth.
Section 10.4.Limitation on
Liens. The Company will not, and will not permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, create or incur, or suffer to be incurred or to exist,
any Lien on its or their property or assets, whether now owned or hereafter
acquired, or upon any income or profits therefrom, or transfer any property for
the purpose of subjecting the same to the payment of obligations in priority to
the payment of its or their general creditors, or acquire or agree to acquire,
or permit any Restricted Subsidiary to acquire, any property or assets upon
conditional sales agreements or other title retention devices,
except:
(a)Liens for taxes, assessments or
governmental charges which are not due or delinquent, or the validity of which
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall be contesting in good faith,
provided that any such
contest will involve no risk of loss of any Material part of the property of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(b)Liens of any judgments rendered, or
claim filed, against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which the Company
or any such Restricted Subsidiaries shall be contesting in good faith, provided that any such
contest will involve no risk of loss of any Material part of the property of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
-24-
(c)Liens imposed or permitted by law, such
as carriers’ liens, builders’ liens, materialmen’s liens and other liens,
privileges or other charges of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course
of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which relate to
obligations not due or delinquent or, if due or delinquent, which Lien the
Company and/or such Restricted Subsidiary shall be contesting in good faith,
provided that any such
contest will involve no risk of loss of any Material part of the property of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(d)undetermined or inchoate Liens arising
in the ordinary course of and incidental to construction or current operations
and in accordance with sound oil and gas industry practice in the jurisdiction
in which the business is being conducted and not in connection with the
borrowing of money and which, in any event, have not been filed pursuant to law
against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or any of their respective
properties or in respect of which no steps or proceedings to enforce such Liens
have been initiated or which relate to obligations which are not due or
delinquent or, if due or delinquent, are being contested in good faith by the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; provided that any such
contest will involve no risk of loss of any Material part of the property of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(e)Liens incurred or created in the
ordinary course of business and in accordance with sound oil and gas industry
practice in the jurisdiction in which the business is being conducted in respect
of the joint operation of oil and gas properties or related production or
processing facilities as security in favor of any other Person conducting the
development or operation of the property to which such Liens relate, for the
Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s portion of the costs and expenses of
such development or operation but not, in any event, in connection with the
borrowing of money; provided that such costs or
expenses are not in any event due or delinquent or, if due or delinquent, are
being contested in good faith by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or
such contest will involve no risk of loss of any Material part of the property
of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(f)overriding royalty interests, net
profit interests, reversionary interests and carried interests or other similar
burdens on petroleum substance production in respect of the Company’s or any
Restricted Subsidiary’s oil and gas properties that are entered into with or
granted on an arm’s length basis to third parties in the ordinary course of
business and for the purpose of carrying on the same and in accordance with
sound oil and gas industry practice in the jurisdiction in which the business is
being conducted, but not, in any event, in connection with the borrowing of
money;
(g)Liens for penalties arising under
ordinary course non-participation provisions of operating agreements in respect
of the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s oil and gas properties, which
either alone or in the aggregate do not materially detract from the value of any
Material part of the property of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
taken as a whole;
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(h)easements, rights-of-way, servitudes,
zoning or other similar rights or restrictions in respect of land held by the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (including, without limitation,
rights-of-way and servitudes for railways, sewers, drains, pipe lines, gas and
water mains, electric light and power and telephone or telegraph or cable
television conduits, poles, wires and cables) which, either alone or in the
aggregate, do not Materially detract from the value of such land or impair in a
Material way its use in the operation of the business of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(i)Liens arising in connection with
workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, pension and employment laws or
regulations and not in connection with the borrowing of money; provided that (i) the
obligations secured are not due or delinquent or, if due or delinquent, are
being contested in good faith and (ii) any such contest will involve no
risk of loss of any Material part of the property of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(j)Liens in favor of a public utility or
any municipality or governmental or other public authority when required by such
public utility or municipality or other governmental authority in the ordinary
course of the business operations of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries; provided
that any such Lien does not, either alone or in the aggregate, impair in a
Material way the use of any property subject to such security interest in the
conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as
a whole;
(k)the right reserved to or vested in any
governmental body by the terms of any lease, license, grant or permit or by any
statutory or regulatory provision to terminate any such lease, license, grant or
permit or to require annual or other periodic payments as a condition of the
continuance thereof;
(l)all reservations in the original grant
from the Crown of any lands and premises or any interests therein and all
statutory exceptions, qualifications and reservations in respect of
title;
(m)Liens securing Debt of a Restricted
Subsidiary to the Company or to another Wholly-owned Restricted
Subsidiary;
(n)Liens existing as of the date of the
Closing and described on Schedule 5.15;
(o)Liens created or incurred after the
date of the Closing given to secure the payment of the purchase price incurred
in connection with the acquisition or purchase or the cost of construction of
property or of assets useful and intended to be used in carrying on the business
of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, including Liens existing on such
property or assets at the time of acquisition thereof or at the time of
completion of construction, as the case may be, whether or not such existing
Liens were given to secure the payment of the acquisition or purchase price or
cost of construction, as the case may be, of the property or assets to which
they attach; provided
that (i) the Lien shall attach solely to the property or assets acquired,
purchased or constructed, (ii) such Lien shall have been created or
incurred within 180 days of the date of acquisition or purchase or
completion of construction, as the case may be, (iii) at the time of
acquisition or purchase or of completion of construction of such property or
assets, the aggregate amount remaining unpaid on all Debt secured by Liens on
such property or assets, whether or not assumed by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary, shall not exceed an amount equal to 100% of the lesser of the total
purchase price or fair market value at the time of acquisition or purchase (as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) or the cost
of construction on the date of completion thereof, and (iv) at the time of
creation, issuance, assumption, guarantee or incurrence of the Debt secured by
such Lien and after giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds
thereof, no Default or Event of Default would exist;
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(p)any Lien existing on property or assets
of a Person at the time such Person is consolidated, merged or amalgamated with
or into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or its becoming a Restricted
Subsidiary, or any Lien existing on any property or assets acquired by the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time such property or assets are so
acquired (whether or not the Debt secured thereby shall have been assumed),
provided that
(i) each such Lien shall extend solely to the property or assets so
acquired, (ii) any such Lien shall not have been created or assumed in
contemplation of such consolidation, amalgamation, merger or acquisition, and
(iii) at the time of creation, issuance, assumption, guarantee or
incurrence of the Debt secured by such Lien and after giving effect thereto and
to the application of the proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default would
exist;
(q)Liens created or incurred after the
date of the Closing given to secure Debt of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary in addition to the Liens permitted by the preceding clauses (a)
through (p) of this Section 10.4 (including,
without limitation, the Lien attaching to the Reserve Fund and the monies
therein deposited contemplated by the Bank Facility); provided that (i) all
Debt (including, without limitation, any Debt constituting money on deposit in
the Reserve Fund of the Company) secured by such Liens shall have been incurred
within the limitations provided in Section 10.3(b) and
(ii) at the time of creation, issuance, assumption, guarantee or incurrence
of the Debt secured by such Lien and after giving effect thereto and to the
application of the proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default would exist;
and
(r)any extension, renewal or refunding of
any Lien permitted by the preceding clauses (n), (o) or (p) of this Section 10.4 in respect of the
same property theretofore subject to such Lien in connection with the extension,
renewal or refunding of the Debt secured thereby; provided that (i) such
extension, renewal or refunding of Debt shall be without increase in the
principal amount remaining unpaid as of the date of such extension, renewal or
refunding, (ii) such Lien shall attach solely to the same such property,
(iii) the maturity date of the Debt to be so extended, renewed or refunded
shall not be reduced or shortened, and (iv) at the time of such extension,
renewal or refunding and after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of
Default would exist.
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Section 10.5.Restricted
Payments. Neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary
will make any Restricted Payment to the Fund if at the time of the making
thereof, a Default or Event of Default exists or if after giving effect to the
proposed Restricted Payment a Default or Event of Default would
exist.
Section 10.6.Mergers, Consolidations and Sales of
Assets. The Company will not,
and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, consolidate or amalgamate with
or be a party to a merger with or wind-up into any other Person, or sell, lease
or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets; provided that:
(a)any Restricted Subsidiary may merge or
consolidate with or into the Company or any Wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary
so long as in (i) any merger or consolidation involving the Company, the
Company shall be the surviving or continuing corporation and (ii) in any
merger, amalgamation, wind-up or consolidation involving a Wholly-owned
Restricted Subsidiary (and not the Company), the Wholly-owned Restricted
Subsidiary shall be the surviving or continuing Person, unless and to the extent
any such merger or consolidation involving a Wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary
is consummated within the limitations of Section 10.7;
(b)the Company may consolidate, merge,
amalgamate or wind-up with or into any other legal entity if (i) the legal
entity which results from such consolidation or merger (the “surviving Person”) is
organized under the laws of Canada or any province thereof or any state of the
United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) the due and punctual
payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all of the
Notes, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and
observation of all of the covenants in the Notes and this Agreement to be
performed or observed by the Company are expressly assumed in writing by the
surviving Person and the surviving Person shall furnish to the holders of the
Notes an opinion of counsel satisfactory to such holders to the effect that the
instrument of assumption has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and
constitutes the legal, valid and binding contract and agreement of the surviving
Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement of such
terms may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by
general equitable principles, (iii) the Fund and each Subsidiary Guarantor
shall have affirmed in writing their respective obligations under this
Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty and each Subordination Agreement, as
applicable, and (iv) at the time of such consolidation or merger and
immediately after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default would
exist; and
(c)the Company may sell or otherwise
dispose of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries (other than as provided in Section 10.7) to any
Person for consideration which represents the fair market value of such assets
(as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) at the
time of such sale or other disposition if (i) the acquiring Person is a
legal entity organized under the laws of Canada or any province thereof or any
state of the United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) the due and
punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all
the Notes, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and
observance of all of the covenants in the Notes and in this Agreement to be
performed or observed by the Company are expressly assumed in writing by the
acquiring Person and the acquiring Person shall furnish to the holders of the
Notes an opinion of counsel satisfactory to such holders to the effect that the
instrument of assumption has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and
constitutes the legal, valid and binding contract and agreement of such
acquiring Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement
of such terms may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally and by general equitable principles, (iii) the Fund and each
Subsidiary Guarantor shall have affirmed in writing their respective obligations
under this Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty and each Subordination Agreement,
as applicable, and (iv) at the time of such sale or disposition and
immediately after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default would
exist.
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Section 10.7.Sale of
Assets. The Company will not, and will not permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, sell, lease, transfer, abandon or otherwise dispose of
assets, if after giving effect thereto and to the applications of the proceeds
thereof, a Default or Event of Default would exist.
Section 10.8.Designation of Restricted
Subsidiaries. The Company may designate or redesignate any
Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary and may designate or
redesignate any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided
that: (a) the Company shall have given not less than
30 days’ prior written notice to the holders of the Notes that a Senior
Financial Officer has made such determination, (b) at the time of such
designation or redesignation and immediately after giving effect thereto, no
Default or Event of Default would exist, (c) in the case of the designation
of a Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary and after giving effect
thereto, such Unrestricted Subsidiary so designated shall not, directly or
indirectly, own any Debt or capital stock of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary, (d) in the case of the designation of an Unrestricted
Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary and after giving effect thereto, all
existing Priority Debt of such Restricted Subsidiary so designated shall be
permitted within the limitations of Section 10.3(b) and all
existing Liens of such Restricted Subsidiary so designated shall be permitted
within the applicable limitations of Section 10.4,
notwithstanding that any such Priority Debt or Lien existed as of the
date of Closing, (e) in the case of the designation of a Restricted
Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such Restricted Subsidiary shall not
at any time after the date of this Agreement have previously been designated as
an Unrestricted Subsidiary more than once, and (f) in the case of the
designation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, such
Unrestricted Subsidiary shall not at any time after the date of this Agreement
have previously been designated as a Restricted Subsidiary more than
once.
Section 10.9.Transactions with
Affiliates. The Company will not, and will not permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into directly or indirectly any transaction or
Material group of related transactions (including, without limitation, the
purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of any kind or the rendering of
any service) with any Affiliate (other than the Company or another Restricted
Subsidiary), except in the ordinary course and pursuant to the reasonable
requirements of the Company’s or such Restricted Subsidiary’s business and upon
fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary than would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s-length transaction
with a Person not an Affiliate.
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Section 10.10.Noteholder Consent for Certain
Amendments. Without the prior written consent of each
Noteholder, each of the Company, the Company on behalf of the Fund, and the
Subsidiary Guarantor agree that they shall not, and the Company agrees that it
shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, modify, vary, restate, replace or
otherwise amend the Trust Indenture (as defined in the Subordination
Agreements), the Subordinated Note, the Enerplus Royalty Indenture (as defined
in the Subordination Agreements or the acknowledgements thereto), the EnerMark
Royalty Agreement (as defined in the Subordination Agreements or the
acknowledgements thereto) or the Enerplus Royalty Agreement (as defined in the
Subordination Agreements or the acknowledgements thereto) or take any action
thereunder where the effect of any such modification, variation, restatement,
replacement, other amendment or action (a) would cause or could result in a
Default or Event of Default or (b) could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 10.11.Repayment of Bank
Facility. The Company will not permit a Designated Event to
occur which results in a prepayment of Debt outstanding under the Bank Facility
prior to its stated maturity.
SECTION 11.
