JOINT OPERATING AGREEMENT CAMAR RESOURCES CANADA, INC. AND INDO-PACIFIC RESOURCES (JAVA) LTD. OPERATING AGREEMENT COVERING: BAWEAN PRODUCTION SHARING CONTRACT NOVEMBER 2004
EXHIBIT
10.3
JOINT
OPERATING AGREEMENT
CAMAR
RESOURCES CANADA, INC.
AND
INDO-PACIFIC
RESOURCES (JAVA) LTD.
OPERATING
AGREEMENT COVERING:
BAWEAN
PRODUCTION SHARING CONTRACT
NOVEMBER
2004
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
ARTICLE
1 DEFINITIONS
|
1
|
ARTICLE
2 EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM
|
5
|
ARTICLE
3 SCOPE
|
5
|
3.1
Scope
|
5
|
3.2
Participating Interest
|
6
|
3.3 Ownership,
Obligations and Liabilities
|
6
|
ARTICLE
4 OPERATOR
|
6
|
4.1
Designation of Operator
|
6
|
4.2
Rights and Duties of Operator
|
6
|
4.3
Operator Personnel
|
8
|
4.4
Information Supplied by Operator
|
8
|
4.5
Settlement of Claims and Lawsuits
|
9
|
4.6
Limitation on Liability of Operator
|
9
|
4.7
Insurance Obtained by Operator
|
10
|
4.8
Commingling of Funds
|
11
|
4.9
Resignation of Operator
|
11
|
4.10
Removal of Operator
|
12
|
4.11
Appointment of Successor
|
12
|
4.12
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
|
13
|
ARTICLE
5 OPERATING COMMITTEE
|
13
|
5.1
Establishment of Operating Committee
|
13
|
5.2
Powers and Duties of Operating Committee
|
14
|
5.3
Authority to Vote
|
14
|
5.4
Subcommittees
|
14
|
5.5
Notice of Meeting
|
14
|
5.6
Contents of Meeting Notice
|
14
|
5.7
Location of Meetings
|
15
|
5.8
Operator’s Duties for Meetings
|
15
|
5.9
Voting Procedure
|
15
|
5.10
Record of Votes
|
15
|
5.11
Minutes
|
15
|
5.12
Voting by Notice
|
15
|
5.13
Effect of Vote
|
16
|
ARTICLE
6 WORK PROGRAMS AND BUDGETS
|
17
|
6.1
Exploration and Appraisal
|
17
|
6.2
Development
|
18
|
6.3
Production
|
19
|
6.4
Itemization of Expenditures
|
19
|
6.5
Multi-Year Work Program and Budget
|
19
|
6.6
Contract Awards
|
19
|
6.7
Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) Procedure
|
20
|
6.8
Overexpenditures of Work Programs and Budgets
|
20
|
ARTICLE
7 OPERATIONS BY LESS THAN ALL PARTIES
|
21
|
7.1
Limitation on Applicability
|
21
|
7.2
Procedure to Propose Exclusive Operations
|
21
|
7.3
Responsibility for Exclusive Operations
|
22
|
7.4
Consequences of Exclusive Operations
|
22
|
7.5
Premium to Participate in Exclusive Operations
|
24
|
7.6
Order of Preference of Operations
|
25
|
7.7
Stand-By Costs
|
26
|
7.8
Special Considerations Regarding Deepening and
Sidetracking
|
26
|
7.9
Use of Property
|
26
|
-i-
7.10
Lost Production
|
26
|
7.11
deleted
|
27
|
7.12
Conduct of Exclusive Operations
|
27
|
ARTICLE
8 DEFAULT
|
28
|
8.1
Default and Notice
|
28
|
8.2
Operating Committee Meetings and Data
|
28
|
8.3
Allocation of Defaulted Accounts
|
29
|
8.4
Remedies
|
30
|
8.5
Survival
|
32
|
8.6
No Right of Set Off
|
32
|
ARTICLE
9 DISPOSITION OF PRODUCTION
|
32
|
9.1
Right and Obligation to Take in Kind
|
32
|
9.2
Disposition of Crude Oil
|
32
|
9.3
Disposition of Natural Gas
|
32
|
ARTICLE
10 ABANDONMENT
|
32
|
10.1
Abandonment of Xxxxx Drilled as Joint Operations
|
32
|
10.2
Abandonment of Exclusive Operations
|
33
|
10.3
Abandonment Security
|
33
|
ARTICLE
11 SURRENDER, EXTENSIONS AND RENEWALS
|
34
|
11.1
Surrender
|
34
|
11.2
Extension of the Term
|
34
|
ARTICLE
12 TRANSFER OF INTEREST OR RIGHTS AND CHANGES IN CONTROL
|
34
|
12.1
Obligations
|
34
|
12.2
Transfer
|
35
|
12.3
Change in Control
|
37
|
ARTICLE
13 WITHDRAWAL FROM AGREEMENT
|
39
|
13.1
Right of Withdrawal
|
39
|
13.2
Partial or Complete Withdrawal
|
39
|
13.3
Rights of a Withdrawing Party
|
39
|
13.4
Obligations and Liabilities of a Withdrawing Party
|
39
|
13.5
Emergency
|
40
|
13.6
Assignment
|
40
|
13.7
Approvals
|
41
|
13.8
Security
|
41
|
13.9
Withdrawal or Abandonment by all Parties
|
41
|
ARTICLE
14 RELATIONSHIP OF PARTIES AND TAX
|
41
|
14.1
Relationship of Parties
|
41
|
14.2
Tax
|
41
|
ARTICLE
15 VENTURE INFORMATION - CONFIDENTIALITY - INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY
|
42
|
15.1
Venture Information
|
42
|
15.2
Confidentiality
|
42
|
15.3
Intellectual Property
|
43
|
15.4
Continuing Obligations
|
43
|
15.5
Trades
|
43
|
ARTICLE
16 FORCE MAJEURE
|
44
|
16.1
Obligations
|
44
|
16.2
Definition of Force Majeure
|
44
|
ARTICLE
17 NOTICES
|
44
|
ARTICLE
18 APPLICABLE LAW - DISPUTE RESOLUTION - WAIVER OF SOVEREIGN
IMMUNITY
|
44
|
18.1
Applicable Law
|
45
|
18.2
Dispute Resolution
|
45
|
18.4
Waiver of Sovereign Immunity
|
47
|
ARTICLE
19 ALLOCATION OF COST & PROFIT HYDROCARBONS
|
47
|
19.1
Allocation of Total Production
|
47
|
19.2
Allocations of Hydrocarbons to Parties
|
47
|
19.3
Use of Estimates
|
48
|
19.4
Principles
|
48
|
-ii-
ARTICLE
20 GENERAL PROVISIONS
|
48
|
20.1
Conduct of the Parties
|
48
|
20.2
Conflicts of Interest
|
49
|
20.3
Public Announcements
|
49
|
20.4
Successors and Assigns
|
49
|
20.5
Waiver
|
49
|
20.6
No Third Party Beneficiaries
|
49
|
20.7
Joint Preparation
|
50
|
20.8
Severance of Invalid Provisions
|
50
|
20.9
Modifications
|
50
|
20.10
Interpretation
|
50
|
20.11
Counterpart Execution
|
50
|
20.12
Entirety
|
51
|
Exhibit
A - Accounting Procedure
|
|
Exhibit
B -Employees
|
|
Exhibit
C - Decisions Requiring Special Majorities
|
-iii-
THIS
AGREEMENT is made on November 26, 2004 between Camar Resources Canada Inc.,
a
company existing under the laws of Alberta, Canada (hereinafter referred to
as
"CRC")
and
Indo-Pacific Resources (Java) Ltd., a company existing under the laws of
Barbados (hereinafter referred to as "Indo-Pacific").
The
companies named above, and their respective successors and assignees (if any),
may sometimes individually be referred to as "Party" and collectively as the
"Parties".
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS,
the Parties hold the sole rights and obligations granted to the Contractor
(as
that term is utilised in the Contract) set out in a Production Sharing Contract
dated Febrary 12th,
1981
covering certain areas located in the Bawean Block, Camar field, Java (the
"Contract");
and
WHEREAS,
the Parties desire to define their respective rights and obligations with
respect to their operations under the Contract, which shall come into effect
on
the date (the "Effective
Date")
upon
which the transaction contemplated by the Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement
dated November 26, 2004 between the Parties becomes effective;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and
agreements and obligations set out below and to be performed, the Parties agree
as follows:
ARTICLE
1
DEFINITIONS
As
used
in this Agreement, the following words and terms shall have the meaning ascribed
to them below:
1.1
|
Accounting
Procedure
means the rules, provisions and conditions contained in Exhibit
A.
|
1.2
|
AFE
means an authorization for expenditure pursuant to Article
6.7.
|
1.3
|
Affiliate
means a legal entity which Controls, or is Controlled by, or which
is
Controlled by an entity which Controls, a Party.
|
1.4
|
Agreed
Interest Rate
means interest compounded on a monthly basis, at the rate per annum
equal
to the one (1) month term, London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR rate)
for
U.S. dollar deposits, as published in London by the Financial
Times
or
if not published, then by The
Wall Street Journal,
plus two (2) percentage points, applicable on the first Business
Day prior
to the due date of payment and thereafter on the first Business Day
of
each succeeding calendar month. If the aforesaid rate is contrary
to any
applicable usury law, the rate of interest to be charged shall be
the
maximum rate permitted by such applicable
law.
|
1.5
|
Agreement
means this agreement, together with the Exhibits attached to this
agreement, and any extension, renewal or amendment hereof agreed
to in
writing by the Parties.
|
1.6
|
Appraisal
Well
means any well (other than an Exploration Well or a Development Well)
whose purpose at the time of commencement of drilling such well is
to
appraise the extent or the volume of Hydrocarbon reserves contained
in an
existing Discovery.
|
1.7
|
Business
Day
means a Day on which the banks in Jakarta, Indonesia and Vancouver,
Canada
are customarily open for business.
|
1.8
|
Calendar
Quarter
means a period of three (3) months commencing with January 1
and
ending on the following March 31, a period of three (3) months commencing
with April 1 and ending on the following June 30, a period of three
(3)
months commencing with July 1 and ending on the following
September
30, or a period of three (3) months commencing with October 1 and
ending
on the following December 31, all in accordance with the Gregorian
Calendar.
|
-1-
1.9
|
Calendar
Year
means a period of twelve (12) months commencing with January 1
and
ending on the following December 31 according to the Gregorian
Calendar.
|
1.10
|
Commercial
Discovery
means any Discovery that is sufficient to entitle the Parties to
apply for
authorization from the Government to commence
exploitation.
|
1.11
|
Completion
means an operation intended to complete a well through the Christmas
tree
as a producer of Hydrocarbons in one or more Zones, including the
setting
of production casing, perforating, stimulating the well and production
Testing conducted in such operation. "Complete"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.12
|
Consenting
Party
means a Party who agrees to participate in and pay its share of the
cost
of an Exclusive Operation.
|
1.13
|
Consequential
Loss
means any loss, damages, costs, expenses or liabilities caused (directly
or indirectly) by any of the following arising out of, relating to,
or
connected with this Agreement or the operations carried out under
this
Agreement: (i) reservoir or formation damage; (ii) inability to produce,
use or dispose of Hydrocarbons; (iii) loss or deferment of income;
(iv)
punitive damages; or (v) other indirect damages or losses whether
or not
similar to the foregoing.
|
1.14
|
Contract
means the instrument identified in the recitals to this Agreement
and any
extension, renewal or amendment
thereto.
|
1.15
|
Contract
Area
shall have the same meaning as that set out in the
Contract.
|
1.16
|
Control
means the ownership directly or indirectly of fifty (50) percent
or more
of the voting rights in a legal entity. "Controls",
"Controlled
by"
and other derivatives shall be construed accordingly.
|
1.17
|
Cost
Hydrocarbons
means that portion of the total production of Hydrocarbons which
is
allocated to the Parties under the Contract and this Agreement for
the
recovery of the costs
and expenses incurred by the Parties and allowed to be recovered
pursuant
to the Contract.
|
1.18
|
Crude
Oil
means all crude oils, condensates, and natural gas liquids at atmospheric
pressure which are subject to and covered by the
Contract.
|
1.19
|
Day
means a calendar day unless otherwise specifically
provided.
|
1.20
|
Deepening
means an operation whereby a well is drilled to an objective Zone
below
the deepest Zone in which the well was previously drilled, or below
the
deepest Zone proposed in the associated AFE (if required), whichever
is
the deeper. "Deepen"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.21
|
Development
Plan
means a plan for the development of Hydrocarbons from an Exploitation
Area.
|
1.22
|
Development
Well
means any well drilled for the production of Hydrocarbons pursuant
to a
Development Plan.
|
1.22A
|
Dilution
and Carried Interest Agreement means
the agreement whereby CRC may reduce and acquire Indo-Pacific's
Participating Interest in certain cases, and if such reduction results
in
Indo-Pacific's interest being reduced to 5%, requires CRC to fund
certain
of the financial obligations of Indo-Pacific under this Agreement,
required to be entered into between the Parties concurrently with
this
Agreement.
|
-2-
1.23
|
Discovery
means the discovery of an accumulation of Hydrocarbons whose existence
until that moment was unproven by
drilling.
|
1.24
|
Dispute
means any dispute, controversy or claim (of any and every kind or
type,
whether based on contract, tort, statute, regulation, or otherwise)
arising out of, relating to, or connected with this Agreement or
the
operations carried out under this Agreement, including any dispute
as to
the construction, validity, interpretation, enforceability or breach
of
this Agreement.
|
1.25
|
Entitlement
means that quantity of Hydrocarbons (excluding all quantities used
or lost
in Joint Operations) of which a Party has the right and obligation
to take
delivery pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Contract,
as such
rights and obligations may be adjusted by the terms of any lifting,
balancing and other disposition agreements entered into pursuant
to
Article 9.
|
1.26
|
Environmental
Loss
means any loss, damages, costs, expenses or liabilities (other than
Consequential Loss) caused by a discharge of Hydrocarbons, pollutants
or
other contaminants into or onto any medium (such as land, surface
water,
ground water and/or air) arising out of, relating to, or connected
with
this Agreement or the operations carried out under this Agreement,
including any of the following: (i) injury or damage to, or destruction
of, natural resources or real or personal property; (ii) cost of
pollution
control, cleanup and removal; (iii) cost of restoration of natural
resources; and (iv) fines, penalties or other assessments.
