CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of SEPTEMBER 2, 2005 among CROSSPOINT ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC as Borrower, D. B. ZWIRN SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P., as Administrative Agent, and THE LENDERS PARTY HERETO Sole Lead Arranger PETROBRIDGE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC
CREDIT
AGREEMENT
Dated
as of
SEPTEMBER
2,
2005
among
CROSSPOINT
ENERGY
HOLDINGS,
LLC
as
Borrower,
X.
X.
XXXXX
SPECIAL
OPPORTUNITIES
FUND,
L.P.,
as
Administrative Agent,
and
THE
LENDERS
PARTY
HERETO
Sole
Lead Arranger
PETROBRIDGE
INVESTMENT
MANAGEMENT
LLC
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
|
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ARTICLE
I DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING MATTERS
|
1
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Section
1.01
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Terms
Defined Above
|
1
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Section
1.02
|
Certain
Defined Terms
|
1
|
Section
1.03
|
Terms
Generally; Rules of Construction
|
17
|
Section
1.04
|
Accounting
Terms and Determinations; GAAP
|
17
|
ARTICLE
II COMMITMENT
|
17
|
|
Section
2.01
|
Loan;
Funding of Development Projects, Loans
|
17
|
Section
2.02
|
Borrowings
|
18
|
Section
2.03
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
19
|
Section
2.04
|
Fees
|
20
|
Section
2.05
|
Notes
|
20
|
ARTICLE
III PAYMENTS OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST
|
21
|
|
Section
3.01
|
Repayment
of Loans
|
21
|
Section
3.02
|
Interest
|
22
|
Section
3.03
|
Prepayments
|
22
|
Section
3.04
|
Mandatory
Repayments
|
22
|
ARTICLE
IV PAYMENTS; PRO RATA TREATMENT; SHARING OF
SET-OFFS.
|
23
|
|
Section
4.01
|
Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs
|
23
|
Section
4.02
|
Presumption
of Payment by the Borrower
|
24
|
Section
4.03
|
Certain
Deductions by the Administrative Agent
|
24
|
ARTICLE
V INCREASED COSTS; TAXES
|
24
|
|
Section
5.01
|
Increased
Costs
|
24
|
Section
5.02
|
Taxes
|
25
|
ARTICLE
VI LOCKBOX PROCEDURES; CASUALTY PROCEEDS
|
26
|
|
Section
6.01
|
Lockbox
Account
|
26
|
Section
6.02
|
Notice
|
27
|
Section
6.03
|
Casualty
Proceeds
|
28
|
ARTICLE
VII CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
|
28
|
|
Section
7.01
|
Initial
Funding
|
28
|
Section
7.02
|
Subsequent
Fundings
|
30
|
Section
7.03
|
All
Fundings
|
30
|
Section
7.04
|
Conditions
Precedent for the Benefit of the Lender
|
30
|
Section
7.05
|
No
Waiver
|
30
|
ARTICLE
VIII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
|
31
|
|
Section
8.01
|
Organization;
Powers
|
31
|
Section
8.02
|
Authority;
Enforceability
|
31
|
Section
8.03
|
Approvals;
No Conflicts
|
31
|
Section
8.04
|
Financial
Condition; No Material Adverse Change
|
31
|
Section
8.05
|
Litigation
|
32
|
Section
8.06
|
Environmental
Matters
|
32
|
i
Section
8.07
|
Compliance
with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults
|
33
|
Section
8.08
|
Investment
Company Act
|
34
|
Section
8.09
|
Public
Utility Holding Company Act
|
34
|
Section
8.10
|
Taxes
|
34
|
Section
8.11
|
ERISA
|
34
|
Section
8.12
|
Disclosure;
No Material Misstatements
|
35
|
Section
8.13
|
Insurance
|
35
|
Section
8.14
|
Restriction
on Liens
|
36
|
Section
8.15
|
Subsidiaries
|
36
|
Section
8.16
|
Location
of Business and Offices
|
36
|
Section
8.17
|
Properties;
Titles, Etc
|
36
|
Section
8.18
|
Maintenance
of Properties
|
37
|
Section
8.19
|
Gas
Imbalances, Prepayments
|
38
|
Section
8.20
|
Marketing
of Production
|
38
|
Section
8.21
|
Swap
Agreements
|
38
|
Section
8.22
|
Use
of Loans
|
38
|
Section
8.23
|
Solvency
|
38
|
Section
8.24
|
Casualty
Events
|
38
|
Section
8.25
|
Material
Agreements
|
38
|
Section
8.26
|
No
Brokers
|
39
|
Section
8.27
|
Reliance
|
39
|
Section
8.28
|
Investments
and Guaranties
|
39
|
Section
8.29
|
Payments
by Purchasers of Production
|
39
|
Section
8.30
|
Existing
Accounts Payable
|
39
|
ARTICLE
IX AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
|
40
|
|
Section
9.01
|
Financial
Statements; Other Information
|
40
|
Section
9.02
|
Notices
of Material Events
|
43
|
Section
9.03
|
Existence;
Conduct of Business
|
44
|
Section
9.04
|
Payment
of Obligations
|
44
|
Section
9.05
|
Performance
of Obligations under Loan Documents
|
44
|
Section
9.06
|
Operation
and Maintenance of Properties
|
44
|
Section
9.07
|
Insurance
|
45
|
Section
9.08
|
Books
and Records; Inspection Rights
|
45
|
Section
9.09
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
45
|
Section
9.10
|
Environmental
Matters
|
46
|
Section
9.11
|
Further
Assurances
|
47
|
Section
9.12
|
Reserve
Reports
|
47
|
Section
9.13
|
Title
Information
|
48
|
Section
9.14
|
Additional
Collateral; Additional Guarantors
|
48
|
Section
9.15
|
ERISA
Compliance
|
49
|
Section
9.16
|
Swap
Agreements
|
50
|
Section
9.17
|
Marketing
of Production
|
50
|
Section
9.18
|
Overriding
Royalty Interests
|
50
|
Section
9.19
|
Right
of First Refusal
|
51
|
Section
9.20
|
Separate
Entity
|
51
|
Section
9.21
|
Partner
Metrics
|
51
|
ARTICLE
X NEGATIVE COVENANTS
|
52
|
|
Section
10.01
|
Financial
Covenants
|
52
|
Section
10.02
|
Debt
|
52
|
Section
10.03
|
Liens
|
53
|
ii
Section
10.04
|
Redemptions
|
53
|
Section
10.05
|
Investments,
Loans and Advances
|
53
|
Section
10.06
|
Nature
of Business
|
54
|
Section
10.07
|
Limitation
on Leases
|
54
|
Section
10.08
|
Sale
and Leasebacks
|
54
|
Section
10.09
|
Proceeds
of Notes
|
54
|
Section
10.10
|
ERISA
Compliance
|
55
|
Section
10.11
|
Sale
or Discount of Receivables
|
56
|
Section
10.12
|
Mergers,
Etc.
|
56
|
Section
10.13
|
Sale
of Properties
|
56
|
Section
10.14
|
Environmental
Matters
|
56
|
Section
10.15
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
56
|
Section
10.16
|
Capital
Expenditures
|
56
|
Section
10.17
|
Material
Agreements
|
57
|
Section
10.18
|
Affiliates
|
57
|
Section
10.19
|
Negative
Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions
|
57
|
Section
10.20
|
Gas
Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments
|
57
|
Section
10.21
|
Swap
Agreements
|
57
|
Section
10.22
|
Certain
Activities
|
58
|
Section
10.23
|
Net
Sales
|
58
|
Section
10.24
|
G&A
Costs
|
58
|
Section
10.25
|
Press
Release
|
58
|
ARTICLE
XI EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES
|
58
|
|
Section
11.01
|
Events
of Default
|
58
|
Section
11.02
|
Remedies
|
60
|
Section
11.03
|
Disposition
of Proceeds
|
61
|
ARTICLE
XII THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
|
61
|
|
Section
12.01
|
Appointment;
Powers
|
61
|
Section
12.02
|
Duties
and Obligations of Administrative Agent
|
62
|
Section
12.03
|
Action
by Administrative Agent
|
62
|
Section
12.04
|
Reliance
by Administrative Agent
|
63
|
Section
12.05
|
Subagents
|
63
|
Section
12.06
|
Resignation
or Removal of Administrative Agent
|
63
|
Section
12.07
|
Agents
as Lenders
|
64
|
Section
12.08
|
No
Reliance
|
64
|
Section
12.09
|
Authority
of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens
|
64
|
ARTICLE
XIII MISCELLANEOUS
|
65
|
|
Section
13.01
|
Notices
|
65
|
Section
13.02
|
Waivers;
Amendments
|
66
|
Section
13.03
|
Expenses,
Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
|
67
|
Section
13.04
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
69
|
Section
13.05
|
Survival;
Revival; Reinstatement
|
70
|
Section
13.06
|
Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness
|
70
|
Section
13.07
|
Severability
|
71
|
Section
13.08
|
Right
of Setoff
|
71
|
Section
13.09
|
GOVERNING
LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
|
71
|
Section
13.10
|
Headings
|
72
|
Section
13.11
|
Confidentiality
|
72
|
iii
Section
13.12
|
Interest
Rate Limitation
|
72
|
Section
13.13
|
EXCULPATION
PROVISIONS
|
73
|
Section
13.14
|
Collateral
Matters; Swap Agreements
|
74
|
Section
13.15
|
No
Third Party Beneficiaries
|
74
|
Section
13.16
|
Securitization
|
74
|
Section
13.17
|
USA
Patriot Act Notice
|
75
|
iv
Annexes,
Exhibits and Schedules
Annex
I
|
List
of Commitments
|
Exhibit
A
|
Form
of Note
|
Exhibit
B-1
|
Form
of Initial Funding Disbursement Request
|
Exhibit
B-2
|
Form
of Subsequent Commitment Increase Request
|
Exhibit
B-3
|
Form
of Invoice Disbursement Request
|
Exhibit
C
|
Form
of Direction Letter
|
Exhibit
D
|
Form
of Compliance Certificate
|
Exhibit
E
|
Form
of Legal Opinion of Glast
Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, special
counsel to the Borrower
|
Exhibit
F-1
|
Security
Instruments
|
Exhibit
F-2
|
Form
of Security Agreement
|
Exhibit
G
|
Form
of Assignment and Assumption
|
Exhibit
H
|
Form
of Conveyance of Overriding Royalty Interest
|
Exhibit
I
|
Form
of Participation Agreement
|
Exhibit
J
|
Form
of Letter-in-Lieu
|
Exhibit
K
|
Development
Plan
|
Exhibit
L
|
Form
of Pledge Agreement
|
Schedule
1.01
|
AFE
Requirements
|
Schedule
1.02
|
Approved
Counterparties
|
Schedule
8.05
|
Litigation
|
Schedule
8.06
|
Environmental
Matters
|
Schedule
8.13
|
Insurance
|
Schedule
8.15
|
Subsidiaries
and Partnerships
|
Schedule
8.17
|
Title
to Properties
|
Schedule
8.19
|
Gas
Imbalances
|
Schedule
8.20
|
Marketing
Contracts
|
Schedule
8.21
|
Swap
Agreements
|
Schedule
8.25
|
Material
Agreements
|
Schedule
8.30
|
Past
Due Accounts Payable
|
Schedule
9.02(e)
|
Notice
of Certain Events
|
Schedule
10.02
|
Debt
|
Schedule
10.03
|
Excepted
Liens
|
Schedule
10.05
|
Investments
|
Schedule
10.07
|
Leases
|
Schedule
10.23
|
Net
Sales Volumes
|
v
This
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as
of September 2, 2005, is among Crosspoint Energy Holdings, LLC, a limited
liability company duly formed and existing under the laws of the State of Texas
(the “Borrower”);
each
of the Lenders from time to time party hereto; and X.
X.
Xxxxx Special Opportunities Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
(as
administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its
successors in such capacity, the “Administrative
Agent”).
RECITALS
A. The
Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide certain loans to and extensions
of credit on behalf of the Borrower.
B. The
Lenders have agreed to make such loans and extensions of credit subject to
the
terms and conditions of this Agreement.
C. In
consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and of
the
loans, extensions of credit and commitments hereinafter referred to, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I
Definitions
and Accounting Matters
Section
1.01 Terms
Defined Above.
As used
in this Agreement, each term defined above has the meaning indicated
above.
Section
1.02 Certain
Defined Terms.
As used
in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under
common Control with the Person specified.
“Agreement”
means
this Credit Agreement, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified,
supplemented or restated.
“Applicable
Percentage”
means,
with respect to any Lender, the percentage set forth on Annex
I.
“Applicable
Rate”
means,
for any day, with respect to any Loan, the Reference Rate plus five and one-half
percent (5 ½%) per annum.
“Approved
Counterparty”
means
(a) any Lenders or any Affiliate of a Lender, (b) any other Person whose long
term senior unsecured debt rating is A-/A3 by S&P or Xxxxx’x (or their
equivalent) or higher, or (c) with regard to Swap Agreements in respect of
commodities, and subject to the conditions set forth therein, any other Person
listed on Schedule
1.02.
“Approved
Petroleum Engineers”
means
any independent petroleum engineers reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Agent.
1
“Arranger”
means
Petrobridge Investment Management LLC, in its capacity as the sole lead arranger
hereunder.
“Assignment
and Assumption”
means
an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with
the
consent of any party whose consent is required by Section
13.04(b)),
and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit
G
or any
other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Board”
means
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of
America or any successor Governmental Authority.
“Borrowing”
means
Loans made on the same date.
“Business
Day”
means
any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks
in
Houston, Texas or New York, New York are authorized or required by law to remain
closed.
“Capital
Expenditures”
means,
in respect of any Person, for any period, the aggregate (determined without
duplication) of all exploration and development expenditures and costs that
should be capitalized in accordance with GAAP and any other expenditures that
are capitalized on the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with
GAAP.
“Capital
Leases”
means,
in respect of any Person, all leases which shall have been, or should have
been,
in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases on the balance sheet of
the
Person liable (whether contingent or otherwise) for the payment of rent
thereunder, in each case taken at the amount thereof accounted for as
indebtedness in accordance with GAAP.
“Cash
Receipts”
means
all cash or cash equivalents received by or on behalf of the Borrower and its
Affiliates with respect to the following: (a) sales of Hydrocarbons from the
Oil
and Gas Properties (including any other working interest owner receipts received
by Borrower or its Affiliates as operator of Oil and Gas Properties), (b) cash
representing operating revenue earned or to be earned by the Borrower and its
Affiliates, (c) any insurance proceeds received by the Borrower or its
Affiliates, (d) any proceeds from Swap Agreements, and (e) any other cash or
cash equivalents received by the Borrower or its Affiliates from whatever
source; provided
that
advances under the Loans shall not constitute “Cash Receipts”.
“Casualty
Event”
means
any loss, casualty or other insured damage to, or any nationalization, taking
under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of any
Property of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, in each case having a total
loss of value to such Property in excess of $50,000.
“Casualty
Proceeds”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01(b)(iv).
“Casualty
Proceeds Account”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.03.
“Change
in Control”
means
the occurrence of any of the following events (a) the acquisition of ownership,
directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by other than Crosspoint
Energy, LLC of Equity Interests of Borrower, (b) either Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx and
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx fails
to
own a minimum of 10% of the outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent, (c)
the
management of the Borrower is, in the reasonable opinion of the Lenders,
substantially diminished as a result of the departure for any reason of the
President or any Vice President of Borrower, or (d) Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx and
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx do
not
participate in the management and direction of Borrower and Parent.
2
“Change
in Law”
means
(a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement
by any Governmental Authority, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation
or
in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority
after
the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender (or, for purposes
of
Section
5.01(a)),
by any
lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s holding company, if any) with
any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law)
of
any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this
Agreement.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any
successor statute.
“Collateral”
means
any and all (a) Properties of the Borrower and its Affiliates of whatsoever
kind
or description (whether now owned or hereafter acquired and including, without
limitation, all of their Oil and Gas Properties), (b) of the issued and
outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower and (c) other Properties of
whatsoever kind or description, in each case, in which an interest is granted
or
pledged under a Security Instrument.
“Commitment”
means,
with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Loans
hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount
of
such Lender’s Loans hereunder. The amount representing each Lender’s Commitment
is set forth on Annex
I.
Initially, the aggregate amount of the Commitments of the Lenders shall be
equal
to the Initial Commitment (Two Million Five Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand One
Hundred Thirty-Five Dollars $2,597,135); provided,
however,
that
the Lenders may in their sole discretion, but shall be under no obligation
whatsoever to do so, make Loans hereunder above the Initial Commitment up to
an
aggregate amount equal to the sum of the Lenders’ Commitments as set forth on
Annex I.
“Commitment
Fee”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.04(a).
“Commitment
Termination Date”
has
the
meaning given such term in Section
2.01(a).
“Consolidated
Interest Expense”
means,
for any period, total interest expense and prepayment charges (including that
which is capitalized and that which is attributable to capital leases, in
accordance with GAAP) of the Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates, as
appropriate, on a consolidated basis with respect to all outstanding
indebtedness of the Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates, including, without
limitation, all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with
respect to any letters of credit, amortization of debt, discount, expense,
other
deferred financing costs.
“Consolidated
Net Income”
means
with respect to the Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates, for any period,
the aggregate of the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Affiliates, after allowances for taxes for such period determined on a
consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided
that
there shall be excluded from such net income (to the extent otherwise included
therein) the following: (a) the net income of any Person in which the Borrower
or any Consolidated Affiliate has an interest (which interest does not cause
the
net income of such other Person to be consolidated with the net income of the
Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates, in accordance with GAAP), except
to
the extent of the amount of dividends or distributions actually paid in cash
during such period by such other Person to the Borrower or to a Consolidated
Affiliate; (b) the net income (but not loss) during such period of any
Consolidated Affiliate to the extent that the declaration or payment of
dividends or similar distributions or transfers or loans by that Consolidated
Affiliate is not at the time permitted by operation of the terms of its charter
or any agreement, instrument or Governmental Requirement applicable to such
Consolidated Affiliate or is otherwise restricted or prohibited, in each case
determined in accordance with GAAP; (c) the net income (or loss) of any Person
acquired in a pooling-of-interests transaction for any period prior to the
date
of such transaction; (d) any extraordinary non-cash gains or losses during
such
period; (e) any gains on collections from insurance policies or settlement;
and
(f) any gains or losses attributable to writeups or writedowns of assets,
including ceiling test writedowns; and provided further
that if
the Borrower or any Consolidated Affiliate shall acquire or dispose of any
Property during such period, then Consolidated Net Income shall be calculated
after giving pro
forma
effect
to such acquisition or disposition, as if such acquisition or disposition had
occurred on the first day of such period.
3
“Consolidated
Rents”
means,
for any period, the sum of all rental and other obligations required to be
paid
during such period by the Borrower, Parent or any Affiliate, as lessee under
all
leases of real or personal property (other than capital leases), excluding
any
amount required to be paid by the lessee (whether or not therein designated
as
rental or additional rental) on account of maintenance and repairs, insurance,
taxes, assessments, water rates and similar charges; provided
that, if
at the date of determination, any such rental or other obligations (or portion
thereof) are contingent or not otherwise definitely determinable by the terms
of
the related lease, the amount of such obligations (or such portion thereof)
(a)
shall be assumed to be equal to the amount of such obligations for the period
of
twelve consecutive calendar months immediately preceding the date of
determination or (b) if the related lease was not in effect during such
preceding twelve-month period, shall be the amount estimated by the Borrower
on
a reasonable basis and in good faith.
“Consolidated
Subsidiaries”
means
each Subsidiary of the Borrower (whether now existing or hereafter created
or
acquired) the financial statements of which shall be (or should have been)
consolidated with the financial statements of the Borrower in accordance with
GAAP.
“Control”
means
the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability
to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. For the purposes of this
definition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Person
that owns directly or indirectly 15% or more of the Equity Interests having
ordinary voting power for the election of the directors or other governing
body
of a Person (other than as a limited partner of such other Person) will be
deemed to “control” such other Person. “Controlling”
and
“Controlled”
have
meanings correlative thereto.
4
“Credit
Agreement Termination Date”
means
the date on which the Commitments of the Lenders have terminated and all
principal, interest and all other Indebtedness have been paid in full, and
all
amounts due to any Lender or any of their Affiliates under any Swap Agreements
have been paid in full.
“Debt”
means,
for any Person, without duplication and on a consolidated basis, the sum of
the
following (without duplication): (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed
money or evidenced by bonds, bankers’ acceptances, debentures, notes or other
similar instruments; (b) all obligations of such Person (whether contingent
or
otherwise) in respect of letters of credit, surety or other bonds and similar
instruments; (c) accounts payable and accrued expenses, liabilities or other
obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of Property or
services; (d) all obligations under Capital Leases; (e) all obligations under
Synthetic Leases; (f) all Debt (as defined in the other clauses of this
definition) of others secured by a Lien on any Property of such Person, whether
or not such Debt is assumed by such Person; (g) all Debt (as defined in the
other clauses of this definition) of others guaranteed by such Person or in
which such Person otherwise assures a creditor against loss of the Debt
(howsoever such assurance shall be made) to the extent of the lesser of the
amount of such Debt and the maximum stated amount of such guarantee or assurance
against loss; (h) all obligations or undertakings of such Person to maintain
or
cause to be maintained the financial position or covenants of others or to
purchase the Debt or Property of others; (i) obligations to deliver
commodities, goods or services, including, without limitation, Hydrocarbons,
in
consideration of one or more advance payments, other than gas balancing
arrangements in the ordinary course of business; (j) obligations to pay for
goods or services whether or not such goods or services are actually received
or
utilized by such Person; (k) any Debt of a partnership for which such Person
is
liable either by agreement, by operation of law or by a Governmental Requirement
but only to the extent of such liability; (l) Disqualified Capital Stock of
such
Person; and (m) the undischarged balance of any production payment created
by
such Person or for the creation of which such Person directly or indirectly
received payment. The Debt of any Person shall include all obligations of such
Person of the character described above to the extent such Person remains
legally liable in respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation
is
not included as a liability of such Person under GAAP.
“Default”
means
any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or that upon
notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event
of
Default.
“Development
Plan”
shall
mean the Borrower’s Plan of Development for the Oil and Gas Properties and the
related Hydrocarbon Interests attached as Exhibit
K,
as
approved by Administrative Agent, as the same may be amended from time to time
with the approval of the Administrative Agent.
“Development
Project”
means
each development project for the Oil and Gas Properties to be developed in
accordance with the Development Plan.
“Direction
Letters”
means
letters substantially in the form of Exhibit
C.
“Disbursement
Date”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section
3.01(a).
5
“Disqualified
Capital Stock”
means
any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into
which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable) or upon the happening
of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable for any consideration other
than other Equity Interests (which would not constitute Disqualified Capital
Stock), pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is convertible
or
exchangeable for Debt or redeemable for any consideration other than other
Equity Interests (which would not constitute Disqualified Capital Stock) at
the
option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date
that
is one year after the earlier of (a) the Maturity Date and (b) the date on
which
there are no Loans or other obligations hereunder outstanding and all of the
Commitments are terminated.
“Dollars”
or
“$”
refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“EBITDA”
means,
for any period, the sum of Consolidated Net Income for such period plus the
following expenses or charges to the extent deducted from Consolidated Net
Income in such period: interest, income taxes, depreciation, depletion,
amortization and other similar noncash charges, minus all noncash items added
to
Consolidated Net Income.
“Effective
Date”
means
the date on which the conditions specified in Section
7.01
are
satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section
13.02).