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT.
|
An
“Event of Default”
shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be
continuing:
(a)the Company defaults in the payment of
any principal or Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes
due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by
declaration or otherwise; or
(b)the Company defaults in the payment of
any interest on any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes
due and payable; or
(c)the Company defaults in the performance
of or compliance with any term contained in Sections 10.1 through
10.10; or
(d)the Company defaults in the performance
of or compliance with any term contained in Section 10.11, and such
default is not remedied by the Company making an offer to prepay the Notes
pursuant to Section
8.3(a) within 30 days of the occurrence of such default; or
(e)the Company, the Fund or any Subsidiary
Guarantor defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained
herein (other than those referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) or (d) of
this Section 11) or
in the Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement, as the case may be,
and such default is not remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a
Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the
Company receiving written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any
such written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer
specifically to this paragraph (e) of Section 11);
or
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(f)any representation or warranty made in
writing by or on behalf of the Fund, the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or
by any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor in this Agreement, the
Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement or in any writing furnished
in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby proves to
have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which
made; or
(g)(i) the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the
payment of any principal of or premium or make-whole amount or interest on any
Debt that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least
Can. $25,000,000 beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto,
or (ii) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary is in default in the
performance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any Debt in an
aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least Can. $25,000,000 or of
any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto or any other
condition exists, and as a consequence of any such default or condition such
Debt has become, or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to
declare such Debt to be), due and payable before its stated maturity or before
its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) as a consequence of the
occurrence or continuation of any event or condition (other than the passage of
time or the right of the holder of Debt to convert such Debt into equity
interests), (x) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has become
obligated to purchase or repay Debt before its regular maturity or before its
regularly scheduled dates of payment in an aggregate outstanding principal
amount of at least Can. $25,000,000, or (y) one or more Persons have
the right to require the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary so to purchase or
repay such Debt; or
(h)the Subsidiary Guaranty or any
Subordination Agreement shall cease to be in full force and effect for any
reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, a determination by any
Governmental Authority that the Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination
Agreement is invalid, void or unenforceable or any party to any such agreement
shall contest or deny in writing the validity or enforceability of any of its
obligations thereunder;
(i)the Fund, the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability
to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or
otherwise to the filing against it of, a petition for relief or reorganization
or arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take
advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the benefit
of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian,
receiver, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other officer with similar powers
with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property,
(v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes
corporate or legally equivalent action for the purpose of any of the foregoing;
or
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(j)a court or governmental authority of
competent jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Fund,
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver,
trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other officer with similar powers with
respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, or
constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or
reorganization or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take
advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering
the dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the Fund, the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the
Fund, the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and such petition shall
not be dismissed within 60 days; or
(k)a final judgment or judgments for the
payment of money aggregating in excess of Can. $10,000,000 are rendered
against one or more of the Fund, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and
which judgments are not, within 60 days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged
or stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within 60 days after the
expiration of such stay; or
(l)if (i) any Plan shall fail to
satisfy the minimum funding standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or
part thereof or a waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization
period is sought or granted under Section 412 of the Code, (ii) a
notice of intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is reasonably expected
to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall have instituted proceedings under
ERISA Section 4042 to terminate or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan
or the PBGC shall have notified the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that a Plan
may become a subject of any such proceedings, (iii) the aggregate “amount
of unfunded benefit liabilities” (within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(18)
of ERISA) under all Plans, determined in accordance with Title IV of ERISA,
shall exceed U.S.$25,000,000, (iv) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall
have incurred or is reasonably expected to incur any liability pursuant to
Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code
relating to employee benefit plans, (v) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate
withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, (vi) the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary terminates or winds up any Non-U.S. Pension Plan in a manner which
could result in the imposition of a Lien on any property of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to any law, or (vii) the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary establishes or amends any employee welfare benefit plan
(as defined in Section 3 of ERISA) that provides post-employment welfare
benefits in a manner that would increase the liability of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary thereunder; and any such event or events described in
clauses (i) through (vii) of this Section 11(l), either
individually or together with any other such event or events, could reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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As
used in Section 11(l), the terms
“employee benefit plan” and “employee welfare benefit plan” shall have the
respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of
ERISA.
SECTION 12.
|
REMEDIES
ON DEFAULT, ETC.
|
Section 12.1.Acceleration. (a) If
an Event of Default with respect to the Company described in paragraph (i)
or (j) of Section 11 (other than an
Event of Default described in clause (i) of paragraph (i) or described
in clause (vi) of paragraph (i) by virtue of the fact that such clause
encompasses clause (i) of paragraph (i)) has occurred, all the Notes then
outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable.
(b)If any other Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of 51% or more in principal
amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may at any time at its or their
option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then
outstanding to be immediately due and payable.
(c)If any Event of Default described in
paragraph (a) or (b) of Section 11 has occurred
and is continuing, any holder or holders of Notes at the time outstanding
affected by such Event of Default may at any time, at its or their option, by
notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it or them to be
immediately due and payable.
Upon
any Note’s becoming due and payable under this Section 12.1, whether
automatically or by declaration, such Note will forthwith mature and the entire
unpaid principal amount of such Note, plus (i) all accrued and unpaid
interest thereon and (ii) the Make-Whole Amount determined in respect of
such principal amount (to the full extent permitted by applicable law), shall
all be immediately due and payable, in each and every case without presentment,
demand, protest or further notice, all of which are hereby
waived. The Company acknowledges, and the parties hereto agree, that
each holder of a Note has the right to maintain its investment in the Notes free
from repayment by the Company (except as herein specifically provided for), and
that the provision for payment of a Make-Whole Amount by the Company in the
event that the Notes are prepaid or are accelerated as a result of an Event of
Default, is intended to provide compensation for the deprivation of such right
under such circumstances.
Section 12.2.Other Remedies. If
any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective
of whether any Notes have become or have been declared immediately due and
payable under Section 12.1, the holder
of any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce the
rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other appropriate
proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement contained
herein or in any Note, or for an injunction against a violation of any of the
terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted hereby
or thereby or by law or otherwise.
Section 12.3.Rescission. At any
time after any Notes have been declared due and payable pursuant to
clause (b) or (c) of Section 12.1, the holders
of not less than 55% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by
written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such declaration and
its consequences if (a) the Company has paid all overdue interest on the
Notes, all principal of and Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Notes that are due
and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all
interest on such overdue principal and Make-Whole Amount, if any, and (to the
extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in respect of the
Notes, at the Default Rate, (b) all Events of Default and Defaults, other
than non-payment of amounts that have become due solely by reason of such
declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to Section 17, and
(c) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of any monies
due pursuant hereto or to the Notes. No rescission and annulment
under this Section 12.3 will extend
to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default or impair any right
consequent thereon.
-33-
Section 12.4.No Waivers or Election of Remedies,
Expenses, Etc. No course of dealing and no delay on the part
of any holder of any Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate
as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights, powers or
remedies. No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement or by
any Note upon any holder thereof shall be exclusive of any other right, power or
remedy referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in
equity, by statute or otherwise. Without limiting the obligations of
the Company under Section 15, the Company
will pay to the holder of each Note on demand such further amount as shall be
sufficient to cover all costs and expenses of such holder incurred in any
enforcement or collection under this Section 12, including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and
disbursements.
SECTION 13.
|
REGISTRATION;
EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES.
|
Section 13.1.Registration of
Notes. The Company shall keep at its principal executive
office a register for the registration and registration of transfers of
Notes. The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each
transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more
Notes shall be registered in such register. Prior to due presentment
for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be
registered shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all
purposes hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or
knowledge to the contrary. The Company shall give to any holder of a
Note that is an Institutional Investor promptly upon request therefor, a
complete and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders
of Notes.
Section 13.2.Transfer and Exchange of
Notes. Upon surrender of any Note at the principal executive
office of the Company for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case
of a surrender for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
written instrument of transfer duly executed by the registered holder of such
Note or its attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the address
for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof), the Company shall
execute and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided below), one or
more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof) in exchange therefor, in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of the
surrendered Note. Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person
as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 1. Each
such new Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which interest
shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the date of the
surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon. The
Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any stamp tax or
governmental charge imposed in respect of any such transfer of
Notes. Notes shall not be transferred in denominations of less than
U.S. $1,000,000; provided that if necessary to
enable the registration of transfer by a holder of its entire holding of Notes,
one Note may be in a denomination of less than
U.S. $1,000,000. Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note
registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have
made the representation set forth in Section 6.2.
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Section 13.3.Replacement of
Notes. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to it of the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of any Note (which evidence shall be, in the case of an Institutional
Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of such ownership and such
loss, theft, destruction or mutilation), and
(a)in the case of loss, theft or
destruction, of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it (provided that if the holder
of such Note is, or is a nominee for, an original Purchaser or another holder of
a Note with a minimum net worth of at least U.S.$25,000,000, such Person’s own
unsecured agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to be satisfactory),
or
(b)in the case of mutilation, upon
surrender and cancellation thereof,
the
Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new
Note, dated and bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been
paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or dated the date of such
lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid
thereon.
SECTION 14.
|
PAYMENTS
ON NOTES.
|
Section 14.1.Place of
Payment. Subject to Section 14.2, payments of
principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest becoming due and payable on
the Notes shall be made in Calgary, Canada at the principal office of the
Company in such jurisdiction. The Company may at any time, by notice
to each holder of a Note, change the place of payment of the Notes so long as
such place of payment shall be either the principal office of the Company in
such jurisdiction or the principal office of a bank or trust company in such
jurisdiction.
Section 14.2.Home Office
Payment. So long as you or your nominee shall be the holder of
any Note, and notwithstanding anything contained in Section 14.1 or in such
Note to the contrary, the Company will pay all sums becoming due on such Note
for principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest by the method and at the
address specified for such purpose below your name in Schedule A, or by such
other method or at such other address as you shall have from time to time
specified to the Company in writing for such purpose, without the presentation
or surrender of such Note or the making of any notation thereon, except that
upon written request of the Company made concurrently with or reasonably
promptly after payment or prepayment in full of any Note, you shall surrender
such Note for cancellation, reasonably promptly after any such request, to the
Company at its principal executive office or at the place of payment most
recently designated by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1. The
Company will make such payments in immediately available funds, no later than
11:00 a.m. New York, New York time on the date due. If for any
reason whatsoever the Company does not make any such payment by such
11:00 a.m. transmittal time, such payment shall be deemed to have been made
on the next following Business Day and such payment shall bear interest at the
Default Rate set forth in the Note. Prior to any sale or other
disposition of any Note held by you or your nominee you will, at your election,
either endorse thereon the amount of principal paid thereon and the last date to
which interest has been paid thereon or surrender such Note to the Company in
exchange for a new Note or Notes pursuant to Section 13.2. The
Company will afford the benefits of this Section 14.2 to any
Institutional Investor that is the direct or indirect transferee of any Note
purchased by you under this Agreement and that has made the same agreement
relating to such Note as you have made in this Section 14.2.
-35-
Section 14.3.Payment Free and Clear of
Taxes. Each payment by the Company shall be made, under all
circumstances, without setoff, counterclaim or reduction for, and free from and
clear of, and without deduction for or because of, any and all present or future
taxes, levies, imposts, duties, fees, charges, deductions, withholding,
restrictions or conditions of any nature whatsoever (hereinafter called “Relevant Taxes”) imposed,
levied, collected, assessed, deducted or withheld by the Government of Canada or
any Provincial or other political subdivision of Canada or by the government of
any other country or jurisdiction or any authority therein or thereof (other
than the United States of America) from or through which payments hereunder or
on or in respect of the Notes are actually made (each a “Taxing Jurisdiction”),
unless such imposition, levy, collection, assessment, deduction, withholding or
other restriction or condition is required by law. If the Company is
required by law to make any payment under this Agreement subject to such
deduction, withholding or other restriction or condition, then the Company shall
forthwith (a) pay over to the government or taxing authority imposing such
tax the full amount required to be deducted, withheld from or otherwise paid by
the Company (including the full amount required to be deducted or withheld from
or otherwise paid by the Company in respect of the Tax Indemnity Amounts (as
defined below)), and (b) pay each holder of the Notes such additional
amounts (“Tax Indemnity
Amounts”) as may be necessary in order that the net amount of every
payment made to each holder of Notes, after provision for payment of such
Relevant Taxes (including any required deduction, withholding or other payment
of tax on or with respect to such Tax Indemnity Amounts), shall be equal to the
amount which such holder would have received had there been no imposition, levy,
collection, assessment, deduction, withholding or other restriction or
condition. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 14.3, no such Tax
Indemnity Amounts shall be payable (i) to any holder of the Notes which is
liable for any tax, assessment or other governmental charge by reason of it
being or having been effectively connected to Canada for any reason or in any
capacity other than solely as a holder of a Note, (ii) for or on account of
any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld by
reason of the failure of the holder to complete, execute and deliver to the
Company any form or document to the extent applicable to such holder that may be
required by law or by reason of administration of such law and which is
reasonably requested in writing to be delivered by the Company in order to
enable the Company to make payments pursuant to this Section 14.3 without
deduction or withholding for taxes, assessments or governmental charges, or with
deduction or withholding of such lesser amount, which form or document shall be
delivered within one hundred twenty (120) days of a written request therefor by
the Company, or (iii) in the case where such holder is not a resident (within
the meaning of the United States-Canada Income Tax Convention) of the United
States of America, the Company shall not be obligated to pay any such Tax
Indemnity Amount to such holder in excess of the amount which the Company would
have been obligated to pay hereunder if such holder were resident in the United
States of America for the purposes of such treaty. If in connection
with the payment of any such Tax Indemnity Amounts, any holder of the Notes that
is a United States person within the meaning of the Code or a foreign person
engaged in a trade or business within the United States of America, incurs taxes
imposed by the United States of America or any political subdivision or taxing
authority therein (“United
States Taxes”) on such Tax Indemnity Amounts, the Company shall pay to
such holder of the Notes such further amount as will insure that the net amount
actually received by that holder of the Notes (taking into account any
withholding or deduction in respect of any such further amount) is equal to the
amount which such holder of the Notes would have received after all United
States Taxes on such Tax Indemnity Amounts and on any further amount had such
withholding or deduction not been made.
-36-
SECTION 15.
|
EXPENSES,
ETC.
|
Section 15.1.Transaction
Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby
are consummated, the Company will pay all costs and expenses (including
reasonable attorneys’ fees of a special counsel and, if reasonably required,
local or other counsel) incurred by you and each Other Purchaser or holder of a
Note in connection with such transactions and in connection with any amendments,
waivers or consents under or in respect of this Agreement, the Notes, the
Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement (whether or not such
amendment, waiver or consent becomes effective), including, without
limitation: (a) the costs and expenses incurred in enforcing or
defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend) any rights under
this Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination
Agreement, or in responding to any subpoena or other legal process or informal
investigative demand issued in connection with this Agreement, the Notes, the
Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement, or by reason of being a
holder of any Note, (b) the costs and expenses, including financial
advisors’ fees, incurred in connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the
Fund, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or in connection with any
work-out or restructuring of the transactions contemplated hereby, by the Notes,
by the Subsidiary Guaranty or by any Subordination Agreement and (c) the
fees and costs incurred in connection with the initial filing of this Agreement
and all related documents and financial information and all subsequent annual
and interim filings of documents and financial information related to this
Agreement, with the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of
Insurance Commissioners or any successor organizations succeeding to the
authority thereof. The Company will pay, and will save you and each
other holder of a Note harmless from, all claims in respect of any fees, costs
or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those retained by
you).
Section 15.2.Survival. The
obligations of the Company under this Section 15 will survive
the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement, amendment or waiver of any
provision of this Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty or any
Subordination Agreement, and the termination of this Agreement.
-37-
SECTION 16.
|
SURVIVAL
OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE
AGREEMENT.
|
All
representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution and
delivery of this Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty and the
Subordination Agreements, the purchase or transfer by you of any Note or portion
thereof or interest therein and the payment of any Note, and may be relied upon
by any subsequent holder of a Note, regardless of any investigation made at any
time by or on behalf of you or any other holder of a Note. All
statements contained in any certificate or other instrument delivered by or on
behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed representations
and warranties of the Company, the Fund or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as the case
may be, pursuant to this Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty or the Subordination
Agreement to which it is a party. Subject to the preceding sentence,
this Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty and the Subordination
Agreement embody the entire agreement and understanding between you and the
Company and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the
subject matter hereof.