|
1.27
|
Exclusive
Operation
means those operations and activities carried out pursuant to this
Agreement, the costs of which are chargeable to the account of less
than
all the Parties.
|
1.28
|
Exclusive
Well
means a well drilled pursuant to an Exclusive
Operation.
|
1.29
|
Exploitation
Area
means that part of the Contract Area which is established for development
of a Commercial Discovery pursuant to the Contract or, if the Contract
does not establish an exploitation area, then that part of the Contract
Area which is delineated as the exploitation area in a Development
Plan
approved as a Joint Operation or as an Exclusive
Operation.
|
1.30
|
Exploitation
Period
means any and all periods of exploitation during which the production
and
removal of Hydrocarbons is permitted under the
Contract.
|
1.31
|
Exploration
Period
means any and all periods of exploration set out in the
Contract.
|
1.32
|
Exploration
Well
means any well the purpose of which at the time of the commencement
of
drilling is to explore for an accumulation of Hydrocarbons, which
accumulation was at that time unproven by
drilling.
|
1.33
|
G
& G Data
means only geological, geophysical and geochemical data and other
similar
information that is not obtained through a well bore.
|
1.34
|
Government
means the government of the Republic of Indonesia and any political
subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including the Government
Oil & Gas Company.
|
1.35
|
Government
Oil & Gas Company
means Perusahaan Pertambangan Minhak Xxx Gas Bumi Negara (Pertamina)
or
Badan Pelaksana Kegiatan Usaha Hulu Minyak Xxx Gas Bumi (BPMigas),
as the
case may be.
|
1.36
|
Gross
Negligence / Willful Misconduct
means any act or failure to act (whether sole, joint or concurrent)
by any
person or entity which was intended to cause, or which was in reckless
disregard of or wanton indifference to, harmful consequences such
person
or entity knew, or should have known, such act or failure would have
on
the safety or property of another person or entity.
|
1.37
|
Hydrocarbons
means all substances which are subject to and covered by the Contract,
including Crude Oil and Natural
Gas.
|
-3-
1.38
|
Joint
Account
means the accounts maintained by Operator in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement, including the Accounting
Procedure.
|
1.39
|
Joint
Operations
means those operations and activities carried out by Operator pursuant
to
this Agreement, the costs of which are chargeable to all
Parties.
|
1.40
|
Joint
Property
means, at any point in time, all xxxxx, facilities, equipment, materials,
information, funds and property (other than Hydrocarbons) held for
use in
Joint Operations, but subject always to the ownership rights of the
Government Oil & Gas Company under the
Contract.
|
1.41
|
Laws
/ Regulations
means those laws, statutes, rules and regulations governing activities
under the Contract.
|
1.42
|
Minimum
Work Obligations
means those work and/or expenditure obligations specified in the
Contract
that must be performed in order to satisfy the obligations of the
Contract.
|
1.43
|
Natural
Gas
means all gaseous hydrocarbons (including wet gas, dry gas and residue
gas) which are subject to and covered by the Contract, but excluding
Crude
Oil.
|
1.44
|
Non-Consenting
Party
means each Party who elects not to participate in an Exclusive Operation.
|
1.45
|
Non-Operator
means each Party to this Agreement other than
Operator.
|
1.46
|
Operating
Committee
means the committee constituted in accordance with Article
5.
|
1.47
|
Operator
means a Party to this Agreement designated as such in accordance
with
Articles 4 or 7.12(F).
|
1.48
|
Participating
Interest
means as to any Party, the undivided interest of such Party (expressed
as
a percentage of the total interests of all Parties) in the rights
and
obligations derived from the Parties’ interest in the Contract and this
Agreement.
|
1.49
|
Plugging
Back
means a single operation whereby a deeper Zone is abandoned in order
to
attempt a Completion in a shallower Zone. "Plug
Back"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.50
|
Profit
Hydrocarbons
means that portion of the total production of Hydrocarbons, in excess
of
Cost Hydrocarbons, which is allocated to the Parties under the terms
of
the Contract.
|
1.51
|
Recompletion
means an operation whereby a Completion in one Zone is abandoned
in order
to attempt a Completion in a different Zone within the existing wellbore.
"Recomplete"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.52
|
Reworking
means an operation conducted in the wellbore of a well after it is
Completed to secure, restore, or improve production in a Zone which
is
currently open to production in the wellbore. Such operations include
well
stimulation operations, but exclude any routine repair or maintenance
work, or drilling, Sidetracking, Deepening, Completing, Recompleting,
or
Plugging Back of a well. "Rework"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.53
|
Security
means (i) a guarantee or standby letter of credit issued by a bank;
(ii)
an on-demand bond issued by a surety corporation; (iii) a corporate
guarantee; (iv) any financial security required by the Contract or
this
Agreement; and (v) any financial security agreed from time to time
by the
Parties; provided, however, that the bank, surety or corporation
issuing
the guarantee, standby letter of credit, bond or other security (as
applicable) has a credit rating indicating it has a sufficient worth
to
pay its obligations in all reasonably foreseeable
circumstances.
|
-4-
1.54
|
Senior
Supervisory Personnel
means, with respect to a Party, any individual who functions as its
designated manager or supervisor who is responsible for or in charge
of
onsite drilling, construction or production and related operations,
or any
other field operations and any individual who functions for such
Party or
one of its Affiliates at a management level equivalent to or superior
thereto, or any officer or director of such Party or one of its
Affiliates.
|
1.55
|
Sidetracking
means the directional control and intentional deviation of a well
from
vertical so as to change the bottom hole location unless done to
straighten the hole or to drill around junk in the hole or to overcome
other mechanical difficulties. "Sidetrack"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.56
|
Testing
means an operation intended to evaluate the capacity of a Zone to
produce
Hydrocarbons. "Test"
and other derivatives shall be construed
accordingly.
|
1.57
|
Urgent
Operational Matters
has the meaning ascribed to it in Article 5.12(A)(1).
|
1.58
|
Work
Program and Budget
means a work program for Joint Operations and budget therefor as
described
and approved in accordance with Article
6.
|
1.59
|
Zone
means a stratum of earth containing or thought to contain an accumulation
of Hydrocarbons separately producible from any other accumulation
of
Hydrocarbons.
|
ARTICLE
2
EFFECTIVE
DATE AND TERM
This
Agreement shall have effect from the Effective Date (as defined in the preamble
to this Agreement) and shall continue in effect until the following occur in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement: the Contract terminates; all
materials, equipment and personal property used in connection with Joint
Operations or Exclusive Operations have been disposed of or removed; and final
settlement (including settlement in relation to any financial audit carried
out
pursuant to the Accounting Procedure) has been made. Notwithstanding the
preceding sentence: (i) Article 10 shall remain in effect until all
abandonment obligations under the Contract have been satisfied; and
(ii) Article 4.5, Article 8, Article
15.2, Article 18 and the indemnity obligation under Article 20.1 (A)
shall
remain in effect until all obligations have been extinguished and all Disputes
have been resolved. Termination of this Agreement shall be without prejudice
to
any rights and obligations arising out of or in connection with this Agreement
which have vested, matured or accrued prior to such termination.
ARTICLE
3
SCOPE
3.1 Scope
(A)
|
The
purpose of this Agreement is to establish the respective rights and
obligations of the Parties with regard to operations under the Contract,
including the joint exploration, appraisal, development, production
and
disposition of Hydrocarbons from the Contract Area. This Agreement
expresses the entire agreement between the parties, except as set
forth in
the Dilution and Carried Interest
Agreement.
|
(B)
|
For
greater certainty, the Parties confirm that, except to the extent
expressly included in the Contract, the following activities are
outside
of the scope of this Agreement and are not addressed
herein:
|
(1)
|
construction,
operation, ownership, maintenance, repair and removal of facilities
downstream from the delivery point (as determined under Article 9)
of the
Parties’ Entitlements;
|
(2)
|
transportation
of the Parties’ Entitlements downstream from the delivery point (as
determined under Article 9);
|
-5-
(3)
|
marketing
and sales of Hydrocarbons, except as expressly provided in
Article 7.12(E), Article 8.4 and Article
9);
|
(4)
|
acquisition
of rights to explore for, appraise, develop or produce Hydrocarbons
outside of the Contract Area (other than as a consequence of unitization
with an adjoining contract area under the terms of the Contract);
and
|
(5)
|
exploration,
appraisal, development or production of minerals other than Hydrocarbons,
whether inside or outside of the Contract
Area.
|
3.2
|
Participating
Interest
|
(A)
|
The
Participating Interests of the Parties as of the Effective Date are:
|
Camar
Resources Canada Inc. 70%
Indo-Pacific
Resources (Java) Limited 30%
(B)
|
If
a Party transfers all or part of its Participating Interest pursuant
to
the provisions of this Agreement and the Contract (whether pursuant
to the
Dilution and Carried Interest Agreement or otherwise), the Participating
Interests of the Parties shall be revised
accordingly.
|
3.3
|
Ownership,
Obligations and
Liabilities
|
(A)
|
Unless
otherwise provided in this Agreement, all the rights and interests
in and
under the Contract, all Joint Property, and any Hydrocarbons produced
from
the Contract Area shall, subject to the terms of the Contract, be
owned by
the Parties in accordance with their respective Participating
Interests.
|
(B)
|
Subject
to to the terms and conditions of the Dilution and Carried Interest
Agreement and except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the
obligations of the Parties under the Contract and all liabilities
and
expenses incurred by Operator in connection with Joint Operations
shall be
charged to the Joint Account and all credits to the Joint Account
shall be
shared by the Parties, in accordance with their respective Participating
Interests.
|
(C)
|
Subject
to the terms and conditions of the Dilution and Carried Interest
Agreement, each Party shall pay when due, in accordance with the
Accounting Procedure, its Participating Interest share of Joint Account
expenses, including cash advances and interest, accrued pursuant
to this
Agreement. A Party’s payment of any charge under this Agreement shall be
without prejudice to its right to later contest the
charge.
|
ARTICLE
4
OPERATOR
4.1
|
Designation
of Operator
|
CRC
is
designated as Operator and agrees to act as such in accordance with this
Agreement.
4.2
|
Rights
and Duties of
Operator
|
(A)
|
Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Operator shall have
all of
the rights, functions and duties of Operator under the Contract and
shall
have exclusive charge of and shall conduct all Joint Operations.
Operator
may employ independent contractors and agents (which independent
contractors and agents may include an Affiliate of Operator, a
Non-Operator, or an Affiliate of a Non-Operator) in such Joint
Operations.
|
(B)
|
In
the conduct of Joint Operations Operator
shall:
|
-6-
(1)
|
perform
Joint Operations in accordance with the provisions of the Contract,
the
Laws / Regulations, this Agreement, and the decisions of the Operating
Committee not in conflict with this
Agreement;
|
(2)
|
conduct
all Joint Operations in a diligent, safe and efficient manner in
accordance with such good and prudent petroleum industry practices
and
field conservation principles as are generally followed by the
international petroleum industry under similar
circumstances;
|
(3)
|
exercise
due care with respect to the receipt, payment and accounting of funds
in
accordance with good and prudent practices as are generally followed
by
the international petroleum industry under similar circumstances;
|
(4)
|
subject
to Article 4.6 and the Accounting Procedure, neither gain a profit
nor
suffer a loss as a result of being the Operator in its conduct of
Joint
Operations, provided that Operator may rely upon Operating Committee
approval of specific accounting practices not in conflict with the
Accounting Procedure;
|
(5)
|
perform
the duties for the Operating Committee set out in Article 5, and
prepare
and submit to the Operating Committee proposed Work Programs and
Budgets
and (if required) AFEs, as provided in Article
6;
|
(6)
|
acquire
all permits, consents, approvals, and surface or other rights that
may be
required for or in connection with the conduct of Joint
Operations;
|
(7)
|
upon
receipt of reasonable advance notice, permit the representatives
of any of
the Parties to have at all reasonable times during normal business
hours
and at their own risk and expense reasonable access to the Joint
Operations with the right to observe all Joint Operations and to
inspect
all Joint Property and to conduct financial audits as provided in
the
Accounting Procedure;
|
(8)
|
undertake
to maintain the Contract in full force and effect in accordance with
such
good and prudent petroleum industry practices as are generally followed
by
the international petroleum industry under similar circumstances.