“Environmental
Laws”
means
any and all Governmental Requirements pertaining in any way to health, safety
the environment or the preservation or reclamation of natural resources, in
effect in any and all jurisdictions in which the Borrower or any Affiliate
is
conducting or at any time has conducted business, or where any Property of
the
Borrower or any Affiliate is located, including without limitation, the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA”),
as
amended, the Clean Air Act, as amended, the Comprehensive Environmental,
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”),
as
amended, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976 (“RCRA”),
as
amended, the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, the Toxic Substances Control
Act, as amended, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986,
as
amended, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, as amended, and other
environmental conservation or protection Governmental Requirements. The term
“oil” shall have the meaning specified in OPA, the terms “hazardous
substance”
and
“release”
(or
“threatened
release”)
have
the meanings specified in CERCLA, the terms “solid
waste”
and
“disposal”
(or
“disposed”)
have
the meanings specified in RCRA and the term “oil
and gas waste”
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 91.1011 of the Texas Natural Resources
Code (“Section
91.1011”);
provided,
however,
that
(a) in the event either OPA, CERCLA, RCRA or Section 91.1011 is amended so
as to
broaden the meaning of any term defined thereby, such broader meaning shall
apply subsequent to the effective date of such amendment and (b) to the extent
the laws of the state or other jurisdiction in which any Property of the
Borrower or any Affiliate is located establish a meaning for “oil,”
“hazardous
substance,”
“release,”
“solid
waste,”
“disposal”
or
“oil
and gas waste”
which
is broader than that specified in either OPA, CERCLA, RCRA or Section 91.1011,
such broader meaning shall apply.
“Equity
Interests”
means
shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a
limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity
ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights
entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such Equity
Interest.
6
“ERISA”
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any
successor statute.
“ERISA
Affiliate”
means
each trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which together with the
Borrower or an Affiliate would be deemed to be a “single employer” within the
meaning of section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA or subsections (b), (c), (m) or (o)
of
section 414 of the Code.
“ERISA
Event”
means
(a) a “Reportable Event” described in section 4043 of ERISA and the regulations
issued thereunder, (b) the withdrawal of the Borrower, an Affiliate or any
ERISA
Affiliate from a Plan during a plan year in which it was a “substantial
employer” as defined in section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA, (c) the filing of a notice
of intent to terminate a Plan or the treatment of a Plan amendment as a
termination under section 4041 of ERISA, (d) the institution of proceedings
to
terminate a Plan by the PBGC, (e) receipt of a notice of withdrawal liability
pursuant to Section 4202 of ERISA or (f) any other event or condition which
might constitute grounds under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of,
or
the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan.
“Event
of Default”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
11.01.
“Excepted
Liens”
means:
(a) Liens for Taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies that
are not yet due or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate action
and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP;
(b) Liens in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance or
other social security, old age pension or public liability obligations that
are
not yet due or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate action
and
for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP; (c)
statutory landlord’s liens, operators’, vendors’, carriers’, warehousemen’s,
repairmen’s, mechanics’, suppliers’, workers’, materialmen’s, construction or
other like Liens arising by operation of law in the ordinary course of business
or incident to the exploration, development, operation and maintenance of Oil
and Gas Properties each of which is in respect of obligations that have not
been
outstanding for more than 60 days and provided,
if such
liens are being disputed, are being contested in good faith by appropriate
action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with
GAAP; (d) contractual Liens which arise in the ordinary course of business
under
operating agreements, joint venture agreements, oil and gas partnership
agreements, oil and gas leases, farm-out agreements, division orders, contracts
for the sale, transportation or exchange of oil and natural gas, unitization
and
pooling declarations and agreements, area of mutual interest agreements,
overriding royalty agreements, marketing agreements, processing agreements,
net
profits agreements, development agreements, gas balancing or deferred production
agreements, injection, repressuring and recycling agreements, salt water or
other disposal agreements, seismic or other geophysical permits or agreements,
or other agreements that are usual and customary in the oil and gas business
and
are for claims that have not been outstanding for more than 60 days and
provided,
if such
liens are being disputed, are being contested in good faith by appropriate
action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with
GAAP, provided
that any
such Lien referred to in this clause does not materially impair the use of
the
Property covered by such Lien for the purposes for which such Property is held
by the Borrower or any Affiliate or materially impair the value of such Property
subject thereto; (e) easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions,
covenants, exceptions or reservations in any Property of the Borrower or any
Affiliate for the purpose of roads, pipelines, transmission lines,
transportation lines, distribution lines for the removal of gas, oil, coal
or
other minerals or timber, and other like purposes, or for the joint or common
use of real estate, rights of way, facilities and equipment, which in the
aggregate do not materially impair the use of such Property for the purposes
of
which such Property is held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or materially
impair the value of such Property subject thereto; (f) Liens on cash or
securities pledged to secure performance of tenders, surety and appeal bonds,
government contracts, performance and return of money bonds, bids, trade
contracts, leases, statutory obligations, regulatory obligations and other
obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business; and
(g) rights of set off or banker’s liens created by law in favor of commercial
banks with respect to any bank account of Borrower; provided,
further
that
Liens described in clauses (a) through (d) shall remain “Excepted Liens” only
for so long as no action to enforce such Lien has been commenced and no
intention to subordinate the first priority Lien granted in favor of the
Administrative Agent and the Lender is to be hereby implied or expressed by
the
permitted existence of such Excepted Liens.
7
“Excluded
Taxes”
means,
with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, or any other recipient
of
any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower or
any
Guarantor hereunder or under any other Loan Document, (a) income or franchise
taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United States of America
or such other jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized
or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender,
in
which its applicable lending office is located, and (b) any branch profits
taxes
imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other
jurisdiction in which the Borrower or any Guarantor is located.
“Federal
Funds Effective Rate”
means,
for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next
1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members
of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published
on
the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or,
if
such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations
for
such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three
Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.
“Financial
Officer”
means,
for any Person, the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer,
treasurer or controller of such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all
references herein to a Financial Officer means a Financial Officer acting on
behalf of the Borrower.
“Financial
Statements”
means
the financial statement or statements of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries, as referred to in Section
8.04(a).
8
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as
in
effect from time to time subject to the terms and conditions set forth in
Section
1.04.
“General
and Administrative Costs”
means
reasonable, normal and customary expenses and costs paid or payable that are
classified as general and administrative costs, including consulting fees,
salary, rent, supplies, travel and entertainment, insurance, accounting, legal,
engineering and broker related fees, required to manage the affairs of the
Borrower approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Governmental
Authority”
means
the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any
political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency,
authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity
exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government over the
Borrower, any Subsidiary, any of their Properties, the Agent, or any
Lender.
“Governmental
Requirement”
means
any law, statute, code, ordinance, order, determination, rule, regulation,
judgment, decree, injunction, franchise, permit, certificate, license,
authorization or other directive or requirement (whether or not having the
force
of law), whether now or hereinafter in effect, including, without limitation,
Environmental Laws, energy regulations and occupational, safety and health
standards or controls, of any Governmental Authority.
“Guarantor”
means
any Parent or Affiliate of the Borrower that guarantees the Indebtedness
pursuant to Section
9.14(b)
and any
other Person that guarantees the Indebtedness pursuant to the Security
Instruments.
“Highest
Lawful Rate”
means,
with respect to each Lender, the maximum nonusurious interest rate, if any,
that
at any time or from time to time may be contracted for, taken, reserved, charged
or received on the Notes or on other Indebtedness under laws applicable to
such
Lender that are presently in effect or, to the extent allowed by law, under
such
applicable laws which may hereafter be in effect and which allow a higher
maximum nonusurious interest rate than applicable laws allow as of the date
hereof.
“Hydrocarbon
Interests”
means
all rights, titles, interests and estates now or hereafter acquired in and
to
oil and gas leases, oil, gas and mineral leases, or other liquid or gaseous
hydrocarbon leases, mineral fee interests, overriding royalty and royalty
interests, net profit interests and production payment interests, including
any
reserved or residual interests of whatever nature.
“Hydrocarbons”
means
oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate,
distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all products refined
or separated therefrom.
“Indebtedness”
means
any and all amounts owing or to be owing by the Borrower, Parent any Affiliate
or any Guarantor: (a) to the Administrative Agent or any Lender under any Loan
Document; (b) to any Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender under any Swap
Agreement between the Borrower or any Subsidiary and such Lender or Affiliate
of
a Lender while such Person (or in the case of its Affiliate, the Person
affiliated therewith) is a Lender hereunder and (c) all renewals, extensions
and/or rearrangements of any of the above.
9
“Indemnified
Taxes”
means
Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Indemnitee”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.03(b).
“Information”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Section
13.11.
“Initial
Commitment”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.01.
“Initial
Funding”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.02(a).
“Initial
Funding Disbursement Request”
means
a
written request by the Borrower to the Lenders for the Initial Funding in the
form of Exhibit
B-1.
“Initial
Reserve Report”
means
these certain reserve reports of Netherland & Xxxxxx dated as of May 1, 2005
with respect to certain Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and its
Affiliates (including those being acquired pursuant to the Purchase Agreements)
as of May 1, 2005.
“Insolvent”
means:
(a) with reference to a Person other than a partnership, that (i) the sum of
such Person’s debts is greater than all of its properties, at a fair valuation,
exclusive of any properties transferred, concealed, or removed with intent
to
hinder, delay, or defraud creditors or (ii) such Person is generally not able
to
pay its debts as they become due, and (b) with reference to a Person that is
a
partnership, that (i) such Person’s financial condition is such that the sum of
its debts is greater than the aggregate of, at a fair valuation, (A) all of
such
partnership’s properties exclusive of properties transferred, concealed or
removed with intent to hinder, delay or defraud creditors of the partnership,
and (B) the sum of the excess of the value of each general partner’s
non-partnership properties, exclusive of properties transferred, concealed
or
removed with intent to hinder, delay or defraud creditors, over such general
partner’s non-partnership debts or (ii) such Person is generally not able to pay
its debts as they become due.
“Investment”
means,
for any Person: (a) the acquisition (whether for cash, Property, services or
securities or otherwise) of Equity Interests of any other Person, the
contribution of capital to any other Person, or any agreement to make any such
acquisition (including, without limitation, any “short sale” or any sale of any
securities at a time when such securities are not owned by the Person entering
into such short sale) or capital contribution; (b) the making of any deposit
with (other than deposits in accounts of Borrower at commercial banks), or
advance, loan or other extension of credit to, any other Person (including
the
purchase of Property from another Person subject to an understanding or
agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such Property to such Person,
but
excluding any such advance, loan or extension of credit having a term not
exceeding ninety (90) days representing the purchase price of inventory or
supplies sold by such Person in the ordinary course of business) or (c) the
entering into of any guarantee of, or other contingent obligation (including
the
deposit of any Equity Interests to be sold) with respect to, Debt or other
liability of any other Person and (without duplication) any amount committed
to
be advanced, lent or extended to such Person.
10
“Invoice
Disbursement Request”
means
a
written request by the Borrower for a Subsequent Funding relating to a
Subsequent Commitment Increase Request that has been previously approved by
the
Lenders, which Invoice Disbursement Request (a) shall set forth the amount
of
the Subsequent Funding then requested to pay costs incurred in connection with
the Development Project covered by the related Subsequent Commitment Increase
Request or the acquisition of additional Oil and Gas Properties, (b) is
accompanied by supporting invoices and other documentation required by the
Lenders, including, in connection with the acquisition of additional Oil and
Gas
Properties, Security Instruments and an ORRI Conveyance covering the additional
Oil and Gas Properties and opinions of the Borrower’s counsel, and (c) is
substantially in the form of Exhibit
B-3.
“Lenders”
means
the Persons listed on Annex
I,
any
Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and
Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant
to an Assignment and Assumption.
“Letters-in-Lieu”
means
letters-in-lieu substantially in the form of Exhibit
J.
“Liabilities”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.16.
“Lien”
means
any interest in Property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person
other than the owner of the Property, whether such interest is based on the
common law, statute or contract, and whether such obligation or claim is fixed
or contingent, and including but not limited to (a) the lien or security
interest arising from a mortgage, encumbrance, pledge, security agreement,
conditional sale or trust receipt or a lease, consignment or bailment for
security purposes or (b) royalties, production payments and the like payable
out
of Oil and Gas Properties. The term “Lien”
shall
include easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions, covenants,
encroachments, exceptions, title exceptions or reservations. For the purposes
of
this Agreement, the Borrower and its Affiliates shall be deemed to be the owner
of any Property which it has acquired or holds subject to a conditional sale
agreement, or leases under a financing lease or other arrangement pursuant
to
which title to the Property has been retained by or vested in some other Person
in a transaction intended to create a financing.
“Loan
Documents”
means
this Agreement, the Notes, the Security Instruments, the ORRI Conveyances and
the Participation Agreement.
“Loans”
means
the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Lockbox
Account”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
6.01(a).
“Lockbox
Bank”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
6.01(a).
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
a
material adverse effect on (a) the business, operations, affairs, Properties,
condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, management or results of
operations of the Borrower and the Affiliates taken as a whole, (b) the ability
of the Borrower, any Affiliate or any Guarantor to perform any of its
obligations under any Loan Document, (c) the validity or enforceability of
any
Loan Document or (d) the rights and remedies of or benefits available to the
Administrative Agent or any Lender under any Loan Document.
11
“Material
Agreements”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
8.25.
“Material
Indebtedness”
means
Debt (other than the Loans) in excess of $50,000, or obligations in respect
of
one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its
Affiliates.
“Maturity
Date”
means
the date that is three years after the Effective Date.
“Monthly
Date”
means
the last day of each calendar month, but if Administrative Agent determines
with
respect to any month that not all Cash Receipts expected for such month have
yet
been deposited in the Lockbox Account, it may at its election (and without
obligation to provide any notice to the Borrower or any other Person) defer
the
Monthly Date for up to four additional Business Days.
“Moody’s”
means
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto that is a nationally
recognized rating agency.
“Mortgaged
Property”
means
any Property owned by the Borrower or any Guarantor which is subject to the
Liens existing and to exist under the terms of the Security
Instruments.
“Multiemployer
Plan”
means
a
Plan which is a multiemployer plan as defined in section 3(37) or 4001 (a)(3)
of
ERISA.
“Net
Present Value”
means,
in respect of either of the Proved Developed Producing Reserves and the Total
Proved Reserves, respectively, of the Oil and Gas Properties, the present value
of future cash flows (discounted at 10% per annum) calculated by the
Administrative Agent in its sole and reasonable judgment (including using a
price curve determined by Administrative Agent) after having reviewed the
information from the most recent Reserve Report delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to Section
7.01(p)
or
Section
9.12
and
taking into account all other factors which the Administrative Agent deems
material.
“Notes”
means
the promissory notes of the Borrower described in Section
2.05
and
being substantially in the form of Exhibit
A,
together with all amendments, modifications, replacements, extensions and
rearrangements thereof.
“Oil
and Gas Properties”
means
(a) Hydrocarbon Interests; (b) the Properties now or hereafter pooled or
unitized with Hydrocarbon Interests; (c) all presently existing or future
unitization, pooling agreements and declarations of pooled units and the units
created thereby (including without limitation all units created under orders,
regulations and rules of any Governmental Authority) which may affect all or
any
portion of the Hydrocarbon Interests; (d) all operating agreements,
contracts and other agreements, including production sharing contracts and
agreements, which relate to any of the Hydrocarbon Interests or the production,
sale, purchase, exchange or processing of Hydrocarbons from or attributable
to
such Hydrocarbon Interests; (e) all Hydrocarbons in and under and which may
be
produced and saved or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests, including
all
oil in tanks, and all rents, issues, profits, proceeds, products, revenues
and
other incomes from or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests; (f) all
tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and Properties in any manner
appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental to the Hydrocarbon Interests
and
(g) all Properties, rights, titles, interests and estates described or referred
to above, including any and all Property, real or personal, now owned or
hereafter acquired and situated upon, used, held for use or useful in connection
with the operating, working or development of any of such Hydrocarbon Interests
or Property (excluding drilling rigs, automotive equipment, rental equipment
or
other personal Property which may be on such premises for the purpose of
drilling a well or for other similar temporary uses) and including any and
all
oil xxxxx, gas xxxxx, injection xxxxx or other xxxxx, buildings, structures,
fuel separators, liquid extraction plants, plant compressors, pumps, pumping
units, field gathering systems, tanks and tank batteries, fixtures, valves,
fittings, machinery and parts, engines, boilers, meters, apparatus, equipment,
appliances, tools, implements, cables, wires, towers, casing, tubing and rods,
surface leases, rights-of-way, easements and servitudes together with all
additions, substitutions, replacements, accessions and attachments to any and
all of the foregoing.
12
“Operating
Account”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section 6.01(d).
“Operating
Costs”
means
all costs (net to the Borrower and its Affiliates) associated with the direct
operation of the Borrower’s and its Affiliates’ Oil and Gas
Properties.
“ORRI
Conveyances”
means
any Conveyance of Overriding Royalty Interest in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit H
from the
Borrower to Lenders.
“Other
Taxes”
means
any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise
or
Property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made
hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with
respect to, this Agreement and any other Loan Document.
“Parent”
means
CrossPoint Energy, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and sole member of
Borrower.
“Participant”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.04(c).
“Participation
Agreement”
means
that certain Participation Agreement issued by Borrower to the Lenders at
Closing in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit I,
as the
same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
“Partnermetrics”
means
Partner Metrics, LLC, an Affiliate of The Xxxxxxxxxx Group.
“Patriot
Act”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.17.
“PBGC”
means
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any successor thereto.
“Person”
means
any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint
venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other
entity.
“Plan”
means
any employee pension benefit plan, as defined in section 3(2) of ERISA, which
(a) is currently or hereafter sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the
Borrower, an Affiliate or an ERISA Affiliate or (b) was at any time during
the
six calendar years preceding the date hereof, sponsored, maintained or
contributed to by the Borrower or a Subsidiary or an ERISA
Affiliate.
13
“Pledge
Agreement”
means
an agreement among each holder of any Equity Interest in the Borrower, on the
one hand, and the Administrative Agent on the other in substantially the form
of
Exhibit
L,
as the
same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
“Post
Default Rate”
shall
mean, in respect of the principal of any Loan or any other amount payable by
the
Borrower under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, a rate per annum
during the period commencing on the date of occurrence of an Event of Default
until such amount is paid in full or all Events of Default are cured or waived
equal to the Applicable Rate plus two percent 2% per annum, but in no event
to
exceed the Highest Lawful Rate.
“Property”
means
any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed,
or tangible or intangible, including, without limitation, cash, securities,
accounts and contract rights.
“Proved
Developed Non-Producing Reserves”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in the SPE Definitions.
“Proved
Developed Producing Reserves”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in the SPE Definitions.
“Proved
Undeveloped Reserves”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in the SPE Definitions.
“Quarterly
Taxes”
means
the amount that holders or Equity Interests of the Borrower would be required
to
pay with respect to the income of the Parent for the respective fiscal quarter
provided
such
amount shall not exceed the Consolidated Net Income of Parent for the applicable
fiscal quarter multiplied by the highest marginal federal tax rate for an
individual at such time.
“Rating
Agencies”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.16.
“Redemption”
means
with respect to any Debt, the repurchase, redemption, prepayment, repayment
or
defeasance (or the segregation of funds with respect to any of the foregoing)
of
such Debt. “Redeem”
has
the
correlative meaning thereto.
“Reference
Rate”
means
the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time in the
Wall
Street Journal as the prime rate; each change in the Wall Street Journal’s
quotation of the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date
such
change is publicly announced as being effective. In the event that the Wall
Street Journal is no longer published or does not have a quotation for the
Prime
Rate, Lenders will utilize the Prime rate of Interest quoted by JPMorgan Chase
Bank or such other financial institution or publication that is nationally
recognized.
“Register”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.04(b)(iv).
14
“Regulation
D”
means
Regulation D of the Board, as the same may be amended, supplemented or replaced
from time to time.
“Related
Parties”
means,
with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the
respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors (including
attorneys, accountants and experts) of such Person and such Person’s
Affiliates.
“Remedial
Work”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
9.10(a).
“Reserve
Report”
means
the Initial Reserve Report and each other report, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Lenders in their sole discretion (including, without
limitation, the use of satisfactory methodologies and risk analyses), setting
forth, the updated estimates of Proved Developed Producing Reserves, Proved
Developed Non-Producing Reserves, and Proved Undeveloped Reserves and projected
production profiles and overall economics of the Oil and Gas Properties,
together with a projection of the rate of production and future cash flows
as of
such date, based on the following pricing assumptions:
(a) oil
and
gas prices (as adjusted by Administrative Agent for btu content and quality)
will be determined by Administrative Agent based on Administrative Agent’s then
current forward product pricing curve, which prices will be adjusted to reflect
location and quality differentials and hedging arrangements then in
place;
(b) cash
flow
will be determined based on the Borrower’s net production (projected production
profile less royalty volumes adjusted for working interest ownership) multiplied
by above prices, less (x) the Operating Costs and production and severance
taxes
and (y) capital expenditures including any abandonment costs; and
(c) Operating
Costs and production and severance taxes shall be based on actual
costs.
“Residual
Balance”
means
the positive balance, if any, in the Lockbox Account on the Disbursement Date
after the payment of the amounts described in Section
6.01(b)(i)
through
Section
6.01(b)(iv).
“Responsible
Officer”
means,
as to any Person, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Financial
Officer or any Vice President of such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all
references to a Responsible Officer herein shall mean a Responsible Officer
of
the Borrower.
“Restricted
Payment”
means
any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other
Property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower, or any payment
(whether in cash, securities or other Property), including any sinking fund
or
similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement,
acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the
Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity
Interests in the Borrower.
“SEC”
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor Governmental
Authority.
15
“Securitization”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.16.
“Securitization
Parties”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
13.16.
“Security
Agreement”
means
an agreement between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in substantially
the form of Exhibit
F-2,
as the
same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
“Security
Instruments”
means
the Security Agreement, the Pledge Agreement, mortgages, deeds of trust and
other agreements, instruments or certificates described or referred to in
Exhibit
F-1,
and any
and all other agreements, guarantees, instruments or certificates now or
hereafter executed and delivered by the Borrower or any other Person (other
than
Swap Agreements with the Lenders or any Affiliate of a Lender or participation
or similar agreements between any Lender and any other Lender or creditor with
respect to any Indebtedness pursuant to this Agreement) in connection with,
or
as security for the payment or performance of the Indebtedness, the Notes and
this Agreement, as such agreements may be amended, modified, supplemented or
restated from time to time.
“S&P”
means
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies,
Inc., and any successor thereto that is a nationally recognized rating
agency.
“SPE
Definitions”
means,
with respect to any term, the definition thereof adopted by the Board of
Directors, Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Inc., March 1997.
“Subsequent
Commitment Increases”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.01(a).
“Subsequent
Commitment Increase Request”
means
a
written request by the Borrower to the Lenders relating to Subsequent Commitment
Increase with respect to a specific Development Project or the acquisition
of
additional Oil and Gas Properties. Such request shall be in the form of
Exhibit
B-2
and
shall be delivered by the Borrower accompanied by supporting data relating
thereto, which data shall include (a) the identification of the items or
activities on the Development Plan or the terms and conditions of the
acquisition (in each case) for which funds are being sought, (b) in the
event of a Development Project, an AFE reflecting the total estimated cost
of
such items or activities, the information described in Schedule
1.01,
or in
the event of an acquisition of additional Oil and Gas Properties, the purchase
price thereof and (c) such additional information as the Lenders shall
reasonably request for the purpose of evaluating any Subsequent Commitment
Increase relating thereto.
“Subsequent
Funding Date”
has
the
meaning assigned such term in Section
2.02(b).
“Subsidiary”
means:
(a) any Person of which at least a majority of the outstanding Equity Interests
having by the terms thereof ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the
board of directors, manager or other governing body of such Person (irrespective
of whether or not at the time Equity Interests of any other class or classes
of
such Person shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening
of
any contingency) is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled
by
the Borrower or one or more of its Affiliates or by the Borrower and one or
more
of its Affiliates and (b) any partnership of which the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates is a general partner. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each
reference to the term “Subsidiary”
shall
mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower.
16
“Swap
Agreement”
means
any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative
transaction or option or similar agreement, whether exchange traded,
“over-the-counter” or otherwise, involving, or settled by reference to, one or
more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities,
or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial
or
pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these
transactions; provided
that no
phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services
provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants
of
the Borrower or the Affiliates shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Synthetic
Leases”
means,
in respect of any Person, all leases which shall have been, or should have
been,
in accordance with GAAP, treated as operating leases on the financial statements
of the Person liable (whether contingently or otherwise) for the payment of
rent
thereunder and which were properly treated as indebtedness for borrowed money
for purposes of U.S. federal income taxes, if the lessee in respect thereof
is
obligated to either purchase for an amount in excess of, or pay upon early
termination an amount in excess of, 80% of the residual value of the Property
subject to such operating lease upon expiration or early termination of such
lease.