SECTION 17.
|
AMENDMENT
AND WAIVER.
|
Section 17.1.Requirements. This
Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty and each Subordination Agreement
may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be
waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written
consent of the Company and the Required Holders, except that (a) no
amendment or waiver of any of the provisions of Section 1, 2.1, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 21 hereof, or any defined term
(as it is used therein), will be effective as to you unless consented to by you
in writing, and (b) no such amendment or waiver may, without the written
consent of the holder of each Note at the time outstanding affected thereby,
(i) subject to the provisions of Section 12 relating to
acceleration or rescission, change the amount or time of any prepayment or
payment of principal of, or reduce the rate or change the time of payment or
method of computation of interest or of the Make-Whole Amount on, the Notes,
(ii) change the percentage of the principal amount of the Notes the holders
of which are required to consent to any such amendment or waiver, or
(iii) amend any of Sections 8, 11(a), 11(b), 12,
14.3, 17 or 20.
Section 17.2.Solicitation of Holders of
Notes.
(a)Solicitation. The
Company will provide each holder of the Notes (irrespective of the amount of
Notes then owned by it) with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance
of the date a decision is required, to enable such holder to make an informed
and considered decision with respect to any proposed amendment, waiver or
consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof or of the Notes, the
Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement. The Company will
deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent
effected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 17 to each holder
of outstanding Notes promptly following the date on which it is executed and
delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite holders of
Notes.
-38-
(b)Payment. The
Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause to be paid any
remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional interest, fee or
otherwise, or grant any security, to any holder of Notes as consideration for or
as an inducement to the entering into by any holder of Notes of any waiver or
amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof or of the Subsidiary
Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement unless such remuneration is concurrently
paid, or security is concurrently granted, on the same terms, ratably to each
holder of Notes then outstanding even if such holder did not consent to such
waiver or amendment.
Section 17.3.Binding Effect,
Etc. Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this
Section 17 applies
equally to all holders of Notes and is binding upon them and upon each future
holder of any Note and upon the Company without regard to whether such Note has
been marked to indicate such amendment or waiver. No such amendment
or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant, agreement, Default
or Event of Default not expressly amended or waived or impair any right
consequent thereon. No course of dealing between the Company and the
holder of any Note nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder or under any
Note the Subsidiary Guaranty or any Subordination Agreement shall operate as a
waiver of any rights of any holder of such Note. As used herein, the
term “this Agreement” and references thereto shall mean this Agreement as it may
from time to time be amended or supplemented.
Section 17.4.Notes Held by Company,
Etc. Solely for the purpose of determining whether the holders
of the requisite percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then
outstanding approved or consented to any amendment, waiver or consent to be
given under this Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty or any
Subordination Agreement or have directed the taking of any action provided
herein or in the Notes to be taken upon the direction of the holders of a
specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then
outstanding, Notes directly or indirectly owned by the Company or any of its
Affiliates shall be deemed not to be outstanding.
SECTION 18.
|
NOTICES.
|
All
notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent
(a) by telefacsimile if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy
of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), or
(b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested (postage
prepaid), or (c) by a recognized overnight delivery service (with charges
prepaid). Any such notice must be sent:
(i)if to you or your nominee, to you or it
at the address specified for such communications in Schedule A, or at such
other address as you or it shall have specified to the Company in
writing,
(ii)if to any other holder of any Note, to
such holder at such address as such other holder shall have specified to the
Company in writing, or
(iii)if to the Company, to the Company at
its address set forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of Chief
Financial Officer, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified
to the holder of each Note in writing.
Notices
under this Section 18 will be deemed
given only when actually received.
-39-
SECTION 19.
|
REPRODUCTION
OF DOCUMENTS.
|
This
Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty and the Subordination Agreements and all
documents relating thereto, including, without limitation, (a) consents,
waivers and modifications that may hereafter be executed, (b) documents
received by you at the Closing (except the Notes themselves), and
(c) financial statements, certificates and other information previously or
hereafter furnished to you, may be reproduced by you by any photographic,
photostatic, microfilm, microcard, miniature photographic or other similar
process and you may destroy any original document so reproduced. The
Company agrees and stipulates that, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in
any judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the original is in
existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by you in the regular
course of business) and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of
such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence. This
Section 19 shall
not prohibit the Company or any other holder of Notes from contesting any such
reproduction to the same extent that it could contest the original, or from
introducing evidence to demonstrate the inaccuracy of any such
reproduction.
SECTION 20.
|
CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION.
|
For
the purposes of this Section 20, “Confidential Information”
means information delivered to you by or on behalf of the Fund, the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with the transactions contemplated by or
otherwise pursuant to this Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty or any
Subordination Agreement that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly
marked or labeled or otherwise adequately identified when received by you as
being confidential information of the Fund, the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary; provided
that such term does not include information that (a) was publicly known or
otherwise known to you prior to the time of such disclosure,
(b) subsequently becomes publicly known through no act or omission by you
or any Person acting on your behalf, (c) otherwise becomes known to you
other than through disclosure by the Fund, the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to you under
Section 7.1 that
are otherwise publicly available. You will maintain the
confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with
procedures adopted by you in good faith to protect confidential information of
third parties delivered to you; provided that you may deliver
or disclose Confidential Information to (i) your directors, trustees,
officers, employees, agents, attorneys and affiliates (to the extent such
disclosure reasonably relates to the administration of the investment
represented by your Notes), (ii) your financial advisors and other
professional advisors who agree to hold confidential the Confidential
Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this Section 20,
(iii) any other holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor to
which you sell or offer to sell such Note or any part thereof or any
participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt
of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (v) any
Person from which you offer to purchase any security of the Company (if such
Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential
Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20),
(vi) any Canadian or United States Federal, Provincial or State regulatory
authority having jurisdiction over you, (vii) the U.S. National Association
of Insurance Commissioners or any similar organization, or any nationally
recognized rating agency that requires access to information about your
investment portfolio, (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or
disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with
any law, rule, regulation or order applicable to you, (x) in response to
any subpoena or other legal process, (y) in connection with any litigation
to which you are a party or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, to the extent you may reasonably determine such delivery and
disclosure to be necessary or appropriate in the enforcement or for the
protection of the rights and remedies under your Notes and this Agreement and
(ix) any and all Persons, without limitation, to the extent any such
Confidential Information pertains to the U.S. federal tax treatment and U.S.
federal tax structure of the transaction contemplated by this Agreement and all
materials of any kind (including opinions or other U.S. federal tax analyses)
that are provided to you relating to such U.S. federal tax treatment and U.S.
federal tax structure. However, any such information relating to such
U.S. federal tax treatment and U.S. federal tax structure is required to be kept
confidential to the extent necessary to comply with any applicable securities
laws. The preceding sentences are intended to cause the transaction
contemplated hereby not to be treated as having been offered under conditions of
confidentiality for purposes of Sections 1.6011-4(b)(3) and
301.6111-2(a)(2)(ii) (or any successor provisions) of the U.S. Treasury
Regulations issued under the Code and shall be construed in a manner consistent
with such purpose. Each holder of a Note, by its acceptance of a
Note, will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by and to be entitled to the
benefits of this Section 20 as though it
were a party to this Agreement. On reasonable request by the Company
in connection with the delivery to any holder of a Note of information required
to be delivered to such holder under this Agreement or requested by such holder
(other than a holder that is a party to this Agreement or its nominee), such
holder will enter into an agreement with the Company embodying the provisions of
this Section 20.
-40-
SECTION 21.
|
SUBSTITUTION
OF PURCHASER.
|
You
shall have the right to substitute any one of your Affiliates as the purchaser
of the Notes that you have agreed to purchase hereunder, by written notice to
the Company, which notice shall be signed by both you and such Affiliate, shall
contain such Affiliate’s agreement to be bound by this Agreement and shall
contain a confirmation by such Affiliate of the accuracy with respect to it of
the representations set forth in Section 6. Upon
receipt of such notice, wherever the word “you” is used in this Agreement (other
than in this Section 21), such word
shall be deemed to refer to such Affiliate in lieu of you. In the
event that such Affiliate is so substituted as a purchaser hereunder and such
Affiliate thereafter transfers to you all of the Notes then held by such
Affiliate, upon receipt by the Company of notice of such transfer, wherever the
word “you” is used in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21), such word
shall no longer be deemed to refer to such Affiliate, but shall refer to you,
and you shall have all the rights of an original holder of the Notes under this
Agreement.
SECTION 22.
|
MISCELLANEOUS.
|
Section 22.1.Currency of Payments,
Indemnification. Any payment made by the Company to any holder
of the Notes or for the account of any such holder in respect of any amount
payable by the Company hereunder or under the Notes shall be made in
U.S. Dollars. Any amount received or recovered by such holder
other than in U.S. Dollars (whether as a result of, or of the enforcement
of, a judgment or order of any court, or in the liquidation or dissolution of
the Company or otherwise) in respect of any such sum expressed to be due
hereunder or under the Notes shall constitute a discharge of the Company only to
the extent of the amount of U.S. Dollars which such holder is able, in
accordance with normal banking procedures, to purchase with the amount so
received or recovered in that other currency on the date of the receipt or
recovery (or, if it is not practicable to make that purchase on such date, on
the first date on which it is practicable to do so). If the amount of
U.S. Dollars so purchased is less than the amount of U.S. Dollars expressed
to be due hereunder or under the Notes, the Company shall indemnify such holder
in U.S. Dollars against any loss sustained by such holder as a result, and in
any event, the Company shall indemnify such holder against the cost of making
any such purchase. These indemnities shall constitute a separate and
independent obligation from the other obligations herein and in the Notes, shall
give rise to a separate and independent cause of action, shall apply
irrespective of any indulgence granted by any such holder, shall continue in
full force and effect despite any judgment, order, claim or proof for a
liquidated amount in respect of any such sum due hereunder and under any Note or
any judgment or order and shall survive the payment of the Notes and the
termination of this Agreement.
-41-
Section 22.2.Interest Act of
Canada. Solely for purposes of the Interest Act of Canada
(R.S.C., c.I-15) and in respect of all or any portion of a calendar year, the
annual rate of interest to which any interest rate herein is equal is such rate
multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of days in
such year and the denominator of which is 360.
Section 22.3.Time. Time shall
be of the essence of this Agreement. The mere lapse of the time
provided for the Company to perform its obligations or the arrival of the term
shall automatically create a default, without any notice being
required.
Section 22.4.Successors and
Assigns. All covenants and other agreements contained in this
Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto bind and inure to the
benefit of their respective successors and assigns (including, without
limitation, any subsequent holder of a Note) whether so expressed or
not.
Section 22.5.Payments Due on Non-Business
Days. Anything in this Agreement or the Notes to the contrary
notwithstanding, any payment of principal of or Make-Whole Amount or interest on
any Note that is due on a date other than a Business Day shall be made on the
next succeeding Business Day without including the additional days elapsed in
the computation of the interest payable on such next succeeding Business
Day.
Section 22.6.Severability. Any
provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any
jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of
such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining
provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any
jurisdiction shall (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or
render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
Section 22.7.Construction. Each
covenant contained herein shall be construed (absent express provision to the
contrary) as being independent of each other covenant contained herein, so that
compliance with any one covenant shall not (absent such an express contrary
provision) be deemed to excuse compliance with any other
covenant. Where any provision herein refers to action to be taken by
any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such provision shall
be applicable whether such action is taken directly or indirectly by such
Person.
-42-
Section 22.8.Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be
an original but all of which together shall constitute one
instrument. Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies
hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties
hereto.
Section 22.9.Governing Law. This Agreement shall be
construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall
be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta and the laws of Canada
applicable therein, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such
Province that would require the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other
than such Province.
Section 22.10.Submission to
Jurisdiction. The Company hereby irrevocably submits and
consents to the jurisdiction of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, and
irrevocably agrees that all actions or proceedings relating to this Agreement
and the Notes may be litigated in such court, and the Company waives any
objection which it may have based on improper venue or forum non conveniens to the
conduct of any proceeding in any such court and waives personal service of any
and all process upon it, and consents that all such service of process be made
by delivery to it at the address of the Company set forth in Section 18 above or to
its agent referred to below at such agent’s address set forth below (with a
courtesy copy to the Company at the address set forth in Section 18) and that
service so made shall be deemed to be completed upon actual
receipt. The Company hereby irrevocably appoints any partner of the
law firm of Blake, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP who is a member of the Law Society
of Alberta, with an office on the date hereof at Suite 3500, East Tower, Bankers
Hall, 000 - 0xx Xxxxxx X.X., Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx X0X 0X0,
Attention: Xxxxxx X.X. Xxxxxxxx, as its agent for the purpose of
accepting service of any process within the Province of
Alberta. Nothing contained in this Section 22.10 shall
affect the right of any holder of Notes to serve legal process in any other
manner permitted by law or to bring any action or proceeding in the courts of
any jurisdiction against the Company or to enforce a judgment obtained in the
courts of any other jurisdiction.
* * * * *
-43-
If
you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of agreement on
the accompanying counterpart of this Agreement and return it to the Company,
whereupon the foregoing shall become a binding agreement between you, the Fund
and the Company.
|
Very
truly yours,
|
|
ENERMARK
INC.
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice President-
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Vice-President,
Finance
|
|
ACKNOWLEDGED:
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice President-
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Vice-President,
Finance
|
|
-44-
|
ENERPLUS
RESOURCES CORPORATION
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice President-
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Vice-President,
Finance
|
|
|
ENERPLUS
OIL & GAS LTD.
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice President-
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
By
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
|
|
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Vice-President,
Finance
|
|
Accepted
as of October 1, 2003.
|
[Signatures
of Noteholders Redacted]
|
-45-
[Schedule
A Redacted]
DEFINED
TERMS
As
used herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or
set forth in the Section hereof following such term:
“Affiliate” means, at any
time, and with respect to any Person, (a) any other Person that at such
time directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, or is
Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such first Person, and
(b) any Person beneficially owning or holding, directly or indirectly, 10%
or more of any class of voting or equity interests of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary or any corporation of which the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries beneficially own or hold, in the aggregate, directly or indirectly,
10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests. As used in
this definition, “Control” means the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the
ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. Unless the
context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to an “Affiliate” is a reference to
an Affiliate of the Company.
“Bank Facility” means that
certain Credit Agreement dated as of March 20, 2002 among the Company, the Fund,
the Subsidiary Guarantor, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as administrative
agent, and the Lenders which are parties thereto, as from time to time
supplemented, amended, restated, renewed or replaced.
“Business Day” means
(a) for the purposes of Section 8.8 only, any day
other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks
in New York, New York are required or authorized to be closed, and
(b) for the purposes of any other provision of this Agreement, any day
other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada or New York, New York are required or authorized to be
closed.