Operator
shall timely pay and discharge all liabilities and expenses incurred
in
connection with Joint Operations and use its reasonable endeavors
to keep
and maintain the Joint Property free from all liens, charges and
encumbrances arising out of Joint
Operations;
|
(9)
|
pay
to the Government for the Joint Account, within the periods and in
the
manner prescribed by the Contract and the Laws / Regulations, all
periodic
payments, royalties, taxes, fees and other payments pertaining to
Joint
Operations but excluding any taxes measured by the incomes of the
Parties;
|
(10)
|
carry
out the obligations of Operator pursuant to the Contract, including
preparing and furnishing such reports, records and information as
may be
required pursuant to the Contract;
|
(11)
|
have,
in accordance with any decisions of the Operating Committee, the
exclusive
right and obligation to represent the Parties in all dealings with
the
Government with respect to matters arising under the Contract and
Joint
Operations. Operator shall notify the other Parties as soon as possible
of
such meetings. Subject to the Contract and any necessary Government
approvals, Non-Operators shall have the right to attend any meetings
with
the Government with respect to such matters, but only in the capacity
of
observers. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall restrict any
Party
from holding discussions with the Government with respect to any
issue
peculiar to its particular business interests arising under the Contract
or this Agreement, but in such event such Party shall promptly advise
the
Parties, if possible, before and in any event promptly after such
discussions, provided that such Party shall not be required to divulge
to
the Parties any matters discussed to the extent the same involve
proprietary information or matters not affecting the
Parties;
|
(12)
|
in
accordance with Article 9.3 and any decisions of the Operating Committee,
assess (to the extent lawful) alternatives for the disposition of
Natural
Gas from a Discovery;
|
(13)
|
in
case of an emergency (including a significant fire, explosion, Natural
Gas
release, Crude Oil release, or sabotage; incident involving loss
of life,
serious injury to an employee, contractor, or third party, or serious
property damage; strikes and riots; or evacuations of Operator personnel):
(i) take all necessary and proper measures for the protection of
life,
health, the environment and property; and (ii) as soon as reasonably
practicable, report to Non-Operators the details of such event and
any
measures Operator has taken or plans to take in response
thereto;
|
-7-
(14)
|
establish
and implement pursuant to Article 4.12 an HSE plan to govern Joint
Operations which is designed to ensure compliance with applicable
HSE
laws, rules and regulations and this
Agreement;
|
(15)
|
include,
to the extent practical, in its contracts with independent contractors
and
to the extent lawful, provisions
which:
|
(a)
|
establish
that such contractors can only enforce their contracts against Operator;
|
(b)
|
permit
Operator, on behalf of itself and Non-Operators, to enforce contractual
indemnities against, and recover losses and damages suffered by them
(insofar as recovered under their contracts) from, such contractors;
and
|
(c)
|
require
such contractors to take insurance required by Article
4.7(H).
|
4.3
|
Operator
Personnel
|
(A)
|
Operator
shall engage or retain only such employees, contractors, consultants
and
agents as are reasonably necessary to conduct Joint Operations. Subject
to
the Contract and this Agreement, Operator shall determine the number
of
employees, contractors, consultants and agents, the selection of
such
persons, their hours of work, and the compensation to be paid to
all such
persons in connection with Joint
Operations.
|
(B)
|
Notwithstanding
(A), Operator shall engage and retain those members of Indo-Pacific’s
platform crews and Surabaya Operations office set out in Exhibit
B
hereto.
|
4.4
|
Information
Supplied by Operator
|
(A)
|
Operator
shall provide Non-Operators with the following data and reports (to
the
extent to be charged to the Joint Account) as they are currently
produced
or compiled from Joint Operations:
|
(1)
|
copies
of all logs or surveys, including in digitally recorded format if
such
exists;
|
(2)
|
daily
drilling reports and well by well production
reports;
|
(3)
|
copies
of all Tests and core data and analysis
reports;
|
(4)
|
final
well recap report;
|
(5)
|
copies
of plugging reports;
|
(6)
|
copies
of final geological and geophysical maps, seismic sections and shot
point
location maps;
|
(7)
|
engineering
studies, development schedules and quarterly progress reports on
development projects;
|
(8)
|
field
and well performance reports, including reservoir studies and reserve
estimates;
|
(9)
|
as
requested by a Non-Operator, (i) copies of all material reports relating
to Joint Operations or the Contract Area furnished by Operator to
the
Government; and (ii) other material studies and reports relating
to Joint
Operations;
|
-8-
(10)
|
gas
balancing reports under agreements provided for in Article 9.3;
|
(11)
|
such
additional information as a Non-Operator may reasonably request,
provided
that the requesting Party or Parties pay the costs of preparation
of such
information and that the preparation of such information will not
unduly
burden Operator’s administrative and technical personnel. Only
Non-Operators who pay such costs will receive such additional information;
and
|
(12)
|
reports,
data and documents relating to the lifting and sale of Hydrocarbons
under
Article 9.2; and
|
(13)
|
other
reports as directed by the Operating
Committee.
|
(B)
|
Operator
shall give Non-Operators access at all reasonable times during normal
business hours to all data and reports (other than data and reports
provided to Non-Operators in accordance with Article 4.4(A))
acquired
in the conduct of Joint Operations, which a Non-Operator may reasonably
request. Any Non-Operator may make copies of such other data at its
sole
expense.
|
4.5
|
Settlement
of Claims and
Lawsuits
|
(A)
|
Operator
shall promptly notify the Parties of any and all material claims
or suits
that relate in any way to Joint Operations. Operator shall represent
the
Parties and defend or oppose the claim or suit. Operator may in its
sole
discretion compromise or settle any such claim or suit or any related
series of claims or suits for an amount not to exceed the equivalent
of
twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars exclusive of legal fees. Operator
shall
obtain the approval and direction of the Operating Committee on amounts
in
excess of the above-stated amount. Without prejudice to the foregoing,
each Non-Operator shall have the right to be represented by its own
counsel at its own expense in the settlement, compromise or defense
of
such claims or suits.
|
(B)
|
Any
Non-Operator shall promptly notify the other Parties of any claim
made
against such Non-Operator by a third party that arises out of or
may
affect the Joint Operations, and such Non-Operator shall defend or
settle
the same in accordance with any directions given by the Operating
Committee. Those costs, expenses and damages incurred pursuant to
such
defense or settlement which are attributable to Joint Operations
shall be
for the Joint Account.
|
(C)
|
Notwithstanding
Article 4.5(A) and Article 4.5(B), each Party shall have the right
to
participate in any such suit, prosecution, defense or settlement
conducted
in accordance with Article 4.5(A) and Article 4.5(B), at its sole
cost and
expense; provided always that no Party may settle its Participating
Interest share of any claim without first satisfying the Operating
Committee that it can do so without prejudicing the interests of
the Joint
Operations.
|
4.6
|
Limitation
on Liability of
Operator
|
(A)
|
Except
as set out in Article 4.6(C), neither Operator nor any other Indemnitee
(as defined below) shall bear (except as a Party to the extent of
its
Participating Interest share) any damage, loss, cost, expense or
liability
resulting from performing (or failing to perform) the duties and
functions
of Operator, and the Indemnitees are hereby released from liability
to
Non-Operators for any and all damages, losses, costs, expenses and
liabilities arising out of, incident to or resulting from such performance
or failure to perform, even though caused in whole or in part by
a
pre-existing defect, or the negligence (whether sole, joint or
concurrent), gross negligence, willful misconduct, strict liability
or
other legal fault of Operator (or any such
Indemnitee).
|
(B)
|
Except
as set out in Article 4.6(C), the Parties shall (in proportion to
their
Participating Interests) defend and indemnify Operator and its Affiliates,
and their respective directors, officers, and employees (collectively,
the
"Indemnitees"),
from any and all damages, losses, costs, expenses (including reasonable
legal costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees) and liabilities incident to
claims, demands or causes of action brought by or on behalf of any
person
or entity, which claims, demands or causes of action arise out of,
are
incident to or result from Joint Operations, even though caused in
whole
or in part by a pre-existing defect, or the negligence (whether sole,
joint or concurrent), gross negligence, willful misconduct, strict
liability or other legal fault of Operator (or any such Indemnitee).
|
-9-
(C)
|
Notwithstanding
Articles 4.6(A) or 4.6(B), if any Senior Supervisory Personnel of
Operator
or its Affiliates engage in Gross Negligence / Willful Misconduct
which
proximately causes the Parties to incur damage, loss, cost, expense
or
liability for claims, demands or causes of action referred to in
Articles
4.6(A) or 4.6(B), then, in addition to its Participating Interest
share,
Operator shall bear all such damages, losses, costs, expenses and
liabilities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, under no circumstances
shall
Operator (except as a Party to the extent of its Participating Interest)
or any other Indemnitee bear any Consequential Loss or Environmental
Loss.
|
(D)
|
Nothing
in this Article 4.6 shall be deemed to relieve Operator from its
Participating Interest share of any damage, loss, cost, expense or
liability arising out of, incident to, or resulting from Joint Operations,
nor shall it relieve the Operator for any liability it may have to
Non-Operators for breach of its obligations to the Non-Operators
pursuant
to the terms of this Agreement.
|
4.7
|
Insurance
Obtained by Operator
|
(A)
|
Operator
shall procure and maintain for the Joint Account all insurance in
the
types and amounts required by the Contract or the Laws /
Regulations.
|
(B)
|
Operator
shall procure and maintain any further insurance, at reasonable rates,
as
the Operating Committee may from time to time require. In the event
that
such further insurance is, in Operator’s reasonable opinion, unavailable
or available only at an unreasonable cost, Operator shall promptly
notify
the Non-Operators in order to allow the Operating Committee to reconsider
such further insurance.
|
(C)
|
Each
Party will be provided the opportunity to underwrite any or all of
the
insurance to be obtained by Operator under Articles 4.7(A) and 4.7(B),
through such Party's Affiliate insurance company or, if such direct
insurance is not so permitted, through reinsurance policies to such
Party's Affiliate insurance company; provided that the security and
creditworthiness of such insurance arrangements are satisfactory
to
Operator, and that such arrangements will not result in any part
of the
premiums for such insurance not being recoverable under the Contract,
or
being significantly higher than the market rate.
|
(D)
|
Subject
to the Contract and the Laws / Regulations, any Party may elect not
to
participate in the insurance to be procured under Article 4.7(B)
provided
such Party:
|
(1)
|
gives
prompt written notice to that effect to Operator;
|
(2)
|
does
nothing which may interfere with Operator’s negotiations for such
insurance for the other Parties;
|
(3)
|
obtains
insurance prior to or concurrent with the commencement of relevant
operations and maintains such insurance (in respect of which a current
certificate of adequate coverage, provided at least once a year,
shall be
sufficient evidence) or other evidence of financial responsibility
which
fully covers its Participating Interest share of the risks that would
be
covered by the insurance to be procured under Article 4.7(A) and/or
Article 4.7(B), as applicable, and which the Operating Committee
determines to be acceptable. No such determination of acceptability
shall
in any way absolve a non-participating Party from its obligation
to meet
each cash call (except, in accordance with Article 4.7(F), as regards
the
costs of the insurance policy in which such Party has elected not
to
participate) including any cash call with respect to damages and
losses
and/or the costs of remedying the same in accordance with the terms
of
this Agreement, the Contract and the Laws / Regulations. If such
Party
obtains other insurance, such insurance shall (a) contain a waiver
of
subrogation in favor of all the other Parties, the Operator and their
insurers but only with respect to their interests under this Agreement;
(b) provide that thirty (30) days written notice be given to Operator
prior to any material change in, or cancellation of, such insurance
policy; (c) be primary to, and receive no contribution from, any
other
insurance maintained by or on behalf of, or benefiting Operator or
the
other Parties; and (d) contain adequate territorial extensions and
coverage in the location of the Joint Operations;
and
|
-10-
(4)
|
is
responsible for all deductibles, coinsurance payments, self-insured
exposures, uninsured or underinsured exposures relating to its interests
under this Agreement.
|
(E) |
deleted
|
(F)
|
The
cost of insurance in which all the Parties are participating shall
be for
the Joint Account and the cost of insurance in which less than all
the
Parties are participating shall be charged to the Parties participating
in
proportion to their respective Participating Interests. Subject to
the
preceding sentence, the cost of insurance with respect to an Exclusive
Operation shall be charged to the Consenting Parties.
|
(G)
|
Operator
shall, with respect to all insurance obtained under this Article
4.7:
|
(1)
|
use
reasonable endeavors to procure or cause to be procured such insurance
prior to or concurrent with, the commencement of relevant operations
and
maintain or cause to be maintained such insurance during the term
of the
relevant operations or any longer term required under the Contract
or the
Laws / Regulations;
|
(2)
|
promptly
inform the participating Parties when such insurance is obtained
and
supply them with certificates of insurance or copies of the relevant
policies when the same are issued;
|
(3)
|
arrange
for the participating Parties, according to their respective Participating
Interests, to be named as co-insureds on the relevant policies with
waivers of subrogation in favor of all the Parties but only with
respect
to their interests under this
Agreement;
|
(4)
|
use
reasonable endeavors to ensure that each policy shall survive the
default
or bankruptcy of the insured for claims arising out of an event before
such default or bankruptcy and that all rights of the insured shall
revert
to the Parties not in default or bankruptcy;
and
|
(5)
|
duly
file all claims and take all necessary and proper steps to collect
any
proceeds and credit any proceeds to the participating Parties in
proportion to their respective Participating
Interests.
|
(H)
|
Operator
shall use its reasonable endeavors to require all contractors performing
work with respect to Joint Operations to:
|
(1)
|
obtain
and maintain any and all insurance in the types and amounts required
by
the Contract, the Laws / Regulations or any decision of the Operating
Committee;
|
(2)
|
name
the Parties as additional insureds on the contractor’s insurance policies
and obtain from their insurers waivers of all rights of recourse
against
Operator, Non-Operators and their insurers;
and
|
(3)
|
provide
Operator with certificates reflecting such insurance prior to the
commencement of their services.
|
4.8
|
Commingling
of Funds
|
Operator
may not commingle its own funds the monies which it or its Affiliate receives
from or for the Joint Account pursuant to this Agreement.
4.9
|
Resignation
of Operator
|
Subject
to Article 4.11, Operator may resign as Operator at any time by so notifying
the
other Parties at least one hundred and twenty (120) Days prior to the effective
date of such resignation.
-11-
4.10
|
Removal
of Operator
|
(A)
|
Subject
to Article 4.11, Operator shall be removed upon receipt of notice
from any
Non-Operator if:
|
(1)
|
Operator
becomes insolvent or bankrupt, or makes an assignment for the benefit
of
creditors;
|
(2)
|
an
order is made by a court or an effective resolution is passed for
the
reorganization under any bankruptcy law, dissolution, liquidation,
or
winding up of Operator;
|
(3)
|
a
receiver is appointed for a substantial part of Operator’s assets;
or
|
(4)
|
Operator
dissolves, liquidates, is wound up, or otherwise terminates its existence.
|
(B)
|
Subject
to Article 4.11 and the Dilution and Carried Interest Agreement,
Operator
may be removed by the decision of the Non-Operators if Operator has
committed a material breach of this Agreement and has either failed
to
commence to cure that breach within thirty (30) Days of receipt of
a
notice from Non-Operators detailing the alleged breach or failed
to
diligently pursue the cure to completion. However, if Operator disputes
such alleged commission of or failure to cure a material breach and
dispute resolution proceedings are initiated pursuant to Article
18.2 in
relation to such breach, then Operator shall remain appointed and
no
successor Operator may be appointed pending the conclusion or abandonment
of such proceedings, subject to the terms of Article 8.3 with respect
to
Operator’s breach of its payment
obligations.
|
(C)
|
deleted
|
(D)
|
deleted
|
4.11
|
Appointment
of Successor
|
When
a
change of Operator occurs pursuant to Article 4.9 or Article 4.10:
(A)
|
The
Operating Committee shall meet as soon as possible to appoint a successor
Operator pursuant to the voting procedure of Article 5.9. No Party
may be
appointed successor Operator against its
will.
|
(B)
|
If
Operator is removed, other than in the case of Article 4.10(D), neither
Operator nor any Affiliate of Operator shall have the right to be
considered as a candidate for the successor
Operator.
|
(C)
|
The
resigning or removed Operator shall be compensated out of the Joint
Account for its reasonable expenses directly related to its resignation
or
removal, except in the case of Article
4.10(B).
|
(D)
|
The
resigning or removed Operator and the successor Operator shall arrange
for
the taking of an inventory of all Joint Property and Hydrocarbons,
and an
audit of the books and records of the removed Operator. Such inventory
and
audit shall be completed, if possible, no later than the effective
date of
the change of Operator and shall be subject to the approval of the
Operating Committee. The liabilities and expenses of such inventory
and
audit shall be charged to the Joint
Account.
|
(E)
|
The
resignation or removal of Operator and its replacement by the successor
Operator shall not become effective prior to receipt of any necessary
Government approvals.
|
(F)
|
Upon
the effective date of the resignation or removal, the successor Operator
shall succeed to all duties, rights and authority prescribed for
Operator.