“Taxes”
means
any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions,
charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“Total
Debt”
means,
at any date, all Debt of the Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates on a
consolidated basis.
“Total
Proved Reserves”
shall
be as defined in the SPE Definitions.
“Transactions”
means,
with respect to (a) the Borrower, the execution, delivery and performance by
the
Borrower of this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which it is a party,
the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof, and the grant of Liens
by the Borrower on Mortgaged Properties and other Properties pursuant to the
Security Instruments and (b) each Guarantor, the execution, delivery and
performance by such Guarantor of each Loan Document to which it is a party,
its
guarantee of the Indebtedness and other obligations and its grant of Liens
on
Mortgaged Properties and other Properties pursuant to the Security
Instruments.
“Wholly-Owned
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary of which all of the outstanding Equity Interests (other than
any
directors’ qualifying shares mandated by applicable law), on a fully-diluted
basis, are owned by the Borrower or one or more of the Wholly-Owned Affiliates
or by the Borrower and one or more of the Wholly-Owned
Subsidiaries.
Section
1.03 Terms
Generally;
Rules
of Construction.
The
definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural
forms
of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words
“include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the
phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same
meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires
otherwise(a)
any
definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein
shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document
as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to
any
restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein),
(b)
any
reference herein to any law shall be construed as referring to such law as
amended, modified, codified or reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect
from time to time, (c)
any
reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s
successors and assigns (subject to the restrictions contained herein),
(d)
the
words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular
provision hereof, (e)
with
respect to the determination of any time period, the word “from” means “from and
including” and the word “to” means “to and including” and (f)
any
reference herein to Articles, Sections, Annexes, Exhibits and Schedules shall
be
construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Annexes, Exhibits and
Schedules to, this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document shall be interpreted or construed against any Person solely because
such Person or its legal representative drafted such provision.
Section
1.04 Accounting
Terms and Determinations; GAAP.
Unless
otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be
interpreted, all determinations with respect to accounting matters hereunder
shall be made, and all financial statements and certificates and reports as
to
financial matters required to be furnished to the Administrative Agent or the
Lenders hereunder shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP (or, with respect
to the Borrower or its Affiliates, as otherwise agreed by the Borrower and
the
Administrative Agent), applied on a basis consistent with the Financial
Statements except for changes in which the Borrower’s independent certified
public accountants concur and that are disclosed to Administrative Agent on
the
next date on which financial statements are required to be delivered to the
Lenders pursuant to Section
9.01(a);
provided
that,
unless the Borrower and the Lenders shall otherwise agree in writing, no such
change shall modify or affect the manner in which compliance with the covenants
contained herein is computed such that all such computations shall be conducted
utilizing financial information presented consistently with prior
periods.
ARTICLE
II
Commitment
Section
2.01 Loan;
Funding of Development Projects,
Loans.
(a) Loans.
Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each Lender severally agrees
to
make Loans to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed its
Applicable Percentage of an initial commitment of the Lenders of Two Million
Five Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand One Hundred Thirty-Five Dollars ($2,597,135)
(the “Initial
Commitment”),
with
subsequent Loans in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed such Lender’s
Applicable Percentage of up to an additional Thirty-Seven Million Four Hundred
Two Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty-Five Dollars ($37,402,865), in the manner
and
for the purposes provided in Section
2.01(b),
Section
2.02(b)
and
Section
2.03(b)
(once
approved, the “Subsequent
Commitment Increases”);
provided,
however,
that
the aggregate amount of all Loans made hereunder shall not exceed Forty Million
Dollars ($40,000,000). The Initial Funding shall be utilized only for the
purposes described in Section
2.03(a).
Any
amount of the Commitments which has not been borrowed by the Borrower prior
to
February 1, 2008 (the “Commitment
Termination Date”)
shall
not be available to the Borrower for Loans from and after such Commitment
Termination Date.
17
(b) Subsequent
Commitment Increases.
Each
Subsequent Commitment Increase is intended to be used to fund all or a portion
of the Borrower’s acquisition of Additional Oil and Gas Properties from third
parties, additional development of the Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties in
accordance with the Development Plan, future legal costs in connection with
this
Agreement, payment of the Commitment Fee and as is otherwise set forth in
Section
2.03(b)
and must
comply with the conditions precedent set forth in Section 7.02 and Section
7.03.
The
Lenders shall not be obligated to advance any funds in connection with a
Subsequent Commitment Increase unless such conditions precedent with respect
thereto have been satisfied to the Lenders’ satisfaction. Upon satisfaction of
the conditions to a Subsequent Commitment Increase, such funding shall occur
in
accordance with Section
2.02
and
Section
2.03.
Section
2.02 Borrowings.
Subject
to the satisfaction of all conditions precedent by the date of such
funding:
(a) Initial
Funding.
On the
Effective Date, each Lender shall severally make a Loan to the Borrower in
an
amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the first Eight Hundred
Three Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Dollars ($803,270) of the Initial Commitment
(the “Initial
Funding”)
as set
forth in the Initial Funding Disbursement Request delivered to such Lender
by
11:00 a.m. at least five Business Days prior to the Effective Date and approved
by the Lenders.
The
remaining One Million Seven Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand Eight Hundred
Sixty-Five Dollars ($1,793,865) of the Initial Commitment will be funded in
accordance with Section
2.02(b).
(b) Subsequent
Funding.
On each
Subsequent Funding Date after the Effective Date, each Lender shall severally
make a Loan to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount equal to its
Applicable Percentage of the amount set forth in an approved Invoice
Disbursement Request relating to an approved Subsequent Funding Request, which
amount shall not exceed either (i) the then unutilized amount of such Lender’s
Commitment or (ii) with respect to any Subsequent Funding for any
Development Project, when taken together with the previous Subsequent Fundings
made by the Lenders with respect to an approved Subsequent Commitment Increase
Request covering such Development Project, 110% of
the
amount set forth in the authority for expenditure relating to such Subsequent
Commitment Increase Request. A “Subsequent
Funding Date”
shall
mean any Business Day prior to the Commitment Termination Date that is
designated as the funding date in an Invoice Disbursement Request, which date
must be at least five Business Days prior to the date upon which the Subsequent
Funding under such Invoice Disbursement Request is requested to occur. Prior
to
making Loans with respect to development activities on the Borrower’s Oil and
Gas Properties as described in any Development Plan or any acquisition of
additional Oil and Gas Properties, the Borrower will be required to submit
an
Invoice Disbursement Request with respect to such advances. The Lenders shall
have no further obligation to fund any Loans after the Commitment Termination
Date.
18
(c) Advances.
Not
later than 1:00 p.m. New York, New York time on the date specified for each
Borrowing hereunder, each Lender shall make available the amount of the Loan
to
be made by such Lender on such date in immediately available funds, for the
account of the Borrower. The Borrowing shall, subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, be (i)
made
available to the Borrower by transferring the same, in immediately available
funds, to the Borrower’s Operating Account or (ii)
distributed directly to third parties pursuant Section
2.03(d).
(d) Presumption
of Funding by the Lenders.
Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to
the
proposed date of the Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to
the
Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative
Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date
in
accordance with Section
2.02(c)
and may,
in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding
amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the
applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable
Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent
forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each
day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower
to
but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i)
in the
case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a
rate
determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry
rules
on interbank compensation or (ii)
in the
case of the Borrower, the Applicable Rate. If such Lender pays such amount
to
the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan
included in such Borrowing.
(e) Minimum
Amounts.
All
Borrowings made pursuant to the notices described in Section
2.02(b)
shall be
in amounts of at least $100,000 or the remaining balance of the Commitment,
if
less.
(f) Monthly
Limit.
There
shall not be more than one Subsequent Commitment Increase within any continuous
30 day period.
Section
2.03 Use
of
Proceeds.
The
proceeds of the Loans may be used only for the following purposes:
(a) Initial
Funding.
The
proceeds of the Initial Funding may be used only to:
(i) pay
an
amount up to $38,380 related to the commitment fee and other fees under this
Agreement; and
(ii) pay
transaction costs of up to $68,000 with respect to the closing of the
transaction contemplated by this Agreement (including Arranger’s and the
Lender’s transaction costs as set forth in the Initial Funding Disbursement
Request approved by the Lenders;
(iii) fund
Development Projects, but only for the amounts and purposes set forth in the
Development Plan as approved by the Administrative Agent.
19
(b) Subsequent
Commitment Increases.
The
proceeds of any Subsequent Funding may be used only to:
(i) fund
Development Projects, but only for the amounts and purposes set forth in the
applicable Subsequent Commitment Increase Request and each Invoice Disbursement
Request relating thereto for such Development Project;
(ii) pay
any
amounts due under Section
2.04;
(iii) pay
transaction costs not paid at the Effective Date and legal costs incurred by
any
Lender and/or Administrative Agent in connection with the administration of
this
Agreement; and
(iv) fund
the
acquisition of additional Oil and Gas Properties, in the amounts and for the
purposes set forth in the applicable Subsequent Commitment Increase Request
and
each Invoice Disbursement Request relating thereto for such
acquisition.
(c) Initial
Commitment.
Any
amounts that have been committed as part of the Initial Commitment but were
not
funded as part of the Initial Funding shall only be used to fund Development
Projects.
(d) Direct
Funding.
If and
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Lenders may, in their
sole
discretion, disburse any portion of any advance directly to the Person or
Persons to whom such proceeds are to be paid, and impose such conditions as
they
deem appropriate to insure that such funds are timely and properly paid to
such
Persons.
Section
2.04 Fees.
(a) Commitment
Fee.
The
Borrower shall pay to Administrative Agent a fee equal to 1.5% of all amounts
committed to be loaned to the Borrower hereunder, as follows: (i) in
connection with the Initial Funding, Borrower will pay $38,380 with respect
to
the amounts committed under the Initial Commitment, and (ii) the Borrower
will pay on the date that any Subsequent Commitment Increase Request has been
approved by each of the Lenders a fee equal to 1.5% of the amounts committed
that are approved by the Lenders under the then subject Subsequent Commitment
Increase in excess of the Initial Commitment and such other previously committed
funding to the extent that such fee has not been paid previously (“Commitment
Fee”).
(b) Administrative
Fee.
The
Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent a semi-annual Administrative
fee
of $15,000 on each February 15 and August 15 of each year that this Agreement
is
in effect in arrears and on the Credit Agreement Termination Date.
Section
2.05 Notes.
The
Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced by a single promissory note of
the
Borrower in substantially the form of Exhibit
A,
dated,
in the case of (a)
any
Lender party hereto as of the date of this Agreement, as of the date of this
Agreement or (b)
any
Lender that becomes a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption,
as
of the effective date of the Assignment and Assumption, payable to the order
of
such Lender in a principal amount equal to its Commitment as in effect on such
date, and otherwise duly completed. The date, amount and interest rate of each
Loan made by each Lender, and all payments made on account of the principal
thereof, shall be recorded by such Lender on its books for its Note, and, prior
to any transfer, may be endorsed by such Lender on a schedule attached to such
Note or any continuation thereof or on any separate record maintained by such
Lender. Failure to make any such notation or to attach a schedule shall not
affect any Lender’s or the Borrower’s rights or obligations in respect of such
Loans or affect the validity of such transfer by any Lender of its
Note.
In the
event that any Lender’s Loan increases or decreases for any reason (whether
pursuant to Section
13.04(b)
or
otherwise), upon such Lender’s request, the Borrower shall deliver or cause to
be delivered on the effective date of such increase or decrease, a new Note
payable to the order of such Lender in a principal amount equal to its Loan
after giving effect to such increase or decrease, and otherwise duly
completed.
20
ARTICLE
III
Payments
of Principal and Interest
Section
3.01 Repayment
of Loans.
(a) On
each
Monthly Date after the Effective Date thereafter (each such date being a
“Disbursement
Date”),
the
Borrower shall repay principal (through Administrative Agent disbursing such
funds from the Lockbox Account) by an amount equal to ninety-five percent (95%)
of the difference between (i) the Residual Balance in the Lockbox Account as
of
each Disbursement Date less (ii) interest, fees, taxes, development costs and
General and Administrative Costs paid pursuant to Section
6.01(b)(v)-(x).
Notwithstanding the preceding, Borrower may, at its election, reduce the amount
of principal that it is required to pay to the Lenders under this Section
3.01(a)
by up to
50% (subject to a maximum of 100,000 in any given month) in order to pay General
and Administrative Costs actually incurred by the Borrower and its Affiliates
in
the immediately preceding month. For the avoidance of doubt, such principal
that
Borrower elects not to repay in any month pursuant to the immediately preceding
sentence shall remain outstanding under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the
preceding, Borrower may, at its election, reduce the amount of principal that
it
is required to pay to the Lenders under this Section
3.01(a)
by up to
50% (subject to a maximum of $100,000 in any given month) in order to pay
General and Administrative Costs actually incurred by the Borrower and its
Affiliates in the immediately preceding month. For the avoidance of doubt,
such
principal that Borrower elects not to repay in any month pursuant to the
immediately preceding sentence shall remain outstanding under this
Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section
3.01(a)
above,
upon the occurrence and during the continuation of any Event of Default, on
each
Monthly Date during such period (each such date being a “Disbursement
Date”),
the
Borrower shall repay principal (through Administrative Agent disbursing such
funds from the Lockbox Account) by an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%)
of the difference between (i) the Residual Balance in the Lockbox Account as
of
each Disbursement Date less (ii) interest, fees, taxes, development costs and
General and Administrative Costs paid pursuant to Section
6.01(b)(v)-(x).
(c) Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, if not paid prior thereto, the Borrower hereby
unconditionally promises to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account
of
each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of such Lender’s Loans and the
accrued and unpaid interest thereon on the Maturity Date.
21
Section
3.02 Interest.
(a) Interest
Rates.
The
Borrower will pay to each Lender interest on the unpaid principal amount of
its
Loans for the period commencing on the date that such Loan is made to but
excluding the date such Loan shall be paid in full at the Applicable Rate,
but
in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate.
(b) Post-Default
Rate.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower will pay to the Lenders interest
at
the Post-Default Rate on the principal of the Loans, and (to the fullest extent
permitted by law) on any fees and other amounts payable by the Borrower
hereunder, under the Notes or under any other Loan Document, for the period
commencing on the date of any Event of Default until the same is paid in full
or
all Events of Default are cured or waived (after as well as before
judgment).
(c) Due
Dates.
Accrued
interest on the Loans shall be due and payable monthly on each Disbursement
Date
(regardless of whether or not funds are available from the Lockbox Account);
provided
that
(i)
interest
accrued pursuant to Section
3.02(b)
shall be
payable on demand and (ii)
in the
event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan pursuant to Section
3.03(a)
or
Section
3.04,
accrued
interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the
date
of such repayment or prepayment.
(d) Interest
Rate Computations.
All
interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless
such computation would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in which case interest
shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap
year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed
(including the first day but excluding the last day).
Section
3.03 Prepayments.
(a) Voluntary
Prepayments.
The
Borrower may prepay all or any portion of the Loans upon not less than 10
Business Days prior notice to the Lenders, which notice shall be irrevocable
and
shall specify the prepayment date (which shall be a Business Day) and the amount
of the prepayment (which shall be at least the lesser of $100,000 or the
remaining principal balance outstanding on the Loans) and effective only upon
receipt by each Lender, provided
that
interest on the principal prepaid, accrued to the prepayment date, shall be
paid
on the prepayment date. Each prepayment of the Loans shall be applied ratably
to
all Loans then outstanding.
(b) Reborrowing
Prohibited; Application of Prepayments.
Any
voluntary or mandatory payments or prepayments on the Loans may not be
reborrowed.
(c) No
Penalty.
Prepayments permitted or required under this Article III shall be without
premium or penalty.
Section
3.04 Mandatory
Repayments.
In the
event that the Borrower or its Affiliates sell, assign or otherwise dispose
of
any of their Oil and Gas Properties (other than asset sales permitted by
Section
10.13(a)
and
(b)),
then
the Borrower shall prepay the Loans together with accrued interest on such
portion of the Loans so prepaid in accordance with Section
3.02(c)
on the
date of such sale or other disposition of the Oil and Gas Properties occurs
in
an aggregate amount equal to, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the
Lenders, the proceeds of such sale or disposition (net of any Quarterly Taxes
due and payable with respect to such Property sale), less all reasonable costs
and fees associated with such sale or disposition, provided
that
such costs and fees are not in excess of 2% of the proceeds from such sale
or
disposition or are otherwise approved by the Lenders.
22
ARTICLE
IV
Payments;
Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.
Section
4.01 Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.
(a) Payments
by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether
of
principal, interest, fees, or of amounts payable under Section
5.01,
Section
5.02
or
otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York, New York time, on the date when due,
in immediately available funds, without defense, deduction, recoupment, set-off
or counterclaim. Fees, once paid, shall not be refundable under any
circumstances. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the
discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on
the
next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon.
All
such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices specified
in Section
13.01,
except
that payments pursuant to Section
5.01,
Section
5.02
and
Section
13.03
shall be
made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall
distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person
to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment
hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment
shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of
any
payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period
of
such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.
(b) Application
of Insufficient Payments.
If at
any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative
Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, interest and fees then due
hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i
first,
towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the
parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees
then due to such parties, and (ii)
second,
towards payment of principal then due hereunder, ratably among the parties
entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal then due to such
parties.
(c) Sharing
of Payments by Lenders.
If any
Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise,
obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Loans
resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the
aggregate amount of its Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion
received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion
shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans of other
Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall
be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of
principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans; provided
that
(i)
if any
such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving
rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the
purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and
(ii)
the
provisions of this Section
4.01(c)
shall
not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and
in
accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained
by a
Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in
any
of its Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or
any
Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section
4.01(c)
shall
apply). The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it
may
effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a
participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the
Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation
as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount
of such participation.
23
Section
4.02 Presumption
of Payment by the Borrower.
Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior
to
the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account
of the Lenders that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative
Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in
accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to
the
Lenders the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made
such
payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay to the
Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such
Lenders with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such
amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the
Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and
a
rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry
rules on interbank compensation.
Section
4.03 Certain
Deductions by the Administrative Agent.
If any
Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to
Section
2.02(d)
or
Section
4.02
then the
Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary
provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative
Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under
such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully
paid.
ARTICLE
V
Increased
Costs; Taxes
Section
5.01 Increased
Costs.
(a) Capital
Requirements.
If any
Lender determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements has
or
would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s capital or
on the capital of such Lender’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of
this Agreement or the Loans made by Lenders hereunder, to a level below that
which such Lender or such Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for
such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s policies and the
policies of such Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy),
then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender, as the case may
be,
such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such
Lender’s holding company for any such reduction in rate of return suffered with
respect to the amounts advanced under the Loans.
24
(b) Certificates.
A
certificate of a Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to
compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified
in the immediately preceding subsection (a)
shall be
delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The
Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate
within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(c) Effect
of Failure or Delay in Requesting Compensation.
Failure
or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this
Section
5.01
shall
not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s right to demand such
compensation.
Section
5.02 Taxes.
(a) Payments
Free of Taxes.
Any and
all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower or any Guarantor
under any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction
for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided
that if
the Borrower or any Guarantor shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes
or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the
sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required
deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under
this Section
5.02),
the
Administrative Agent or Lenders (as the case may be) receives an amount equal
to
the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the
Borrower or such Guarantor shall make such deductions and (iii) the
Borrower or such Guarantor shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant
Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(b) Payment
of Other Taxes by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law.
(c) Indemnification
by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender within 10
days
after written demand therefore, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes
or
Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may
be,
on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of the
Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or
asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section
5.02)
and any
penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect
thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly
or
legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A
certificate of the Administrative Agent or a Lender as to the amount of such
payment or liability under this Section
5.02
shall be
delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.
(d) Evidence
of Payments.
As soon
as practicable, but in any event within 30 days after any payment of Indemnified
Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower or a Guarantor to a Governmental Authority,
the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a
certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing
such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence
of
such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
25
ARTICLE
VI
Lockbox
Procedures; Casualty Proceeds
Section
6.01 Lockbox
Account.
(a) The
Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall establish by the Effective Date
and
maintain at the Borrower’s expense an interest-bearing account (the
“Lockbox
Account”)
under
Administrative Agent’s exclusive control with a bank (the “Lockbox
Bank”)
reasonably acceptable to the Lenders which has entered into a lockbox account
agreement pursuant to which all Cash Receipts to be received by the Borrower
shall be deposited, and the Borrower shall direct (and hereby agrees to direct)
each payor of any Cash Receipts now and in the future to make payment to such
Lockbox Account. The Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints Administrative Agent
as its attorney-in-fact (and such appointment shall be deemed to be coupled
with
an interest so long as any Loans remain outstanding) to address any direction
letter or letter-in-lieu of division order executed by the Borrower it may
hold
and deliver or have delivered any such letter to any Person purchasing
Hydrocarbons from the Oil and Gas Properties that is not then directing payment
for such Hydrocarbons to the Lockbox Account.
(b) On
each
Disbursement Date, Administrative Agent (on behalf of the Lenders) shall direct
the Lockbox Bank to make the following payments from the Lockbox Account in
the
following order of priority and to the extent funds remain
available:
(i) amounts
to the Borrower to (A) pay overriding royalty interests created by any ORRI
Conveyance and to pay other royalties and overriding royalty interests (1)
with
respect to existing Oil and Gas Properties, to the extent such burdens exist
at
the time of the execution of this Agreement and (2) with respect to
Properties that Borrower acquires subsequent to the date of this Agreement
to
the extent such burdens exist at the time that the Borrower acquires such
Properties and is payable to non-Affiliated third parties, and (B) to remit
any revenues attributable to the royalty, overriding royalty and working
interests of third parties that were paid to or received by the Borrower, in
each case, as the Lenders determine is reasonably accurate in its good faith
discretion) and any applicable severance tax or ad-valorem tax attributable
to
all proceeds received by Borrower;
(ii) payment
to any third party (including Lenders or any of their Affiliates) of any amounts
due under any Swap Agreement of the Borrower approved by the
Lenders;
(iii) Operating
Costs approved by the Lenders;
(iv) payment
of any cash or cash equivalents representing proceeds of insurance policies
with
respect to any casualty to any of the Borrower’s Property (the “Casualty
Proceeds”),
to
the Casualty Proceeds Account subject to and in accordance with the provisions
of Section
6.03;
(v) payment
of all fees owed to any of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders then due
and
unpaid under Section
2.04;
26
(vi) payment
of all interest then accrued and unpaid on the Loans;
(vii) payment
to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of any other amounts due (other
than
principal on the Loans) under this Agreement and any of the other Loan
Documents;
(viii) payment
of development costs, including any related capital expenditures, that are
part
of the approved Development Plan, which costs have been approved by the
Administrative Agent to be funded from the Lockbox Account; provided,
however,
that
any amounts so funded shall reduce the then available Commitment by the amount
of such payments from the Lockbox;
(ix) General
and Administrative Costs up to $100,000
per month for the first six (6) months from the date of this Agreement, if
cash
is available in the waterfall as provided for in this Section
6.01(b)(i)
at such
time. After six (6) months from the date of this Agreement, General and
Administrative Costs up to $100,000 per month, provided
that the
amount of payment for General and Administrative Costs during each month in
this
time period may not exceed the amount of principal payment on the Debt during
the same month (notwithstanding the fact that principal payments are provided
for after General and Administrative Costs in item (xii) below for purposes
of
this Section
6.01.
(x) to
the
extent necessary, on the Monthly Dates for December, March, June and September
amounts representing Quarterly Taxes (as approved by the Administrative Agent)
for the holders of the Equity Interests of the Borrower to
permit
such Persons to pay taxes due and payable by such Persons in respect of the
income of the Borrower;
(xi) payment
of all principal then due under Section
3.01;
and
(xii) provided
Borrower
maintains a Twenty-Five Thousand Dollar ($25,000) balance in the Lockbox
Account, payment to the Borrower of any such remaining amount in excess of
such
Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) balance, to an account designated by
the
Borrower.