“Can. $” or “Cdn. Dollars” shall mean
lawful money of Canada in same day immediately available freely transferable
funds, or, if such funds are not available, the form of money of Canadian that
is customarily used in the settlement of international banking transactions on
the date payment is due hereunder.
“Capital Lease” means, at any
time, a lease with respect to which the lessee is required concurrently to
recognize the acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of a liability in
accordance with GAAP.
“Closing” is defined in Section 3.
“Code” means the United
States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time.
“Company” means EnerMark
Inc., a corporation formed under the Laws of the Province of
Alberta.
“Confidential Information” is
defined in Section 20.
“Consolidated Debt” means,
without duplication, all Debt of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries,
determined on a consolidated basis after eliminating inter-company
items.
“Consolidated EBITDA” for any
period means, without duplication, the sum of (a) Consolidated Net Income
during such period plus (to the
extent deducted in determining Consolidated Net Income), (b) all provisions
for federal, provincial or other income and capital taxes made by the Fund and
its consolidated Subsidiaries during such period, (c) all provisions for
depletion, depreciation and amortization (other than amortization of debt
discount) made by the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such period,
and (d) Consolidated Interest Expense during such period.
“Consolidated Interest
Expense” of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries for any period
means, without duplication, all interest (including the interest component on
Rentals on Capital Leases) and all amortization of debt discount and expense on
all Consolidated Debt (including, without limitation, payment-in-kind, zero
coupon and other like Securities); provided that Interest
Expense shall be adjusted on a pro forma basis to
include interest expense (determined in a manner consistent with this
definition) which was paid or payable at any time during the period for which
the calculation is being made by an entity acquired or to be acquired by the
Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such period.
“Consolidated Net Income” for
any period means, without duplication, Consolidated Net Income (or loss) of the
Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries, after excluding extraordinary gains and
losses, all determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that Consolidated
Net Income may be adjusted on a pro forma basis to
include net income (determined in a manner consistent with this definition)
which was earned at any time during the period for which the calculation is
being made by an entity acquired or to be acquired by the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries during such period.
“Consolidated Net Worth”
means, without duplication and as of the date of any determination thereof, the
sum of unitholders’ capital accumulated income and accumulated cash
distributions shown on the consolidated balance sheet of the Fund, all
determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Priority Debt”
means, without duplication, all Priority Debt of the Fund and its consolidated
Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis after eliminating inter-company
items.
“Consolidated Total Proven
Reserves” means, without duplication, the aggregate of all Proven
Reserves of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries as contained in the then
Current Reserve Report, adjusted to exclude those Proven Reserves that are
subject to Liens not permitted by Section 10.4.
B-2
“Current Reserve
Report” means the evaluation report with respect to the oil,
liquids and natural gas reserves of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries
taken as a whole, of which at least 70% of the PV12 Value of the Proven Reserves
plus Probable Reserves have been evaluated by the Independent Engineer using
their price forecasts in effect at that time.
“Crown” mean the federal
government of Canada and government of any of its provinces and
territories.
“Debt” with respect to any
Person means, at any time, without duplication,
(a)its liabilities for borrowed
money;
(b)its liabilities for the deferred
purchase price of property acquired by such Person (excluding accounts payable
arising in the ordinary course of business but including all liabilities created
or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with
respect to any such property);
(c)all liabilities appearing on its
balance sheet in accordance with GAAP in respect of Capital Leases;
(d)all liabilities for borrowed money
secured by any Lien with respect to any property owned by such Person (whether
or not it has assumed or otherwise become liable for such
liabilities);
(e)all liabilities in respect of
acceptances or letters of credit, other credit enhancement instruments or other
instruments serving a similar function issued or created for its account and
reimbursement obligations in respect of credit enhancement instruments which
are, in substance, financial guarantees (whether or not representing obligations
for borrowed money); and
(f)any Guaranty of such Person with
respect to liabilities of a type described in any of clauses (a) through
(e) of this definition;
provided that in connection
with any calculation of Debt of such Person, there shall be excluded therefrom
Subordinated Debt. Debt of any Person shall include all obligations
of such Person of the character described in clauses (a) through (f) of
this definition to the extent such Person remains legally liable in respect
thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is deemed to be extinguished
under GAAP. For purposes of any calculation of Debt to be incurred
within the limitations of Sections 10.3(b) and
10.4(q), the aggregate
amount of money on deposit in the Reserve Fund of the Company shall be deemed to
constitute Debt in an amount equal to the amounts of monies so on
deposit.
“Default” means an event or
condition the occurrence or existence of which would, with the lapse of time or
the giving of notice or both, become an Event of Default.
“Default Rate” means that
rate of interest that is the greater of (i) 2% per annum above the rate of
interest stated in clause (a) of the first paragraph of the Notes or
(ii) 2% over the rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank, N.A. in
New York, New York as its “base” or “prime” rate.
B-3
“Designated Event”
means any event or circumstance which pursuant to the terms of the Bank Facility
obligates the Company to prepay Debt outstanding thereunder prior to its stated
maturity date, other than by reason of scheduled repayments of the principal
amount of such Debt.
“EEL” means Enerplus Energy
Ltd., a body corporate incorporated under the laws of Alberta.
“Enerplus LP” means Enerplus
Limited Partnership, a limited partnership formed in accordance with the laws of
Alberta.
“Environmental Laws” means
any and all Canadian and United States federal, provincial, state and local
laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits,
concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental
restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of human health or the
environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including but
not limited to those related to hazardous substances or wastes or Hazardous
Materials, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.
“Equity Interests” means in
the case of a corporation, shares of capital stock of any class or series,
including warrants, rights, participating interests or options to purchase or
otherwise acquire any class or series of capital stock or Securities
exchangeable for or convertible into any class or series of capital stock, and
in the case of any other Person or entity shall mean any class or series of
partnership interests, units, membership interests or like interests
constituting equity, and in the case of each of the foregoing, any part or
portion thereof or participation in any of the foregoing.
“ERISA” means the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in
effect.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any
trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that is treated as a single
employer together with the Company under Section 414 of the
Code.
“Event of Default” is defined
in Section 11.
“Exchange Act” means the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (United States), as amended.
“Fund” is defined in Section 2.3.
“GAAP” means generally
accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in
Canada.
B-4
“Governmental Authority”
means
(a)the government of
(i)Canada or any provincial or other
political subdivision thereof, or
(ii)the United States of America or any
state or other political subdivision thereof, or
(iii)any jurisdiction in which the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary conducts all or any part of its business, or which
asserts jurisdiction over any properties of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary, or
(b)any entity exercising executive,
legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of, or pertaining
to, any such government.
“Guaranty” means, without
duplication and with respect to any Person, any obligation (except the
endorsement in the ordinary course of business of negotiable instruments for
deposit or collection) of such Person guaranteeing or in effect guaranteeing any
Debt, dividend or other obligation of any other Person in any manner, whether
directly or indirectly, including (without limitation) obligations incurred
through an agreement, contingent or otherwise, by such Person:
(a)to purchase such Debt or obligation or
any property constituting security therefor;
(b)to advance or supply funds (i) for
the purchase or payment of such Debt or obligation, or (ii) to maintain any
working capital or other balance sheet condition or any income statement
condition of any other Person or otherwise to advance or make available funds
for the purchase or payment of such Debt or obligation;
(c)to lease properties or to purchase
properties or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of such
Debt or obligation of the ability of any other Person to make payment of the
Debt or obligation; or
(d)otherwise to assure the owner of such
Debt or obligation against loss in respect thereof.
In
any computation of the Debt or other liabilities of the obligor under any
Guaranty, the Debt or other obligations that are the subject of such Guaranty
shall be assumed to be direct obligations of such obligor.
“Hazardous Material” means
any and all pollutants, toxic or hazardous wastes or any other substances,
including all substances listed in or regulated under any Environmental Law,
that might pose a hazard to health or safety, the removal of which may be
required or the generation, manufacture, refining, production, processing,
treatment, storage, handling, transportation, transfer, use, disposal, release,
discharge, spillage, seepage, or filtration of which is or shall be restricted,
regulated, prohibited or penalized by any applicable law (including, without
limitation, asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam insulation and polychlorinated
biphenyls).
B-5
“holder” means, with respect
to any Note, the Person in whose name such Note is registered in the register
maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 13.1.
“Independent Engineer” means
Xxxxxxx & Associates Limited or any other firm of independent petroleum
engineers of recognized North American standing retained by the Company to
evaluate its Proven Reserves and Probable Reserves.
“Institutional Investor”
means (a) any original purchaser of a Note, (b) any holder of a Note
holding more than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then
outstanding, and (c) any bank, trust company, savings and loan association
or other financial institution, any pension plan, any investment company, any
insurance company, any broker or dealer, or any other similar financial
institution or entity, regardless of legal form.
“Lien” means, without
duplication and with respect to any Person, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge,
security interest or other encumbrance, or any interest or title of any vendor,
lessor, lender or other secured party to or of such Person under any conditional
sale or other title retention agreement or Capital Lease, upon or with respect
to any property or asset of such Person (including in the case of stock,
stockholder agreements, voting trust agreements and all similar
arrangements).
“Make-Whole Amount” is
defined in Section 8.8.
“Material” means material in
relation to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets,
properties or prospects of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a
whole.
“Material Adverse Effect”
means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, operations, affairs,
financial condition, assets, properties or prospects of the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of the Fund,
the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to perform their respective obligations
under this Agreement, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty or the Subordination
Agreements, or (c) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement, the
Notes, the Subsidiary Guaranty or the Subordination Agreements taken as a
whole.
“Memorandum” is defined in
Section 5.3.
“Multiemployer Plan” means
any Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” (as such term is defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).
“Non-U.S. Pension Plan” means
any plan, fund, or other similar program established or maintained outside the
United States of America by the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries primarily
for the benefit of employees of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries
residing outside the United States of America, which plan, fund or other similar
program provides for retirement income for such employees or a deferral of
income for such employees in contemplation of retirement and is not subject to
ERISA or the Code.
B-6
“Notes” is defined in Section 1.
“Officer’s Certificate” means
a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer or of any other officer of the
Company whose responsibilities extend to the subject matter of such
certificate.
“Other Agreements” is defined
in Section 2.
“Other Purchasers” is defined
in Section 2.
“PBGC” means the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA or any successor
thereto.
“PCCLP” means PCC Limited
Partnership, a limited partnership formed in accordance with the laws of
Alberta.
“Person” means an individual,
partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust,
unincorporated organization, or a government or agency or political subdivision
thereof.
“Plan” means an “employee
benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is or, within the
preceding five years, has been established or maintained, or to which
contributions are or, within the preceding five years, have been made or
required to be made, by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to
which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may have any liability.
“Present Value of Consolidated Total
Proven Reserves” means the present value of estimated future net cash
flow, discounted at an annual rate of 10%, of the Consolidated Total Proven
Reserves as shown in the then Current Reserve Report after subtracting those
volumes subject to a Lien not permitted by Section 10.4 based on the
escalating price forecast used by the Independent Engineer as at the date of the
Current Reserve Report in their most recently published price
forecasts.
“Priority Debt” means,
without duplication, (a) any Debt of the Fund or the Company secured by Liens
created or incurred within the limitations of Section 10.4(r) and (b)
any Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary (but excluding Qualified Subsidiary
Debt).
“Probable Reserves” means
those quantities of oil, natural gas and natural gas by-products which are
determined to be “Probable Reserves” by the Independent Engineer in accordance
with standard Canadian industry practice.
“property” or “properties” means, unless
otherwise specifically limited, real or personal property of any kind, tangible
or intangible, xxxxxx or inchoate.
B-7
“Proposed Prepayment Date” is
defined in Section 8.3(c).
“Proven Reserves” means those
quantities of oil, natural gas and natural gas by-products which are determined
to be “Proven Reserves” by the Independent Engineer in accordance with standard
Canadian industry practice.
“QPAM Exemption” means
Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14 issued by the United States
Department of Labor.
“Qualified Subsidiary Debt”
means, without duplication, (a) Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary evidenced by a
Guaranty of (i) Debt of the Fund or the Company owing pursuant to the Bank
Facility and (ii) Debt of the Company owing pursuant to notes issued, or to
be issued, under a note purchase agreement substantially similar to this
Agreement, in each case ranking pari passu with the Notes
issued hereunder, provided that such Restricted
Subsidiary is a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the Subsidiary Guaranty,
(b) Debt of a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the Subsidiary Guaranty,
(c) Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to the Company or any
Wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary, and (d) Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary
existing on the date of its acquisition (provided that such Debt shall
not have been incurred in contemplation of such Restricted Subsidiary being
acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and immediately after
giving effect to the acquisition of such Restricted Subsidiary, no Default or
Event of Default would exist).
“Relevant Taxes” is defined
in Section 14.3.
“Rentals” means and includes
as of the date of any determination thereof, without duplication, all fixed
payments (including as such all payments which the lessee is obligated to make
to the lessor on termination of the lease or surrender of the property) payable
by the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries or a Subsidiary, as lessee or
sublessee under a lease of real or personal property, but shall be exclusive of
any amounts required to be paid by the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries
(whether or not designated as rents or additional rents) on account of
maintenance, repairs, insurance, taxes and similar charges. Fixed
rents under any so-called “percentage leases” shall be
computed solely on the basis of the minimum rents, if any, required to be paid
by the lessee regardless of sales volume or gross revenues.
“Required Holders” means, at
any time, the holders of at least 51% in principal amount of the Notes at the
time outstanding (exclusive of Notes then owned by the Company or any of its
Affiliates).
“Reserve Fund” means that
bank account kept by the Company which is provided for under the Bank Facility
in which the scheduled repayments required to be made by the Company under the
Bank Facility for the immediately following 12-month period to any lender
thereunder who has elected not to renew its revolving commitment to the
Company.
“Responsible Officer” means
any Senior Financial Officer and any other officer of the Company with
responsibility for the administration of the relevant portion of this
Agreement.
B-8
“Restricted Group” means the
Fund, the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole.
“Restricted Payment” in
respect of any Person means, without duplication:
(a)dividends, royalties or other
distributions or payments on or in respect of any class or series of capital
stock or other Equity Interests of such Person (except distributions payable
solely in such class or series of stock or other Equity Interest);
(b)the purchase, retirement, redemption or
acquisition, directly or indirectly, of any class or series of such capital
stock or other Equity Interests or of warrants, rights or other options to
purchase or acquire any class or series of such capital stock or other Equity
Interests or of any participating interest factor relating to any class or
series of capital stock or other Equity Interests (other than for consideration
consisting solely of shares of such class or series of capital stock or other
Equity Interests, as the case may be);
(c)the return, directly or indirectly, of
capital by such Person to the holder or holders of any class or series of
capital stock or other Equity Interests of such Person;
(d)any other payment or distribution,
directly or indirectly, on or in respect of any class or series of capital stock
or other Equity Interests of such Person; or
(e)any payment, prepayment, redemption or
purchase, whether required or optional, of or in respect of interest, premium,
if any, or principal of any Subordinated Debt.