The former Operator shall transfer to the successor Operator custody
of
all Joint Property, books of account, records and other documents
maintained by Operator pertaining to the Contract Area and to Joint
Operations. Upon delivery of the above-described property and data,
the
former Operator shall be released and discharged from all obligations
and
liabilities as Operator accruing after such
date.
|
-12-
4.12
|
Health,
Safety and Environment ("HSE")
|
(A)
|
With
the goal of achieving safe and reliable operations in compliance
with
applicable HSE laws, rules and regulations (including avoiding significant
and unintended impact on the safety or health of people, on property,
or
on the environment), Operator shall in the conduct of Joint
Operations:
|
(1)
|
establish
and implement an HSE plan in a manner consistent with standards and
procedures generally followed in the international petroleum industry
under similar circumstances;
|
(2)
|
design
and operate Joint Property consistent with the HSE plan;
and
|
(3)
|
conform
with locally applicable HSE laws, rules and regulations and other
HSE-related statutory requirements that may
apply.
|
(B)
|
The
Operating Committee shall from time to time review details of Operator’s
HSE plan and Operator’s implementation
thereof.
|
(C)
|
In
the conduct of Joint Operations, Operator shall establish and implement
a
program for regular HSE assessments. The purpose of such assessments
is to
periodically review HSE systems and procedures, including actual
practice
and performance, to verify that the HSE plan is being implemented
in
accordance with the policies and standards of the HSE plan. Operator
shall, at a minimum, conduct such an assessment before entering into
significant new Joint Operations and before undertaking any major
changes
to existing Joint Operations. Upon reasonable notice given to Operator,
Non-Operators shall have the right to participate in such HSE
assessments.
|
(D)
|
Operator
shall require its contractors, consultants and agents undertaking
activities for the Joint Account to manage HSE risks in a manner
consistent with the requirements of this Article
4.12.
|
(E)
|
Operator
shall establish and enforce rules consistent with those generally
followed
in the international petroleum industry under similar circumstances
that,
at a minimum, prohibit within the Contract Area the
following:
|
(1)
|
possession,
use, distribution or sale of firearms, explosives, or other weapons
without the prior written approval of senior management of
Operator;
|
(2)
|
possession,
use, distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages without the prior
written
approval of senior management of Operator;
and
|
(3)
|
possession,
use, distribution or sale of illicit or non-prescribed controlled
substances and the misuse of prescribed
drugs.
|
(F)
|
Without
prejudice to a Party’s rights under Article 4.2(B)(7), with reasonable
advance notice, Operator shall permit each Non-Operator to have at
all
reasonable times during normal business hours (and at its own risk
and
expense) the right to conduct its own HSE
audit.
|
ARTICLE
5
OPERATING
COMMITTEE
5.1
|
Establishment
of Operating
Committee
|
To
provide for the overall supervision and direction of Joint Operations, there
is
established an Operating Committee composed of representatives of each Party
holding a Participating Interest. Each Party shall appoint one (1)
representative and one (1) alternate representative to serve on the Operating
Committee. Each Party shall as soon as possible after the date of this Agreement
give notice in writing to the other Parties of the name and address of its
representative and alternate representative to serve on the Operating Committee.
Each Party shall have the right to change its representative and alternate
at
any time by giving notice of such change to the other Parties.
-13-
5.2
|
Powers
and Duties of Operating
Committee
|
The
Operating Committee shall have power and duty to authorize and supervise Joint
Operations that are necessary or desirable to fulfill the Contract and properly
explore and exploit the Contract Area in accordance with this Agreement and
in a
manner appropriate in the circumstances.
5.3
|
Authority
to Vote
|
The
representative of a Party, or in his absence his alternate representative,
shall
be authorized to represent and bind such Party with respect to any matter which
is within the powers of the Operating Committee and is properly brought before
the Operating Committee. Each such representative shall have a vote equal to
the
Participating Interest of the Party such person represents. Each alternate
representative shall be entitled to attend all Operating Committee meetings
but
shall have no vote at such meetings except in the absence of the representative
for whom he is the alternate. In addition to the representative and alternate
representative, each Party may also bring to any Operating Committee meetings
such technical and other advisors as it may deem appropriate.
5.4
|
Subcommittees
|
The
Operating Committee may establish such subcommittees, including technical
subcommittees, as the Operating Committee may deem appropriate. The functions
of
such subcommittees shall be in an advisory capacity or as otherwise determined
unanimously by the Parties. Each Party shall have the right to appoint a
representative to each subcommittee.
5.5
|
Notice
of Meeting
|
(A)
|
Operator
may call a meeting of the Operating Committee by giving notice to
the
Parties at least fifteen (15) Days in advance of such
meeting.
|
(B)
|
Any
Non-Operator may request a meeting of the Operating Committee by
giving
notice to all the other Parties. Upon receiving such request, Operator
shall call such meeting for a date not less than fifteen (15) Days
nor
more than twenty (20) Days after receipt of the
request.
|
(C)
|
The
notice periods above may only be waived with the unanimous consent
of all
the Parties.
|
5.6
|
Contents
of Meeting Notice
|
(A)
|
Each
notice of a meeting of the Operating Committee as provided by Operator
shall contain:
|
(1)
|
the
date, time and location of the meeting;
|
(2)
|
an
agenda of the matters and proposals to be considered and/or voted
upon;
and
|
(3)
|
copies
of all proposals to be considered at the meeting (including all
appropriate supporting information not previously distributed to
the
Parties).
|
(B)
|
A
Party, by notice to the other Parties given not less than five (5)
Days
prior to a meeting, may add additional matters to the agenda for
a
meeting.
|
(C)
|
On
the request of a Party, and with the unanimous consent of all Parties,
the
Operating Committee may consider at a meeting a proposal not contained
in
such meeting agenda.
|
-14-
5.7
|
Location
of Meetings
|
All
meetings of the Operating Committee shall be held in Jakarta or elsewhere as
the
Operating Committee may decide.
5.8
|
Operator’s
Duties for Meetings
|
(A)
|
With
respect to meetings of the Operating Committee and any subcommittee,
Operator’s duties shall include:
|
(1)
|
timely
preparation and distribution of the agenda;
|
(2)
|
organization
and conduct of the meeting; and
|
(3)
|
preparation
of a written record or minutes of each meeting.
|
(B)
|
Operator
shall have the right to appoint the chairman of the Operating Committee
and all subcommittees.
|
5.9
|
Voting
Procedure
|
Except
as
otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, all decisions, approvals and
other actions of the Operating Committee on all proposals coming before it
shall
be decided pursuant to the voting requirements set out in Exhibit C
hereto.
5.10
|
Record
of Votes
|
The
chairman of the Operating Committee shall appoint a secretary who shall make
a
record of each proposal voted on and the results of such voting at each
Operating Committee meeting. Each representative shall sign and be provided
a
copy of such record at the end of such meeting, and it shall be considered
the
final record of the decisions of the Operating Committee.
5.11
|
Minutes
|
The
secretary shall provide each Party with a copy of the minutes of the Operating
Committee meeting within fifteen (15) Business Days after the end of the
meeting. Each Party shall have fifteen (15) Days after receipt of such minutes
to give notice to the secretary of its objections to the minutes. A failure
to
give notice specifying objection to such minutes within said fifteen (15) Day
period shall be deemed to be approval of such minutes. In any event, the votes
recorded under Article 5.10 shall take precedence over the minutes described
above.
5.12
|
Voting
by Notice
|
(A)
|
In
lieu of a meeting, any Party may submit any proposal to the Operating
Committee for a vote by notice. The proposing Party or Parties shall
notify Operator who shall give each Party’s representative notice
describing the proposal so submitted and whether Operator considers
such
operational matter to require urgent determination. Operator shall
include
with such notice adequate documentation in connection with such proposal
to enable the Parties to make a decision. Each Party shall communicate
its
vote by notice to Operator and the other Parties within one of the
following appropriate time periods after receipt of Operator’s notice:
|
(1)
|
twenty-four
(24) hours in the case of operations which involve the use of a drilling
rig that is standing by in the Contract Area and such other operational
matters reasonably considered by Operator to require by their nature
urgent determination (such operations and matters being referred
to as
"Urgent
Operational Matters");
and
|
-15-
(2)
|
five
(5) Days in the case of all other
proposals.
|
(B)
|
Except
in the case of Article 5.12(A)(1), any Party may, by notice delivered
to
all Parties within the period set out in Article 5.12(A)(2), request
that
the proposal be decided at a meeting rather than by notice. In such
an
event, that proposal shall be decided at a meeting duly called for
that
purpose.
|
(C)
|
Except
as provided in Article 10, any Party failing to communicate its vote
in a
timely manner shall be deemed to have voted against such
proposal.
|
(D)
|
If
a meeting is not requested, then at the expiration of the appropriate
time
period, Operator shall give each Party a confirmation notice stating
the
tabulation and results of the vote.
|
5.13
|
Effect
of Vote
|
All
decisions taken by the Operating Committee pursuant to this Article 5 shall
be
conclusive and binding on all the Parties, except in the following
cases.
(A)
|
If
pursuant to this Article 5, a Joint Operation has been properly proposed
to the Operating Committee and the Operating Committee has not approved
such proposal in a timely manner, then any Party that voted in favor
of
such proposal shall have the right for the appropriate period specified
below to propose, in accordance with Article 7, an Exclusive Operation
involving operations essentially the same as those proposed for such
Joint
Operation.
|
(1)
|
For
proposals related to Urgent Operational Matters, such right shall
be
exercisable for twenty-four (24) hours after the time specified in
Article
5.12(A)(1) has expired or after receipt of Operator’s notice given to the
Parties pursuant to Article 5.13(D), as
applicable.
|
(2)
|
For
proposals to develop a Discovery, such right shall be exercisable
for ten
(10) Days after the date the Operating Committee was required to
consider
such proposal pursuant to Article 5.6 or Article 5.12.
|
(3)
|
For
all other proposals, such right shall be exercisable for five (5)
Days
after the date the Operating Committee was required to consider such
proposal pursuant to Article 5.6 or
Article 5.12.
|
(B)
|
If
a Party voted against any proposal which was approved by the Operating
Committee and which could be conducted as an Exclusive Operation
pursuant
to Article 7, then such Party shall have the right not to participate
in
the operation contemplated by such approval. Any such Party wishing
to
exercise its right of non-consent must give notice of non-consent
to all
other Parties within five (5) Days (or twenty-four (24) hours for
Urgent
Operational Matters) following Operating Committee approval of such
proposal. If a Party exercises its right of non-consent, the Parties
who
were not entitled to give or did not give notice of non-consent shall
be
Consenting Parties as to the operation contemplated by the Operating
Committee approval, and shall conduct such operation as an Exclusive
Operation under Article 7; provided, however, that any such Party
who was
not entitled to give or did not give notice of non-consent may, by
notice
provided to the other Parties within five (5) Days (or twenty-four
(24)
hours for Urgent Operational Matters) following the notice of non-consent
given by any non-consenting Party, require that the Operating Committee
vote again on the proposal in question. Only the Parties which were
not
entitled to or have not exercised their right of non-consent with
respect
to the contemplated operation shall participate in such second vote
of the
Operating Committee, with voting rights proportional to their respective
Participating Interest. If the Operating Committee approves again
the
contemplated operation, any Party which voted against the contemplated
operation in such second vote may elect to be a Non-Consenting Party
with
respect to such operation, by notice of non-consent provided to all
other
Parties within five (5) Days (or twenty-four (24) hours for Urgent
Operational Matters) following the Operating Committee’s second approval
of such contemplated operation.
|
(C)
|
If
the Consenting Parties to an Exclusive Operation under Article 5.13(A)
concur, then the Operating Committee may, at any time, pursuant to
this
Article 5, reconsider and approve, decide or take action on any proposal
that the Operating Committee declined to approve earlier, or modify
or
revoke an earlier approval, decision or
action.
|
-16-
(D)
|
Once
a Joint Operation for the drilling, Deepening, Testing, Sidetracking,
Plugging Back, Completing, Recompleting, Reworking, or plugging of
a well
has been approved and commenced, such operation shall not be discontinued
without the consent of the Operating Committee; provided, however,
that
such operation may be discontinued if:
|
(1)
|
an
impenetrable substance or other condition in the hole is encountered
which
in the reasonable judgment of Operator causes the continuation of
such
operation to be impractical; or
|
(2)
|
other
circumstances occur which in the reasonable judgment of Operator
cause the
continuation of such operation to be unwarranted and the Operating
Committee, within the period required under Article 5.12(A)(1) after
receipt of Operator’s notice, approves discontinuing such operation.
|
On
the
occurrence of either of the above, Operator shall promptly notify the Parties
that such operation is being discontinued pursuant to the foregoing, and any
Party shall have the right to propose in accordance with Article 7 an Exclusive
Operation to continue such operation.