(c) Upon
the
occurrence and during the continuation of any Event of Default, the
Administrative Agent may, at its option, apply sums in the Lockbox Account
to
pay directly to the ultimate payee thereof some or all of the payments described
in Section
6.01(b),
as the
Lenders elect, including advances or prepayment to third Persons of expenditures
incurred in the ordinary course of Borrower’s operation of its
Properties.
(d) Upon
the
Credit Agreement Termination Date, all amounts remaining in the Lockbox Account
shall be disbursed to the Borrower to the account designated by the Borrower
(the “Operating
Account”)
in a
written notice given by the Borrower to the Lenders from time to time, not
later
than 12:00 noon New York, New York time on a day which is two Business Days
prior to the date such payment shall become due.
Section
6.02 Notice.
Immediately following execution of this Agreement, the Borrower shall send
the
Direction Letters, to all Persons that owe or are expected to owe Cash Receipts
to the Borrower, directing such persons to forward all such amounts directly
to
the Lockbox Account. The Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative
Agent as its attorney-in-fact (such appointment being coupled with an interest)
for sending any such notice to any Person who is or may become obligated to
make
any payment of Cash Receipts to the Borrower. With respect to Cash Receipts
received directly by the Borrower, the Borrower shall within two Business Days
deposit, or cause to be deposited, all such amounts in the Lockbox Account.
If
the Borrower has knowledge that any Person is in receipt of Cash Receipts that
would otherwise be properly deposited in the Lockbox Account, the Borrower
shall
promptly notify such Person and the Administrative Agent in writing of such
circumstance and shall direct such Person to deposit, or cause to be deposited,
all such amounts in the Lockbox Account.
27
Section
6.03 Casualty
Proceeds.
All
Casualty Proceeds are hereby assigned by the Borrower to the Administrative
Agent, and the Borrower shall have the right to collect any such payments,
and
such payments shall be deposited by the Lenders or the Administrative Agent
in
an account at the Lockbox Bank controlled by Administrative Agent (the
“Casualty
Proceeds Account”).
In
the event of any casualty, the Borrower shall deliver within 30 days, a written
report from an engineering firm acceptable to the Lenders describing the nature
of the casualty, the nature of any restoration required, and a good faith
estimate of the cost of such restoration. If the Lenders in their sole
discretion determine that the remediation is not in its best interests, given
the cost of such restoration and the affect such restoration would have on
the
amount and timing of repayment of the Loans, then the Lenders may apply such
Casualty Proceeds to the prepayment of the outstanding principal balance and
accrued interest of the Loans and the other Indebtedness, whether or not such
Indebtedness is then due and payable. If the Lenders determine that such
Casualty Proceeds shall be used for restoration, then the proceeds shall be
disbursed from the Casualty Proceeds Account for such restoration in accordance
with procedures reasonably determined by the Lenders consistent with
construction loan funding principles. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the
Lenders determine that the Casualty Proceeds shall be used for restoration
and
such Casualty Proceeds are less than $50,000, then such amount shall be
disbursed from the Casualty Proceeds Account to the Borrower and the Borrower
shall utilize such proceeds solely for restoration of such
casualty.
ARTICLE
VII
Conditions
Precedent
Section
7.01 Initial
Funding.
The
obligations of the Lenders to make their Loans under the Initial Funding shall
not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions
is
satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section
13.02):
(a) The
Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders shall have received all
fees
and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including,
to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses
required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of the Secretary or
an
Assistant Secretary of the Borrower setting forth (i)
resolutions of its Board of Managers or similar body with respect to the
authorization of such Person to execute and deliver the Loan Documents to which
it is a party and to enter into the transactions contemplated in those
documents, (ii)
the
officers or other designated persons of such (y) who are authorized to sign
the
Loan Documents to which such Person is a party and (z) who will, until replaced
by another officer or officers duly authorized for that purpose, act as its
representative for the purposes of signing documents and giving notices and
other communications in connection with this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby, (iii)
specimen
signatures of such authorized officers, and (iv)
the
certificate of incorporation, bylaws, certificate of formation, operating
agreement, partnership agreement or other similar organizational documents,
of
each Person, certified as being true and complete. The Administrative Agent
and
the Lenders may conclusively rely on such certificate until the Administrative
Agent receives notice in writing from the applicable Person to the
contrary.
(c) The
Administrative Agent shall have received certificates of the appropriate State
agencies with respect to the existence, qualification and good standing of
the
Borrower.
(d) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a compliance certificate which shall
be
substantially in the form of Exhibit
D,
duly
and properly executed by a Responsible Officer and dated as of the date of
Effective Date.
(e) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from each party hereto counterparts
(in
such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent) of this Agreement
signed on behalf of such party.
(f) The
Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed Notes payable to the
order of each Lender in a principal amount equal to its Commitment dated as
of
the date hereof.
(g) The
Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent the Initial Funding
Disbursement Request in the amount of the Initial Funding.
(h) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from the Borrower duly executed
counterparts of the ORRI Conveyances for each Lenders with respect to the
Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties as of the date of such funding.
(i) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from the Borrower and each holder
of
any Equity Interest in the Borrower, duly executed counterparts of the
Participation Agreement for each Lender.
(j) The
Administrative Agent shall have received from each party thereto duly executed
counterparts (in such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent)
of
the Security Instruments, including the Security Agreement, the Pledge Agreement
and the other Security Instruments described on Exhibit
F-1.
In
connection with the execution and delivery of the Security Instruments, the
Administrative Agent shall:
(i) be
reasonably satisfied that the Security Instruments create first priority,
perfected Liens on the Collateral, such Liens being subject only to Excepted
Liens identified in clauses (a) to (e) of the definition thereof, but subject
to
the provisos at the end of such definition;
28
(ii) have
received certificates, together with undated, blank stock powers for each such
certificate, representing all of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests
of
the Borrower and each Affiliate of Borrower; and
(k) The
Administrative Agent shall have received an opinion of Glast Xxxxxxxx &
Xxxxxx, special counsel to the Borrower, substantially in the form of
Exhibit
E
hereto.
(l) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of insurance coverage
of
the Borrower evidencing that the Borrower is carrying insurance in accordance
with Section
8.13.
(m) The
Administrative Agent shall have received title information as the Administrative
Agent may require satisfactory to the Administrative Agent setting forth the
status of title to the Borrower’s and its Affiliates’ Oil and Gas Properties as
of the Effective Date.
(n) The
Administrative Agent shall be satisfied with the environmental condition of
the
Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and have received such reports as in
form
and scope satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders as they
may
request related thereto, including a Phase 1 Environmental Report with respect
to all xxxxx a part of the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower.
(o) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer
of the Borrower certifying that the Borrower has received all consents and
approvals required by Section
8.03.
(p) The
Administrative Agent shall have received (i)
the
financial statements referred to in Section
8.04(a),
(ii)
the
certificate covering the matters described in Section
9.12(b)
and
(iii)
copies
of all material contracts or agreements, including, but not limited to, all
operating agreements covering the Oil and Gas Properties, as well as all
marketing, transportation, and processing agreements related to such Oil and
Gas
Properties.
(q) The
Administrative Agent shall have received appropriate UCC search certificates
reflecting no prior Liens encumbering the Properties of the Borrower for each
of
the following jurisdictions: State of Texas and the following Texas counties:
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxxxxx and any other jurisdiction reasonably
requested by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall have
received appropriate UCC search certificates reflecting no prior Liens
encumbering the Properties being pledged pursuant to the Pledge Agreement for
the State of Texas and any other jurisdiction requested by the Administrative
Agent.
(r) [Intentionally
omitted.]
(s) The
Administrative Agent shall be satisfied that there are no negative price
deviations in oil and gas prices that would have a Material Adverse Effect
on
the value of the Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties.
(t) The
Administrative Agent shall be satisfied that there has been no Material Adverse
Effect to the Borrower since March 31, 2005.
29
(u) The
Administrative Agent shall have received Letters-in-Lieu executed in blank
by
the Borrower, in such quantity as the Administrative Agent may reasonably
request.
(v) The
Administrative Agent shall have received Direction Letters executed in blank
by
the Borrower, in such quantity as the Administrative Agent may reasonably
request.
(w) Since
March 31, 2005, there shall not have been any disruption or adverse change
in
the financial or capital markets.
(x) The
Borrower and the Lenders shall have agreed upon the Development
Plan.
(y) The
Administrative Agent shall be reasonably satisfied with the potential plugging
and abandonment liabilities associated with the Oil & Gas Properties,
including, without limitation, the bonding or collateralization obligations
of
the Borrower associated therewith.
(z) The
Administrative Agent shall have completed, and be satisfied with, its due
diligence review of the Borrower, its operations including title, engineering,
and environmental and financial condition, the Material Agreements and such
other Agreements as Lenders may determine, the Oil & Gas Properties and
other related matters.
(aa) The
Administrative Agent and Lenders will be satisfied with Borrower’s current tax
position.
(bb) The
Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the
Administrative Agent or special counsel to the Administrative Agent may
reasonably request.
The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective
Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall not
become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived
pursuant to Section
13.02)
at or
prior to 2:00 p.m., New York, New York time, on September 15, 2005 (and, in
the
event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall
terminate at such time).
Section
7.02 Subsequent
Fundings.
The
obligation of the Lenders to make Loans to the Borrower with respect to any
Subsequent Fundings for which a Subsequent Commitment Increase has been approved
by the Lenders in accordance with Section
2.01(b)
is
subject to the following conditions:
(a) The
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section
7.03.
(b) The
delivery to the Lenders and their approval (in their sole discretion) in writing
of (i) a Subsequent Commitment Increase Request (delivered by the Borrower
to
the Lenders at least 30 days, but not more than 90 days, prior to the date
when
the first Invoice Disbursement Request relating thereto is to be delivered
by
the Borrower to the Lender) relating to a specific Development Project and
(ii)
an Invoice Disbursement Request relating to an approved Subsequent Commitment
Increase Request. The Lenders’ approval, if any, of any Subsequent Commitment
Increase Request shall be at their sole and unfettered discretion; any such
approval will require that with respect to (A) any Development Project,
such Development Project is in accordance with the (x) Development Plan
(including as to scope of work, the means and method of the work, the cost
of
the work, and the timing for the commencement and completion of the work),
and
(y) other information delivered to the Lenders in connection with the Subsequent
Commitment Increase Request and (B) any acquisition of any additional Oil
and Gas Properties, Borrower shall provide such information as the Lenders
may
request. No Lenders shall have any obligation to approve any Subsequent
Commitment Increase Request.
(c) In
the
case of a Subsequent Funding relating to the acquisition of any additional
Oil
and Gas Properties, the satisfaction of the conditions (modified as appropriate
to apply to the relevant acquisition of additional Oil and Gas Properties)
set
forth in Xxxxxxxx 0.00(x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x),
(x), and (aa) with respect to such additional Oil and Gas
Properties.
(d) Lenders
are satisfied with Borrower’s current hedging position taking into consideration
any proposed Development Projects being proposed in connection with a Subsequent
Funding.
Section
7.03 All
Fundings.
The
obligation of the Lenders to make Loans to the Borrower upon the occasion of
each Borrowing hereunder (including the Initial Funding) is subject to the
further conditions precedent that, as of the date of such Borrowing and after
giving effect thereto:
(a) no
Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(b) no
Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred; and
(c) the
representations and warranties made or deemed made by the Borrower or any
Affiliate in Article VIII and in the Loan Documents shall be true and correct
on
and as of the date of such Borrowing with the same force and effect as if made
on and as of such date and following such new Borrowing, except to the extent
such representations and warranties are expressly limited to an earlier date
or
the Lenders may expressly consent in writing to the contrary.
Section
7.04 Conditions
Precedent for the Benefit of the Lender.
All
conditions precedent to the obligations of the Lenders to make any advance
is
imposed hereby solely for the benefit of the Lenders, and no other Person may
require satisfaction of any such condition precedent or be entitled to assume
that the Lenders will refuse to make any advance in the absence of strict
compliance with such conditions precedent.
Section
7.05 No
Waiver.
No
waiver of any condition precedent shall preclude the Lenders from requiring
such
condition to be met prior to making any subsequent advance of the
Loans.
30
ARTICLE
VIII
Representations
and Warranties
The
Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
Section
8.01 Organization;
Powers.
Each of
the Borrower and the Affiliates is duly formed, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, has all requisite
power and authority, and has all material governmental licenses, authorizations,
consents and approvals necessary, to own its assets and to carry on its business
as now conducted, and is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing
in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required, except where
failure to have such power, authority, licenses, authorizations, consents,
approvals and qualifications could not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
Section
8.02 Authority;
Enforceability.
The
Transactions are within the Borrower’s and each Guarantor’s powers and have been
duly authorized by all necessary corporate, company or partnership (as
applicable) action and, if required, shareholder, partner and/or member action.
Each Loan Document to which the Borrower and each Guarantor is a party has
been
duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and such Guarantor and constitutes
a
legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower and such Guarantor, as
applicable, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting
creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity,
regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law.
Section
8.03 Approvals;
No
Conflicts.
The
Transactions (a)
do not
require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other
action by, any Governmental Authority or any other third Person (including
members, partners, shareholders or any class of directors, partners or managers,
whether interested or disinterested, of the Borrower or any other Person),
nor
is any such consent, approval, registration, filing or other action necessary
for the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated thereby, except such as have been obtained or
made
and are in full force and effect other than (i)
the
recording and filing of the Security Instruments as required by this Agreement
and (ii)
those
third party approvals or consents that, if not made or obtained, would not
cause
a Default hereunder, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect or do not have an adverse effect on the enforceability of the Loan
Documents, (b)
will not
violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, operating agreement,
regulations, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any
Affiliate or any order of any Governmental Authority, (c)
will not
violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other
instrument binding upon the Borrower or any Affiliate or its Properties, or
give
rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Borrower
or
such Affiliate and (d)
will not
result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any Property of the Borrower
or any Affiliate (other than the Liens created by the Loan
Documents).
Section
8.04 Financial
Condition; No Material Adverse Change.
(a) The
Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Administrative Agent and the Arranger
the consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, partners’ capital and
cash flows for the Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates (i) as of and for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, and (ii) as of and for that portion
of
the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005, certified by its Financial Officer. Such
financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its
Consolidated Affiliates as of such dates and of such periods in accordance
with
GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in
the
case of the unaudited quarterly financial statements.
31
(b) Since
March 31, 2005, (i)
there
has been no event, development or circumstance that has had or could reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii)
the
business of the Borrower or its Affiliates has been conducted only in the
ordinary course consistent with past business practices.
(c) Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Affiliates has on the date hereof any material
Debt
(including Disqualified Capital Stock) or any contingent liabilities,
off-balance sheet liabilities or partnerships, liabilities for taxes, unusual
forward or long-term commitments or unrealized or anticipated losses from any
unfavorable commitments, except as referred to or reflected or provided for
in
the Financial Statements.
Section
8.05 Litigation.
(a) Except
as
set forth on Schedule 8.05,
there
are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings by or before any arbitrator
or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower,
threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliates (i)
that is
not fully covered by insurance (except for normal deductibles), or (ii)
that
involve any Loan Document or the Transactions.
(b) Since
the
date of this Agreement, there has been no negative change in the status of
the
matters disclosed in Schedule 8.05.
Section
8.06 Environmental
Matters.
Except
as is set forth on Schedule
8.06:
(a) neither
any Property of the Borrower or any Affiliate nor the operations conducted
thereon violate any order or requirement of any court or Governmental Authority
or any Environmental Laws.
(b) no
Property of the Borrower or any Affiliate nor the operations currently conducted
thereon or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, by any prior owner or operator
of
such Property or operation, are in violation of or subject to any existing,
pending or threatened action, suit, investigation, inquiry or proceeding by
or
before any court or Governmental Authority or to any remedial obligations under
Environmental Laws.
(c) all
notices, permits, licenses, exemptions, approvals or similar authorizations,
if
any, required to be obtained or filed in connection with the operation or use
of
any and all Property of the Borrower and each Affiliate, including, without
limitation, past or present treatment, storage, disposal or release of a
hazardous substance, oil and gas waste or solid waste into the environment,
have
been duly obtained or filed, and the Borrower and each Affiliate are in
compliance with the terms and conditions of all such notices, permits, licenses
and similar authorizations.
32
(d) all
hazardous substances, solid waste and oil and gas waste, if any, generated
at
any and all Property of the Borrower or any Affiliate have in the past been
transported, treated and disposed of in accordance with Environmental Laws
and
so as not to pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health
or
welfare or the environment, and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, all such
transport carriers and treatment and disposal facilities have been and are
operating in compliance with Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an
imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the
environment, and are not the subject of any existing, pending or threatened
action, investigation or inquiry by any Governmental Authority in connection
with any Environmental Laws.
(e) the
Borrower has taken all steps reasonably necessary to determine and has
determined that no material quantities of oil, hazardous substances, solid
waste
or oil and gas waste, have been disposed of or otherwise released and there
has
been no threatened release of any oil, hazardous substances, solid waste or
oil
and gas waste on or to any Property of the Borrower or any Affiliate except
in
compliance with Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an imminent and
substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the
environment.
(f) to
the
extent applicable, all Property of the Borrower and each Affiliate currently
satisfies all design, operation, and equipment requirements imposed by the
OPA,
and the Borrower does not have any reason to believe that such Property, to
the
extent subject to the OPA, will not be able to maintain compliance with the
OPA
requirements during the term of this Agreement.
(g) neither
the Borrower nor any Affiliate has any known contingent liability or Remedial
Work in connection with any release or threatened release of any oil, hazardous
substance, solid waste or oil and gas waste into the environment.
(h) neither
the Borrower’s nor any Affiliate’s oil and gas operations on its Oil and Gas
Properties are subject to any environmental assessment requirements under the
National Environmental Policy Act or any analogous Governmental Regulation
or
any other environmental review or assessment requirements in excess of
environmental review and assessment requirements required in connection with
Borrower and its Affiliates obtaining any permits or other required
authorizations in completing recent xxxxx on their Properties.
Section
8.07 Compliance
with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults.
(a) Each
of
the Borrower and each Affiliate is in material compliance with all Governmental
Requirements applicable to it or its Property and all agreements and other
instruments binding upon it or its Property, and possesses all material
licenses, permits, franchises, exemptions, approvals and other governmental
authorizations necessary for the ownership of its Property and the conduct
of
its business.
(b) Neither
the Borrower nor any Affiliate is in default nor has any event or circumstance
occurred that, but for the expiration of any applicable grace period or the
giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default or would require the
Borrower or an Affiliate to Redeem or make any offer to Redeem under any
indenture, note, credit agreement or instrument pursuant to which any Material
Indebtedness is outstanding or by which the Borrower or any Affiliate or any
of
their Properties is bound.
33
(c) No
Default has occurred and is continuing.
Section
8.08 Investment
Company Act.
Neither
the Borrower nor any Affiliate is an “investment company” or a company
“controlled” by an “investment company,” within the meaning of, or subject to
regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
Section
8.09 Public
Utility Holding Company Act.
Neither
the Borrower nor any Affiliate is a “holding company,” or a “subsidiary company”
of a “holding company,” or an “affiliate” of a “holding company” or of a
“subsidiary company” of a “holding company,” or a “public utility” within the
meaning of, or subject to regulation under, the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935, as amended.
Section
8.10 Taxes.
Each of
the Borrower and its Affiliates has timely filed or caused to be filed all
Tax
returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be
paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except Taxes that are being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower
or
such Affiliate, as applicable, has set aside adequate reserves in accordance
with GAAP. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries in respect of Taxes and other governmental charges are, in
the
reasonable opinion of the Borrower, adequate. No Lien for Taxes has been filed
and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, no claim is being asserted with respect
to any such Tax or other such governmental charge.
Section
8.11 ERISA.
(a) The
Borrower, the Affiliates and each ERISA Affiliate have complied in all material
respects with ERISA and, where applicable, the Code regarding each
Plan.
(b) Each
Plan
is, and has been, maintained in substantial compliance with ERISA and, where
applicable, the Code.
(c) No
act,
omission or transaction has occurred which could result in imposition on the
Borrower, any Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate (whether directly or indirectly)
of (i)
either a
civil penalty assessed pursuant to subsections (c), (i) or (l) of section 502
of
ERISA or a tax imposed pursuant to Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of the Code or
(ii)
breach
of fiduciary duty liability damages under section 409 of ERISA.
(d) No
Plan
(other than a defined contribution plan) or any trust created under any such
Plan has been terminated since September 2, 1974. No liability to the PBGC
(other than for the payment of current premiums that are not past due) by the
Borrower, any Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate has been or is expected by the
Borrower, any Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate to be incurred with respect
to
any Plan. No ERISA Event with respect to any Plan has occurred.
34
(e) Full
payment when due has been made of all amounts which the Borrower, the Affliates
or any ERISA Affiliate is required under the terms of each Plan or applicable
law to have paid as contributions to such Plan as of the date hereof, and no
accumulated funding deficiency (as defined in section 302 of ERISA and section
412 of the Code), whether or not waived, exists with respect to any
Plan.
(f) The
actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities under each Plan which is
subject to Title IV of ERISA does not, as of the end of the Borrower’s most
recently ended fiscal year, exceed the current value of the assets (computed
on
a plan termination basis in accordance with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan
allocable to such benefit liabilities. The term “actuarial present value of the
benefit liabilities” shall have the meaning specified in section 4041 of
ERISA.
(g) Neither
the Borrower, the Affiliates nor any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains, or
contributes to an employee welfare benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1)
of
ERISA, including, without limitation, any such plan maintained to provide
benefits to former employees of such entities, that may not be terminated by
the
Borrower, a Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate in its sole discretion at any
time
without any material liability.
(h) Neither
the Borrower, the Affiliates nor any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains or
contributes to, or has at any time in the six-year period preceding the date
hereof sponsored, maintained or contributed to, any Multiemployer
Plan.
(i) Neither
the Borrower, the Affiliates nor any ERISA Affiliate is required to provide
security under section 401(a)(29) of the Code due to a Plan amendment that
results in an increase in current liability for the Plan.
Section
8.12 Disclosure;
No Material Misstatements.
No
written information, statement, exhibit, certificate, document or report
furnished to either the Administrative Agent or the Lenders by the Borrower
or
any of its Affiliates in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents contained any material misstatement of fact or omitted
to state a material fact or any fact necessary to make the statement contained
therein not materially misleading in the light of the circumstances in which
made and with respect to the Borrower and its Affiliates, taken as a whole.
There is no fact peculiar to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates which has
a
Material Adverse Effect or in the future is reasonably likely to have (so far
as
the Borrower can now reasonably foresee) a Material Adverse Effect and which
has
not been set forth in this Agreement, the Loan Documents or the other documents,
certificates and statements furnished to the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders by or on behalf of the Borrower or its Affiliates prior to, or on,
the
Effective Date in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. There
are no statements or conclusions in any Reserve Report taken as a whole that
are
based upon or include misleading information or fail to take into account
material information regarding the matters report therein.
Section
8.13 Insurance.
Schedule
8.13
attached
hereto contains an accurate and complete description of all material policies
of
fire, liability, workmen’s compensation and other forms of insurance that are
owned or held by or on behalf of the Borrower. All such policies are in full
force and effect, all premiums with respect thereto covering all periods up
to
and including the date of the closing have been paid, and no notice of
cancellation or termination has been received with respect to any such policy.
Such policies are sufficient for compliance with all Governmental Requirements
and all agreements to which the Borrower is a party; are valid, outstanding
and
enforceable policies; provide adequate insurance coverage for the assets and
operations of the Borrower in at least such amounts and against at least such
risks (but including in any event public liability) as are usually insured
against in the same general area by companies engaged in the same or a similar
business; will remain in full force and effect through the respective dates
set
forth in Schedule
8.13;
and
will not in any way be affected by, or terminate or lapse by reason of, the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Loan Documents. Neither
the
Borrower (nor to Borrower’s knowledge any prior owner of the Oil and Gas
Properties) has been refused any insurance with respect to its assets or
operations, nor has it been limited below usual and customary policy limits,
by
an insurance carrier to which it has applied for any insurance or with which
it
has carried insurance during the last three years. The Administrative Agent
and
the Lenders have been named as additional insureds in respect of such liability
insurance policies and the Administrative Agent has been named as loss payee
with respect to property loss insurance.