“Restricted Subsidiary” means
any Subsidiary (a) of which more than 80% (by number of votes) of the
Voting Equity Capital is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by the
Company or by one or more Wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiaries and
(b) which is designated on the date of Closing as a Restricted Subsidiary
on Schedule 5.4 or
which is subsequently designated as a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to Section 10.8; provided that anything
contained in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the Subsidiary
Guarantor shall be and remain a Restricted Subsidiary.
“Securities Act” means the
Securities Act of 1933 (United States), as amended from time to
time.
“Security” shall have the
same meaning as in Section 2(1) of the Securities Act.
“Senior Financial Officer”
means the senior vice president and chief financial officer, the vice president
of finance, the treasurer or the comptroller of the Company.
“Source” is defined in Section 6.2.
B-9
“Subordinated Debt” means,
without duplication, any Debt of the Company or any consolidated Subsidiary
owing to the Fund or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries or Affiliates which by
its express terms provides that it is (a) expressly subordinated in right
of payment to the Notes pursuant to the Subordination Agreement, (b) shall
have a stated maturity date later than the maturity date of the Notes,
(c) shall not provide for or permit any required payments or prepayments
thereof, and (d) expressly provides that any optional payment or prepayment
of principal, interest, premium or other amounts due with respect thereto may
only be made in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.5.
“Subordination Agreements” is
defined in Section
2.3.
“Subsidiary” means, as to any
Person, any corporation, association or other business entity in which such
Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or such Person and one or more of its
Subsidiaries owns sufficient equity or voting interests to enable it or them (as
a group) ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, to elect a majority of the
directors (or Persons performing similar functions) of such entity, and any
partnership or joint venture if more than a 50% interest in the profits or
capital thereof is owned by such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or
such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries (unless such partnership can and
does ordinarily take major business actions without the prior approval of such
Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries). Unless the context
otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a
Subsidiary of the Company.
“Subsidiary Guarantor” is
defined in Section 2.2.
“Subsidiary Guaranty” is
defined in Section
2.2.
“Tax” means any present or
future tax, levy, impost, duty, charge, assessment or fee of any nature that is
imposed by any Governmental Authority or any taxing authority
thereof.
“Tax Indemnity Amounts” is
defined in Section
14.3.
“Taxing Jurisdiction” is
defined in Section
14.3.
“U.S. $” or “U.S. Dollars”
shall mean lawful money of the United States of America in same day immediately
available freely transferable funds, or, if such funds are not available, the
form of money of the United States of America that is customarily used in the
settlement of international banking transactions on the date payment is due
hereunder.
“United States Taxes” is
defined in Section 14.3.
“Unrestricted Subsidiary”
means any Subsidiary of the Company which is not a Restricted
Subsidiary.
“Voting Equity Capital”
means, without duplication, Equity Interests of any class or classes, the
holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to
elect a majority of the corporate directors (or Persons performing similar
functions).
B-10
“Wholly-owned Restricted
Subsidiary” means, at any time, any Restricted Subsidiary one hundred
percent (100%) of all of the equity interests (except directors’ qualifying
shares) and voting interests of which are owned by any one or more of the
Company and the Company’s other Wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiaries at such
time.
B-11
CHANGES
IN LEGAL STRUCTURE
On
July 17, 2003, EnerMark Inc. purchased all of the issued and outstanding shares
of Northern Crown Resources Ltd. (“NCRL”), making it an
Unrestricted Subsidiary of EnerMark Inc. At the time of such
purchase, NCRL owned all of the issued and outstanding shares of Northern Crown
Energy Inc. (“NCEI”).
On
August 1, 2003 NCEI and NCRL amalgamated to form Northern Crown Resources Ltd.
(“Amalco
1”).
Later
on August 1, 2003, Amalco 1 amalgamated with EnerMark Inc. to form EnerMark
Inc.
DISCLOSURE
MATERIALS
NONE
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 5.4(a)(i)
Designated as a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company:
CORPORATION
AND JURISDICTION
|
CLASS(ES)
OF ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK
|
PERCENTAGE
HELD BY THE COMPANY
|
1. ENERPLUS
RESOURCES CORPORATION
(a company
formed under the laws of the Province of Alberta)
|
Class
‘A’ Common
Class
‘B’ Common
Series 1
Preferred
|
100%
100%
100%
|
2. ENERPLUS OIL
& GAS LTD.
(a company
formed under the laws of the Alberta)
|
Common
Series 1
Preferred
|
100%
|
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 5.4(a)(ii)
|
Designated as Unrestricted
Subsidiaries of the Company:
|
CORPORATION
AND JURISDICTION
|
CLASS(ES)
OF ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK
|
PERCENTAGE
HELD BY THE COMPANY
|
1.388623
ALBERTA LTD.
(a
company formed under the laws of the Province of Alberta)
|
Common
|
100%
|
2.TOE
ENERGY INC.
(a
company formed under the laws of the Province of Alberta)
|
Class
‘A’ Common
|
100%
|
3.ROI
ENERGY INC.
(a
company formed under the laws of the Province of Alberta)
|
Class
‘A’ Common
|
100%
|
4.OILTEX,
INC.
(a
company formed under the laws of the State of Texas)
|
Common
|
100%
|
5.DUGITE
RESOURCES INC.
(a
company formed under the laws of the State of Texas)
|
Common
|
100%
|
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 5.4(a)(iii)
Directors and senior officers of the
Company:
DIRECTORS
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Calgary,
Alberta
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Montréal,
Québec
|
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Montréal,
Québec
|
Xxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Calgary,
Alberta
|
Xxxxx
X.X. Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Calgary,
Xxxxxxx
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
Calgary,
Alberta
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Houston,
Texas
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx
|
-2-
|
SENIOR
OFFICERS
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
President
& Chief Executive Officer
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Senior
Vice President, Corporate Services
Xxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Senior
Vice President, Capital Markets
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Senior
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Senior
Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
-3-
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
1.
|
Consolidated
Audited Financial Statements of the Fund and its Subsidiaries as of
December 31, 2002;
|
2.
|
Interim
Financial Statements of the Fund and its Subsidiaries as of March 31,
2003; and
|
3.
|
Press
release dated August 15, 2003 containing unaudited results of second
fiscal quarter of 2003.
|
CERTAIN
LITIGATION
NONE
PATENTS,
ETC.
NONE
Schedule 5.11
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
USE
OF PROCEEDS
Refinance
certain bank debt and for general corporate purposes.
Schedule 5.14
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
EXISTING
DEBT
BANKING
AND LONG TERM NOTES PAYABLE PURSUANT TO THE ORIGINAL OFFERING
AT
JUNE 30, 2003
BANKERS
ACCEPTANCES
|
MATURITY
DATE
|
ENERMARK
|
ENERPLUS
RESOURCES
CORP
|
ENERPLUS
RESOURCES
FUND
|
TOTAL
|
July
9, 2003
|
9,967,100.00
|
-
|
-
|
9,967,100.00
|
|
July
17, 2003
|
45,920,340.00
|
-
|
-
|
45,920,340.00
|
|
July
25, 2003
|
170,476,560.00
|
-
|
-
|
170,476,560.00
|
|
226,364,000.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
226,364,000.00
|
||
$US
NOTES (IN $C)
|
FINAL-
June
19, 2014
|
268,327,500.00
|
-
|
-
|
268,327,500.00
|
OPERATING
LINE
|
June
30, 2003
|
74,143,339
|
(62,303,325)
|
(327,129)
|
11,512,885
|
TOTAL
DEBT
|
568,834,839
|
(62,303,325)
|
(327,129)
|
506,204,385
|
|
INTERCOMPANY DEBT
|
||
Debtor
|
Creditor
|
Amount
|
EnerMark
Inc.
|
858,401,000
|
|
Enerplus
Resources Corp.
|
EnerMark
Inc.
|
81,700,000
|
Schedule 5.15
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
FORM
OF NOTE
ENERMARK
INC.
5.46%
SENIOR NOTE due October 1, 2015
No. _________ |
Date
|
U.S. $____________ |
PPN
C3322# AB 4
|
FOR
VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, ENERMARK INC. (herein called the “Company”), a body corporate
constituted under the laws of Alberta hereby promises to pay
to _____________________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of
_____________________ UNITED STATES DOLLARS on October 1, 2015, with
interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months)
(a) on the unpaid balance thereof at the rate of 5.46% per annum from the
date hereof, payable semiannually, on the first day of April and October in each
year, commencing with the April 1 or October 1 next succeeding the
date hereof, until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, and
(b) to the extent permitted by law on any overdue payment (including any
overdue prepayment) of principal, any overdue payment of interest and any
overdue payment of any Make-Whole Amount (as defined in the Note Purchase
Agreements referred to below), payable semiannually as aforesaid (or, at the
option of the registered holder hereof, on demand), at a rate per annum from
time to time equal to the greater of (i) 7.46% or (ii) 2% over the
rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank, N.A. in New York, New York, as
its “base” or “prime” rate.
Solely
for purposes of the Interest
Act (Canada) and in respect of all or any portion of a calendar year, the
annual rate of interest to which any interest rate herein is equal is such rate
multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of days in
such year and the denominator of which is 360.
Payments
of principal of, interest on and any Make-Whole Amount with respect to this Note
are to be made in lawful money of the United States of America at New York, New
York or at such other place as the Company shall have designated by written
notice to the holder of this Note as provided in the Note Purchase Agreements
referred to below.
This
Note is one of a series of Senior Notes (herein called the “Notes”) issued pursuant to
separate Note Purchase Agreements dated as of October 1, 2003
(as from time to time amended, the “Note Purchase Agreements”),
between the Company and the respective Purchasers named therein and is entitled
to the benefits thereof. Each holder of this Note will be deemed, by
its acceptance hereof, (i) to have agreed to the confidentiality provisions
set forth in Section 20 of the Note
Purchase Agreements and (ii) to have made the representation set forth in
Section 6.2 of the
Note Purchase Agreements.
This
Note is a registered Note and, as provided in the Note Purchase Agreements, upon
surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, duly endorsed, or
accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed, by the registered
holder hereof or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, a new Note
for a like principal amount will be issued to, and registered in the name of,
the transferee. Prior to due presentment for registration of
transfer, the Company may treat the person in whose name this Note is registered
as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment and for all other
purposes, and the Company will not be affected by any notice to the
contrary.
EXHIBIT
1
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
Enerplus
Resources Corporation, an Alberta corporation, and Enerplus Oil & Gas Ltd.,
an Alberta corporation, have absolutely and unconditionally guaranteed payment
in full of the principal of Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest on this
Note, all as contemplated by Section 2.2 of the Note Purchase
Agreements.
The
Company will make required prepayments of principal on the dates and in the
amounts specified in the Note Purchase Agreements. This Note is also
subject to optional prepayment, in whole or from time to time in part, at the
times and on the terms specified in the Note Purchase Agreements, but not
otherwise.
If
an Event of Default, as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements, occurs and is
continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or otherwise become due
and payable in the manner, at the price (including any applicable Make-Whole
Amount) and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase
Agreements.
This
Note shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the
parties shall be governed by, the laws of the Province of Alberta and the laws
of Canada applicable therein, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of
such Province, that would require the application of the laws of the
jurisdiction other than such Province.
|
ENERMARK
INC.
|
By
|
||
[Title]
|
E-1-2
FORM
OF SUBSIDIARY GUARANTY
(See
Tab 2)
EXHIBIT
2.2
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
(to Note Purchase Agreement)
GUARANTEE
THIS
GUARANTEE is made as of the 1st day of October, 2003 (the or this “Guarantee”) is entered into
on a joint and several basis by ENERPLUS RESOURCES CORPORATION, an Alberta
corporation and ENERPLUS OIL & GAS LTD. (individually, a “Guarantor” and collectively,
the “Guarantors”), in
favor of the Noteholders (as defined in Article 1).
RECITALS
The
Guarantors have agreed to guarantee the payment and performance by the Company
(as defined in Article 1) of the Guaranteed Obligations.
NOW
THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration (the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged by the Guarantors), the Guarantors agree with the
Noteholders as follows:
ARTICLE 1
INTERPRETATION
Section 1.1.Definitions. In
this Guarantee, in addition to the definitions set out in any Section
hereof:
“Business Day” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Code” has the meaning
ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreement;
“Company” means EnerMark Inc.
and its permitted successors and permitted assigns;
“Default Rate” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Event of Default” means any
Event of Default under and as defined in the Note Purchase
Agreements;
“Fund” means Enerplus
Resources Fund, a trust formed in accordance with the laws of
Alberta;
“Guaranteed Obligations”
means all of the obligations and liabilities of, and indebtedness, interest
(including interest at the Default Rate), and Make-Whole Amount, if any, in U.S.
Dollars due and owing from, the Company to the Noteholders from time to time,
whether present or future, direct or indirect, absolute or contingent,
liquidated or unliquidated, matured or unmatured, extended or renewed, as
principal or surety, alone or with others, of whatsoever nature or kind, in any
currency, under or in respect of all or any of the Note Documents;
-1-
“Indemnified Amounts” means
the amounts to be paid by the Guarantors under Section 2.2;
“Make-Whole Amount” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Note Documents” mean the
Note Purchase Agreements, the Notes and all other documents delivered or to be
delivered to or for the benefit of the Noteholders pursuant to the Note Purchase
Agreements and the Notes;
“Noteholders” means the
Purchasers and any subsequent purchaser or holder of any of the Notes and their
respective successors and assigns;
“Note Purchase
Agreements” means the separate and
several Note Purchase Agreements dated as of October 1, 2003 between the
Company, the Fund, the Guarantors and each Noteholder, as the same may be
amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time;
“Notes” means the
U.S. $54,000,000 5.46% Senior Notes due October 1, 2015 of the
Company, to be issued and sold pursuant to the Note Purchase
Agreements;
“Person” has the meaning
ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Proceedings” means any
voluntary or involuntary receivership, insolvency, proposal, bankruptcy,
compromise, arrangement, reorganization, winding-up, dissolution or other
similar proceedings, whether or not any of the foregoing is judicial in
nature;
“Purchasers” means the
Persons listed on Schedule A to the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Relevant Taxes” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in Section 5.11;
“Required Holders” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Security Interest” means a
mortgage, debenture, pledge, deposit by way of security, charge, encumbrance,
hypothec, assignment by way of security, security interest, lien (whether
statutory, equitable or at common law), conditional sale or title retention
agreement, lease with option to purchase, a right of set-off (if created for the
purpose of directly or indirectly securing the repayment of money owed), and any
other interest in property, howsoever created or arising, that secures payment
or performance of an obligations;
“Tax” has the meaning
ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements;
“Tax Indemnity Amounts” has
the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 5.11;
“Taxing Jurisdiction” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in Section 5.11;
“United States Taxes” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in Section 5.11; and
-2-
“U.S. Dollars” has the
meaning ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements.