ARTICLE
6
WORK
PROGRAMS AND BUDGETS
6.1
|
Exploration
and Appraisal
|
(A)
|
Within
sixty (60) Days after the Effective Date, Operator shall deliver
to the
Parties a proposed Work Program and Budget detailing the Joint Operations
to be performed for the remainder of the current Calendar Year and,
if
appropriate, for the following Calendar Year. Within thirty (30)
Days of
such delivery, the Operating Committee shall meet to consider and
to
endeavor to agree on a Work Program and
Budget.
|
(B)
|
On
or before the last Day of October of each Calendar Year, Operator
shall
deliver to the Parties a proposed Work Program and Budget detailing
the
Joint Operations to be performed for the following Calendar Year.
Within
thirty (30) Days of such delivery, the Operating Committee shall
meet to
consider and to endeavor to agree on a Work Program and Budget. Once
the
Operating Committee has agreed on a Work Program and Budget, the
Operator
will deliver the agreed revision both to the Parties and to the Government
Oil and Gas Company in accordance with the
Contract.
|
(C)
|
If
a Discovery is made, Operator shall deliver any notice of Discovery
required under the Contract and shall as soon as possible submit
to the
Parties a report containing available details concerning the Discovery
and
Operator’s recommendation as to whether the Discovery merits appraisal. If
the Operating Committee determines that the Discovery merits appraisal,
Operator within thirty (30) Days shall deliver to the Parties a proposed
Work Program and Budget for the appraisal of the Discovery. Within
thirty
(30) Days of such delivery, or earlier if necessary to meet any applicable
deadline under the Contract, the Operating Committee shall meet to
consider, modify and then either approve or reject the appraisal
Work
Program and Budget. If the appraisal Work Program and Budget is approved
by the Operating Committee, Operator shall take such steps as may
be
required under the Contract to secure approval of the appraisal Work
Program and Budget by the Government. In the event the Government
requires
changes in the appraisal Work Program and Budget, the matter shall
be
resubmitted to the Operating Committee for further
consideration.
|
(D)
|
The
Work Program and Budget agreed pursuant to this Article shall include
at
least that part of the Minimum Work Obligations required to be carried
out
during the Calendar Year in question under the terms of the Contract.
If
within the time periods prescribed in this Article 6.1 the Operating
Committee is unable to agree on such a Work Program and Budget, then
the
proposal capable of satisfying the Minimum Work Obligations for the
Calendar Year in question that receives the largest Participating
Interest
vote (even if less than the applicable percentage under Article 5.9)
shall
be deemed adopted as part of the annual Work Program and Budget.
If
competing proposals receive equal votes, then Operator shall choose
between those competing proposals. Any portion of a Work Program
and
Budget adopted pursuant to this Article 6.1(D) instead of Article
5.9
shall contain only such operations for the Joint Account as are necessary
to maintain the Contract in full force and effect, including such
operations as are necessary to fulfill the Minimum Work Obligations
required for the given Calendar
Year.
|
-17-
(E)
|
Any
approved Work Program and Budget may be revised by the Operating
Committee
from time to time. To the extent such revisions are approved by the
Operating Committee, the Work Program and Budget shall be amended
accordingly. Operator shall prepare and submit a corresponding work
program and budget amendment to the Government if required by the
Contract.
|
(F)
|
Subject
to Article 6.8, approval of any such Work Program and Budget which
includes:
|
(1)
|
an
Exploration Well, whether by drilling, Deepening or Sidetracking,
shall
include approval for all expenditures necessary for drilling, Deepening
or
Sidetracking, as applicable, and Testing and Completing an Exploration
Well.
|
(2)
|
an
Appraisal Well, whether by drilling, Deepening or Sidetracking, shall
include approval for all expenditures necessary for drilling, Deepening
or
Sidetracking, as applicable, and Testing and Completing such Appraisal
Well.
|
(G)
|
Any
Party desiring to propose a Completion attempt, or an alternative
Completion attempt, must do so within the time period provided in
Article
5.12(A)(1) by notifying all other Parties. Any such proposal shall
include
an AFE for such Completion costs.
|
6.2
|
Development
|
(A)
|
If
the Operating Committee determines that a Discovery may be a Commercial
Discovery, Operator shall, as soon as practicable, deliver to the
Parties
a Development Plan together with the first annual Work Program and
Budget
(or a multi-year Work Program and Budget pursuant to Article 6.5)
and
provisional Work Programs and Budgets for the remainder of the development
of the Discovery, which shall contain,
inter alia:
|
(1)
|
details
of the proposed work to be undertaken, personnel required and expenditures
to be incurred, including the timing of same, on a Calendar Year
basis;
|
(2)
|
an
estimated date for the commencement of
production;
|
(3)
|
a
delineation of the proposed Exploitation Area;
and
|
(4)
|
any
other information requested by the Operating
Committee.
|
(B)
|
After
receipt of the Development Plan and prior to any applicable deadline
under
the Contract, the Operating Committee shall meet to consider, modify
and
then either approve or reject the Development Plan and the first
annual
Work Program and Budget for the development of a Discovery, as submitted
by Operator. If the Operating Committee determines that the Discovery
is a
Commercial Discovery and approves the corresponding Development Plan,
Operator shall, as soon as possible, deliver any notice of Commercial
Discovery required under the Contract and take such other steps as
may be
required under the Contract to secure approval of the Development
Plan by
the Government. In the event the Government requires changes in the
Development Plan, the matter shall be resubmitted to the Operating
Committee for further
consideration.
|
(C)
|
If
the Development Plan is approved, such work shall be incorporated
into and
form part of annual Work Programs and Budgets, and Operator shall,
on or
before the last Day of October of each Calendar Year submit a Work
Program
and Budget for the Exploitation Area, for the following Calendar
Year.
Subject to Article 6.5, within thirty (30) Days after such submittal,
the
Operating Committee shall endeavor to agree to such Work Program
and
Budget, including any necessary or appropriate revisions to the Work
Program and Budget for the approved Development
Plan.
|
-18-
6.3
|
Production
|
On
or
before the last Day of October of each Calendar Year, Operator shall deliver
to
the Parties a proposed production Work Program and Budget detailing the Joint
Operations to be performed in the Exploitation Area and the projected production
schedule for the following Calendar Year. Within thirty (30) Days of such
delivery, the Operating Committee shall agree upon a production Work Program
and
Budget, failing which the provisions of Article 6.1(D) shall be applied
mutatis
mutandis.
6.4
|
Itemization
of Expenditures
|
(A)
|
During
the preparation of the proposed Work Programs and Budgets and Development
Plans contemplated in this Article 6, Operator shall consult with
the
Operating Committee or the appropriate subcommittees regarding the
contents of such Work Programs and Budgets and Development
Plans.
|
(B)
|
Each
Work Program and Budget and Development Plan submitted by Operator
shall
contain an itemized estimate of the costs of Joint Operations and
all
other expenditures to be made for the Joint Account during the Calendar
Year in question and shall, inter
alia:
|
(1)
|
identify
each work category in sufficient detail to afford the ready identification
of the nature, scope and duration of the activity in
question;
|
(2)
|
include
such reasonable information regarding Operator’s allocation procedures and
estimated manpower costs as the Operating Committee may
determine;
|
(3)
|
comply
with the requirements of the
Contract;
|
(4) contain
an estimate of funds to be expended by Calendar Quarter; and
(5)
|
during
the Exploration Period, provide a forecast of annual expenditures
and
activities through the end of the Exploration
Period.
|
(C)
|
The
Work Program and Budget shall designate the portion or portions of
the
Contract Area in which Joint Operations itemized in such Work Program
and
Budget are to be conducted and shall specify the kind and extent
of such
operations in such detail as the Operating Committee may deem
suitable.
|
6.5
|
Multi-Year
Work Program and
Budget
|
Any
work
that cannot be efficiently completed within a single Calendar Year may be
proposed in a multi-year Work Program and Budget. Upon approval by the Operating
Committee, such multi-year Work Program and Budget shall, subject only to
revisions approved by the Operating Committee thereafter: (i) remain in effect
as between the Parties (and the associated cost estimate shall be a binding
pro-rata obligation of each Party) through the completion of the work; and
(ii) be reflected in each annual Work Program and Budget. If the Contract
requires that Work Programs and Budgets be submitted to the Government for
approval, such multi-year Work Program and Budget shall be submitted to the
Government either in a single request for a multi-year approval or as part
of
the annual approval process, according to the terms of the Contract.
6.6
|
Contract
Awards
|
Subject
to the Contract, Operator shall award the contract to the best qualified
contractor as determined by cost and ability to perform the contract without
the
obligation to tender and without informing or seeking the approval of the
Operating Committee, except that before entering into contracts with Affiliates
of Operator exceeding 500,000 US dollars, Operator shall obtain the approval
of
the Operating Committee, unless the contract with the Affiliate is either
awarded through a tender or is on terms equivalent to those offered by an arm's
length third party.
-19-
6.7
|
Authorization
for Expenditure ("AFE")
Procedure
|
(A)
|
Prior
to incurring any commitment or expenditure for the Joint Account,
which is
estimated to be:
|
(1)
|
in
excess of 250,000 U.S. dollars in an exploration or appraisal Work
Program
and Budget;
|
(2)
|
in
excess of 200,000 U.S. dollars in a development Work Program and
Budget;
and
|
(3)
|
in
excess of 200,000 U.S. dollars in a production Work Program and Budget,
|
Operator
shall send to each Non-Operator an AFE as described in Article 6.7(C).
Notwithstanding the above, Operator shall not be obliged to furnish an AFE
to
the Parties with respect to any Minimum Work Obligations, workovers of xxxxx
and
general and administrative costs that are listed as separate line items in
an
approved Work Program and Budget.
(B)
|
Prior
to making any expenditures or incurring any commitments for work
subject
to the AFE procedure in Article 6.7(A), Operator shall obtain
the
approval of the Operating Committee. If the Operating Committee approves
an AFE for the operation within the applicable time period under
Article
5.12(A), Operator shall be authorized to conduct the operation under
the
terms of this Agreement. If the Operating Committee fails to approve
an
AFE for the operation within the applicable time period, the operation
shall be deemed rejected. Operator shall promptly notify the Parties
if
the operation has been rejected, and, subject to Article 7, any Party
may
thereafter propose to conduct the operation as an Exclusive Operation
under Article 7. When an operation is rejected under this Article
6.7(B)
or an operation is approved for differing amounts than those provided
for
in the applicable line items of the approved Work Program and Budget,
the
Work Program and Budget shall be deemed to be revised
accordingly.
|
(C)
|
Each
AFE proposed by Operator shall:
|
(1)
|
identify
the operation by specific reference to the applicable line items
in the
Work Program and Budget;
|
(2)
|
describe
the work in detail;
|
(3)
|
contain
Operator’s best estimate of the total funds required to carry out such
work;
|
(4)
|
outline
the proposed work schedule;
|
(5)
|
provide
a timetable of expenditures, if known;
and
|
(6)
|
be
accompanied by such other supporting information as is necessary
for an
informed decision.
|
6.8 Overexpenditures
of Work Programs and Budgets
(A)
|
For
expenditures on any line item of an approved Work Program and Budget,
Operator shall be entitled to incur without further approval of the
Operating Committee an overexpenditure for such line item up to ten
percent (10%) of the authorized amount for such line item; provided
that
the cumulative total of all overexpenditures for a Calendar Year
shall not
exceed five percent (5%) of the total annual Work Program and Budget
in
question.
|
(B)
|
At
such time Operator reasonably anticipates the limits of Article 6.8(A)
will be exceeded, Operator shall furnish to the Operating Committee
a
supplemental AFE for the estimated expenditures for the Operating
Committee’s approval, and Operator shall provide reasonable details of
such overexpenditures. The Work Program and Budget shall be revised
accordingly and the overexpenditures permitted in Article 6.8(A)
shall be
based on the revised Work Program and Budget. Operator shall promptly
give
notice of the amounts of overexpenditures when actually
incurred.
|
-20-
(C)
|
The
restrictions contained in this Article 6 shall be without prejudice
to
Operator’s rights to make expenditures for Urgent Operational Matters and
measures set out in Article 13.5 without the Operating Committee’s
approval.
|
ARTICLE
7
OPERATIONS
BY LESS THAN ALL PARTIES
7.1
|
Limitation
on Applicability
|
(A)
|
No
operations may be conducted in furtherance of the Contract except
as Joint
Operations under Article 5 or as Exclusive Operations under this
Article
7. No Exclusive Operation shall be conducted (other than the tie-in
of
Exclusive Operation facilities with existing production facilities
pursuant to Article 7.10) which conflicts with a previously approved
Joint
Operation or with a previously approved Exclusive Operation.
|
(B)
|
Operations
which are required to fulfill the Minimum Work Obligations must be
proposed and conducted as Joint Operations under Article 5, and may
not be
proposed or conducted as Exclusive Operations under this Article
7.
|
(C)
|
No
Party may propose or conduct an Exclusive Operation under this Article
7
unless and until such Party has properly exercised its right to propose
an
Exclusive Operation pursuant to Article 5.13, or is entitled to conduct
an
Exclusive Operation pursuant to Article 10.
|
(D)
|
Any
operation that may be proposed and conducted as a Joint Operation,
other
than operations pursuant to an approved Development Plan, may be
proposed
and conducted as an Exclusive Operation, subject to the terms of
this
Article 7.
|
7.2
|
Procedure
to Propose Exclusive
Operations
|
(A)
|
Subject
to Article 7.1, if any Party proposes to conduct an Exclusive Operation,
such Party shall give notice of the proposed operation to all Parties,
other than Non-Consenting Parties who have relinquished their rights
to
participate in such operation pursuant to Article 7.4(B) or Article
7.4(F)
and have no option to reinstate such rights under Article 7.4(C).