35
Section
8.14 Restriction
on Liens.
Neither
the Borrower nor any of the Affiliates is a party to any material agreement
or
arrangement, or subject to any order, judgment, writ or decree, that either
restricts or purports to restrict its ability to grant Liens to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders on or in respect of their Properties to
secure the Indebtedness and the Loan Documents.
Section
8.15 Subsidiaries.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
8.15
and
except for Borrower, which is a Subsidiary of Parent, neither Parent nor
Borrower has any Subsidiaries.
Section
8.16 Location
of Business and Offices.
The
Borrower’s jurisdiction of organization is the State of Texas; the name of the
Borrower as listed in the public records of its jurisdiction of organization
is
Crosspoint Energy Holdings, LLC; and the organizational identification number
of
the Borrower in its jurisdiction of organization is 800529737 (or,
in
each case, as set forth in a notice delivered to the Administrative Agent
pursuant to Section
9.01(m)
in
accordance with Section
13.01).
The
Borrower’s principal place of business and chief executive offices are located
at the address specified in Section
13.01
(or as
set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section
9.01(m)
and
Section
13.01(c)).
Each
Affiliate’s jurisdiction of organization, name as listed in the public records
of its jurisdiction of organization and its organizational identification number
in its jurisdiction of organization, and the location of its principal place
of
business and chief executive office is stated on Schedule
8.15
(or as
set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section
9.01(m)).
Section
8.17 Properties;
Titles, Etc.
(a) Except
as
provided on Schedule
8.17,
after
giving full effect to the Excepted Liens and except for the ORRI Conveyance,
the
Borrower owns the working interests and net interests in production attributable
to the Oil and Gas Properties reflected in the Initial Reserve Report and set
forth in Schedule
8.17
and the
ownership of such Oil and Gas Properties shall not in any material respect
obligate the Borrower to bear the costs and expenses relating to the
maintenance, development and operations of each such Property in an amount
in
excess of the working interest of each Oil and Gas Property set forth in
Schedule
8.17.
All
information contained in the most recently delivered Reserve Report is true
and
correct in all material respects as of the date thereof. No litigation or claims
are currently pending, or the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened which
would question the Borrower’s title to the Oil and Gas Properties.
36
(b) Except
as
provided on Schedule
8.17,
all oil
and gas leases and material agreements referenced in the Initial Reserve Report
or the title opinions delivered in connection with the Initial Funding are
valid
and subsisting, in full force and effect and there exists no default or event
or
circumstance which with the giving of notice or the passage of time or both
would give rise to a default under any such lease or leases, which would affect
in any material respect the conduct of the business of the
Borrower.
(c) The
Property then owned, leased or licensed by the Borrower and its Affiliates
including, without limitation, all easements and rights of way, is all of the
Property necessary to permit the Borrower and its Affiliates to conduct their
oil and gas development business in all material respects in the manner as
would
a prudent operator and Borrower and its Affiliates will not be required to
acquire any material assets to conduct the proposed operations of Borrower’s and
its Affiliates’ Properties other than the replacement of equipment in the
ordinary course of business and other acquisitions as contemplated by the
Development Plan.
(d) All
fixtures, improvements and personal property included in the Properties of
the
Borrower and its Affiliates which are reasonably necessary for the operation
of
its business are in good working condition and are maintained in accordance
with
prudent business standards.
(e) The
Borrower and each Affiliate owns, or will be licensed to use, all trademarks,
tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual Property material to
its
business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and such Affiliate will not
infringe upon the rights of any other Person. The Borrower and its Affiliates
either will own or have valid licenses or other rights to use all databases,
geological data, geophysical data, engineering data, seismic data, maps,
interpretations and other technical information used or usable in the conduct
of
their businesses, subject to the limitations contained in the agreements
governing the use of the same, which limitations will be customary for companies
engaged in the business of the exploration and production of
Hydrocarbons.
Section
8.18 Maintenance
of Properties.
The Oil
and Gas Properties (and Properties unitized therewith) have been maintained,
operated and developed in a good and workmanlike manner and in material
conformity with all Government Requirements and in material conformity with
the
provisions of all leases, subleases or other contracts comprising a part of
the
Hydrocarbon Interests and other contracts and agreements forming a part of
the
Oil and Gas Properties: specifically in connection with the foregoing
(i)
no Oil
and Gas Property is subject to having allowable production reduced below the
full and regular allowable (including the maximum permissible tolerance) because
of any overproduction (whether or not the same was permissible at the time)
and
(ii)
none of
the xxxxx comprising a part of the Oil and Gas Properties (or Properties
unitized therewith) is deviated from the vertical more than the maximum
permitted by Government Requirements, and such xxxxx are, in fact, bottomed
under and are producing from, and the well bores are wholly within, the Oil
and
Gas Properties (or in the case of xxxxx located on Properties unitized
therewith, such unitized Properties). All pipelines, xxxxx, gas processing
plants, platforms and other material improvements, fixtures and equipment owned
in whole or in part by the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that are necessary
to conduct normal operations are being maintained in a state adequate to conduct
normal operations, and with respect to such of the foregoing that are operated
by the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, in a manner consistent with the
Borrower’s or its Affiliates’ past practices.
37
Section
8.19 Gas
Imbalances,
Prepayments.
As of
December 31, 2004, except as set forth on Schedule
8.19,
on a
net basis there are no gas imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments that
would require the Borrower or any of its Affiliates to deliver Hydrocarbons
produced from the Oil and Gas Properties at some future time without then or
thereafter receiving full payment therefor. Except as set forth on Schedule
8.19,
no
material gas imbalances exist as of December 31, 2004 with respect to any of
the
Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties.
Section
8.20 Marketing
of Production.
Except
for contracts listed and in effect on the date hereof on Schedule
8.20,
and
thereafter either disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent or included
in the most recently delivered Reserve Report (with respect to all of which
contracts the Borrower represents that it or its Affiliates are receiving a
price for all production sold thereunder which is computed substantially in
accordance with the terms of the relevant contract and are not having deliveries
curtailed substantially below the subject Property’s delivery capacity), no
material agreements exist that are not cancelable on 60 days notice or less
without penalty or detriment for the sale of production from the Borrower’s or
its Affiliates’ Hydrocarbons (including, without limitation, calls on or other
rights to purchase, production, whether or not the same are currently being
exercised) that (a)
pertain
to the sale of production at a fixed price and (b)
have a
maturity or expiration date of longer than six (6) months from the date hereof.
All proceeds from the sale of the Borrower’s interests in Hydrocarbons from its
Oil and Gas Properties will be paid in full to the Borrower by the purchaser
thereof on a timely basis, and none of such proceeds are currently being held
in
suspense by such purchaser or any other Person. Except as set forth in
Schedule
8.20,
none of
the Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties are subject to any contractual or other
arrangement whereby payment for production therefrom is to be deferred for
a
substantial period of time after the month in which such production is delivered
(i.e., in the case of oil, not in excess of 60 days, and in the case of gas,
not
in excess of 90 days). Except as set forth on Schedule
8.20,
none of
the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower is subject to a contractual or other
arrangement for the sale of oil or gas production for a fixed price which cannot
be canceled on 90 days (or less) notice or which contains terms which are not
customary in the industry. None of the Oil and Gas Properties of Borrower is
subject at present to any regulatory refund obligation and no facts exist which
might cause the same to be imposed.
Section
8.21 Swap
Agreements.
Schedule
8.21,
as of
the date hereof, and after the date hereof, each report required to be delivered
by the Borrower pursuant to Section
9.01(d),
sets
forth a true and complete list of all Swap Agreements of the Borrower and each
Affiliate, the material terms thereof (including the type, term, effective
date,
termination date and notional amounts or volumes), the net xxxx to market value
thereof, all credit support agreements relating thereto (including any margin
required or supplied) and the counterparty to each such agreement.
Section
8.22 Use
of
Loans.
The
proceeds of the Loans shall be used to pay the costs associated with the
approved Development Projects set forth in the Development Plan, pay the
commitment fee referenced in Sections 2.03 and 2.04 and pay the other costs
of
the transactions related to this Agreement. The Borrower and its Affiliates
are
not engaged principally, or as one of its or their important activities, in
the
business of extending credit for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental
or
ultimate, of buying or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation
T, U or X of the Board). No part of the proceeds of any Loans will be used
for
any purpose which violates the provisions of Regulations T, U or X of the
Board.
Section
8.23 Solvency.
After
giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby, (a)
the
aggregate assets (after giving effect to amounts that could reasonably be
received by reason of indemnity, offset, insurance or any similar arrangement),
at a fair valuation, of the Borrower and the Guarantors, taken as a whole,
will
exceed the aggregate Debt of the Borrower and the Guarantors on a consolidated
basis, as the Debt becomes absolute and matures, (b)
each of
the Borrower and the Guarantors has not incurred and does not intend to incur,
and does not believe that it will incur, Debt beyond its ability to pay such
Debt (after taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be received
by
each of the Borrower and the Guarantors and the amounts to be payable on or
in
respect of its liabilities, and giving effect to amounts that could reasonably
be received by reason of indemnity, offset, insurance or any similar
arrangement) as such Debt becomes absolute and matures and (c)
each of
the Borrower and the Guarantors does not have (and has no reason to believe
that
it will have thereafter) unreasonably small capital for the conduct of its
business.
Section
8.24 Casualty
Events.
Since
March 31, 2005, neither the business nor any Properties of the Borrower have
been materially and adversely affected as a result of any fire, explosion,
earthquake, flood, drought, windstorm, accident, strike or other labor
disturbance, embargo, requisition or taking of Property or cancellation of
contracts, permits or concessions by any domestic or foreign Governmental
Authority, riot, activities or armed forces or acts of God or of any public
enemy.
Section
8.25 Material
Agreements.
Set
forth on Schedule
8.25
hereto
is a complete and correct list of all material agreements and other instruments
of the Borrower currently in effect setting forth each counterparty thereto
(other than the Loan Documents) relating to the purchase, transportation by
pipeline, gas processing, marketing, development, sale and supply of
Hydrocarbons, farmout arrangements, joint operating agreements, contract
operating agreements or other material contracts (excluding oil and gas leases
of the Borrower) to which the Borrower is a party on or after the Effective
Date
or by which its Properties is bound on or after the Effective Date (collectively
“Material
Agreements”)
and
copies of such documents have been provided to the Administrative Agent. All
such agreements are in full force and effect and the Borrower is not in default
thereunder, nor is there any uncured default by any Affiliate predecessor in
interest to the Borrower or, to the Borrower’s knowledge, by any predecessor in
interest to the Borrower (other than an Affiliate predecessor) or counterparty
thereto, nor has the Borrower altered any material item of such agreements
since
the Effective Date without the prior written consent of the
Lenders.
38
Section
8.26 No
Brokers.
Except
for a fee to Premier Capital of $50,000, no Person is entitled to any brokerage
fee or finders fee or similar fee or commission in connection with arranging
the
Loans contemplated by this Agreement.
Section
8.27 Reliance.
In
connection with the negotiation of and the entering into this Agreement, the
Borrower acknowledges and represents that none of the Lenders, the
Administrative Agent, the Arranger, or any representative of any of the
foregoing is acting as a fiduciary or financial or investment advisor for it;
it
is not relying upon any representations (whether written or oral) of such
Persons; it has consulted with its own legal, regulatory, tax, business
investment, financial and accounting advisors to the extent it has deemed
necessary, and it has made its own investment, hedging, and trading decisions
based upon its own judgment and upon any advice from such advisors as it has
deemed necessary and not upon any view expressed by any Lender, the
Administrative Agent, the Arranger, or any representative of any of the
foregoing; it has not been given by any Lender, the Administrative Agent, the
Arranger, or any representative of any of the foregoing (directly or indirectly
through any other Person) any advice, counsel, assurance, guarantee, or
representation whatsoever as to the expected or projected success,
profitability, return, performance, result, effect, consequence, or benefit
(either legal, regulatory, tax, financial, accounting, or otherwise) of this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby; and it is entering into
this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents with a full understanding of all of
the
risks hereof and thereof (economic and otherwise), and it is capable of assuming
and willing to assume (financially and otherwise) those risks.
Section
8.28 Investments
and Guaranties.
The
Borrower has not made any investments in, advances to or guaranties of the
obligations of any Person, except as reflected in the financial statements
described in Section
9.01(a).
Section
8.29 Payments
by Purchasers of Production.
All
proceeds from the sale of the Borrower’s interests in Hydrocarbons from its Oil
and Gas Properties are currently being paid in full to the Borrower by the
purchaser thereof on a timely basis and at prices and terms comparable to market
prices and terms generally available at the time such prices and terms were
negotiated for oil and gas production from producing areas situated near such
Oil and Gas Properties, and none of such proceeds are currently being held
in
suspense by such purchaser or any other Person.
Section
8.30 Existing
Accounts Payable.
Set
forth on Schedule
8.30
hereto
is a complete and correct list of all existing accounts payable of the Borrower
that are more than 30 days past due as of the Effective Date.
39
ARTICLE
IX
Affirmative
Covenants
Until
the
Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest
on
each Loan and all fees payable hereunder and all other amounts payable under
the
Loan Documents shall have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees
with the Lenders that:
Section
9.01 Financial
Statements; Other Information.
The
Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Arranger:
(a) Annual
Financial Statements.
As soon
as available, but in any event in accordance with then applicable law and not
later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its
audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations,
stockholders (or member’s equity as applicable) equity and cash flows as of the
end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the
figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by independent public
accountants approved by the Lenders (without a “going concern” or like
qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to
the
scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements
present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results
of
operations of the Borrower and its Consolidated Affiliates on a consolidated
basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied.
(b) Quarterly
Financial Statements.
As soon
as available, but in any event in accordance with then applicable law and not
later than 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters
of
each fiscal year of the Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet and related
statements of operations, stockholders’ (or member’s equity as applicable)
equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the
then
elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative
form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case
of
the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified
by
a Financial Officer as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial
condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Affiliates on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of
footnotes.
(c) Certificate
of Financial Officer - Compliance.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section
9.01(a)
or
Section
9.01(b),
a
certificate of a Financial Officer in substantially the form of Exhibit
D
hereto
(i)
certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred,
specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken
with
respect thereto, (ii)
setting
forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with
Section
9.13(b)
and
Section
10.01,
(iii)
stating
whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since
March 31, 2005 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect
of
such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate, (iv)
if,
at any time, all of the Consolidated Affiliates of the Borrower are not
Consolidated Affiliates, setting forth consolidating spreadsheets that show
all
Consolidated Affiliates and the eliminating entries, in such form as would
be
presentable to the auditors of the Borrower.
(d) Certificate
of Financial Officer - Swap Agreements.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section
9.01(a)
and
Section
9.01(b),
a
certificate of a Financial Officer, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent, setting forth as of the last Business Day of such fiscal
quarter or fiscal year, a true and complete list of all Swap Agreements of
the
Borrower and each Affiliate, the material terms thereof (including the type,
term, effective date, termination date and notional amounts or volumes), the
net
xxxx-to-market value therefore, any new credit support agreements relating
thereto not listed on Schedule
8.21,
any
margin required or supplied under any credit support document, and the
counterparty to each such agreement.
40
(e) Certificate
of Insurer - Insurance Coverage.
Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under Section
9.01(a),
a
certificate of insurance coverage from each insurer with respect to the
insurance required by Section
9.07,
in form
and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, and, if requested by
the
Administrative Agent or the Arranger, all copies of the applicable
policies.
(f) Other
Accounting Reports.
Promptly upon receipt thereof, a copy of each other report or letter submitted
to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates by independent accountants in
connection with any annual, interim or special audit made by them of the books
of the Borrower or any such Affiliate, and a copy of any response by the
Borrower or any such Subsidiary, or the Board of Directors, Board of Managers
or
similar body of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary, to such letter or
report.
(g) Cash
Flow.
Within
45 days after the end of each calendar quarter, a current operating forecast
of
the Borrower and its Affiliates as of the end of such calendar quarter and
as of
the fiscal year to date.
(h) SEC
and Other Filings; Reports to Shareholders.
If
applicable, promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all
periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the
Borrower or any Affiliate with the SEC, or with any national securities
exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as
the
case may be.
(i) Notices
Under Material Instruments.
Promptly after the furnishing thereof, copies of any financial statement,
material report or material notice (as way of example, notices of default,
acceleration or substantial non-compliance are types of material notices)
furnished to or by any Person pursuant to the terms of any preferred stock
designation, indenture, loan or credit or other similar agreement, other than
this Agreement and not otherwise required to be furnished to the Administrative
Agent or the Arranger pursuant to any other provision of this Section
9.01.
(j) Lists
of Purchasers.
Concurrently with the delivery of any Reserve Report to the Administrative
Agent
pursuant to Section
9.12,
a list
of all Persons purchasing Hydrocarbons from the Borrower or any
Affiliate.
(k) Notice
of Sales of Oil and Gas Properties.
In the
event the Borrower or any Affiliate intends to sell, transfer, assign or
otherwise dispose of any Oil or Gas Properties or any Equity Interests in any
Affiliate in accordance with Section
10.13,
prior
written notice of such disposition, the price thereof and the anticipated date
of closing.
(l) Notice
of Litigation/Casualty Events.
Prompt
written notice, and in any event within five Business Days, of the delivery
of
any demand letter, or the filing of any lawsuit or arbitration proceeding with
an expected potential liability in excess of $50,000, or the occurrence of
any
Casualty Event or the commencement of any action or proceeding that could
reasonably be expected to result in a demand notice, lawsuit, arbitration
proceeding, or Casualty Event with respect to Borrower.
41
(m) Information
Regarding Borrower and Guarantors.
Prompt
written notice (and in any event within twenty-five (25) days prior thereto)
of
any change (i) in
the Borrower or any Guarantor’s name or in any trade name used to identify such
Person in the conduct of its business or in the ownership of its Properties,
(ii) in
the location of the Borrower or any Guarantor’s chief executive office or
principal place of business, (iii) in
the Borrower or any Guarantor’s identity or structure or in the jurisdiction in
which such Person is incorporated or formed, (iv)
in the
Borrower or any Guarantor’s jurisdiction of organization or such Person’s
organizational identification number in such jurisdiction of organization,
and
(v) in
the Borrower or any Guarantor’s federal taxpayer identification
number.
(n) Production
Report and Lease Operating Statements.
Within
25 days after the end of each calendar month, a report setting forth, for such
calendar month, the volume of production and sales attributable to production
(and the prices at which such sales were made and the revenues derived from
such
sales) for such calendar month from the Oil and Gas Properties, and setting
forth the related ad valorem, severance and production taxes and lease operating
expenses attributable thereto and incurred for such calendar month. Weekly,
a
report setting forth, on a daily basis for the previous week, the volume of
production and sales attributable to production (and the prices at which such
sales were made and the revenues derived from such sales).
(o) Operating
Reports.
The
Borrower shall prepare and provide to the Lenders and Administrative Agent
the
following reports:
(i) in
connection with the delivery by the Borrower of any Invoice Disbursement
Request, a report through the end of the prior month setting forth as to each
Development Project (each well on an individual well by well basis), the actual
vs. estimated cost breakdown (for all activities, including dry hole and
completion activities) for such Development Project;
(ii) on
a
monthly basis by the 25th of each month a cumulative report through the end
of
the prior month setting forth estimates of all
amounts to be disbursed pursuant to Section
3.01
and
Section
6.01(b),
including a schedule identifying each category of payments identified as clauses
(i)
through
(x)
of
Section
6.01(b),
with a
detailed schedule of all items in each such clause.
(iii) such
other information as the Lenders may reasonably request with respect to
drilling, operation or property status matters, including notice of any material
changes with regard to oil and gas prices received, contracts or production
expenses or any material litigation affecting the operation of the Oil and
Gas
Properties of the Borrower.
(p) Notices
of Certain Changes.
Promptly, but in any event within five (5) Business Days after the execution
thereof, copies of any amendment, modification or supplement to the certificate
or articles of incorporation, certificate of formation, by-laws, limited
liability company agreement, any preferred stock designation or any other
organic document of the Borrower or any Affiliate.
42
(q) ORRI
Payments.
Promptly, but in any event within five (5) Business Days thereof, Borrower
shall
deliver to the Arranger a statement of all amounts paid to the Lenders under
any
ORRI Conveyance.
(r) Board
of Managers/Members Materials.
Promptly following any request therefore, such materials and minutes for
meetings of the members or managers of the Borrower (other than any materials
or
information governed by a confidentiality agreement prohibiting the sharing
of
such information with the Administrative Agent or the Lenders).
(s) Partner
Metrics.
On a
monthly basis, by the 25th day of each month Borrower will provide Arranger
in
the form and in the medium designated by Arranger such information as may be
required to generate the reporting package that Arranger has previously
indicated with respect to the PartnerMetrics reporting package.
(t) Other
Requested Information.
Promptly following any request therefore, such other information regarding
(i)
the
operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any
Affiliate (including, without limitation, any Plan or Multiemployer Plan and
any
reports or other information required to be filed under ERISA), or (ii)
compliance with the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, in
each
case, as the Administrative Agent or the Arranger may reasonably
request.
Section
9.02 Notices
of Material Events.
The
Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Arranger prompt
written notice of the following:
(a) the
occurrence of any Default of the occurrence of any event that with notice or
lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default;
(b) the
filing or commencement of, or the threat in writing of, any action, suit,
proceeding, investigation or arbitration by or before any arbitrator or
Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliate
thereof not previously disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent or
the
Arranger or any material adverse development in any action, suit, proceeding,
investigation or arbitration previously disclosed to the Administrative Agent
or
the Arranger that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) the
filing or commencement of any action, suit, proceeding, or arbitration by or
on
behalf of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates claiming or asserting damages
in
favor of the Borrower of its Affiliates valued in excess of $50,000;
(d) the
occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA
Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability
of the Borrower and its Affiliates in an aggregate amount exceeding
$50,000;
(e) the
occurrence of any event described in Schedule
9.02(e);
43
(f) any
other
development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in,
a
Material Adverse Effect.
Each
notice delivered under this Section
9.02
shall be
accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer setting forth the details
of
the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed
to be taken with respect thereto.
Section
9.03 Existence;
Conduct of Business.
The Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, do or cause to be done
all
things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal
existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material
to the conduct of its business and maintain, if necessary, its qualification
to
do business in each jurisdiction in which its Oil and Gas Properties is located
or the ownership of its Properties requires such qualification.
Section
9.04 Payment
of Obligations.
The Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, pay its obligations
(including Tax liabilities of the Borrower and all of its Affiliates and any
agreement material to the business or operations of the Borrower or its
Affiliates) before the same shall become delinquent or in default, unless the
Borrower is disputing such obligations in good faith and has set aside an
adequate reserve for such unpaid obligations (except if, notwithstanding such
good faith dispute and set aside of adequate reserves, the failure to pay could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect).
Section
9.05 Performance
of Obligations under Loan Documents.
The Borrower will pay the Loans according to the reading, tenor and effect
thereof, and the Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, do and perform
every act and discharge all of the obligations to be performed and discharged
by
them under the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, this Agreement,
at
the time or times and in the manner specified.
Section
9.06 Operation
and Maintenance of Properties.
The Borrower, at its own expense, will, and will cause each Affiliate
to:
(a) operate
its Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties or cause such Oil
and
Gas Properties and other material Properties to be operated in a good and
workmanlike manner in accordance with reasonable prudent operator standards
and
the practices of the industry and in compliance with all applicable contracts
and agreements and in material compliance with all material Governmental
Requirements, including, without limitation, applicable proration requirements
and Environmental Laws, and all applicable laws, rules and regulations of every
other Governmental Authority from time to time constituted to regulate the
development and operation of its Oil and Gas Properties and the production
and
sale of Hydrocarbons and other minerals therefrom.