Section 1.2.References. As
used herein, “this Guarantee”, “hereto”, “herein”, “hereof”, “hereby”,
“hereunder” and any similar expressions refer to this Guarantee as it may be
supplemented, amended, restated or replaced from time to time, and not to any
particular Article, Section or other portion hereof. Whenever in this
Guarantee a particular Article, Section or other portion thereof is referred to,
such reference pertains to the Article, Section or portion thereof contained
herein unless otherwise indicated. In this Guarantee, unless the
context otherwise requires, words importing the singular include the plural and
vice versa and words importing gender include all genders. The
inclusion of headings in this Guarantee is for convenience of reference only and
shall not affect the construction or interpretation hereof.
Section 1.3.Invalidity of
Provisions. Each of the provisions contained in this Guarantee
is distinct and severable and a declaration of invalidity or unenforceability of
any such provision or part thereof by a court of competent jurisdiction shall
not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision
hereof.
Section 1.4.Entire
Agreement. This Guarantee constitutes the entire agreement
among the parties pertaining to the subject matter of this
Guarantee. There are no warranties, representations or agreements
between the parties in connection with such subject matter except as
specifically set forth or referred to in this Guarantee.
Section 1.5.Waiver,
Amendment. This Guarantee may be amended, and the observance
of any term hereof may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively) with
written consent of the Guarantors and each holder of the Notes. A
waiver of any provision of this Guarantee shall only constitute a waiver in the
specific instance and for the specific purpose for which it is
given. A waiver of any provision of this Guarantee shall not
constitute a continuing waiver unless expressly provided in
writing.
Section 1.6.Governing Law,
Attornment. This Guarantee shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta and the laws of Canada
applicable therein and each Guarantor hereby irrevocably attorns to the
non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Alberta.
ARTICLE 2
GUARANTEE
AND INDEMNITY
Section 2.1.Guarantee. Each
Guarantor unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to and for the benefit of
each of the Noteholders the due and punctual payment and performance of all
Guaranteed Obligations. This Guarantee contained herein is an
absolute, unconditional, present and continuing guarantee of payment, and not of
collection, is in no way conditioned or contingent upon any attempt to collect
from or enforce payment by the Company or upon any other event, contingency or
circumstance whatsoever and shall be binding upon and against the Guarantors
without regard to the validity or enforceability of any Note
Document. If, for any reason whatsoever, the Company shall fall or be
unable to duly, punctually and fully pay or perform any Guaranteed Obligation as
and when the same shall become due and payable, the Guarantors shall forthwith
pay, cause to be paid or cause to be performed, such Guaranteed Obligation to
the Noteholders.
-3-
Section 2.2.Indemnity. The Guarantors
shall indemnify and save harmless the Noteholders from and against any and all
losses, costs and expenses which they may suffer by the Guaranteed Obligations
not being paid or performed in a punctual manner or by any of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any Note Document being or becoming for any reason whatsoever in
whole or in part:
(a)void, voidable, ultra xxxxx, illegal,
invalid, ineffective or otherwise unenforceable by the Noteholders in accordance
with its terms, or
(b)released, compromised or discharged by
operation of law or otherwise,
(all
of the foregoing collectively, an “Indemnifiable
Circumstance”). For greater certainty, these losses shall
include without limitation the amount of all Guaranteed Obligations which would
have been payable by the Company but for the existence of an Indemnifiable
Circumstance.
Section 2.3.Reinstatement. The
guarantee and indemnity herein shall be reinstated if at any time any payment of
any Guaranteed Obligations or Indemnified Amounts is rescinded or must otherwise
be returned by any Noteholder as a result of any Proceedings of or affecting the
Company, either Guarantor or any other Person or for any other reason
whatsoever, all as though such payment had not been made. The
Noteholders may concede or compromise any claim that such payment ought to be
rescinded or otherwise returned, without discharging, diminishing or in any way
affecting the liability and the obligation of the Guarantors under this
Guarantee.
ARTICLE 3
ENFORCEMENT
Section 3.1.Demand. Upon
default in the payment or performance of the Guaranteed Obligations or any part
thereof, the Guarantors shall, on demand by or on behalf of the Required
Holders, forthwith pay to the Noteholders, and/or perform or cause the
performance of, all Guaranteed Obligations for which such demand was
made. In addition, all Indemnified Amounts shall be payable by the
Guarantors to the Noteholders forthwith upon demand by the Required
Holders.
Section 3.2.Right to Immediate Payment or
Performance. The Noteholders shall not be bound to make any
demand on or to seek or exhaust their recourse against the Company or any other
Person or any Security Interest held by the Noteholders, before being entitled
to demand payment from or performance by the Guarantors and enforce their rights
under this Guarantee, and each Guarantor hereby renounces all benefits of
discussion and division.
Section 3.3.Subordination. All
liabilities and indebtedness, present and future, joint or several, absolute or
contingent, of the Company to either of the Guarantors are hereby subordinated
to the full and final payment and performance in full of the Guaranteed
Obligations, the Indemnified Amounts and all other amounts payable hereunder
and, after the occurrence of an Event of Default, all such liabilities and
indebtedness of the Company to such Guarantor are hereby postponed to the
payment and performance in full of the Guaranteed Obligations, the Indemnified
Amounts and all other amounts payable hereunder and, all monies received by such
Guarantor in respect thereof after demand for payment and/or performance by the
Noteholders hereunder shall be received in trust for the Noteholders and
forthwith upon receipt shall be paid over to the Noteholders, the whole without
in any way lessening or limiting the liability of such Guarantor under this
Guarantee.
-4-
The
Guarantors shall not have any right of subrogation to the Noteholders or be
otherwise entitled to claim the benefit of any Security Interest now or
hereafter held by the Noteholders in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations or
the Indemnified Amounts, until the Noteholders have received full and final
payment and performance of all Guaranteed Obligations, all Indemnified Amounts
and all other amounts payable hereunder.
Section 3.4.Principal
Debtor. Any amounts which may not be recoverable from either
Guarantor as guarantor under this Guarantee shall be recoverable from such
Guarantor as principal debtor in respect thereof and shall be paid to the
Noteholders by such Guarantor after demand therefor.
ARTICLE 4
PROTECTION
OF NOTEHOLDERS
Section 4.1.Defects in Creation of Guaranteed
Obligations. None of the Noteholders shall be concerned to see
or inquire into the capacity and powers of the Company or its directors,
officers, employees or agents acting or purporting to act on its
behalf. All obligations, liabilities and indebtedness purporting to
be incurred by the Company in favor of the Noteholders shall be deemed to form
part of the Guaranteed Obligations even though the Company may not be a legal
entity or the incurring of such obligations, liabilities or indebtedness was
irregularly, fraudulently, defectively or informally effected or in excess of
the capacity or powers of the Company or its directors, officers, employees or
agents and notwithstanding that the Noteholders have specific notice of the
capacity and powers of the Company or its directors, officers, employees or
agents.
Section 4.2.Liability
Absolute. This Guarantee shall be a continuing guarantee and
the liability of the Guarantors hereunder shall be absolute, unconditional and
irrevocable and shall not be discharged, diminished or in any way affected
by:
(a)any amalgamation, merger, consolidation
or reorganization of the Company or either Guarantor or any continuation of the
Company or either Guarantor from the statute under which it now or hereafter
exists to another statute whether under the laws of the same jurisdiction or
another jurisdiction;
-5-
(b)any change in the name, business,
objects, capital structure, ownership, constating documents, by-laws,
partnership agreements or resolutions of the Company or either Guarantor, as the
case may be, including without limitation any transaction (whether by way of
transfer, sale or otherwise) whereby all or any part of the undertaking,
property and assets of the Company or either Guarantor becomes the property of
any other Person;
(c)any lack of validity, enforceability or
value of any Note Document or any other agreement or instrument relating thereto
or to any Security Interest therefor;
(d)any change in the time, manner or place
of payment of, or in any other term of any Note Document or any amendment or
waiver thereof, or any consent to departure from any Note Document;
(e)any taking, exchange, release or
non-perfection of any Security Interest, or any release or amendment or waiver
of or consent to departure from any other guarantee for any Note
Document;
(f)any manner of application of any
Security Interest or proceeds of realization thereof, or any manner of sale or
other disposition of any collateral or any other assets of the Company or either
Guarantor;
(g)the bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation
or dissolution of the Company or either Guarantor, or any other Person, and the
occurrence of any other proceeding as a result of such bankruptcy or
insolvency;
(h)any amendment or modification of or
supplement to or other change in any Note Document;
(i)any failure, omission or delay on the
part of any Person to conform or comply with any term of any Note
Document;
(j)to the extent as may be waived under
applicable law, the benefit of all principles or provisions of law, statutory or
otherwise, which may be in conflict with the terms hereof, or
(k)any other circumstance which might
otherwise constitute in whole or in part a defense available to, or a discharge
of, either Guarantor, the Company or any other Person in respect of the
Guaranteed Obligations or the liability of such Guarantor.
Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Guarantor agrees that repeated
and successive demands may be made and recoveries may be had hereunder as and
when, from time to time, the Company shall default under or fail to comply with
the terms of any Note Document and that notwithstanding the recovery hereunder
for or in respect of any given default or failure to so comply by the Company
under such Note Document, this Guarantee shall remain in force and effect and
shall apply to each and every subsequent default. If (i) an event
permitting the exercise of remedies under any Note Document, as the case may be,
shall at any time have occurred and be continuing and (ii) such exercise, or any
consequences thereof provided in any Note Document, as the case may be, shall at
any time be prevented by reason of the pendency against the Company of a
Proceeding, each Guarantor agrees that, solely for purposes of this Guarantee
and its obligations hereunder, such Note Document shall be deemed to have been
declared in default and all amounts thereunder shall be deemed to be due and
payable, with all the attendant consequences as provided in such agreement as if
declaration of default and the consequence thereof had been accomplished in
accordance with the terms thereof, and each Guarantor shall forthwith pay and
perform the Guaranteed Obligations.
-6-
Section 4.3.Dealings by the
Noteholders. The Noteholders may from time to time in their
absolute discretion, without discharging, diminishing or in any way affecting
the liability of the Guarantors hereunder;
(a)permit any increase or decrease,
however significant, of the Guaranteed Obligations or supplement, amend, restate
or substitute, in whole or in part, however significant, the Guaranteed
Obligations, any Note Document or any other agreement relating to any of the
foregoing or, in whole or in part, demand payment of all or any Guaranteed
Obligations and/or the Indemnified Amounts;
(b)enforce or take action under or abstain
from enforcing or taking action under any Note Document or any other guarantee
of the Guaranteed Obligations;
(c)receive, give up, subordinate, release
or discharge any Security Interest; supplement, amend, restate, substitute,
renew, abstain from renewing, perfect or abstain from perfecting or maintaining
the perfection of any Security Interest; enforce, take action under or realize
in any manner or abstain from enforcing, taking action under or realizing any
Security Interest; deal with or abstain from dealing with all or any part of the
undertaking, property and assets subject to any Security Interest; or allow or
abstain from allowing the Company or other Persons to deal with all or any part
of such undertaking, property and assets;
(d)renew all or any part of the Guaranteed
Obligations or grant extensions of time or any other indulgences to the Company
or to any other guarantor or other Person liable directly or indirectly for all
or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations or Indemnified Amounts;
(e)accept or make any compositions or
arrangements with or release, discharge or otherwise deal with or
abstain from dealing with the Company or any other guarantor or other Person
liable directly or indirectly for all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations
or Indemnified Amounts;
(f)in whole or in part prove or abstain
from proving any claim of the Noteholders in any Proceedings of or affecting the
Company or any other Person; and
-7-
(g)agree with the Company, any other
guarantor or any other Person to do anything described in paragraphs (a) to (f)
above;
whether
or not any of the matters described in paragraphs (a) to (g) above occur alone
or in connection with one or more other such matters.
No
loss of or in respect of any Security Interest for the Guaranteed Obligations,
the Indemnified Amounts or any part thereof, whether occasioned through the
fault of the Noteholders or otherwise, shall discharge, diminish or in any way
affect the liability of the Guarantors hereunder. None of the
Noteholders nor any of their directors, officers, employees or agents or any
receiver or receiver-manager appointed by any of them or by a court shall have
any liability, whether in tort, contract or otherwise, for any neglect or any
act taken or omitted to be taken by them in connection with the
Guaranteed Obligations or any part thereof or any Security Interest for the
Guaranteed Obligations or any part thereof including without limitation any of
the matters described above in this Section 4.3.
Section 4.4.Waiver of
Notice. To the extent permitted by applicable law, each
Guarantor expressly waives any right to receive notice of the existence or
creation of all or any of the Guaranteed Obligations or the Indemnified Amounts
and presentment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest, notice of any of the
events or circumstances described in Sections 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3 and all other
notices whatsoever in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations or the Indemnified
Amounts. Each Guarantor hereby acknowledges receipt of copies of the
Note Documents and all guarantees and other documents referred to in the Note
Purchase Agreements and of all the provisions therein contained and consents to
and approves the same.
ARTICLE 5
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 5.1.Expenses. The
Guarantors shall pay on demand all reasonable out of pocket costs and expenses
of the Noteholders (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of
counsel for the Noteholders) incurred in connection with any enforcement of this
Guarantee.
Section 5.2.No Set-off by
Guarantors. All amounts payable by either Guarantor under this
Guarantee shall be paid without set-off or counterclaim and without any
deduction or withholding whatsoever.
Section 5.3.No Waiver. No
delay on the part of the Noteholders in the exercise of any right, power or
remedy hereunder or otherwise shall operate as a waiver thereof, and no single
or partial exercise by the Noteholders of any right, power or remedy shall
preclude other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right,
power or remedy. No action of the Noteholders permitted hereunder
shall in any way impair or affect its rights, powers or remedies under this
Guarantee.
Section 5.4.Additional
Security. This Guarantee shall be in addition to, and shall
not be in any way prejudiced by nor shall this Guarantee prejudice:
-8-
(a)any Security Interest or guarantee now
or hereafter held by the Noteholders, and
(b)the endorsement by either Guarantor of
any notes or other documents,
and
rights of the Noteholders under this Guarantee shall not be merged in any such
other Security Interest, guarantee or endorsement.
Section 5.5.Assignment. Each
Guarantor shall not assign any of its obligations with respect to this Guarantee
without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.