Such
notice shall specify that such operation is proposed as an Exclusive
Operation and include the work to be performed, the location, the
objectives, and estimated cost of such
operation.
|
(B)
|
Any
Party entitled to receive such notice shall have the right to participate
in the proposed operation.
|
(1)
|
For
proposals to Deepen, Test, Complete, Sidetrack, Plug Back, Recomplete
or
Rework related to Urgent Operational Matters, any such Party wishing
to
exercise such right must so notify the proposing Party and Operator
within
twenty-four (24) hours after receipt of the notice proposing the
Exclusive
Operation.
|
(2)
|
For
proposals to develop a Discovery, any Party wishing to exercise such
right
must so notify Operator and the Party proposing to develop within
sixty
(60) Days after receipt of the notice proposing the Exclusive
Operation.
|
(3)
|
For
all other proposals, any such Party wishing to exercise such right
must so
notify the proposing Party and Operator within ten (10) Days after
receipt
of the notice proposing the Exclusive Operation.
|
(C)
|
Failure
of a Party to whom a proposal notice is delivered to properly reply
within
the period specified above shall constitute an election by that Party
not
to participate in the proposed
operation.
|
-21-
(D)
|
If
all Parties properly exercise their rights to participate, then the
proposed operation shall be conducted as a Joint Operation. Operator
shall
commence such Joint Operation as promptly as practicable and conduct
it
with due diligence.
|
(E)
|
If
less than all Parties entitled to receive such proposal notice properly
exercise their rights to participate, then:
|
(1)
|
The
Party proposing the Exclusive Operation, together with any other
Consenting Parties, shall have the right exercisable for the applicable
notice period set out in Article 7.2(B), to instruct Operator (subject
to
Article 7.12(F)) to conduct the Exclusive
Operation.
|
(2)
|
If
the Exclusive Operation is conducted, the Consenting Parties shall
bear a
Participating Interest in such Exclusive Operation, the numerator
of which
is such Consenting Party’s Participating Interest as stated in Article
3.2(A) and the denominator of which is the aggregate of the Participating
Interests of the Consenting Parties as stated in Article 3.2(A),
or
as the Consenting Parties may otherwise
agree.
|
(3)
|
If
such Exclusive Operation has not been commenced within sixty (60)
Days
(excluding any extension specifically agreed by all Parties or allowed
by
the force majeure provisions of Article 16) after the date of the
instruction given to Operator under Article 7.2(E)(1), the right
to
conduct such Exclusive Operation shall terminate. If any Party still
desires to conduct such Exclusive Operation, notice proposing such
operation must be resubmitted to the Parties in accordance with Article
5,
as if no proposal to conduct an Exclusive Operation had been previously
made.
|
7.3
|
Responsibility
for Exclusive
Operations
|
(A)
|
The
Consenting Parties shall bear in accordance with the Participating
Interests agreed under Article 7.2(E) the entire cost and liability
of
conducting an Exclusive Operation and shall indemnify the Non-Consenting
Parties from any and all costs and liabilities incurred incident
to such
Exclusive Operation (including Consequential Loss and Environmental
Loss)
and shall keep the Contract Area free and clear of all liens and
encumbrances of every kind created by or arising from such Exclusive
Operation.
|
(B)
|
Notwithstanding
Article 7.3(A), each Party shall continue to bear its Participating
Interest share of the cost and liability incident to the operations
in
which it participated, including plugging and abandoning and restoring
the
surface location, but only to the extent those costs were not increased
by
the Exclusive Operation.
|
7.4
|
Consequences
of Exclusive
Operations
|
(A)
|
With
regard to any Exclusive Operation, for so long as a Non-Consenting
Party
has the option under Article 7.4(C) to reinstate the rights it
relinquished under Article 7.4(B), such Non-Consenting Party shall
be
entitled to have access concurrently with the Consenting Parties
to all
data and other information relating to such Exclusive Operation,
other
than data obtained in an Exclusive Operation for the purpose of acquiring
G & G Data. If a Non-Consenting Party desires to receive and acquire
the right to use such G & G Data, then such Non-Consenting Party shall
have the right to do so by paying to the Consenting Parties its
Participating Interest share as set out in Article 3.2(A) of the
cost
incurred in obtaining such G & G
Data.
|
(B)
|
Subject
to Article 7.4(C), each Non-Consenting Party shall be deemed to have
relinquished to the Consenting Parties, and the Consenting Parties
shall
be deemed to own, in proportion to their respective Participating
Interests in any Exclusive
Operation:
|
(1)
|
all
of each such Non-Consenting Party’s right to participate in further
operations in the well or Deepened or Sidetracked portion of a well
in
which the Exclusive Operation was conducted and on any Discovery
made or
appraised in the course of such Exclusive Operation;
and
|
-22-
(2)
|
all
of each such Non-Consenting Party’s right pursuant to the Contract to take
and dispose of Hydrocarbons produced and
saved:
|
(a)
|
from
the well or Deepened or Sidetracked portion of a well in which such
Exclusive Operation was conducted; and
|
(b)
|
from
any xxxxx drilled to appraise or develop a Discovery made or appraised
in
the course of such Exclusive Operation.
|
(C)
|
A
Non-Consenting Party shall have only the following options to reinstate
the rights it relinquished pursuant to Article
7.4(B):
|
(1)
|
If
the Consenting Parties decide to appraise a Discovery made in the
course
of an Exclusive Operation, the Consenting Parties shall submit to
each
Non-Consenting Party the approved appraisal program. For thirty (30)
Days
(or forty-eight (48) hours for Urgent Operational Matters) from receipt
of
such appraisal program, each Non-Consenting Party shall have the
option to
reinstate the rights it relinquished pursuant to Article 7.4(B) and
to
participate in such appraisal program. The Non-Consenting Party may
exercise such option by notifying Operator within the period specified
above that such Non-Consenting Party agrees to bear its Participating
Interest share of the expense and liability of such appraisal program,
and
to pay such amounts as set out in Articles 7.5(A) and
7.5(B).
|
(2)
|
If
the Consenting Parties decide to develop a Discovery made or appraised
in
the course of an Exclusive Operation, the Consenting Parties shall
submit
to the Non-Consenting Parties a Development Plan substantially in
the form
intended to be submitted to the Government under the Contract. For
sixty
(60) Days from receipt of such Development Plan or such lesser period
of
time prescribed by the Contract, each Non-Consenting Party shall
have the
option to reinstate the rights it relinquished pursuant to Article
7.4(B)
and to participate in such Development Plan. The Non-Consenting Party
may
exercise such option by notifying Operator within the period specified
above that such Non-Consenting Party agrees to bear its Participating
Interest share of the liability and expense of such Development Plan
and
such future operating and producing costs, and to pay the amounts
as set
out in Articles 7.5(A) and
7.5(B).
|
(3)
|
If
the Consenting Parties decide to Deepen, Complete, Sidetrack, Plug
Back or
Recomplete an Exclusive Well and such further operation was not included
in the original proposal for such Exclusive Well, the Consenting
Parties
shall submit to the Non-Consenting Parties the approved AFE for such
further operation. For thirty (30) Days (or forty-eight (48) hours
for
Urgent Operational Matters) from receipt of such AFE, each Non-Consenting
Party shall have the option to reinstate the rights it relinquished
pursuant to Article 7.4(B) and to participate in such operation.
The
Non-Consenting Party may exercise such option by notifying Operator
within
the period specified above that such Non-Consenting Party agrees
to bear
its Participating Interest share of the liability and expense of
such
further operation, and to pay the amounts as set out in
Articles 7.5(A) and 7.5(B).
|
A
Non-Consenting Party shall not be entitled to reinstate its rights in any other
type of operation.
(D)
|
If
a Non-Consenting Party does not properly and in a timely manner exercise
its option under Article 7.4(C), including paying all amounts due
in
accordance with Articles 7.5(A) and 7.5(B), such Non-Consenting
Party
shall have forfeited the options as set out in Article 7.4(C) and
the
right to participate in the proposed program, unless such program,
plan or
operation is materially modified or expanded (in which case a new
notice
and option shall be given to such Non-Consenting Party under Article
7.4(C)).
|
(E)
|
A
Non-Consenting Party exercising its option under Article 7.4(C) shall
notify the other Parties that it agrees to bear its share of the
liability
and expense of such further operation and to reimburse the amounts
set out
in Articles 7.5(A) and 7.5(B) that such Non-Consenting Party had
not
previously paid. Such Non-Consenting Party shall in no way be deemed
to be
entitled to any amounts paid pursuant to Articles 7.5(A) and 7.5(B)
incident to such Exclusive Operations. The Participating Interest
of such
Non-Consenting Party in such Exclusive Operation shall be its
Participating Interest set out in Article 3.2(A). The Consenting
Parties
shall contribute to the Participating Interest of the Non-Consenting
Party
in proportion to the excess Participating Interest that each received
under Article 7.2(E). If all Parties participate in the proposed
operation, then such operation shall be conducted as a Joint Operation
pursuant to Article 5.
|
-23-
(F)
|
If
after the expiry of the period in which a Non-Consenting Party may
exercise its option to participate in a Development Plan the Consenting
Parties desire to proceed, Operator shall give notice to the Government
under the appropriate provision of the Contract requesting a meeting
to
advise the Government that the Consenting Parties consider the Discovery
to be a Commercial Discovery. Following such meeting such Operator
for
such development shall apply for an Exploitation Area (if applicable
in
the Contract). Unless the Development Plan is materially modified
or
expanded prior to the commencement of operations under such plan
(in which
case a new notice and option shall be given to the Non-Consenting
Parties
under Article 7.4(C)), each Non-Consenting Party to such Development
Plan
shall:
|
(1)
|
if
the Contract so allows, elect not to apply for an Exploitation Area
covering such development and forfeit all interest in such Exploitation
Area, or
|
(2)
|
if
the Contract does not so allow, be deemed to
have:
|
(a)
|
elected
not to apply for an Exploitation Area covering such development;
|
(b)
|
forfeited
all economic interest in such Exploitation Area; and
|
(c)
|
assumed
a fiduciary duty to exercise its legal interest in such Exploitation
Area
for the benefit of the Consenting
Parties.
|
In
either
case such Non-Consenting Party shall be deemed to have withdrawn from this
Agreement to the extent it relates to such Exploitation Area, even if the
Development Plan is modified or expanded subsequent to the commencement of
operations under such Development Plan and shall be further deemed to have
forfeited any right to participate in the construction and ownership of
facilities outside such Exploitation Area designed solely for the use of such
Exploitation Area.
7.5
|
Premium
to Participate in Exclusive
Operations
|
(A)
|
Each
such Non-Consenting Party shall immediately upon the exercise of
its
option under Article 7.4(C), begin to bear one hundred percent (100%)
of
the cash calls made on each Consenting Party in respect of both Joint
Operations and Exclusive Operations until such Non-Consenting Party
has
reimbursed the original Consenting Parties (in proportion to their
respective Participating Interest in the Exclusive Operations in
which
such Non-Consenting Party is reinstating its rights) an amount equal
to
such Non-Consenting Party’s Participating Interest share of all
liabilities and expenses that were incurred in every Exclusive Operation
relating to the Discovery (or Exclusive Well, as the case may be)
in which
the Non-Consenting Party desires to reinstate the rights it relinquished
pursuant to Article 7.4(B) and that were not previously paid by such
Non-Consenting Party.
|
(B)
|
In
addition to the payment required under Article 7.5(A), immediately
following the exercise of its option under Article 7.4(C) each such
Non-Consenting Party shall be liable to reimburse the Consenting
Parties
who took the risk of such Exclusive Operations (in proportion to
their
respective Participating Interests) an amount equal to the total
of:
|
(1)
|
six
hundred percent (600%) of such Non-Consenting Party’s Participating
Interest share of all liabilities and expenses that were incurred
in any
Exclusive Operation relating to the obtaining of the portion of the
G
& G Data which pertains to the Discovery, and that were not previously
paid by such Non-Consenting Party; plus
|
-24-
(2)
|
six
hundred percent (600%) of such Non-Consenting Party’s Participating
Interest share of all liabilities and expenses that were incurred
in any
Exclusive Operation relating to the drilling, Deepening, Testing,
Completing, Sidetracking, Plugging Back, Recompleting and Reworking
of the
Exploration Well which made the Discovery in which the Non-Consenting
Party desires to reinstate the rights it relinquished pursuant to
Article
7.4(B), and that were not previously paid by such Non-Consenting
Party;
plus
|
(3)
|
five
hundred percent (500%) of the Non-Consenting Party’s Participating
Interest share of all liabilities and expenses that were incurred
in any
Exclusive Operation relating to the drilling, Deepening, Testing,
Completing, Sidetracking, Plugging Back, Recompleting and Reworking
of the
Appraisal Well(s) which delineated the Discovery in which the
Non-Consenting Party desires to reinstate the rights it relinquished
pursuant to Article 7.4(B), and that were not previously paid by
such
Non-Consenting Party.
|
(C)
|
Each
such Non-Consenting Party who is liable for the amounts set out in
Article
7.5(B) shall bear one hundred percent (100%) of the cash calls made
on
each Consenting Party in respect of both Joint Operations and Exclusive
Operations until each Non-Consenting Party has reimbursed the full
amount
due from it under Article 7.5(B). Unless otherwise agreed, any balance
remaining unreimbursed at the end of, or upon a Party’s withdrawal from,
the subject Exploration Period will be reimbursed by cash payment
in the
currency designated by the Consenting Parties who took the risk of
such
Exclusive Operations. The due date for any such payment shall be
fifteen
(15) Days after notice from Operator of the balance remaining
unreimbursed. Unpaid amounts shall accrue interest at the Agreed
Interest
Rate from the due date until timely paid in full. With respect to
Parties
who are participants in an on-going Exploitation Period, any balance
remaining unreimbursed after twenty-four (24) months from the date
of the
notice under Article 7.4(C) shall be settled through allocation from
the
Non-Consenting Parties to the Consenting Parties of an additional
share of
Profit Hydrocarbons, such allocation timed to enable the reimbursement
to
be completed in not more than thirty (30) months from the date of
the
notice under Article 7.4(C).
|
(D)
|
The
Non-Consenting Party exercising its option under Article 7.4(C) shall,
in
accordance with Article 19, be entitled to all Cost Hydrocarbons
derived
from reimbursements made under Article 7.5(A). Such Non-Consenting
Party
shall not be entitled to Cost Hydrocarbons associated with payments
made
under Article 7.5(B), unless the Contract or any Laws / Regulations
require otherwise. Each Consenting Party shall have the right to
refuse to
accept all or any portion of its share of amounts paid under
Articles 7.5(A) and 7.5(B). In such case the refused amount
shall be
distributed to each non-refusing Consenting Party on a pro-rata basis.
|
7.6
|
Order
of Preference of
Operations
|
(A)
|
Except
as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement, if any Party
desires
to propose the conduct of an operation that will conflict with an
existing
proposal for an Exclusive Operation, such Party shall have the right
exercisable for five (5) Days (or twenty-four (24) hours for Urgent
Operational Matters) from receipt of the proposal for the Exclusive
Operation, to deliver such Party’s alternative proposal to all Parties
entitled to participate in the proposed operation. Such alternative
proposal shall contain the information required under Article
7.2(A).
|
(B)
|
Each
Party receiving such proposals shall elect by delivery of notice
to
Operator and to the proposing Parties within the appropriate response
period set out in Article 7.2(B) to participate in one of the competing
proposals. Any Party not notifying Operator and the proposing Parties
within the response period shall be deemed to have voted against
the
proposals.
|
(C)
|
The
proposal receiving the largest aggregate Participating Interest vote
shall
have priority over all other competing proposals. In the case of
a tie
vote, Operator shall choose among the proposals receiving the largest
aggregate Participating Interest vote. Operator shall deliver notice
of
such result to all Parties entitled to participate in the operation
within
five (5) Days (or twenty-four (24) hours for Urgent Operational
Matters).
|
(D)
|
Each
Party shall then have two (2) Days (or twenty-four (24) hours for
Urgent
Operational Matters) from receipt of such notice to elect by delivery
of
notice to Operator and the proposing Parties whether such Party will
participate in such Exclusive Operation, or will relinquish its interest
pursuant to Article 7.4(B). Failure by a Party to deliver such notice
within such period shall be deemed an election not to participate
in the
prevailing proposal.
|
-25-
7.7
|
Stand-By
Costs
|
(A)
|
When
an operation has been performed, all tests have been conducted and
the
results of such tests furnished to the Parties, stand by costs incurred
pending response to any Party’s notice proposing an Exclusive Operation
for Deepening, Testing, Sidetracking, Completing, Plugging Back,
Recompleting, Reworking or other further operation in such well (including
the period required under Article 7.6 to resolve competing proposals)
shall be charged and borne as part of the operation just completed.