(b) keep,
preserve and maintain all Oil and Gas Properties and any other Property material
to the conduct of its business in good repair, working order and condition,
ordinary wear and tear excepted.
(c) promptly
pay and discharge, or make reasonable and customary efforts to cause to be
paid
and discharged, all delay rentals, royalties, expenses and indebtedness accruing
under the leases or other agreements affecting or pertaining to its Oil and
Gas
Properties and will do all other reasonable things necessary to keep unimpaired
their rights with respect thereto and prevent any forfeiture thereof or default
thereunder.
44
(d) promptly
perform or make reasonable and customary efforts to cause to be performed,
in
accordance with industry standards, the material obligations required by each
and all of the assignments, deeds, leases, sub-leases, contracts and agreements
affecting its interests in its Oil and Gas Properties and other material
Properties.
(e) To
the
extent the Borrower is not the operator of any Property, the Borrower shall
use
reasonable efforts to cause the operator to comply with this Section
9.06.
(f) The
Borrower will do or cause to be done such development work as may be reasonably
necessary to the prudent and economical operation of Borrower’s and its
Affiliates’ Oil and Gas Properties material to the Borrower or such Affiliate
and such in accordance with the most approved practices of operators in the
industry, including all to be done that may be appropriate to protect from
diminution the productive capacity of the Oil and Gas Properties and each
producing well thereon including, without limitation, cleaning out and
reconditioning each well from time to time, plugging and completing at a
different level each such well, drilling a substitute well to conform to changed
spacing regulations and to protect the Oil and Gas Properties material to the
Borrower and its Affiliates against drainage whenever and as often as is
reasonably necessary.
Section
9.07 Insurance.
The Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, maintain, with financially
sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against
such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or
similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations but in any event
it will maintain at a minimum the types of insurance and in such amounts as
reflected on Schedule
8.13.
The
loss payable clauses or provisions in said insurance policy or policies insuring
any of the collateral for the Loans shall be endorsed in favor of and made
payable to the Administrative Agent as its interests may appear and such
policies shall name the Administrative Agent and the Lenders as “additional
insureds” and provide that the insurer will endeavor to give at least thirty
(30) days prior notice of any cancellation to the Administrative
Agent.
Section
9.08 Books
and Records; Inspection Rights.
The Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, keep proper books of record
and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings
and
transactions in relation to its business and activities. The Borrower will,
and
will cause each Affiliate to, permit any representatives designated by the
Administrative Agent or the Arranger, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit
and
inspect its Properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records,
undertake appraisals of such Properties and to discuss its affairs, finances
and
condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable
times and as often as reasonably requested.
Section
9.09 Compliance
with Laws.
The Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, comply with all laws,
rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it
or
its Property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the
aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
45
Section
9.10 Environmental
Matters.
(a) The
Borrower shall
at
its sole expense: (i)
comply,
and shall cause its Properties and operations and each Affiliate and each
Affiliate’s Properties and operations to comply, with all applicable
Environmental Laws; (ii)
not
dispose of or otherwise release, and shall cause each Affiliate not to dispose
of or otherwise release, any oil, oil and gas waste, hazardous substance, or
solid waste on, under, about or from any of the Borrower’s or its Affiliates’
Properties or any other Property to the extent caused by the Borrower’s or any
of its Affiliates’ operations except in compliance with applicable Environmental
Laws; (iii)
timely
obtain or file, and shall cause each Affiliate to timely obtain or file, all
notices, permits, licenses, exemptions, approvals, registrations or other
authorizations, if any, required under applicable Environmental Laws to be
obtained or filed in connection with the operation or use of the Borrower’s or
its Affiliates’ Properties; (iv)
promptly
commence and diligently prosecute to completion, and shall cause each Affiliate
to promptly commence and diligently prosecute to completion, any assessment,
evaluation, investigation, monitoring, containment, cleanup, removal, repair,
restoration, remediation or other remedial obligations (collectively, the
“Remedial
Work”)
in the
event any Remedial Work is required or reasonably necessary under applicable
Environmental Laws because of or in connection with the actual or suspected
past, present or future disposal or other release of any oil, oil and gas waste,
hazardous substance or solid waste on, under, about or from any of the
Borrower’s or its Affiliates’ Properties, which failure to commence and
diligently prosecute to completion; and (v)
establish and implement, and shall cause each Affiliate to establish and
implement, such procedures as may be necessary to continuously determine and
assure that the Borrower’s and its Affiliates’ obligations under this
Section
9.10(a)
are
timely and fully satisfied.
(b) The
Borrower will promptly, but in no event later than five (5) Business Days of
the
occurrence of a triggering event, notify the Administrative Agent and the
Arranger in writing of any threatened action, investigation or inquiry by any
Governmental Authority or any demand or threatened lawsuit by any landowner
or
other third party against the Borrower or its Affiliates or their Properties
of
which the Borrower has knowledge in connection with any Environmental Laws
(excluding routine testing and corrective action) if the Borrower reasonably
anticipates that such action may result in liability (whether individually
or in
the aggregate) in excess of $50,000, not fully covered by insurance, subject
to
normal deductibles.
(c) The
Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, provide environmental audits
and tests in accordance with American Society of Testing Materials standards
upon request by the Administrative Agent and the Arranger in connection with
any
future acquisitions of Oil and Gas Properties or other Properties. No more
than
once per year in the absence of any Event of Default (or as otherwise required
to be obtained by the Administrative Agent or the Arranger by any Governmental
Authority), the Borrower will, and will cause each Affiliate to, provide
environmental audits and tests in accordance with American Society of Testing
Materials standards upon request by the Administrative Agent and the Arranger
in
connection with any Oil and Gas Properties or other Properties then owned by
the
Borrower or any Affiliate.
46
Section
9.11 Further
Assurances.
(a) The
Borrower at its expense will, and will cause each Affiliate to, promptly execute
and deliver to the Administrative Agent all such other documents, agreements
and
instruments reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to comply with,
cure any defects or accomplish the conditions precedent, covenants and
agreements of the Borrower or any Affiliate, as the case may be, in the Loan
Documents, including the Notes, or to further evidence and more fully describe
the collateral intended as security for the Indebtedness, or to correct any
omissions in this Agreement or the Security Instruments, or to state more fully
the obligations secured therein, or to perfect, protect or preserve any Liens
created pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Security Instruments or the
priority thereof, or to make any recordings, file any notices or obtain any
consents, all as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate, in the sole
discretion of the Administrative Agent, in connection therewith.
(b) The
Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to file one or more
financing or continuation statements, and amendments thereto, relative to all
or
any part of the Mortgaged Property without the signature of the Borrower or
any
other Guarantor where permitted by law, provided a copy of all such documents
shall be furnished to Borrower within five (5) Business Days subsequent to
filing such documents. A carbon, photographic or other reproduction of the
Security Instruments or any financing statement covering the Mortgaged Property
or any part thereof shall be sufficient as a financing statement where permitted
by law.
Section
9.12 Reserve
Reports.
(a) Commencing
on February 15, 2006 and on or before each February 15 and August 15 thereafter,
the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Arranger a
Reserve Report effective as the previous January 1st
and July
1st,
as
applicable. The January 1st
Reserve
Report shall be prepared by one or more Approved Petroleum Engineers.
(b) With
the
delivery of each Reserve Report, the Borrower shall provide to the
Administrative Agent and the Arranger a certificate from a Responsible Officer
certifying that in all material respects: (i)
to the
best of their knowledge, the information contained in the Reserve Report and
any
other information delivered in connection therewith is true and correct,
(ii)
the
Borrower or its Affiliates owns good and defensible title to the interests
in
the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in such Reserve Report and such interests
in the Properties are free of all Liens except for Liens permitted by
Section
10.03,
(iii)
except
as set forth on an exhibit to the certificate, on a net basis there are no
gas
imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments in excess of the volume specified
in Section
8.19
with
respect to its Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in such Reserve Report which
would require the Borrower or any Affiliate to deliver Hydrocarbons either
generally or produced from such Oil and Gas Properties at some future time
without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefore, (iv)
none of
their interests in the Oil and Gas Properties have been sold since the date
of
the previous Reserve Report delivered except as set forth on an exhibit to
the
certificate, which certificate shall list all of its Oil and Gas Properties
sold
and in such detail as reasonably required by the Administrative Agent,
(v)
attached
to the certificate is a list of all marketing agreements entered into subsequent
to the later of the date hereof or the most recently delivered Reserve Report
which the Borrower could reasonably be expected to have been obligated to list
on Schedule
8.20
or
Schedule
8.25
had such
agreement been in effect on the date hereof and (vi)
all of
the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve Report are Mortgaged
Properties.
47
(c) In
connection with the delivery of the Reserve Reports to be delivered in Section
9.12(a) above, the Borrower shall also furnish to the Administrative Agent
and
the Arranger a reserve report with respect to the Oil and Gas Properties
conveyed to the Lenders as part of any ORRI Conveyance provided to the Lenders
under this Agreement provided such properties are still owned by the
Lenders.
Section
9.13 Title
Information.
(a) On
or
before the delivery to the Administrative Agent and the Arranger of each Reserve
Report required by Section
9.12(a),
the
Borrower will deliver title information in form and substance acceptable to
the
Administrative Agent covering enough of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated
by
such Reserve Report that were not included in the immediately preceding Reserve
Report or with respect to which title information was not previously provided,
so that the Administrative Agent shall have received, together with title
information previously delivered to the Administrative Agent, satisfactory
title
information on all of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve
Report.
(b) If
the
Borrower has provided title information for additional Properties under
Section
9.13(a),
the
Borrower shall, within sixty (60) days of notice from the Administrative Agent
that title defects or exceptions exist with respect to such additional
Properties, either (i)
cure any
such title defects or exceptions (including defects or exceptions as to
priority) that are not permitted by Section
10.03
raised
by such information, (ii)
substitute acceptable Mortgaged Properties with no title defects or exceptions
except for Excepted Liens (other than Excepted Liens described in clause (f)
of
such definition) having an equivalent value or (iii)
deliver
title information in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent
so that the Administrative Agent shall have received, together with title
information previously delivered to the Administrative Agent, satisfactory
title
information on all of the value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by
such
Reserve Report.
Section
9.14 Additional
Collateral; Additional Guarantors.
(a) Promptly
after the end of each calendar quarter, the Borrower shall review the current
Mortgaged Properties to ascertain whether all Oil and Gas Properties are
Mortgaged Properties. If the Mortgaged Properties do not represent all such
Properties, then the Borrower shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, grant
to
the Administrative Agent as security for the Indebtedness a senior Lien interest
(subject only to Excepted Liens of the type described in clauses (a) to (e)
of
the definition thereof, but subject to the provisos at the end of such
definition) on additional Oil and Gas Properties not already subject to a Lien
of the Security Instruments such that after giving effect thereto, the Mortgaged
Properties will represent all such Properties. All such Liens will be created
and perfected by and in accordance with the provisions of deeds of trust,
security agreements and financing statements or other Security Instruments,
all
in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and
in
sufficient executed (and acknowledged where necessary or appropriate)
counterparts for recording purposes. In order to comply with the foregoing,
if
any Affiliate places a Lien on its Oil and Gas Properties and such Affiliate
is
not a Guarantor, then it shall become a Guarantor and comply with Section
9.14(b).
48
(b) The
Borrower shall promptly cause each Affiliate to guarantee the Indebtedness
pursuant to a guaranty agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable
to
the Lenders. In connection with any such guaranty, the Borrower shall, or shall
cause such Affiliate to: (A) execute and deliver such guaranty agreement,
(B) pledge all of the Equity Interests of such Affiliate (including,
without limitation, delivery of original stock certificates evidencing the
Equity Interests of such Affiliate, together with an appropriate undated stock
power for each certificate duly executed in blank by the registered owner
thereof), (C) xxxxx x xxxx in and to all of the Properties of such
Affiliate (including, without limitation, the Oil and Gas Properties of such
Affiliate) pursuant to the Security Agreement and such other deeds of trust,
mortgages, agreements and instruments, in form and substance satisfactory to
the
Administrative Agent, as the Administrative Agent may request and
(D) execute and deliver such other additional closing documents,
certificates and legal opinions as shall reasonably be requested by the
Administrative Agent.
(c) The
Borrower will at all times cause all of the Properties of the Borrower and
each
Affiliate to be subject to a Lien of the Security Instruments.
(d) All
of
the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower shall at all times
be pledged to the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Pledge Agreement (other
than any Equity Interests that may be issued pursuant to the Warrant
Agreement).
Section
9.15 ERISA
Compliance.
The Borrower will promptly furnish and will cause the Affiliates and any ERISA
Affiliate to promptly furnish to the Administrative Agent (i)
promptly
after the filing thereof with the United States Secretary of Labor, the Internal
Revenue Service or the PBGC, copies of each annual and other report with respect
to each Plan or any trust created thereunder, (ii)
immediately upon becoming aware of the occurrence of any ERISA Event or of
any
“prohibited transaction,” as described in section 406 of ERISA or in section
4975 of the Code, in connection with any Plan or any trust created thereunder,
a
written notice signed by the President or a Financial Officer, the Affiliate
or
the ERISA Affiliate, as the case may be, specifying the nature thereof, what
action the Borrower, the Affiliate or the ERISA Affiliate is taking or proposes
to take with respect thereto, and, when known, any action taken or proposed
by
the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor or the PBGC with respect
thereto, and (iii)
immediately upon receipt thereof, copies of any notice of the PBGC’s intention
to terminate or to have a trustee appointed to administer any Plan. With respect
to each Plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan), the Borrower will, and will
cause each Affiliate and ERISA Affiliate to, (i)
satisfy
in full and in a timely manner, without incurring any late payment or
underpayment charge or penalty and without giving rise to any lien, all of
the
contribution and funding requirements of section 412 of the Code (determined
without regard to subsections (d), (e), (f) and (k) thereof) and of section
302
of ERISA (determined without regard to sections 303, 304 and 306 of ERISA),
and
(ii)
pay, or
cause to be paid, to the PBGC in a timely manner, without incurring any late
payment or underpayment charge or penalty, all premiums required pursuant to
sections 4006 and 4007 of ERISA.
49
Section
9.16 Swap
Agreements.
After Borrower has achieved for twenty (20) days or more an average production
net to Borrower of 2,000,000 Mmcfe per day, the Borrower shall from time to
time
enter into Swap Agreements in respect of commodities so that the notional
volumes of all Swap Agreements, in the aggregate, are more than 75% of the
reasonably anticipated projected production from Borrower’s Proved Developed
Producing Reserves for each month during the term of this Agreement.
Section
9.17 Marketing
of Production.
All Hydrocarbons produced from the Oil and Gas Properties shall be marketed
on
an arms-length basis using one or more Persons that are not Affiliates of the
Borrower, as reasonably satisfactory to the Arranger.
Section
9.18 Overriding
Royalty Interests.
(a) As
additional consideration for the making of the Loans by the Lenders, the
Borrower agrees to convey to the Lenders, in undivided shares proportionate
to
their respective Commitments, an overriding royalty interest in the aggregate
amount specified below in and to the Oil and Gas Properties referred to below.
The overriding royalty shall be conveyed with respect to (i) each of the
Oil and Gas Properties currently owned by the Borrower or any Affiliate and
(ii) any additional Oil and Gas Property acquired by the Borrower or any
Subsidiary or in which the Borrower or any Affiliate acquires an additional
interest, in each case after the Effective Date through the date this Agreement
is terminated.
(b) The
overriding royalty interest in any Oil and Gas Property required to be conveyed
with respect to any well shall equal (i) three percent (3%) of 8/8ths, and
shall be proportionately reduced to the interest in the Oil and Gas Properties
owned by the Borrower in each of the Oil and Gas Properties. The overriding
royalty shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the form
of
the ORRI Conveyance, and any other agreements currently in existence as of
the
time of the acquisition of such Properties and validly affecting the underlying
leases.
(c) An
overriding royalty required to be conveyed hereby: (i) with respect to any
well
now in existence shall be effective as of the first day of the calendar month
in
which this Agreement is executed, and with respect to any future well, the
first
day of the calendar month in which the relevant well was completed or acquired,
(ii) shall be substantially in the form of the ORRI Conveyance, (iii) shall
be
executed and filed for recording by the Borrower promptly after the receipt,
delivery and recording of applicable assignments into the Borrower establishing
its interest of record in any Oil and Gas Properties, (iv) shall be delivered
by
the Borrower to the Lenders promptly after its return from recording, and (v)
shall survive any termination of the Credit Agreement.
(d) If,
prior
to finalization of the division order process, the Borrower receives proceeds
of
production from a well with respect to which the Borrower is required to convey
an overriding royalty under this Section
9.18,
the
Borrower shall estimate the amount of such revenue payable on account of the
overriding royalty and shall pay such estimated proceeds to the Lenders;
provided
that,
upon the completion of the division order process, if any amounts are determined
to have been overpaid or underpaid to the Lenders, the Borrower and the Lenders
shall promptly make appropriate adjustments among themselves to give effect
to
the correct division of interests, retroactive to the effective date of such
overriding royalty.
50
(e) Within
forty-five (45) days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Borrower will
prepare a summary of all xxxxx spudded during the preceding fiscal quarter.
Such
summary shall indicate the date each well was completed (or anticipated to
be
completed) and those xxxxx for which an override pursuant to (c) above has
been
recorded in the appropriate land records and delivered to the Lenders. For
those
xxxxx where no override has been filed of record, an approximate date of when
the Borrower expects such override to be recorded.
Section
9.19 Right
of First Refusal.
If at any time during the term of this Agreement, Borrower desires to make
any
acquisition or to develop any project, Borrower shall present to Arranger a
financing request for such projects at least thirty (30) days prior to the
proposed closing date for such transaction, including, without limitation,
all
financial data that Borrower has developed with respect to such projects and
such other documentation required under this Agreement with respect to any
acquisition or to develop any development project that is to be funded under
this Agreement as a Subsequent Funding, and any other information which Arranger
may reasonably request so as to enable Arranger to evaluate and determine
whether Arranger shall offer to finance such proposed project through this
Agreement or another facility agented by the Administrative Agent and with
the
Lenders as the lenders thereunder. Administrative Agent shall have twenty (20)
days after receipt of such notice from Borrower within which to present to
Borrower a proposed funding. Borrower may accept or reject such proposal in
its
sole discretion.
Section
9.20 Separate
Entity.
Borrower will, (a) take all necessary steps to maintain its separate entity
and
records, (b) not commingle any assets or business functions with any other
Person, (c) maintain separate financial statements, (d) not assume or guarantee
the debts, liabilities or obligations of others, (e) not hold itself out to
the
public and creditors as an entity separate from others, (f) not commit any
fraud
or misuse of the separate entity legal status or any other injustice or
unfairness, (g) not maintain its assets in such a manner that it will be costly
or difficult to segregate, ascertain or identify its individual assets from
those of its partners or Affiliates, (h) not take any action that might cause
it
to become insolvent, (i) not fail to hold appropriate meetings (or act by
unanimous written consent) to authorize all appropriate actions, or fail in
authorizing such actions, to observe all formalities required by the laws of
the
State of Texas, relating to limited liability companies, or fail to observe
all
formalities required by its organizational documents, (j) not hold itself out
to
be responsible for the debts of another Person and (k) not share any common
logo
with or hold itself out as or be considered as a department or division of
its
partners, an Affiliate, or any other person or entity.
Section
9.21 Partner
Metrics.
Borrower will cooperate and take all reasonable actions as may be requested
of
Borrower by Arranger in order to implement the Partner Metrics reporting package
on a timely basis.
51
ARTICLE
X
Negative
Covenants
Until
the
Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on
each
Loan and all fees payable hereunder and all other amounts payable under the
Loan
Documents have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the
Lenders that:
Section
10.01 Financial
Covenants.
(a) Ratio
of Total Debt to EBITDA.
The
Borrower will not, at any time, permit the Borrower’s ratio of Total Debt
(excluding current account payable that are not more than sixty (60) days past
their invoice date) as of the last day of any fiscal quarter to annualized
EBITDA for such period as of such time to be greater than the ratio set forth
below for the applicable period. The foregoing ratio shall be annualized by
multiplying EBITDA by four (4).
Quarter
Ending
|
Ratio
|
|||
March
31, 2006
|
4.00:1.00
|
|||
June
30, 2006 and thereafter
|
3.00:1.00
|
(b) Ratio
of EBITDA to Interest and Rents.
The
Borrower will not permit on the last day of the applicable period set forth
below the Borrower’s ratio of EBITDA to the sum of (A) Consolidated
Interest Expense and (B) Consolidated Rents to be less than the ratio set
forth below for the applicable period.
Quarter
Ending
|
Ratio
|
|||
March
31, 2006
|
2.00:1.00
|
|||
June
30, 2006 and thereafter
|
3.00:1.00
|
(c) Current
Ratio.
The
Borrower will not permit, as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, the
Borrower’s ratio of (A) consolidated current assets (excluding non-cash
assets under FAS 133) to (B) consolidated current liabilities (excluding
current maturities of long term Debt unless such Debt is current as a result
of
a default or event of default or has otherwise been accelerated) to be less
than
1.00:1.00.
(d) Reserve
Ratios to Total Debt.
After
March 31, 2006, the Borrower will not permit, as of the last day of any fiscal
quarter, its ratio of the Net Present Value of Proved Developed Producing
Reserves to Total Debt to be less than 1.00:1.00. The Borrower will not permit,
as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, its ratio of the Net Present Value
of
Total Proved Reserves to Total Debt to be less than 2.00:1.00. The foregoing
ratios shall be determined by reference to the most recent Reserve Report,
based
on a price curve determined by Arranger.
Section
10.02 Debt.
Except as set forth on Schedule
10.02,
the
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, incur, create, assume
or suffer to exist any Debt, except:
52
(a) the
Notes
or other Indebtedness arising under the Loan Documents or any guaranty of or
suretyship arrangement for the Notes or other Indebtedness arising under the
Loan Documents.
(b) Debt
of
Borrower and its Affiliates existing on the date hereof that is reflected in
the
Financial Statements.
(c) accounts
payable and accrued expenses, liabilities or other obligations to pay the
deferred purchase price of Property or services, from time to time incurred
in
the ordinary course of business that are not greater than sixty (60) days past
the date of invoice or delinquent and that are being contested in good faith
by
appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in
accordance with GAAP.
(d) Debt
associated with bonds or surety obligations required by Governmental
Requirements in connection with the operation of the Oil and Gas
Properties.
Section
10.03 Liens.
Except as set forth on Schedule
10.03,
the
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, create, incur, assume
or permit to exist any Lien on any of its Properties (now owned or hereafter
acquired), except:
(a) Liens
securing the payment of any Indebtedness.
(b) Excepted
Liens.
Section
10.04 Redemptions.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Affiliates to, declare
or
make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment,
return any capital to its stockholders or make any distribution of its Property
to its Equity Interest holders other than Quarterly Tax Distributions in
accordance with Section
6.01(b).
Notwithstanding the preceding, any Wholly-Owned Affiliate may make Restricted
Payments to the Borrower.
Section
10.05 Investments,
Loans and Advances.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, make or permit
to
remain outstanding any Investments in or to any Person, except that the
foregoing restriction shall not apply to:
(a) Investments
reflected in the Financial Statements or that are disclosed to the
Administrative Agent or the Arranger in Schedule
10.05.
(b) accounts
receivable arising in the ordinary course of business.
(c) direct
obligations of the United States or any agency thereof, or obligations
guaranteed by the United States or any agency thereof, in each case maturing
within one year from the date of creation thereof.
(d) commercial
paper maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof rated in the
highest grade by S&P or Xxxxx’x.
53
(e) deposits
maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof with, including
certificates of deposit issued by, any Lender or any office located in the
United States of any other bank or trust company which is organized under the
laws of the United States or any state thereof, has capital, surplus and
undivided profits aggregating at least $100,000,000 (as of the date of such
bank
or trust company’s most recent financial reports) and has a short term deposit
rating of no lower than A2 or P2, as such rating is set forth from time to
time,
by S&P or Xxxxx’x, respectively.
(f) deposits
in money market funds investing exclusively in Investments described in
Section
10.05(c),
Section
10.05(d)
or
Section
10.05(e).