Section 5.6.Communication. Any
demand, notice or other communication required or permitted to be given
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by hand-delivery and shall be
deemed to have been received at the time it is delivered to the individual
designated below as the person to whose attention demands, notices and other
communications are to be given or to the addressee at the applicable address
noted below to the attention of the individual designated
below. Notice of change of address shall also be governed by this
Section. Demands, notices and other communications shall be addressed
as follows:
(a)
|
Each
Noteholder:
|
(b)
|
Guarantors:
|
To
the address set forth
|
Enerplus
Resources Corporation
|
||
on
Schedule A to the Note
|
-or-
|
||
Purchase
Agreements
|
Enerplus
Oil & Gas, Ltd.
|
||
The
Dome Tower
|
|||
0000,
000-0xx
Xxx. XX
|
|||
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx X0X 0X0
|
|||
Attention: Vice
President, Finance
Fax: (000) 000-0000 |
Section 5.7.Successors and
Assigns. This Guarantee shall be binding upon each Guarantor
and its partners and their respective successors and permitted assigns and shall
enure to the benefit of the Noteholders and their respective successors and
assigns.
Section 5.8.Currency of Payments,
Indemnification. Any payment made by either Guarantor to any
holder of the Notes or for the account of any such holder in respect of any
amount payable by such Guarantor shall be made in
U.S. Dollars. Any amount received or recovered by such holder
other than in U.S. Dollars (whether as a result of, or of the enforcement
of, a judgment or order of any court, or in the liquidation or dissolution of
such Guarantor or otherwise) in respect of any such sum expressed to be due
hereunder or under the Notes shall constitute a discharge of such Guarantor only
to the extent of the amount of U.S. Dollars which such holder is able, in
accordance with normal banking procedures, to purchase with the amount so
received or recovered in that other currency on the date of the receipt or
recovery (or, if it is not practicable to make that purchase on such date, on
the first date on which it is practicable to do so). If the amount of
U.S. Dollars so purchased is less than the amount of U.S. Dollars expressed
to be due hereunder or under the Notes, such Guarantor shall indemnify such
holder against any loss sustained by such holder as a result, and in any event,
such Guarantor shall indemnify such holder against the cost of making any such
purchase. These indemnities shall constitute a separate and
independent obligation from the other obligations herein and in the Notes, shall
give rise to a separate and independent cause of action, shall apply
irrespective of any indulgence granted by any such holder, shall continue in
full force and effect despite any judgment, order, claim or proof for a
liquidated amount in respect of any such sum due hereunder and under any Note or
any judgment or order and shall survive the payment of the Notes and the
termination of this Guarantee.
-9-
Section 5.9.Copy
Received. Each Guarantor acknowledges receipt of a copy of
this Guarantee.
Section 5.10.Time of the
Essence. Time shall be of the essence.
Section 5.11.Payment Free and Clear of
Taxes. Each payment by either Guarantor shall be made, under
all circumstances, without setoff, counterclaim or reduction for, and free from
and clear of, and without deduction for or because of, any and all present or
future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, fees, charges, deductions, withholding,
restrictions or conditions of any nature whatsoever (hereinafter called “Relevant Taxes”) imposed,
levied, collected, assessed, deducted or withheld by the Government of Canada or
any Provincial or other political subdivision of Canada or by the government of
any other country or jurisdiction or any authority therein or thereof (other
than the United States of America) from or through which payments hereunder or
on or in respect of the Notes are actually made (each a “Taxing Jurisdiction”),
unless such imposition, levy, collection, assessment, deduction, withholding or
other restriction or condition is required by law. If such Guarantor
is required by law to make any payment under this Guarantee subject to such
deduction, withholding or other restriction or condition, then such Guarantor
shall forthwith (a) pay over to the government or taxing authority imposing
such tax the full amount required to be deducted, withheld from or otherwise
paid by such Guarantor (including the full amount required to be deducted or
withheld from or otherwise paid by such Guarantor in respect of the Tax
Indemnity Amounts (as defined below)), and (b) pay each holder of the Notes
such additional amounts (“Tax
Indemnity Amounts”) as may be necessary in order that the net amount of
every payment made to each holder of Notes, after provision for payment of such
Relevant Taxes (including any required deduction, withholding or other payment
of tax on or with respect to such Tax Indemnity Amounts), shall be equal to the
amount which such holder would have received had there been no imposition, levy,
collection, assessment, deduction, withholding or other restriction or
condition. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5.11,
no such Tax Indemnity Amounts shall be payable (i) to any holder of the
Notes which is liable for any tax, assessment or other governmental charge by
reason of it being or having been effectively connected to Canada for any reason
or in any capacity other than solely as a holder of a Note, (ii) for or on
account of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed or
withheld by reason of the failure of the holder to complete, execute and deliver
to such Guarantor any form or document to the extent applicable to such holder
that may be required by law or by reason of administration of such law and which
is reasonably requested in writing to be delivered by such Guarantor in order to
enable such Guarantor to make payments pursuant to
-10-
this
Section 5.11 without deduction or withholding for taxes, assessments or
governmental charges, or with deduction or withholding of such lesser amount,
which form or document shall be delivered within one hundred twenty (120) days
of a written request therefor by such Guarantor, or (iii) in the case where such
holder is not a resident (within the meaning of the United States-Canada Income
Tax Convention) of the United States of America, such Guarantor shall not
be obligated to pay any such Tax Indemnity Amount to such holder in excess of
the amount which such Guarantor would have been obligated to pay hereunder if
such holder were resident in the United States of America for the purposes of
such treaty. If in connection with the payment of any such Tax
Indemnity Amounts, any holder of the Notes that is a United States person within
the meaning of the Code or a foreign person engaged in a trade or business
within the United States of America, incurs taxes imposed by the United States
of America or any political subdivision or taxing authority therein (“United States Taxes”) on
such Tax Indemnity Amounts, such Guarantor shall pay to such holder of the Notes
such further amount as will insure that the net amount actually received by that
holder of the Notes (taking into account any withholding or deduction in respect
of any such further amount) is equal to the amount which such holder of the
Notes would have received after all United States Taxes on such Tax Indemnity
Amounts and on any further amount had such withholding or deduction not been
made.
[Signature
Pages Provided Separately]
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Guarantee to be duly
executed by an authorized representative as of this ___ day of October,
2003.
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ENERPLUS
RESOURCES CORPORATION
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By
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Name:
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Title:
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By
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Name:
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Title:
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ENERPLUS
OIL & GAS LTD.
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By
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Name:
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Title:
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By
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Name:
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Title:
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Accepted
and Agreed:
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ENERMARK
INC.
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By
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Name:
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Title:
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By
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Name:
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Title:
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-13-
FORM
OF SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT
(See
Tab 3 and Tab 4)
EXHIBIT
2.3
(to
Note Purchase Agreement)
ENERPLUS
RESOURCES CORPORATION
SUBORDINATION
AGREEMENT
This
Subordination Agreement is entered into as of the _____ day of October,
2003,
AMONG:
EACH OF THE PERSONS LISTED IN THE
ATTACHED SCHEDULE A, as Note Purchasers (collectively, the “Note
Purchasers”)
-
and -
ENERPLUS RESOURCES
CORPORATION, a
body corporate amalgamated under the laws of Alberta (the “Subordinator”)
-
and -
ENERPLUS OIL & GAS
LTD., a body
corporate incorporated under the laws of Alberta (the “Enerplus
O&G”)
-
and -
ENERMARK INC., a body
corporate amalgamated under the laws of Alberta (the “Company”).
WHEREAS:
A.The Note Purchasers have agreed to
purchase the Notes from the Company pursuant to the Note Purchase
Agreements.
B.The Subordinator has guaranteed the
payment and performance of the obligations of the Company to the Note Purchasers
under, in respect of or in connection with the Note Purchase Agreements and the
Notes.
C.As a condition precedent to the Note
Purchasers purchasing the Notes, the Note Purchasers require the Subordinator to
expressly subordinate the Subordinator Obligations to the Noteholder
Obligations.
D.The Note Purchasers, the
Subordinator, Enerplus O&G and the Company wish to set forth their
agreements with respect to the subordination of the Subordinator Obligations to
the Noteholder Obligations and certain other matters arising from the Note
Documents and the Subordinator Documents.
NOW
THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements herein contained,
and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which
are hereby acknowledged, the Noteholders, the Subordinator and the Company
hereby agree as follows:
- 1
-
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1.Capitalized terms used in this
Agreement but not otherwise defined, shall have the same meanings herein, as are
ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements. In addition, the
following expressions used in this Agreement shall have the following
meanings:
“Affiliates” shall have the
meaning ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreements.
“Agreement” means this
Subordination Agreement, as the same may be amended, modified, varied, restated
or replaced from time to time.
“Bank Facility” means that
certain Credit Agreement dated as of March 20, 2002 among the Company, the Fund,
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as administrative agent and the Lenders, as
from time to time supplemented, amended, restated, renewed or
replaced.
“Note Documents” means the Note Purchase
Agreements, the Notes and each other agreement, instrument or other document
executed in connection therewith.
“Noteholders” means the Note
Purchasers and any subsequent purchaser or holder of any of the Notes and their
respective successors and assigns.
“Noteholder Obligations” means all present and
future indebtedness, premium, if any, interest, liabilities and obligations of
the Company, Enerplus O&G and the Subordinator (and each of them) to the
Noteholders, direct or indirect, joint or several, matured or unmatured,
absolute or contingent, under or in respect of the Note Documents.
“Note Purchase
Agreements” means the separate and
several Note Purchase Agreements dated October __, 2003 between the
Company, the Fund, the Subordinator, Enerplus O&G and each Purchaser, as the
same may be amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to
time.
“Notes” means the
U.S.$54,000,000 5.46% Senior Notes due October __, 2015 of the Company, to
be issued and sold pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreements.
“Property” means, in respect
of any Person, its property, assets and undertaking for the time being, both
real and personal, tangible and intangible.
“Subordinator Documents”
means present and future promissory notes, unit notes, note indentures, royalty
unit certificates, royalty certificates, royalty indentures, commitment letters,
note purchase agreements (including the Note Purchase Agreements), guarantees,
certificates, instruments, notes, securities and all other agreements and other
documents creating, evidencing, securing or otherwise relating to the
Subordinator Obligations.
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“Subordinator Obligations”
means the present and future indebtedness, liabilities and obligations of the
Company and of Enerplus O&G (or either of them) to the Subordinator, direct
or indirect, absolute or contingent, joint or several, matured or
unmatured.
“Subordinator Proceeds” means
all present and future payments and Property received by the Subordinator from
the Company and Enerplus O&G (or either of them) in satisfaction of the
Subordinator Obligations, including without limitation, all deposits and
investments made with such payments and Property, including all other proceeds
thereof of whatsoever nature or kind.
ARTICLE 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
OF NOTEHOLDERS’ PRIORITY
Section 2.1.The Subordinator agrees that payment
of the Subordinator Obligations shall be fully subordinated and junior in right
of payment and postponed as contemplated in this Agreement to and in favour of
the payment of the Noteholder Obligations in all circumstances. The
Noteholders shall have priority over the Subordinator in respect of all of the
Property of every nature and kind now existing or hereafter acquired of the
Company and Enerplus O&G, to discharge and satisfy the Noteholder
Obligations, all in priority to any claim of the Subordinator.
Section 2.2.The subordination of the
Subordinator Obligations to the Noteholder Obligations set out in this Agreement
and the other provisions of this Agreement shall apply in all events and
circumstances. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
rights and priority of the Noteholders and the subordination of the Subordinator
Obligations shall not be affected by:
(a)the time, sequence or order of
creating, granting, executing, delivering of, filing or registering or failing
to file or register any notice or instrument in respect of the Note Documents or
the Subordinator Documents;
(b)the date or the order of the creation
of the Noteholder Obligations or the Subordinator Obligations;
(c)the time or order of any advance,
giving of notice or the making of any demand under the Note Documents, the
Noteholder Obligations, the Subordinator Documents or the Subordinator
Obligations;
(d)the taking of any collection,
enforcement or realization proceedings by the Noteholders or the
Subordinator;
(e)any voluntary or involuntary
winding-up, dissolution, insolvency, receivership, bankruptcy, liquidation,
reorganization, arrangement, composition or any other process or proceeding
having similar effect, involving or affecting the Company or its Property,
Enerplus O&G or its Property, any judgement or order against the Company or
Enerplus O&G or the date of any of the foregoing;
- 3
-
(f)the
giving or failure to give any notice, or the order of giving notice, to the
Company and/or Enerplus O&G;
(g)the failure to exercise any power or
remedy reserved to the Noteholders under the Note Documents or to insist upon
strict compliance with any of the terms thereof;
(h)the failure by the Company and/or
Enerplus O&G to comply with any restrictions on borrowing or guaranteeing
the obligations of others set forth in any Subordinator Document, or any other
agreement or document, regardless of any knowledge thereof which the Noteholders
may have or be deemed to have or with which the Noteholders may be charged;
and
(i)any other reason including, without
limitation, any priority granted to the Subordinator, the Subordinator Documents
or the Subordinator Obligations by any applicable principle of law or
equity.
Section 2.3.(a) Each of the
Subordinator, Enerplus O&G and the Company agrees that if any Noteholder has
provided the Subordinator, Enerplus O&G or the Company with notice of the
occurrence and continuance of a Default or Event of Default, the Company and
Enerplus O&G (or either of them) will not make to the Subordinator, and the
Subordinator will not be entitled to receive, any further payments or
distributions of any character in respect of any of the Subordinator Obligations
until the earlier of: (i) the date on which such Default or Event of
Default has been fully remedied, or (ii) the date on which all of the
Noteholder Obligations have been fully and finally paid, satisfied, performed
and discharged.
(b)
Upon the maturity of the Note Obligations by lapse of time, acceleration or
otherwise, all principal of, premium (if any) and interest on, and all other
amounts due in respect of the Note Obligations shall first be paid in full, or
shall first have been duly provided for, before any payments are made by the
Company and Enerplus O&G (or either of them) in respect of the Subordinator
Obligations.
Section 2.4.Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing and in addition to any other rights and remedies available to the
Noteholders under this Agreement, any Noteholder may give a written notice (a
“Default Notice”) to
the Subordinator that a Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing and notwithstanding the provisions of any of the Subordinator
Documents, the Subordinator shall hold in trust for the equal and ratable
benefit of the holders of Senior Debt of the Company and Enerplus O&G (or
either of them) in respect of which the Subordinator has provided a guaranty and
immediately pay over to the holders of such Senior Debt of the Company all
Subordinator Proceeds which it then holds or it receives or holds at any time
thereafter until the earlier of: (i) the date on which such Default or
Event of Default has been fully remedied or waived in writing by the Required
Holders, or (ii) the date on which all of the Noteholder Obligations have
been fully and finally paid, satisfied, performed and discharged.