Stand
by costs incurred subsequent to all Parties responding, or expiration
of
the response time permitted, whichever first occurs, shall be charged
to
and borne by the Parties proposing the Exclusive Operation in proportion
to their Participating Interests, regardless of whether such Exclusive
Operation is actually conducted.
|
(B)
|
If
a further operation related to Urgent Operational Matters is proposed
while the drilling rig to be utilized is on location, any Party may
request and receive up to five (5) additional Days after expiration
of the
applicable response period specified in Article 7.2(B)(1) within
which to
respond by notifying Operator that such Party agrees to bear all
stand by
costs and other costs incurred during such extended response period.
Operator may require such Party to pay the estimated stand by costs
in
advance as a condition to extending the response period. If more
than one
Party requests such additional time to respond to the notice, stand
by
costs shall be allocated between such Parties on a Day-to-Day basis
in
proportion to their Participating Interests.
|
7.8
|
Special
Considerations Regarding Deepening and
Sidetracking
|
(A)
|
An
Exclusive Well shall not be Deepened or Sidetracked without first
affording the Non-Consenting Parties in accordance with this Article
7.8
the opportunity to participate in such
operation.
|
(B)
|
In
the event any Consenting Party desires to Deepen or Sidetrack an
Exclusive
Well, such Party shall initiate the procedure contemplated by Article
7.2.
If a Deepening or Sidetracking operation is approved pursuant to
such
provisions, and if any Non-Consenting Party to the Exclusive Well
elects
to participate in such Deepening or Sidetracking operation, such
Non-Consenting Party shall not owe amounts pursuant to Article 7.5(B),
and
such Non-Consenting Party’s payment pursuant to Article 7.5(A) shall be
such Non-Consenting Party’s Participating Interest share of the
liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with drilling the
Exclusive Well from the surface to the depth previously drilled which
such
Non-Consenting Party would have paid had such Non-Consenting Party
agreed
to participate in such Exclusive Well; provided, however, all liabilities
and expenses for Testing and Completing or attempting Completion
of the
well incurred by Consenting Parties prior to the commencement of
actual
operations to Deepen or Sidetrack beyond the depth previously drilled
shall be for the sole account of the Consenting
Parties.
|
7.9
|
Use
of Property
|
The
Parties participating in any Deepening, Testing, Completing, Sidetracking,
Plugging Back, Recompleting or Reworking of any well drilled under this
Agreement shall be permitted to use (free of cost) all casing, tubing and other
equipment in the well that is not needed for operations by the owners of the
wellbore, but the ownership of all such equipment shall remain unchanged. On
abandonment of a well in which operations with differing participation have
been
conducted, the Parties abandoning the well shall account for all equipment
in
the well to the Parties owning such equipment by tendering to them their
respective Participating Interest shares of the value of such equipment less
the
cost of salvage.
7.10
|
Lost
Production During Tie-In of Exclusive Operation
Facilities
|
If,
during the tie-in of Exclusive Operation facilities with the existing production
facilities of another operation, the production of Hydrocarbons from such other
pre-existing operations is temporarily lessened as a result, then the Consenting
Parties shall compensate the parties to such existing operation for such loss
of
production in the following manner. Operator shall determine the amount by
which
each Day’s production during the tie-in of Exclusive Operation facilities falls
below the previous month’s average daily production from the existing production
facilities of such operation. The so-determined amount of lost production shall
be recovered by all Parties who experienced such loss in proportion to their
respective Participating Interest. Upon completion of the tie-in, such lost
production shall be recovered in full by Operator deducting up to one hundred
percent (100%) of the production from the Exclusive Operation, prior to the
Consenting Parties being entitled to receive any such production.
-26-
7.11
|
deleted
|
7.12
|
Conduct
of Exclusive
Operations
|
(A)
|
Each
Exclusive Operation shall be carried out by the Consenting Parties
acting
as the Operating Committee, subject to the provisions of this Agreement
applied mutatis
mutandis
to
such Exclusive Operation and subject to the terms and conditions
of the
Contract.
|
(B)
|
The
computation of liabilities and expenses incurred in Exclusive Operations,
including the liabilities and expenses of Operator for conducting
such
operations, shall be made in accordance with the principles set out
in the
Accounting Procedure.
|
(C)
|
Operator
shall maintain separate books, financial records and accounts for
Exclusive Operations which shall be subject to the same rights of
audit
and examination as the Joint Account and related records, all as
provided
in the Accounting Procedure. Said rights of audit and examination
shall
extend to each of the Consenting Parties and each of the Non-Consenting
Parties so long as the latter are, or may be, entitled to elect to
participate in such Exclusive
Operations.
|
(D)
|
Operator,
if it is conducting an Exclusive Operation for the Consenting Parties,
regardless of whether it is participating in that Exclusive Operation,
shall be entitled to request cash advances and shall not be required
to
use its own funds to pay any cost and expense and shall not be obliged
to
commence or continue Exclusive Operations until cash advances requested
have been made, and the Accounting Procedure shall apply to Operator
in
respect of any Exclusive Operations conducted by
it.
|
(E)
|
Should
the submission of a Development Plan be approved in accordance with
Article 6.2, or should any Party propose (but not yet have the right
to
commence) a development in accordance with this Article 7
where
neither the Development Plan nor the development proposal call for
the
conduct of additional appraisal drilling, and should any Party wish
to
drill an additional Appraisal Well prior to development, then the
Party
proposing the Appraisal Well as an Exclusive Operation shall be entitled
to proceed first, but without the right (subject to the following
sentence) to future reimbursement pursuant to Article 7.5.
If such an
Appraisal Well is produced, any Consenting Party shall own and have
the
right to take in kind and separately dispose of all of the Non-Consenting
Party’s Entitlement from such Appraisal Well until the value received in
sales to purchasers in arm-length transactions equals one hundred
percent
(100%) of such Non-Consenting Party’s Participating Interest shares of all
liabilities and expenses that were incurred in any Exclusive Operations
relating to the Appraisal Well. Following the completion of drilling
such
Appraisal Well as an Exclusive Operation, the Parties may proceed
with the
Development Plan approved pursuant to Article 5.9, or (if applicable)
the
Parties may complete the procedures to propose an Exclusive Operation
to
develop a Discovery. If, as the result of drilling such Appraisal
Well as
an Exclusive Operation, the Party or Parties proposing to develop
the
Discovery decide(s) not to do so, then each Non-Consenting Party
who voted
in favor of such Development Plan prior to the drilling of such Appraisal
Well shall pay to the Consenting Party the amount such Non-Consenting
Party would have paid had such Appraisal Well been drilled as a Joint
Operation.
|
(F)
|
If
Operator is a Non-Consenting Party to an Exclusive Operation to develop
a
Discovery, then Operator may resign, but in any event shall resign
on the
unanimous request of the Consenting Parties, as Operator for the
Exploitation Area for such Discovery, and the Consenting Parties
shall
select a Consenting Party to serve as Operator for such Exclusive
Operation only.
|
Any
such
resignation of Operator and appointment of a Consenting Party to serve as
Operator for such Exclusive Operation shall be subject to the Parties having
first obtained any necessary Government approvals.
-27-
ARTICLE
8
DEFAULT
8.1
|
Default
and Notice
|
(A) Any
Party
that fails to:
(1)
|
pay
when due its share of Joint Account expenses (including cash advances
and
interest); or
|
(2)
|
obtain
and maintain any Security required of such Party under the Contract
or
this Agreement;
|
shall
be
in default under this Agreement (a "Defaulting
Party").
Operator, or any non-defaulting Party in case Operator is the Defaulting Party,
shall promptly give notice of such default (the "Default
Notice")
to the
Defaulting Party and each of the non-defaulting Parties.
(B)
|
For
the purposes of this Article 8, "Default
Period"
means the period beginning five (5) Business Days from the date that
the
Default Notice is issued in accordance with this Article 8.1 and
ending
when all the Defaulting Party’s defaults pursuant to this Article 8.1 have
been remedied in full.
|
8.2
|
Operating
Committee Meetings and
Data
|
(A)
|
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, the Defaulting Party shall
have no
right, during the Default Period,
to:
|
(1)
|
call
or attend Operating Committee or subcommittee
meetings;
|
(2)
|
vote
on any matter coming before the Operating Committee or any
subcommittee;
|
(3)
|
access
any data or information relating to any operations under this Agreement;
|
(4)
|
consent
to or reject data trades between the Parties and third parties, nor
access
any data received in such data trades;
|
(5)
|
Transfer
(as defined in Article 12.1) all or part of its Participating Interest,
except to non-defaulting Parties in accordance with this Article
8;
|
(6)
|
consent
to or reject any Transfer (as defined in Article 12.1) or otherwise
exercise any other rights in respect of Transfers under this Article
8 or
under Article 12;
|
(7)
|
receive
its Entitlement in accordance with Article
8.4;
|
(8)
|
withdraw
from this Agreement under Article 13;
or
|
(9)
|
take
assignment of any portion of another Party’s Participating Interest in the
event such other Party is either in default or withdrawing from this
Agreement and the Contract.
|
-28-
(B)
|
Notwithstanding
any other provisions in this Agreement, during the Default
Period:
|
(1)
|
unless
agreed otherwise by the non-defaulting Parties, the voting interest
of
each non-defaulting Party shall be equal to the ratio such non-defaulting
Party’s Participating Interest bears to the total Participating Interests
of the non-defaulting Parties;
|
(2)
|
any
matters requiring a unanimous vote or approval of the Parties shall
not
require the vote or approval of the Defaulting Party;
|
(3)
|
the
Defaulting Party shall be deemed to have elected not to participate
in any
operations that are voted upon during the Default Period, to the
extent
such an election would be permitted by Article 5.13 and Article 7;
and
|
(4)
|
the
Defaulting Party shall be deemed to have approved, and shall join
with the
non-defaulting Parties in taking, any other actions voted on during
the
Default Period.
|
8.3
|
Allocation
of Defaulted Accounts
|
(A)
|
The
Party providing the Default Notice pursuant to Article 8.1 shall
include
in the Default Notice to each non-defaulting Party a statement of:
(i) the
sum of money that the non-defaulting Party shall pay as its portion
of the
Amount in Default; and (ii) if the Defaulting Party has failed to
obtain
or maintain any Security required of such Party in order to maintain
the
Contract in full force and effect, the type and amount of the Security
the
non-defaulting Parties shall post or the funds they shall pay in
order to
allow Operator, or (if Operator is in default) the notifying Party,
to
post and maintain such Security. Unless otherwise agreed, the obligations
for which the Defaulting Party is in default shall be satisfied by
the
non-defaulting Parties in proportion to the ratio that each non-defaulting
Party's Participating Interest bears to the Participating Interests
of all
non-defaulting Parties. For the purposes of this Article 8:
|
"Amount
in Default"
means
the Defaulting Party’s share of Joint Account expenses which the Defaulting
Party has failed to pay when due pursuant to the terms of this Agreement (but
excluding any interest owed on such amount); and
"Total
Amount in Default"
means
the following amounts: (i) the Amount in Default; (ii) third-party costs
of
obtaining and maintaining any Security incurred by the non-defaulting Parties
or
the funds paid by such Parties in order to allow Operator to obtain or maintain
Security, in accordance with Article 8.3(A)(ii); plus (iii) any interest at
the
Agreed Interest Rate accrued on the amount under (i) from the date this amount
is due by the Defaulting Party until paid in full by the Defaulting Party and
on
the amount under (ii) from the date this amount is incurred by the
non-defaulting Parties until paid in full by the Defaulting Party.