Section
10.06 Nature
of Business.
Neither the Borrower nor any Affiliate will allow any material change to be
made
in the character of its business as an independent oil and gas exploration
and
production company. From and after the date hereof, the Borrower and its
Affiliates will not acquire or make any other expenditure (whether such
expenditure is capital, operating or otherwise) in or related to, any Oil and
Gas Properties not located within the geographical boundaries of the United
States.
Section
10.07 Limitation
on Leases.
Except with respect to the leases set forth on Schedule
10.07,
neither
the Borrower nor any Affiliate will create, incur, assume or suffer to exist
any
obligation for the payment of rent or hire of Property of any kind whatsoever
(real or personal but excluding Capital Leases and leases of Hydrocarbon
Interests), under leases or lease agreements which would cause the aggregate
amount of all payments made by the Borrower and the Affiliates pursuant to
all
such leases or lease agreements, including, without limitation, any residual
payments at the end of any lease, to exceed $25,000 in any period of twelve
consecutive calendar months during the life of such leases without the approval
of the Lenders.
Section
10.08 Sale
and Leasebacks.
The Borrower will not enter into any arrangement, directly or indirectly, with
any Person whereby the Borrower shall sell or transfer any of its Property,
whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and whereby the Borrower shall then
or
thereafter rent or lease such Property or any part thereof or other Property
that the Borrower intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes
as the Property sold or transferred.
Section
10.09 Proceeds
of Notes.
The Borrower will not permit the proceeds of the Notes to be used for any
purpose other than those permitted by Section
8.22.
Neither
the Borrower nor any Person acting on behalf of the Borrower has taken or will
take any action which might cause any of the Loan Documents to violate
Regulations T, U or X or any other regulation of the Board or to violate Section
7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any rule or regulation thereunder,
in each case as now in effect or as the same may hereinafter be in effect.
If
requested by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish to the
Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing effect in
conformity with the requirements of FR Form U-1 or such other form referred
to
in Regulation U, Regulation T or Regulation X of the Board, as the case may
be.
54
Section
10.10 ERISA
Compliance.
The Borrower and the Affiliates will not at any time:
(a) engage
in, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to engage in, any transaction in connection
with which the Borrower, an Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate could be subjected
to either a civil penalty assessed pursuant to subsections (c), (i) or (l)
of
section 502 of ERISA or a tax imposed by Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of
the Code.
(b) terminate,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to terminate, any Plan in a manner, or take any
other action with respect to any Plan, which could result in any liability
of
the Borrower, an Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate to the PBGC.
(c) fail
to
make, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to fail to make, full payment when due
of
all amounts which, under the provisions of any Plan, agreement relating thereto
or applicable law, the Borrower, an Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate is required
to pay as contributions thereto.
(d) permit
to
exist, or allow any ERISA Affiliate to permit to exist, any accumulated funding
deficiency within the meaning of section 302 of ERISA or section 412 of the
Code, whether or not waived, with respect to any Plan.
(e) permit,
or allow any ERISA Affiliate to permit, the actuarial present value of the
benefit liabilities under any Plan maintained by the Borrower, an Affiliate
or
any ERISA Affiliate which is regulated under Title IV of ERISA to exceed
the current value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in
accordance with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan allocable to such benefit
liabilities. The term “actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities” shall
have the meaning specified in section 4041 of ERISA.
(f) contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate
to
contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to, any Multiemployer
Plan.
(g) acquire,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to acquire, an interest in any Person that causes
such Person to become an ERISA Affiliate with respect to the Borrower or an
Affiliate or with respect to any ERISA Affiliate of the Borrower or an Affiliate
if such Person sponsors, maintains or contributes to, or at any time in the
six-year period preceding such acquisition has sponsored, maintained, or
contributed to, (i)
any
Multiemployer Plan, or (ii)
any
other Plan that is subject to Title IV of ERISA under which the actuarial
present value of the benefit liabilities under such Plan exceeds the current
value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in accordance with
Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan allocable to such benefit
liabilities.
(h) incur,
or
permit any ERISA Affiliate to incur, a liability to or on account of a Plan
under sections 515, 4062, 4063, 4064, 4201 or 4204 of ERISA.
(i) contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate
to
contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to, any employee welfare
benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1) of ERISA, including, without
limitation, any such plan maintained to provide benefits to former employees
of
such entities, that may not be terminated by such entities in their sole
discretion at any time without any material liability.
55
(j) amend,
or
permit any ERISA Affiliate to amend, a Plan resulting in an increase in current
liability such that the Borrower, an Affiliate or any ERISA Affiliate is
required to provide security to such Plan under section 401(a)(29) of the
Code.
Section
10.11 Sale
or Discount of Receivables.
Except for receivables obtained by the Borrower or any Affiliate out of the
ordinary course of business or the settlement of joint interest billing accounts
in the ordinary course of business or discounts granted to settle collection
of
accounts receivable or the sale of defaulted accounts arising in the ordinary
course of business in connection with the compromise or collection thereof
and
not in connection with any financing transaction, neither the Borrower nor
any
Affiliate will discount or sell (with or without recourse) any of its notes
receivable or accounts receivable.
Section
10.12 Mergers,
Etc.Neither
the Borrower nor any Affiliate will merge into or with or consolidate with
any
other Person, or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in one transaction
or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its Property to
any
other Person.
Section
10.13 Sale
of Properties.
Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, sell, assign, farm-out,
convey or otherwise transfer (including through the sale of a production payment
or overriding royalty interest) any Property except for(a)
the sale
of Hydrocarbons in the ordinary course of business; (b)
the sale
or transfer of equipment that is no longer necessary for the business of the
Borrower or such Affiliate or is replaced by equipment of at least comparable
value and use; and (c)
the sale
or transfer of any Property that, taken together with the sale of any other
Properties during any calendar year, in the aggregate, has a fair market value
of less than $50,000.
Section
10.14 Environmental
Matters.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, cause or permit
any
of its Property to be in violation of, or do anything or permit anything to
be
done which will subject any such Property to any Remedial Work under any
Environmental Laws, assuming disclosure to the applicable Governmental Authority
of all relevant facts, conditions and circumstances, if any, pertaining to
such
Property where such violations or remedial obligations could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section
10.15 Transactions
with Affiliates.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, enter into any
transaction, including, without limitation, any purchase, sale, lease or
exchange of Property or the rendering of any service, with any Affiliate (other
than the Guarantors and Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of the Borrower) unless such
transactions are otherwise permitted under this Agreement (including, without
limitation, Section
10.05),
in the
ordinary course of business of the Borrower and are upon fair and reasonable
terms no less favorable to it than it would obtain in a comparable arm’s length
transaction with a Person not an Affiliate.
Section
10.16 Capital
Expenditures.
Except (a) as provided for in the Development Plan, (b) as permitted by
Section
6.03
or (c)
as expressly approved in writing by the Lenders the Borrower will not, and
will
not permit any of its Affiliates to, make any Capital Expenditures or incur
costs associated with the exploration and development of Borrower’s and its
Affiliates’ Oil and Gas Properties (excluding normal lease operating expenses)
except for Capital Expenditures together with all other costs totaling $50,000
or less in the aggregate in any twelve (12) consecutive month
period.
56
Section
10.17 Material
Agreements.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, enter into or
amend
or otherwise modify any Material Agreement or any other contract or agreement
that involves an individual commitment from such Person of more than $50,000
in
the aggregate in any twelve (12) month period (except for such contracts and
agreements that relate to the projects contemplated in the Development Plan,
with all such new or modified Material Agreements related to projects
contemplated in the Development Plan to be in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent).
Section
10.18 Affiliates.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, create or acquire
any additional Affiliate unless the Borrower gives written notice to the
Administrative Agent of such creation or acquisition and complies with
Section
9.14(b).
The
Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any Affiliate to, sell, assign or
otherwise dispose of any Equity Interests in any Affiliate. Neither the Borrower
nor any Affiliate shall have any Affiliates that are organized under laws other
than those of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District
of Columbia.
Section
10.19 Negative
Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, create, incur,
assume or suffer to exist any contract, agreement or understanding (other than
this Agreement and the Security Instruments) that in any way prohibits or
restricts the granting, conveying, creation or imposition of any Lien on any
of
its Collateral in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders or restricts
any Affiliate from paying dividends or making distributions to the Borrower
or
any Guarantor, or which requires the consent of or notice to other Persons
in
connection therewith.
Section
10.20 Gas
Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments.
The Borrower use its best efforts to prevent gas imbalances, take-or-pay or
other prepayments with respect to the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower
or
any Affiliate that would require the Borrower or such Affiliate to deliver
Hydrocarbons at some future time without then or thereafter receiving full
payment therefore to exceed 10 mmcf of
gas
(on an mmcf equivalent basis) in the aggregate.
Section
10.21 Swap
Agreements.
The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Affiliate to, enter into any
Swap
Agreements with any Person other than (a)
Swap
Agreements in respect of commodities (i)
with an
Approved Counterparty and (ii)
the
notional volumes for which (when aggregated with other commodity Swap Agreements
then in effect other than basis differential swaps on volumes already hedged
pursuant to other Swap Agreements) are not in excess of, as of the date such
Swap Agreement is executed, 85% of the reasonably anticipated projected
production from Proved Developed Producing Reserves for each month during the
period during which such Swap Agreement is in effect for each of crude oil
and
natural gas, calculated separately; (b)
Swap
Agreements in respect of interest rates with an Approved Counterparty, as
follows: (i)
Swap
Agreements effectively converting interest rates from fixed to floating, the
notional amounts of which (when aggregated with all other Swap Agreements of
the
Borrower and its Affiliates then in effect effectively converting interest
rates
from fixed to floating) do not exceed 50% of
the
then outstanding principal amount of the Borrower’s Debt for borrowed money
which bears interest at a fixed rate and (ii)
Swap
Agreements effectively converting interest rates from floating to fixed, the
notional amounts of which (when aggregated with all other Swap Agreements of
the
Borrower and its Affiliates then in effect effectively converting interest
rates
from floating to fixed) do not exceed 75% of the then outstanding principal
amount of the Borrower’s Debt for borrowed money which bears interest at a
floating rate; and (c)
Swap
Agreements required under Section
7.01(r).
In no
event shall any Swap Agreement contain any requirement, agreement or covenant
for the Borrower or any Affiliate to post collateral or margin to secure their
obligations under such Swap Agreement or to cover market exposures.
57
Section
10.22 Certain
Activities.
The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any Affiliate to, without
the
written consent of each Lender, (a)
take any
action not in the ordinary course of the business of the Borrower (unless such
action could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect),
(b)
file or
settle any litigation or arbitral proceedings, or release claim, for amount
in
excess of $50,000 in the aggregate, (c)
either
singly or jointly, directly or indirectly, commence, join any other Person
in
commencing, or authorize a trustee or other Person acting on its behalf or
on
behalf of others to commence, any voluntary bankruptcy, reorganization,
arrangement, insolvency, liquidation, or receivership under the laws of the
United States or any state thereof, or (d)
make a
general assignment for the benefit of its creditors.
Section
10.23 Net
Sales.
The Borrower shall not permit the net sales volume of Hydrocarbons from the
Borrower’s and its Affiliates’ Oil and Gas Properties for the periods indicated
on Schedule
10.23
to be
less than the amount for such period as set forth in Schedule
10.23.
The
Borrower will provide the Administrative Agent with evidence that the preceding
is being satisfied within 30 days after the end of each quarter.
Section
10.24 G&A
Costs.
Except for the General and Administrative Costs provided for in Section
6.01(b)(ix),
without
the prior consent of the Lenders the Borrower shall not incur and shall not
permit any Affiliate to incur any General and Administrative Costs or from
amounts distributed to Borrower monthly after the Payments required by
Section
3.01
have
been made.
Section
10.25 Press
Release.
Without the prior consent of the Lenders, such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld, the Borrower shall not issue any press release or make any public
announcement of the this Agreement or the credit facility being provided in
connection therewith.
ARTICLE
XI
Events
of Default; Remedies
Section
11.01 Events
of Default.
One or more of the following events shall constitute an “Event
of Default”:
(a) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan when and as the same shall
become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed
for
prepayment thereof or otherwise.
58
(b) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other
amount (other than an amount referred to in Section
11.01(a))
payable
under any Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable,
and
such failure shall continue unremedied for one Business Day.
(c) any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower
or any of its Affiliates in or in connection with any Loan Document or any
amendment or modification of any Loan Document or waiver under such Loan
Document, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document
furnished pursuant to or in connection with any Loan Document or any amendment
or modification thereof or waiver thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect
when made or deemed made.
(d) the
Borrower or any Affiliate shall fail to observe or perform any covenant,
condition or agreement contained in Section
9.01(j),
Section
9.01(m),
Section
9.02,
Section
9.03,
or in
ARTICLE
X.
(e) the
Borrower or any of its Affiliates shall fail to observe or perform any covenant,
condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified
in Section
11.01(a),
Section
11.01(b)
or
Section
11.01(d))
or any
other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period
of
twenty (20) days after the earlier to occur of (A) notice thereof from the
Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request
of any Lender) or (B) a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or such
Affiliate otherwise becoming aware of such default; provided,
however,
with
respect to a default as a result of a breach of Section
10.01(d),
if such
default is a result of Arranger significantly reducing the pricing for
Hydrocarbons in connection with a Reserve Report from the pricing it had used
in
the immediately preceding Reserve Report, Borrower shall have an additional
ten
(10) day period in which to cure such default.
(f) the
Borrower or any Affiliate shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal
or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness,
when and as the same shall become due and payable.
(g) any
event
or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due
prior
to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving
of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any Material
Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any
Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the Redemption thereof or
any
offer to Redeem to be made in respect thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity
or any event or condition requires the Borrower or any Affiliate to make an
offer in respect thereof.
(h) an
involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall
be
filed seeking (i)
liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any
of
its Affiliates or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under
any
Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law
now or hereafter in effect or (ii)
the
appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or
similar official for the Borrower or any of its Affiliates or for a substantial
part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall
continue undismissed for thirty (30) days or an order or decree approving or
ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered.
59
(i) the
Borrower or any of its Affiliates shall (i)
voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation,
reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii)
consent
to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner,
any proceeding or petition described in Section
11.01(h),
(iii)
apply
for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian,
sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv)
file an
answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in
any
such proceeding, (v)
make a
general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi)
take any
action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing.
(j) the
Borrower or any of its Affiliates shall become unable, admit in writing its
inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due.
(k) one
or
more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of
$100,000 shall
be
rendered against the Borrower, any Affiliate or any combination thereof and
the
same shall remain undischarged for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days
during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall
be
legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the
Borrower or any Affiliate to enforce any such judgment.
(l) the
Loan
Documents after delivery thereof shall for any reason, except to the extent
permitted by the terms thereof, cease to be in full force and effect and valid,
binding and enforceable in accordance with their terms against the Borrower
or a
Guarantor party thereto or shall be repudiated by any of them, or cease to
create a valid and perfected Lien of the priority required thereby on any of
the
collateral purported to be covered thereby, except to the extent permitted
by
the terms of this Agreement, or the Borrower or any Affiliate or any of their
Affiliates shall so state in writing.
(m) an
ERISA
Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Lenders, when taken
together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) a
Change
in Control has occurred.
Section
11.02 Remedies.
(a) In
the
case of an Event of Default other than one described in Section
11.01(h),
Section
11.01(i)
or
Section
11.01(j),
at any
time thereafter during the continuance of such Event of Default, the
Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Lenders, shall, by notice
to
the Borrower, declare the Notes and the Loans then outstanding to be due and
payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to
be
due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon
the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with
accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower
and
the Guarantors accrued hereunder and under the Notes and the other Loan
Documents, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment,
demand, protest, notice of intent to accelerate, notice of acceleration or
other
notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower and each
Guarantor; and in case of an Event of Default described in Section
11.01(h),
Section
11.01(i)
or
Section
11.01(j),
the
Notes and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued
interest thereon and all fees and the other obligations of the Borrower and
the
Guarantors accrued hereunder and under the Notes and the other Loan Documents,
shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest
or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower
and
each Guarantor.
60
(b) In
the
case of the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, the
Administrative Agent is authorized to complete the Letters-in-Lieu and deliver
same, and the Administrative Agent and the Lenders will have all other rights
and remedies available at law and equity.
(c) All
proceeds realized from the liquidation or other disposition of collateral or
otherwise received after maturity of the Notes, whether by acceleration or
otherwise, shall be applied: first,
to
reimbursement of expenses and indemnities provided for in this Agreement and
the
Security Instruments; second,
to
accrued interest on the Notes; third,
to
fees; fourth,
pro
rata to principal outstanding on the Notes and Indebtedness referred to in
clause (b) of the definition of “Indebtedness” owing to a Lender or an Affiliate
of a Lender; and any excess shall be paid to the Borrower or as otherwise
required by any Governmental Requirement.
Section
11.03 Disposition
of Proceeds.
The Security Instruments contain an assignment by the Borrower and/or the
Guarantors unto and in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of
the
Lenders of all of the Borrower’s or each Guarantor’s interest in and to
production and all proceeds attributable thereto which may be produced from
or
allocated to the Mortgaged Property. The Security Instruments further provide
in
general for the application of such proceeds to the satisfaction of the
Indebtedness and other obligations described therein and secured thereby.
Notwithstanding the assignment contained in such Security Instruments, until
the
occurrence of an Event of Default, (a) the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
agree that they will neither notify the purchaser or purchasers of such
production nor take any other action to cause such proceeds to be remitted
to
the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, but the Lenders will instead permit
such proceeds to be paid to the Borrower and its Affiliates and (b) the Lenders
hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to take such actions as may be
necessary to cause such proceeds to be paid to the Borrower and/or such
Affiliates.
ARTICLE
XII
The
Administrative Agent
Section
12.01 Appointment;
Powers.
Each of the Lenders hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as
its
agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf
and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by
the
terms hereof and the other Loan Documents, together with such actions and powers
as are reasonably incidental thereto.
61
Section
12.02 Duties
and Obligations of Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those
expressly set forth in the Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality
of
the foregoing, (a)
the
Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied
duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing,
(b)
the
Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action
or
exercise any discretionary powers, except as provided in Section
12.03,
and
(c)
except
as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any
duty
to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any
information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is
communicated to or obtained by the entity serving as Administrative Agent or
any
of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed
not
to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is
given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and shall not
be
responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i)
any
statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii)
the
contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or
under any other Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith,
(iii)
the
performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms
or
conditions set forth herein or in any other Loan Document, (iv)
the
validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any
other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, (v)
the
satisfaction of any condition set forth in ARTICLE
VII
or
elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required
to
be delivered to the Administrative Agent or as to those conditions precedent
expressly required to be to the Administrative Agent’s satisfaction,
(vi)
the
existence, value, perfection or priority of any collateral security or the
financial or other condition of the Borrower and its Affiliates or any other
obligor or guarantor, or (vii)
any
failure by the Borrower or any other Person (other than itself) to perform
any
of its obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document or the performance
or observance of any covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set
forth herein or therein.
Section
12.03 Action
by Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary
action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and
powers expressly contemplated hereby that the Administrative Agent is required
to exercise in writing as directed by the Lenders and in all cases the
Administrative Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to act
hereunder or under any other Loan Documents unless it shall (a)
receive
written instructions from the Lenders specifying the action to be taken and
(b)
be
indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability
and
expenses which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take
any such action. The instructions as aforesaid and any action taken or failure
to act pursuant thereto by the Administrative Agent shall be binding on all
of
the Lenders. If a Default has occurred and is continuing, then the
Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default as
shall be directed by the Lenders in the written instructions (with indemnities)
described in this Section
12.03,
provided
that,
unless and until the Administrative Agent shall have received such directions,
the Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action,
or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default as it shall
deem advisable in the best interests of the Lenders. In no event, however,
shall
the Administrative Agent be required to take any action which exposes the
Administrative Agent to personal liability or which is contrary to this
Agreement, the Loan Documents or applicable law. The Administrative Agent shall
not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at
the
request of the Lenders, and otherwise the Administrative Agent shall not be
liable for any action taken or not taken by it hereunder or under any other
Loan
Document or under any other document or instrument referred to or provided
for
herein or therein or in connection herewith or therewith INCLUDING ITS OWN
ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE, except for its own gross negligence or willful
misconduct.
62
Section
12.04 Reliance
by Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur
any
liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent,
statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent
also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed
by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for
relying thereon and each of the Borrower and the Lenders hereby waives the
right
to dispute the Administrative Agent’s record of such statement, except in the
case of gross negligence or willful misconduct by the Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for
the
Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall
not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the
advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts. The Administrative Agent
may
deem and treat the payee of any Note as the holder thereof for all purposes
hereof unless and until a written notice of the assignment or transfer thereof
permitted hereunder shall have been filed with the Administrative Agent.
Section
12.05 Subagents.
The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its
rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may
perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their
respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the preceding Sections
of this ARTICLE
XII
shall
apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative
Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities
in
connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein
as
well as activities as Administrative Agent.
Section
12.06 Resignation
or Removal of Administrative Agent.
Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent
as
provided in this Section
12.06,
the
Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders and the
Borrower, and the Administrative Agent may be removed at any time with or
without cause by all of the Lenders. Upon any such resignation or removal,
the
Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint
a
successor. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Lenders and
shall
have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring
Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation or removal of the retiring
Administrative Agent, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf
of
the Lenders, appoint a successor Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance
of
its appointment as the Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such
successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers,
privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring
Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations
hereunder. The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent
shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed
between the Borrower and such successor. After the Administrative Agent’s
resignation hereunder, the provisions of this ARTICLE
XII
and
Section
13.03
shall
continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its
sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken
or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative
Agent.
63
Section
12.07 Agents
as Lenders.
The party serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same
rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may
exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such
party
and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage
in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Affiliate or other Affiliate
thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.
Section
12.08 No
Reliance.
Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon
the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and
information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and
decision to enter into this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which
it
is a party. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and
without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based
on
such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate,
continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or
based
upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any related agreement or any
document furnished hereunder or thereunder. The Administrative Agent shall
not
be required to keep itself informed as to the performance or observance by
the
Borrower or any of its Affiliates of this Agreement, the Loan Documents or
any
other document referred to or provided for herein or to inspect the Properties
or books of the Borrower or its Affiliates. Except for notices, reports and
other documents and information expressly required to be furnished to the
Lenders by the Administrative Agent hereunder, neither the Administrative Agent
nor the Arranger shall have any duty or responsibility to provide any Lender
with any credit or other information concerning the affairs, financial condition
or business of the Borrower (or any of its Affiliates) which may come into
the
possession of such Agent or any of its Affiliates. In this regard, each Lender
acknowledges that Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P. is acting in this transaction as
special counsel to the Administrative Agent only, except to the extent otherwise
expressly stated in any legal opinion or any Loan Document. Each other party
hereto will consult with its own legal counsel to the extent that it deems
necessary in connection with the Loan Documents and the matters contemplated
therein.
Section
12.09 Authority
of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens.
Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to release any collateral
that is permitted to be sold or released pursuant to the terms of the Loan
Documents. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute
and
deliver to the Borrower, at the Borrower’s sole cost and expense, any and all
releases of Liens, termination statements, assignments or other documents
reasonably requested by the Borrower in connection with any sale or other
disposition of Property to the extent such sale or other disposition is
permitted by the terms of Section
10.13
or is
otherwise authorized by the terms of the Loan Documents.
64
ARTICLE
XIII
Miscellaneous
Section
13.01 Notices.
(a) Except
in
the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given
by
telephone (and subject to Section
13.01(b)),
all
notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and
shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified
or
registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:
(i) if
to the
Borrower, to it at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000,
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx (Telephone No. 000-000-0000);
(ii) if
to the
Administrative Agent, to it at X. X. Xxxxx Special Opportunities Fund, L.P.,
000
0xx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxx (Telecopy
No. (000) 000-0000);
(iii) if
to the
Arranger, to it at Petrobridge
Investment Management LLC, 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, XX
00000,
Attention: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
(Telecopy No. (000) 000-0000);
(iv) if
to any
other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth on its
applicable signature page.