Section 2.5.In the event of any voluntary or
involuntary winding-up, dissolution, insolvency, receivership, bankruptcy,
liquidation, reorganization, arrangement, composition, or any other process or
proceeding having similar effect involving or affecting the Company or its
Property and/or Enerplus O&G or any marshalling of the assets and
liabilities of the Company and/or of Enerplus O&G:
- 4
-
(a)the Noteholders will be entitled to
receive payment in full of the Noteholder Obligations before the Subordinator
will be entitled to receive any payment upon the Subordinator Obligations or any
distribution of any kind or character, whether in cash, securities or other
Property, that may be payable or deliverable in any such event in respect of the
Subordinator Obligations;
(b)any payment or distribution of any
Property of the Company and/or Enerplus O&G of any kind or character,
whether in cash, securities or other Property, to which the Subordinator would
be entitled, except for the provisions of this Section 2.5, shall be paid
by the Person making such payment or distribution, whether a trustee in
bankruptcy, a receiver, receiver and manager or liquidator, trustee or
otherwise, directly to the Noteholders, to the extent necessary to pay in full
all Noteholder Obligations remaining unpaid after giving effect to any
concurrent payment or distribution to the Noteholders; and
(c)if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any
payment or distribution of property of the Company and/or Enerplus O&G of
any kind or character, whether in cash, securities or other property, is
received by the Subordinator before all Noteholder Obligations are paid in full,
such payment or distribution shall be held in trust by the Subordinator for the
benefit of and shall be paid over to the Noteholders, for application to the
payment of all Noteholder Obligations remaining unpaid until all Noteholder
Obligations have been paid in full after giving effect to any concurrent payment
or distribution to the Noteholders.
ARTICLE 3
RIGHTS
TO DEAL WITH COMPANY AND ENERPLUS O&G
Section 3.1.The Noteholders shall be entitled to
deal with the Company, the Note Documents and the Noteholder Obligations as the
Noteholders may see fit without in any manner affecting the subordination of the
Subordinator Obligations to the Noteholder Obligations, and in particular,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Noteholders may from time
to time:
(a)grant time, renewals, extensions,
releases, discharges or other indulgences or forbearances to the Company and/or
Enerplus O&G;
(b)waive timely and strict compliance with
or refrain from exercising any rights under the Note Documents or the Noteholder
Obligations; and
(c)take and give up security interests in
the Property of the Company and/or Enerplus O&G and release, amend, extend,
supplement, restate, substitute or replace any of the Note Documents or the
Noteholder Obligations in whole or in part.
- 5
-
Section 3.2.The Company and Enerplus O&G
hereby acknowledge and agree to the subordination and postponement of the
Subordinator Obligations to and in favor of the Noteholder Obligations hereunder
and to the terms and provisions hereof.
ARTICLE 4
NOTICE
BY THE SUBORDINATOR
Section 4.1.The Subordinator shall not enforce
any right or remedy against the Company by reason of a default by the Company
and/or Enerplus O&G under the Subordinator Documents unless the Subordinator
provides 180 days’ prior written notice to the Noteholders of any such default
and the intention of the Subordinator to exercise its rights and remedies in
respect of such default, together with reasonable particulars
thereof.
Section 4.2.None of the Subordinator or the
Company or Enerplus O&G shall at any time challenge, dispute or contest the
validity or enforceability of the subordination and postponement provided for
herein or take any action that could diminish, impair or prejudice the
subordination and postponement contemplated hereby.
Section 4.3.None of the Noteholders shall be
prejudiced in their rights and remedies hereunder by any act or failure to act
of the Subordinator or the Company or Enerplus O&G, or any failure by the
Subordinator or the Company or Enerplus O&G to comply with any agreement or
obligation, regardless of any knowledge thereof which the Noteholders may have
or be deemed to have or with which the Noteholders may be charged.
Section 4.4.The Subordinator will not sell,
transfer, assign, negotiate, mortgage, charge, grant a security interest in or
otherwise encumber or dispose of in any manner whatsoever its interest in the
Subordinator Documents or the Subordinator Obligations, or any part thereof to
any Person, unless such Person shall have first become bound by the obligations
of the Subordinator under this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5
REPRESENTATIONS
OF THE SUBORDINATOR
The
Subordinator represents and warrants to the Noteholders that:
Section 5.1.The Subordinator is an Alberta
corporation, duly amalgamated, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is in good standing in each
jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those
jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing
could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. The Subordinator has the legal power and
authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold
under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to
execute and deliver this Agreement and the Subsidiary Guaranty and to perform
the provisions hereof and thereof. The Subordinator is subject to the
relevant commercial law and civil law and is generally subject to suit and it
does not, nor do any of its properties or revenues, enjoy any right of immunity
from any judicial proceedings, including attachment prior to judgment,
attachment in aid of execution, execution of the judgment or
otherwise. The Subordinator represents that the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the Subsidiary Guaranty constitute private and
commercial acts rather than governmental or public acts of the
Subordinator.
- 6
-
Section 5.2.This Agreement and the Subsidiary
Guaranty have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the
Subordinator, and this Agreement and the Subsidiary Guaranty constitute the
legal, valid and binding obligations of the Subordinator enforceable against the
Subordinator in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may
be limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such
enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
Section 5.3.The execution, delivery and
performance by the Subordinator of this Agreement and the Subsidiary Guaranty
will not (i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default
under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the
Subordinator under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or
credit agreement, lease, declaration of trust, charter or by-laws or the legal
equivalent of the foregoing, or any other agreement or instrument to which the
Subordinator is bound or by which the Subordinator or any of its properties may
be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any of
the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of
any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Subordinator
or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation
of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Subordinator.
Section 5.4.No consent, approval or
authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental
Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance
by the Subordinator of this Agreement and the Subsidiary Guaranty.
Section 5.5.(a) There are no actions, suits
or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Subordinator, threatened
against or affecting the Subordinator or any property of the Subordinator in any
court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental
Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)The Subordinator is not in default
under any term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which
it is bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator
or Governmental Authority or is in violation of any applicable law, ordinance,
rule or regulation (including without limitation Environmental Laws) of any
Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the
aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 5.6.The Subordinator has filed all tax
returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and has paid
all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and
assessments levied upon it or any of its property, assets, income or franchises,
to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before
they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments (a) the
amount of which is not individually or in the aggregate Material or (b) the
amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being contested in good
faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Subordinator has
established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP. The
Subordinator knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment against the
Subordinator that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the
Subordinator in respect of Canadian, federal or provincial or United States
federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate.
- 7
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Section 5.7.(a) The Subordinator has good
and sufficient title to its properties that individually or in the aggregate are
Material, free and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement and the
Subsidiary Guaranty. All leases that individually or in the aggregate
are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all
material respects.
(b)All of the outstanding shares of
capital stock or similar equity interests of the Company have been validly
issued, are fully paid and nonassessible and are owned by the Company free and
clear of any Lien.
Section 5.8.The Subordinator owns or possesses
all licenses and permits that individually or in the aggregate are Material,
without known conflict with the rights of others.
Section 5.9.Neither the Subordinator nor anyone
acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar securities for sale
to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached
or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other than the Note Purchasers
and not more than 20 other Institutional Investors, each of which has been
offered the Notes at a private sale for investment. Neither the
Subordinator nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action
that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration
requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act.
ARTICLE 6
COVENANTS
OF THE SUBORDINATOR
The
Subordinator covenants to the Noteholders that so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding:
Section 6.1.The Subordinator will comply with
all laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which it is subject
and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits,
franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of
its properties or to the conduct of its businesses, in each case to the extent
necessary to ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or
governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect
such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental
authorizations could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
- 8
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Section 6.2. The
Subordinator will file all tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction
and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns
and all other taxes, assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on
them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent
such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have
become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that
have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Subordinator;
provided that the Subordinator need not pay any such tax or assessment or claims
if (a) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the
Subordinator on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and
the Subordinator has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with
GAAP on the books of the Subordinator or (b) the nonpayment of all such
taxes and assessments in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have
a Material Adverse Effect.
ARTICLE 7
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 7.1.Any notice required or permitted to
be made under this Agreement may be served personally at or sent by facsimile
transmission or ordinary mail to the applicable addresses and telecopy numbers
set out below. Any notice given shall be deemed to have been received
on actual receipt.
(a) If
to the Noteholders:
At
the address specified for communications
in
Schedule A attached hereto
(b) If
to the Subordinator:
Enerplus Resources
Corporation
The Dome Tower
0000, 000-0xx Xxx. XX
Xxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
Attention: Chief Financial
Officer
Fax No.: (000) 000-0000
(c) If
to the Company:
EnerMark Inc.
The Dome Tower
0000, 000-0xx Xxx. XX
Xxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
Attention: Chief Financial
Officer
Fax No.: (000)
000-0000
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(d) If
to Enerplus O&G:
Enerplus Oil & Gas
Ltd.
The Dome Tower
0000, 000-0xx Xxx. XX
Xxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
Attention: Chief Financial
Officer
Fax No.: (000) 000-0000
Section 7.2.Each of the Subordinator, the
Company and Enerplus O&G shall, at the reasonable request of the
Noteholders, and at the expense of the Company, execute such additional
documents and instruments, and do such further acts or things as may be
reasonably necessary to give full force and effect to the intent of this
Agreement.
Section 7.3.This Agreement shall enure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the Noteholders, the Subordinator, the Company
and Enerplus O&G and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement
may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof may be waived (either
retroactively or prospectively) with the written consent of the Subordinator and
each holder of the Notes. However, no consent or agreement of the
Company and/or Enerplus O&G shall be necessary to any amendment to the terms
hereof by the Subordinator and the Noteholders.
Section 7.4.The Company and Enerplus O&G
hereby acknowledge and agree that this Agreement has been entered into for the
sole benefit of the Noteholders and the Subordinator.
Section 7.5.This Agreement shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta and the
parties hereto irrevocably attorn to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the
courts of the Province of Alberta.
Section 7.6.This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and
all of which shall be construed together as one Agreement.
[SIGNATURE
PAGES FOLLOW]
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10 -
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date
first above written.
ENERMARK
INC.
|
ENERPLUS
RESOURCES CORPORATION
|
By:
|
By:
|
|||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice-President and Chief
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice-President and Chief
|
|
Financial
Officer
|
Financial
Officer
|
By:
|
By:
|
|||
Name:
|
Xxxxx X.
Xxxx
|
Name:
|
Xxxxx X.
Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Vice
President, Finance
|
Title:
|
Vice
President, Finance
|
ENERPLUS
OIL & GAS LTD.
|
By:
|
||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Vice-President and Chief
|
|
Financial
Officer
|
By:
|
||
Name:
|
Xxxxx X.
Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Vice
President, Finance
|
-
11 -
As
a Note Purchaser:
[Signatures of Noteholders
Redacted]
|
-
12 -
EnerMark Inc. |
First
Amendment
|
FIRST
AMENDMENT TO NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This
First Amendment, dated effective as of June 15, 2006, to the Note Purchase
Agreement dated as of October 1, 2003 is among EnerMark Inc., a body corporate
constituted under the laws of Alberta (the "Company") and Enerplus
Resources Fund, a trust formed in accordance with the laws of Alberta (the
"Fund") and Enerplus
Resources Corporation, a body corporate amalgamated under the laws of Alberta
and Enerplus Oil & Gas Ltd., a body corporate constituted under the laws of
Alberta (collectively, the "Subsidiary Guarantors") and
each of the institutions which is a signatory to this First Amendment
(collectively, the "Noteholders").
RECITALS:
A.
|
The
Company and each of the Noteholders have heretofore entered into separate
and several Note Purchase Agreements each dated as of October 1, 2003
(collectively, the "Note
Purchase Agreements"). The Company has heretofore issued
the U.S. $54,000,000 5.46% Senior Notes due October 1, 2015 (the "Notes") dated October 1,
2003 pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreements. The Noteholders
are the holders of 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the
Notes.
|
B.
|
The
Company and the Noteholders now desire to amend the Note Purchase
Agreements in the respects, but only in the respects, hereinafter set
forth.
|
C.
|
Pursuant
to Section 17.1 of the Note Purchase Agreement, the amendments set out
herein require the approval of the Required
Holders.
|
D.
|
Capitalized
terms used herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in
the Note Purchase Agreements unless herein defined or the context shall
otherwise require.
|
E.
|
All
requirements of law have been fully complied with and all other acts and
things necessary to make this First Amendment a valid, legal and binding
instrument according to its terms for the purposes herein expressed have
been done or performed.
|
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company
and the Noteholders, in consideration of good and valuable consideration the
receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, do hereby agree as
follows:
SECTION
1
|
AMENDMENTS
|
1.1
|
Schedule
B of the Note Purchase Agreements shall be and is hereby amended by
amending the definition of "Consolidated EBITDA" in
its entirety to read as follows:
|
"Consolidated EBITDA" for any
period means, without duplication, the sum of (a) Consolidated Net Income
during such period plus (to the extent deducted in determining Consolidated Net
Income), (b) all provisions for federal, provincial or other income and
capital taxes made by the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such
period, (c) all provisions for depletion, depreciation, accretion and
amortization made by the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such
period, (d) Consolidated Interest Expense during such period, and
(e) all other non-cash losses of the Fund and its consolidated Subsidiaries
during such period, and minus (f) all other non-cash gains of the Fund and its
consolidated Subsidiaries during such period.
-
2 -
EnerMark Inc. |
First
Amendment
|
SECTION
2
|
MISCELLANEOUS
|
2.1
|
This
First Amendment shall be construed in connection with and as part of each
of the Note Purchase Agreements, and except as modified and expressly
amended by this First Amendment, all terms, conditions and covenants
contained in the Note Purchase Agreements, the Notes and the Subsidiary
Guaranty are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and
effect.
|
2.2
|
Any
and all notices, requests, certificates and other instruments executed and
delivered after the execution and delivery of this First Amendment may
refer to the Note Purchase Agreements without making specific reference to
this First Amendment but nevertheless all such references shall include
this First Amendment unless the context otherwise
requires.
|
2.3
|
The
descriptive headings of the various Sections or parts of this First
Amendment are for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or
construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
|
2.4
|
This
First Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the Province of Alberta.
|
-
3 -
EnerMark Inc. |
First
Amendment
|
2.5
|
The
execution hereof by you shall constitute a contract between us for the
uses and purposes hereinabove set forth, and this First Amendment may be
executed in any number of counterparts, each executed counterpart
constituting an original, but all together only one
agreement.
|
ENERMARK
INC.
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Senior
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
|
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
Vice
President, Finance
|
Acknowledged:
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Senior
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
|
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
Vice
President, Finance
|
ENERPLUS
RESOURCES CORPORATION
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Senior
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
|
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
Vice
President, Finance
|
ENERPLUS
OIL & GAS LTD.
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Senior
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
|
By:
|
"Xxxxxx X. Xxxx"
|
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
Vice
President, Finance
|
-
4-
EnerMark Inc. |
First
Amendment
|
Acknowledged
and Agreed to effective as of the date first written above:
[Signatures
of Noteholders Redacted]