(b) Notices
and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished
by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the
Administrative Agent; provided
that the
foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to ARTICLE
II,
ARTICLE
III,
ARTICLE
IV
and
ARTICLE
V
unless
otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The
Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept
notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications
pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided
that
approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or
communications.
(c) Any
party
hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other
communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices
and
other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions
of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of
receipt.
Section
13.02 Waivers;
Amendments.
(a) No
failure on the part of the Administrative Agent, any Lender, or the Arranger
to
exercise and no delay in exercising, and no course of dealing with respect
to,
any right, power or privilege, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps
to
enforce such right, power or privilege, under any of the Loan Documents shall
operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any
right, power or privilege under any of the Loan Documents preclude any other
or
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder
and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of
any
rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision
of
this Agreement or any other Loan Document or consent to any departure by the
Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be
permitted by Section
13.02(b),
and
then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance
and
for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the making of a Loan shall not be construed as a waiver of any
Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent or any Lenders may
have
had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
65
(b) Neither
this Agreement nor any provision hereof nor any Security Instrument nor any
provision thereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an
agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Lenders
or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of all of
the
Lenders.
Section
13.03 Expenses,
Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
(a) The
Borrower shall pay (i)
all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and
its
Affiliates, including, without limitation, the reasonable fees, charges and
disbursements of counsel and other outside consultants for the Administrative
Agent, the reasonable travel, photocopy, mailing, courier, telephone and other
similar expenses, and the cost of environmental audits and surveys and
appraisals, in connection with the ongoing enforcement and performance of the
credit facilities provided for herein as Administrative Agent deems appropriate,
the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration (both
before and after the execution hereof and including advice of counsel to the
Administrative Agent as to the rights and duties of the Administrative Agent
and
the Lenders with respect thereto) of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents
and any amendments, modifications or waivers of or consents related to the
provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated
hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii)
all
costs, expenses, Taxes, assessments and other charges incurred by the
Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with any filing, registration,
recording or perfection of any security interest contemplated by this Agreement
or any Security Instrument or any other document referred to therein,
(iii)
all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any
Lender, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel
for any the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in connection with the
enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement or
any
other Loan Document, including its rights under this Section
13.03,
including, without limitation, all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during
any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans and any
appraisal costs incurred by the Administrative Agent or the
Lenders.
(b) THE
BORROWER SHALL INDEMNIFY THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, THE ARRANGER, AND EACH
LENDER, AND EACH RELATED PARTY OF ANY OF THE FOREGOING PERSONS (EACH SUCH PERSON
BEING CALLED AN “INDEMNITEE”)
AGAINST, AND HOLD EACH INDEMNITEE HARMLESS FROM, ANY AND ALL LOSSES, CLAIMS,
DAMAGES, LIABILITIES AND RELATED EXPENSES, INCLUDING THE FEES, CHARGES AND
DISBURSEMENTS OF ANY COUNSEL FOR ANY INDEMNITEE, INCURRED BY OR ASSERTED AGAINST
ANY INDEMNITEE ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH, OR AS A RESULT OF
(i)
THE
EXECUTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR ANY
AGREEMENT OR INSTRUMENT CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, THE PERFORMANCE BY
THE
PARTIES HERETO OR THE PARTIES TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE
OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER OR THEREUNDER OR THE CONSUMMATION OF THE TRANSACTIONS
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR BY ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, (ii)
THE
FAILURE OF THE BORROWER OR ANY AFFILIATE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF ANY LOAN
DOCUMENT, INCLUDING THIS AGREEMENT, OR WITH ANY GOVERNMENTAL REQUIREMENT,
(iii)
ANY
INACCURACY OF ANY REPRESENTATION OR ANY BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY OR COVENANT
OF
THE BORROWER OR ANY GUARANTOR SET FORTH IN ANY OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY
INSTRUMENTS, DOCUMENTS OR CERTIFICATIONS DELIVERED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,
(iv)
ANY LOAN
OR THE USE OF THE PROCEEDS THEREFROM, (v)
ANY
OTHER ASPECT OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS, (vi)
THE
OPERATIONS OF THE BUSINESS OF THE BORROWER AND ITS AFFILIATES BY THE BORROWER
AND ITS AFFILIATES, (vii)
ANY
ASSERTION THAT THE LENDERS WERE NOT ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS RECEIVED
PURSUANT TO THE SECURITY INSTRUMENTS, (viii)
ANY
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER OR ANY AFFILIATE OR ANY OF THEIR
PROPERTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE PRESENCE, GENERATION, STORAGE,
RELEASE, THREATENED RELEASE, USE, TRANSPORT, DISPOSAL, ARRANGEMENT OF DISPOSAL
OR TREATMENT OF OIL, OIL AND GAS WASTES, SOLID WASTES OR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
ON
ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES, (ix)
THE
BREACH OR NON-COMPLIANCE BY THE BORROWER OR ANY AFFILIATE WITH ANY ENVIRONMENTAL
LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER OR ANY AFFILIATE, (x)
THE PAST
OWNERSHIP BY THE BORROWER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES OR PAST
ACTIVITY ON ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES WHICH, THOUGH LAWFUL AND FULLY PERMISSIBLE
AT THE TIME, COULD RESULT IN PRESENT LIABILITY, (xi)
THE
PRESENCE, USE, RELEASE, STORAGE, TREATMENT, DISPOSAL, GENERATION, THREATENED
RELEASE, TRANSPORT, ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORT OR ARRANGEMENT FOR DISPOSAL OF
OIL, OIL AND GAS WASTES, SOLID WASTES OR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ON OR AT ANY
OF
THE PROPERTIES OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE BORROWER OR ANY AFFILIATE OR ANY ACTUAL
OR ALLEGED PRESENCE OR RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON OR FROM ANY PROPERTY
OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, (xii)
ANY
ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY RELATED IN ANY WAY TO THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS
AFFILIATES, OR (xiii)
ANY
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH OR SAFETY CONDITION IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOAN
DOCUMENTS, OR (xiv)
ANY
ACTUAL OR PROSPECTIVE CLAIM, LITIGATION, INVESTIGATION OR PROCEEDING RELATING
TO
ANY OF THE FOREGOING, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY AND
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY INDEMNITEE IS A PARTY THERETO, AND SUCH INDEMNITY
SHALL EXTEND TO EACH INDEMNITEE NOTWITHSTANDING THE SOLE OR CONCURRENT
NEGLIGENCE OF EVERY KIND OR CHARACTER WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ACTIVE OR PASSIVE,
WHETHER AN AFFIRMATIVE ACT OR AN OMISSION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL
TYPES OF NEGLIGENT CONDUCT IDENTIFIED IN THE RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS
OF
ONE OR MORE OF THE INDEMNITEES OR BY REASON OF STRICT LIABILITY IMPOSED WITHOUT
FAULT ON ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE INDEMNITEES; PROVIDED
THAT
SUCH INDEMNITY SHALL NOT, AS TO ANY INDEMNITEE, BE AVAILABLE TO THE EXTENT
THAT
SUCH LOSSES, CLAIMS, DAMAGES, LIABILITIES OR RELATED EXPENSES ARE DETERMINED
BY
A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION BY FINAL AND NONAPPEALABLE JUDGMENT TO HAVE
RESULTED FROM THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF SUCH
INDEMNITEE.
66
(c) To
the
extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it
to
the Administrative Agent under Section
13.03(a)
or
(b),
each
Lender severally agrees to pay to such Administrative Agent such Lender’s
Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable
unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount;
provided
that the
unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related
expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such
Administrative Agent in its capacity as such.
(d) To
the
extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby
waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for
special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct
or
actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this
Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated
hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or the use of the proceeds
thereof.
(e) All
amounts due under this Section
13.03
shall be
payable promptly after written demand therefor.
Section
13.04 Successors
and Assigns.
(a) The
provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby,
except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its
rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender
(and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent
shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer
its
rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section
13.04.
Nothing
in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon
any
Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns
permitted hereby, Participants (to the extent provided in Section
13.04(c))
and, to
the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy
or
claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b) (i)
Subject
to the conditions set forth in Section
13.04(b)(ii),
any
Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and
obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment
and the Loans at the time owing to it) without the prior written consent of
the
Borrower.
(ii) Assignments
shall be subject to the following conditions:
67
(i) except
in
the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an
assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment,
the amount of the Commitment of the assigning Lender subject to each such
assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect
to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less
than $100,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise
consent, provided
that no
such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing;
(ii) each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of
all
the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement;
(iii) the
parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative
Agent
an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee
of
$10,000; and
(iv) the
assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative
Agent
any information reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent.
(iii) Subject
to Section
13.04(b)(iv)
and the
acceptance and recording thereof, from and after the effective date specified
in
each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto
and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption,
have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the
assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by
such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this
Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of
the
assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender
shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the
benefits of Section
5.01,
Section
5.02
and
Section
13.03).
Any
assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement
that does not comply with this Section
13.04
shall be
treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a
participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with Section
13.04(c).
(iv) The
Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower,
shall
maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption
delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses
of
the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans owing
to,
each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”).
The
entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, and the Lender may treat each Person whose name is
recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder
for
all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The
Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, and any Lender,
at
any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior
notice.
In
connection with any changes to the Register, if necessary, the Administrative
Agent will reflect the revisions on Annex
I
and
forward a copy of such revised Annex
I
to the
Borrower and each Lender.
(v) Upon
its
receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning
Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s providing any information reasonably
requested by the Administrative, the processing and recordation fee referred
to
in Section
13.04(b)
and any
written consent to such assignment required by Section
13.04(b),
the
Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record
the
information contained therein in the Register. No assignment shall be effective
for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register
as
provided in this Section
13.04(b).
68
(c) (i) Any
Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent,
sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”)
in all
or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement
(including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it);
provided
that
(i) such
Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such
Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the
performance of such obligations and (iii) the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, and the other Lenders shall continue to
deal
solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and
obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which
a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain
the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment,
modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided
that
such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without
the
consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver
described in the proviso to Section
13.02
that
affects such Participant. In addition such agreement must provide that the
Participant be bound by the provisions of Section
13.03.
Subject
to Section
13.04(c)(ii),
the
Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of
Section
5.01
and
Section
5.02
to the
same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment
pursuant to Section
13.04(b).
To the
extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits
of Section
13.08
as
though it were a Lender, provided
such
Participant agrees to be subject to Section
4.01(c)
as
though it were a Lender.
(ii) A
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under
Section
5.01
or
Section
5.02
than the
applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the
participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation
to
such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent.
(d) Any
Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any
portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender,
including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve
Bank, and this Section
13.04(d)
shall
not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided
that no
such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from
any
of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for
such
Lender as a party hereto.
Section
13.05 Survival;
Revival; Reinstatement.
(a) All
covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower
herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection
with
or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be considered
to
have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans, regardless
of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and
notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice
or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the
time
any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect
as
long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or
any
other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid and so
long
as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of
Section
5.01,
Section
5.02
and
Section
13.03
and
ARTICLE
XII
shall
survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation
of
the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, and the
Commitments or the termination of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or
any
provision hereof or thereof.
69
(b) To
the
extent that any payments on the Indebtedness or proceeds of any collateral
are
subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside
or required to be repaid to a trustee, debtor in possession, receiver or other
Person under any bankruptcy law, common law or equitable cause, then to such
extent, the Indebtedness so satisfied shall be revived and continue as if such
payment or proceeds had not been received and the Administrative Agent’s and the
Lender’s Liens, security interests, rights, powers and remedies under this
Agreement and each Loan Document shall continue in full force and effect. In
such event, each Loan Document shall be automatically reinstated and the
Borrower shall take such action as may be reasonably requested by the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders to effect such reinstatement.
Section
13.06 Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness.
(a) This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto
on
different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all
of
which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.
(b) This
Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with
respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire
contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof
and
supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written,
relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof. This Agreement and the other
Loan Documents represent the final agreement among the parties hereto and
thereto and may not be contradicted by evidence of prior, contemporaneous or
subsequent oral agreements of the parties. There are no unwritten oral
agreements between the parties.
(c) Except
as
provided in Section
7.01,
this
Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the
Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received
counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each
of
the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to
the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by
telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart
of
this Agreement.
Section
13.07 Severability.
Any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document held to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction,
be
ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability
without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining
provisions hereof or thereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision
in a
particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other
jurisdiction.
70
Section
13.08 Right
of Setoff.
If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and
each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time,
to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all
deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any
time
held and other obligations (of whatsoever kind, including, without limitations
obligations under Swap Agreements) at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate
to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any Affiliate against
any
of and all the obligations of the Borrower or any Affiliate owed to such Lender
now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under
this
Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations may be
unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section
13.08
are in
addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which
such Lender or its Affiliates may have.
Section
13.09 GOVERNING
LAW; JURISDICTION;
CONSENT
TO SERVICE OF PROCESS.
(a) THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH,
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT UNITED STATES
FEDERAL LAW PERMITS ANY LENDER TO CONTRACT FOR, CHARGE, RECEIVE, RESERVE OR
TAKE
INTEREST AT THE RATE ALLOWED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE WHERE SUCH LENDER IS
LOCATED.
(b) ANY
LEGAL
ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THE LOAN DOCUMENTS SHALL BE BROUGHT IN
THE
COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOCATED
IN
THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, AND, BY EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT,
EACH
PARTY HEREBY ACCEPTS FOR ITSELF AND (TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW) IN RESPECT
OF ITS PROPERTY, GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY, THE JURISDICTION OF THE
AFORESAID COURTS. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION, INCLUDING,
WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OR BASED ON THE GROUNDS
OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE BRINGING
OF
ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS. THIS SUBMISSION
TO JURISDICTION IS NON-EXCLUSIVE AND DOES NOT PRECLUDE A PARTY FROM OBTAINING
JURISDICTION OVER ANOTHER PARTY IN ANY COURT OTHERWISE HAVING
JURISDICTION.
(c) EACH
PARTY HEREBY (i)
IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY
LAW,
TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT
OR
ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN; (ii)
IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT
IT
MAY HAVE TO CLAIM OR RECOVER IN ANY SUCH LITIGATION ANY SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY,
PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES OTHER THAN, OR IN ADDITION TO,
ACTUAL DAMAGES; (iii)
CERTIFIES THAT NO PARTY HERETO NOR ANY REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF COUNSEL FOR
ANY PARTY HERETO HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, OR IMPLIED THAT SUCH
PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING
WAIVERS, AND (iv)
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT, THE LOAN
DOCUMENTS AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY BY, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION
13.09.
71
Section
13.10 Headings.
Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for
convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not
affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting,
this
Agreement.
Section
13.11 Confidentiality.
Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lender agrees to maintain the
confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information
may be disclosed (a)
to its
and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including
accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the
Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential
nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information
confidential), (b)
to the
extent requested by any regulatory authority, (c)
to the
extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar
legal process, (d)
to any
other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (e)
in
connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan
Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any
other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder,
(f)
subject
to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this
Section
13.11,
to
(i)
any
assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant
in,
any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii)
any
actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any Swap Agreement
relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g)
with the
consent of the Borrower or (h)
to the
extent such Information (i)
becomes
publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section
13.11
or
(ii)
becomes
available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a non-confidential basis
from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section
13.11,
“Information”
means
all information received from the Borrower or any Affiliate relating to the
Borrower or any Affiliate and their businesses, other than any such information
that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a
non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or a Affiliate;
provided
that, in
the case of information received from the Borrower or any Affiliate after the
date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery
as
confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information
as provided in this Section
13.11
shall be
considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has
exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such
Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
Section
13.12 Interest
Rate
Limitation.
It is the intention of the parties hereto that each Lender shall conform
strictly to usury laws applicable to it. Accordingly, if the transactions
contemplated hereby would be usurious as to any Lender under laws applicable
to
it (including the laws of the United States of America and the States of New
York, or Texas or any other jurisdiction whose laws may be mandatorily
applicable to such Lender notwithstanding the other provisions of this
Agreement), then, in that event, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
any
of the Loan Documents or any agreement entered into in connection with or as
security for the Notes, it is agreed as follows: (i)
the
aggregate of all consideration which constitutes interest under law applicable
to any Lender that is contracted for, taken, reserved, charged or received
by
such Lender under any of the Loan Documents or agreements or otherwise in
connection with the Notes shall under no circumstances exceed the maximum amount
allowed by such applicable law, and any excess shall be canceled automatically
and if theretofore paid shall be credited by such Lender on the principal amount
of the Indebtedness (or, to the extent that the principal amount of the
Indebtedness shall have been or would thereby be paid in full, refunded by
such
Lender to the Borrower); and (ii)
in the
event that the maturity of the Notes is accelerated by reason of an election
of
the holder thereof resulting from any Event of Default under this Agreement
or
otherwise, or in the event of any required or permitted prepayment, then such
consideration that constitutes interest under law applicable to any Lender
may
never include more than the maximum amount allowed by such applicable law,
and
excess interest, if any, provided for in this Agreement or otherwise shall
be
canceled automatically by such Lender as of the date of such acceleration or
prepayment and, if theretofore paid, shall be credited by such Lender on the
principal amount of the Indebtedness (or, to the extent that the principal
amount of the Indebtedness shall have been or would thereby be paid in full,
refunded by such Lender to the Borrower). All sums paid or agreed to be paid
to
any Lender for the use, forbearance or detention of sums due hereunder shall,
to
the extent permitted by law applicable to such Lender, be amortized, prorated,
allocated and spread throughout the stated term of the Loans evidenced by the
Notes until payment in full so that the rate or amount of interest on account
of
any Loans hereunder does not exceed the maximum amount allowed by such
applicable law. If at any time and from time to time (i)
the
amount of interest payable to any Lender on any date shall be computed at the
Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender pursuant to this Section
13.12
and
(ii)
in
respect of any subsequent interest computation period the amount of interest
otherwise payable to such Lender would be less than the amount of interest
payable to such Lender computed at the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such
Lender, then the amount of interest payable to such Lender in respect of such
subsequent interest computation period shall continue to be computed at the
Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender until the total amount of interest
payable to such Lender shall equal the total amount of interest which would
have
been payable to such Lender if the total amount of interest had been computed
without giving effect to this Section
13.12.
72
Section
13.13 EXCULPATION
PROVISIONS.
EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO SPECIFICALLY AGREES THAT IT HAS A DUTY TO READ THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND AGREES THAT IT IS CHARGED WITH NOTICE
AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS;
THAT
IT HAS IN FACT READ THIS AGREEMENT AND IS FULLY INFORMED AND HAS FULL NOTICE
AND
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS, CONDITIONS AND EFFECTS OF THIS AGREEMENT; THAT IT HAS
BEEN REPRESENTED BY INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL OF ITS CHOICE THROUGHOUT THE
NEGOTIATIONS PRECEDING ITS EXECUTION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN
DOCUMENTS; AND HAS RECEIVED THE ADVICE OF ITS ATTORNEY IN ENTERING INTO THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS; AND THAT IT RECOGNIZES THAT CERTAIN
OF
THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS RESULT IN ONE PARTY
ASSUMING THE LIABILITY INHERENT IN SOME ASPECTS OF THE TRANSACTION AND RELIEVING
THE OTHER PARTY OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH LIABILITY. EACH PARTY HERETO
AGREES AND COVENANTS THAT IT WILL NOT CONTEST THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY
OF
ANY EXCULPATORY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS ON
THE
BASIS THAT THE PARTY HAD NO NOTICE OR KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH PROVISION OR THAT THE
PROVISION IS NOT “CONSPICUOUS.”
73
Section
13.14 Collateral
Matters; Swap Agreements.
The benefit of the Security Instruments and of the provisions of this Agreement
relating to any collateral securing the Indebtedness shall also extend to and
be
available to those Lenders or their Affiliates which are counterparties to
any
Swap Agreement with the Borrower or any of its Affiliates on a pro
rata
basis in
respect of any obligations of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates which arise
under any such Swap Agreement while such Person or its Affiliate is a Lender,
but only while such Person or its Affiliate is a Lender, including any Swap
Agreements between such Persons in existence prior to the date hereof. No Lender
or any Affiliate of a Lender shall have any voting rights under any Loan
Document as a result of the existence of obligations owed to it under any such
Swap Agreements.
Section
13.15 No
Third Party Beneficiaries.
This Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the agreement of the Lenders
to
make Loans hereunder are solely for the benefit of the Borrower, and no other
Person (including, without limitation, any Affiliate of the Borrower, any
obligor, contractor, subcontractor, supplier or materialsman) shall have any
rights, claims, remedies or privileges hereunder or under any other Loan
Document against the Administrative Agent or any Lender for any reason
whatsoever. There are no third party beneficiaries.
Section
13.16 Securitization.
The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the Lenders and their Affiliates may
sell
or securitize the Loans (a “Securitization”)
through the pledge of the Loans as collateral security for loans to the Lenders
or their Affiliates or through the sale of the Loans or the issuance of direct
or indirect interests in the Loans, which loans to the Lenders or their
Affiliates or direct or indirect interests will be rated by Xxxxx’x, S&P or
one or more other rating agencies (the “Rating
Agencies”).
The
Borrower shall cooperate with the Lenders and their Affiliates to effect the
Securitization including, without limitation, by (a) amending this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents, and executing such additional documents, as reasonably
requested by the Lenders in connection with the Securitization, provided
that (i)
any such amendment or additional documentation does not impose material
additional costs on the Borrower and (ii) any such amendment or additional
documentation does not materially adversely affect the rights, or materially
increase the obligations, of the Borrower under the Loan Documents or change
or
affect in a manner adverse to the Borrower the financial terms of the Loans,
(b)
providing such information as may be reasonably requested by the Lenders in
connection with the rating of the Loans or the Securitization, and (c) providing
in connection with any rating of the Loans a certificate (i) agreeing to
indemnify the Lenders and their Affiliates, any of the Rating Agencies, or
any
party providing credit support or otherwise participating in the Securitization
(collectively, the “Securitization
Parties”)
for
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (the “Liabilities”)
to
which the Lenders, their Affiliates or such Securitization Parties may become
subject insofar as the Liabilities arise out of or are based upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any
Loan
Document or in any writing delivered by or on behalf of the Borrower or any
Affiliate of the Borrower to the Lenders in connection with any Loan Document
or
arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein
a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary in order to make
the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading, and such indemnity shall survive any transfer by the Lenders
or
their successors or assigns of the Loans and (ii) agreeing to reimburse the
Lenders and their Affiliates for any legal or other expenses incurred by such
Persons in connection with defending the Liabilities.
74
Section
13.17 USA
Patriot Act Notice.
Each Lender hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements
of
the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26,
2001)) (the “Patriot
Act”),
it is
required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower,
which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other
information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance
with the Act.
[SIGNATURES
BEGIN NEXT PAGE]
75
The
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day
and
year first above written.
BORROWER: | CROSSPOINT ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC | |
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx |
||
President |
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT: | X. X. XXXXX SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P. | |
|
|
|
By:
|
X.
X. Xxxxx Partners, LLC,
as
general partner
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
|
||
Name: | Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature
Page to Credit Agreement]
S-2
LENDER: | DRAWBRIDGE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND LP | |
|
|
|
By:
|
Drawbridge
Special Opportunities GP LLC, as general partner
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |
|
||
Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |
Title: | Authorized Signatory | |
Address: | 1251 Avenue of the Americas | |
Xxxxx
0000
|
||
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 | ||
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxx, Chief Financial Officer | ||
Telecopy: (000) 000-0000 | ||
[Signature
Page to Credit Agreement]
S-3
LENDER: | X.X. XXXXX SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P. | |
|
|
|
By:
|
X.
X. Xxxxx Partners, LLC,
as
general partner
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |
|
||
Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |
Title: | Authorized Signatory | |
Address: | 000 0xx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx | |
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 | ||
Attention: Xxxxx XxXxxxxx | ||
Telecopy:(000) 000-0000 | ||
[Signature
Page to Credit
Agreement]
S-4