(B)
|
If
the Defaulting Party remedies its default in full before the Default
Period commences, the notifying Party shall promptly notify each
non-defaulting Party by facsimile or telephone and by email, and
the
non-defaulting Parties shall be relieved of their obligations under
Article 8.3(A). Otherwise, each non-defaulting Party shall satisfy
its
obligations under Article 8.3(A)(i) before the Default Period commences
and its obligations under Article 8.3(A)(ii) within ten (10) Days
following the Default Notice. If any non-defaulting Party fails to
timely
satisfy such obligations, such Party shall thereupon be a Defaulting
Party
subject to the provisions of this Article 8. The non-defaulting Parties
shall be entitled to receive their respective shares of the Total
Amount
in Default payable by such Defaulting Party pursuant to this Article
8.
|
(C)
|
If
Operator is a Defaulting Party, then all payments otherwise payable
to
Operator for Joint Account costs pursuant to this Agreement shall
be made
to the notifying Party instead until the default is cured or a successor
Operator appointed. The notifying Party shall maintain such funds
in a
segregated account separate from its own funds and shall apply such
funds
to third party claims due and payable from the Joint Account of which
it
has notice, to the extent Operator would be authorized to make such
payments under the terms of this Agreement. The notifying Party shall
be
entitled to xxxx or cash call the other Parties in accordance with
the
Accounting Procedure for proper third party charges that become due
and
payable during such period to the extent sufficient funds are not
available. When Operator has cured its default or a successor Operator
is
appointed, the notifying Party shall turn over all remaining funds
in the
account to Operator and shall provide Operator and the other Parties
with
a detailed accounting of the funds received and expended during this
period. The notifying Party shall not be liable for damages, losses,
costs, expenses or liabilities arising as a result of its actions
under
this Article 8.3(C), except to the extent Operator would be
liable
under Article 4.6.
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8.4
|
Remedies
|
(A)
|
During
the Default Period, the Defaulting Party shall not have a right to
its
Entitlement, which shall vest in and be the property of the non-defaulting
Parties. Operator (or the notifying Party if Operator is a Defaulting
Party) shall be authorized to sell such Entitlement in an arm’s-length
sale on terms that are commercially reasonable under the circumstances
and, after deducting all costs, charges and expenses incurred in
connection with such sale, pay the net proceeds to the non-defaulting
Parties in proportion to the amounts they are owed by the Defaulting
Party
as a part of the Total Amount in Default (in payment of first the
interest
and then the principal) and apply such net proceeds toward the
establishment of the Reserve Fund (as defined in Article 8.4(C)),
if
applicable, until all such Total Amount in Default is recovered and
such
Reserve Fund is established. Any surplus remaining shall be paid
to the
Defaulting Party, and any deficiency shall remain a debt due from
the
Defaulting Party to the non-defaulting Parties. When making sales
under
this Article 8.4(A), the non-defaulting Parties shall have no obligation
to share any existing market or obtain a price equal to the price
at which
their own production is sold.
|
(B)
|
If
Operator disposes of any Joint Property or if any other credit or
adjustment is made to the Joint Account during the Default Period,
Operator (or the notifying Party if Operator is a Defaulting Party)
shall
be entitled to apply the Defaulting Party’s Participating Interest share
of the proceeds of such disposal, credit or adjustment against the
Total
Amount in Default (against first the interest and then the principal)
and
toward the establishment of the Reserve Fund (as defined in Article
8.4(C)), if applicable. Any surplus remaining shall be paid to the
Defaulting Party, and any deficiency shall remain a debt due from
the
Defaulting Party to the non-defaulting Parties.
|
(C)
|
The
non-defaulting Parties shall be entitled to apply the net proceeds
received under Articles 8.4(A) and 8.4(B) toward the creation
of a
reserve fund (the "Reserve
Fund")
in an amount equal to the Defaulting Party’s Participating Interest share
of: (i) the estimated cost to abandon any xxxxx and other property
in
which the Defaulting Party participated; (ii) the estimated
cost of
severance benefits for local employees upon cessation of operations;
and
(iii) any other identifiable costs that the non-defaulting Parties
anticipate will be incurred in connection with the cessation of
operations. Upon the conclusion of the Default Period, all amounts
held in
the Reserve Fund shall be returned to the Party previously in
Default.
|
(D)
|
If
a Defaulting Party fails to fully remedy all its defaults by the
thirtieth
(30th) Day following the date of the Default Notice, then, without
prejudice to any other rights available to each non-defaulting Party
to
recover its portion of the Total Amount in Default, a
majority in interest of the non-defaulting Parties (after excluding
Affiliates of the Defaulting Party) shall have the option, exercisable
at
anytime thereafter during the Default Period, to require that the
Defaulting Party completely withdraw from this Agreement and the
Contract.
Such option shall be exercised by notice to the Defaulting Party
and each
non-defaulting Party. If such option is exercised, the Defaulting
Party
shall be deemed to have transferred, pursuant to Article 13.6,
effective on the date of the non-defaulting Party’s or Parties’ notice,
its Participating Interest to the non-defaulting Parties. Notwithstanding
the terms of Article 13, in the absence of an agreement among the
non-defaulting Parties to the contrary, any transfer to the non-defaulting
Parties following a withdrawal pursuant to this Article 8.4(D)(1)
shall be in proportion to the Participating Interests of the
non-defaulting Parties.
|
(E)
|
In
addition to the other remedies available to the non-defaulting Parties
under this Article 8 and any other rights available to each
non-defaulting Party to recover its portion of the Total Amount in
Default, in the event a Defaulting Party fails to remedy its default
within thirty (30) Days of the Default Notice, the non-Defaulting
Parties
may elect to enforce a mortgage and security interest on the Defaulting
Party’s Participating Interest as set forth below, subject to the Contract
and the Laws / Regulations.
|
-30-
(1)
|
Each
Party grants to each of the other Parties, in pro rata shares based
on
their relative Participating Interests, a mortgage and security interest
on its Participating Interest, whether now owned or hereafter acquired,
together with all products and proceeds derived from that Participating
Interest (collectively, the "Collateral")
as security for (i) the payment of all amounts owing by such Party
(including interest and costs of collection) under this Agreement;
and
(ii) any Security which such Party is required to provide
under the
Contract.
|
(2)
|
Should
a Defaulting Party fail to remedy its default by the thirtieth (30th)
Day
following the date of the Default Notice, then, each non-defaulting
Party
shall have the option, exercisable at any time thereafter during
the
Default Period, to foreclose its mortgage and security interest against
its prorata share of the Collateral by any means permitted under
the
Contract and the Laws / Regulations and to sell all or any part of
that
Collateral in public or private sale after providing the Defaulting
Party
and other creditors with any notice required by the Contract or the
Laws /
Regulations, and subject to the provisions of Article 12.
Except as
may be prohibited by the Contract or the Laws / Regulations, the
non-defaulting Party that forecloses its mortgage and security interest
shall be entitled to become the purchaser of the Collateral sold
and shall
have the right to credit toward the purchase price the amount to
which it
is entitled under Article 8.4. Any deficiency in the amounts
received by the foreclosing party shall remain a debt due by the
Defaulting Party, but amounts received in excess of the amounts due
by the
Defaulting Party are payable to the Defaulting Party. The foreclosure
of
mortgages and security interests by one non-defaulting Party shall
neither
affect the amounts owed by the Defaulting Party to the other
non-defaulting Parties nor in any way limit the rights or remedies
available to them. Each Party agrees that, should it become a Defaulting
Party, it waives the benefit of any appraisal, valuation, stay, extension
or redemption law and any other debtor protection law that otherwise
could
be invoked to prevent or hinder the enforcement of the mortgage and
security interest granted above.
|
(3)
|
Each
Party agrees to execute such memoranda, financing statements and
other
documents, and make such filings and registrations, as may be reasonably
necessary to perfect, validate and provide notice of the mortgages
and
security interests granted by this Article
8.4(E).
|
(F)
|
For
purposes of Articles 8.4(D) and 8.4(E), the Defaulting Party shall,
without delay following any request from the non-defaulting Parties,
do
any act required to be done by the Laws / Regulations and any other
applicable laws in order to render the transfer of its Participating
Interest legally valid, including obtaining all governmental consents
and
approvals, and shall execute any document and take such other actions
as
may be necessary in order to effect a prompt and valid transfer.
The
Defaulting Party shall be obligated to promptly remove any liens
and
encumbrances which may exist on its assigned Participating Interests.
In
the event all Government approvals are not timely obtained, the Defaulting
Party shall hold the assigned Participating Interest in trust for
the
non-defaulting Parties who are entitled to receive it. Each Party
constitutes and appoints each other Party its true and lawful attorney
to
execute such instruments and make such filings and applications as
may be
necessary to make such transfer legally effective and to obtain any
necessary consents of the Government. Actions under this power of
attorney
may be taken by any Party individually without the joinder of the
others.
This power of attorney is irrevocable for the term of this Agreement
and
is coupled with an interest. If requested, each Party shall execute
a form
prescribed by the Operating Committee setting forth this power of
attorney
in more detail.
|
(G)
|
The
non-defaulting Parties shall be entitled to recover from the Defaulting
Party all reasonable attorneys’ fees and all other reasonable costs
sustained in the collection of amounts owing by the Defaulting
Party.
|
(H)
|
The
rights and remedies granted to the non-defaulting Parties in this
Article
8 shall be cumulative, not exclusive, and shall be in addition to
any
other rights and remedies that may be available to the non-defaulting
Parties, whether at law, in equity or otherwise. Each right and remedy
available to the non-defaulting Parties may be exercised from time
to time
and so often and in such order as may be considered expedient by
the
non-defaulting Parties in their sole discretion. In addition to the
rights
of CRC under this Clause, CRC shall also have the rights contained
in the
Dilution and Carried Interest
Agreement.
|
-31-
8.5
|
Survival
|
The
obligations of the Defaulting Party and the rights of the non-defaulting Parties
shall survive the surrender of the Contract, abandonment of Joint Operations
and
termination of this Agreement.
8.6
|
No
Right of Set Off
|
Subject
only to the terms and conditions of the Dilution and Carried Interest Agreement,
each Party acknowledges and accepts that a fundamental principle of this
Agreement is that each Party pays its Participating Interest share of all
amounts due under this Agreement as and when required. Accordingly, any Party
which becomes a Defaulting Party undertakes that, in respect of either any
exercise by the non-defaulting Parties of any rights under or the application
of
any of the provisions of this Article 8, such Party hereby waives any
right
to raise by way of set off or invoke as a defense, whether in law or equity,
any
failure by any other Party to pay amounts due and owing under this Agreement
or
any alleged claim that such Party may have against Operator or any Non-Operator,
whether such claim arises under this Agreement or otherwise. Each Party further
agrees that the nature and the amount of the remedies granted to the
non-defaulting Parties hereunder are reasonable and appropriate in the
circumstances.
ARTICLE
9
DISPOSITION
OF PRODUCTION
9.1
|
Right
and Obligation to Take in
Kind
|
Subject
always to the provisions of the Dilution and Carried Interest Agreement and
Section VI of the Contract, and except as otherwise provided in this Article
9
or in Article 8, each Party shall have the right and obligation to own, take
in
kind and separately dispose of its Entitlement.
9.2
|
Disposition
of Crude Oil
|
If
Crude
Oil is to be produced from an Exploitation Area, the Operator shall in good
faith on behalf of the Parties, and not less than three (3) months prior to
the
anticipated first delivery of Crude Oil, negotiate and conclude the terms of
a
lifting agreement to cover the offtake of Crude Oil produced under the Contract.
The lifting procedure shall contain all such terms as may be agreed by the
Operating Committee, consistent with the Development Plan and subject to the
terms of the Contract. The Government Oil & Gas Company may, if necessary
and practicable, also be party to the lifting agreement; if the Government
Oil
& Gas Company is a party to the lifting agreement, then the Operator shall
endeavor to obtain its agreement to the principles set forth in this Article
9.2. If a lifting agreement has not been entered into by the date of first
delivery of Crude Oil, the Parties shall nonetheless be obligated to take and
separately dispose of such Crude Oil as provided in Article 9.1 and in addition
shall be bound by the terms set forth in the Indo-Pacific’s Camar Marine
Terminal Offtake (Lifting) Procedure until a lifting agreement is executed
by
the Parties.
9.3
|
Disposition
of Natural Gas
|
The
Parties recognize that Natural Gas has been discovered and that they shall
enter
into special arrangements for the disposal of the Natural Gas which are
consistent with the Development Plan and subject to the terms of the
Contract.
9.4
|
deleted
|
ARTICLE
10
ABANDONMENT
10.1
|
Abandonment
of Xxxxx Drilled as Joint
Operations
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(A)
|
A
decision to plug and abandon any well which has been drilled as a
Joint
Operation shall require the approval of the Operating
Committee.
|
(B)
|
Should
any Party fail to reply within the period prescribed in Article 5.12(A)(1)
or Article 5.12(A)(2), whichever is applicable, after delivery of
notice
of Operator’s proposal to plug and abandon such well, such Party shall be
deemed to have consented to the proposed abandonment.
|
(C)
|
If
the Operating Committee approves a decision to plug and abandon an
Exploration Well or Appraisal Well, subject to the Laws / Regulations,
any
Party voting against such decision may propose (within the time periods
allowed by Article 5.13(A)) to conduct an alternate Exclusive
Operation in the wellbore. If no Exclusive Operation is timely proposed,
or if an Exclusive Operation is timely proposed but is not commenced
within the applicable time periods under Article 7.2, such well shall
be
plugged and abandoned.
|
(D)
|
Any
well plugged and abandoned under this Agreement shall be plugged
and
abandoned in accordance with the Laws / Regulations and at the cost,
risk
and expense of the Parties who participated in the cost of drilling
such
well.
|
10.2
|
Abandonment
of Exclusive
Operations
|
This
Article 10 shall apply mutatis
mutandis to
the
abandonment of an Exclusive Well or any well in which an Exclusive Operation
has
been conducted (in which event all Parties having the right to conduct further
operations in such well shall be notified and have the opportunity to conduct
Exclusive Operations in the well in accordance with the provisions of this
Article 10).
10.3
|
Abandonment
Security
|
If
under
the Contract or the Laws / Regulations, the Parties are or become obliged to
pay
or contribute to the cost of ceasing operations, then during preparation of
a
Development Plan, the Parties shall negotiate a security agreement, which shall
be completed and executed by all Parties participating in such Development
Plan
prior to application for an Exploitation Area. The security agreement shall
incorporate the following principles:
(A)
|
a
Security shall be provided by each such Party for each Calendar Year
commencing with the Calendar Year in which the Discounted Net Value
equals
seventy-five percent (75%) of the Discounted Net Cost;
and
|
(B)
|
the
amount of the Security required to be provided by each such Party
in any
Calendar Year (including any security previously provided which will
still
be current throughout such Calendar Year) shall be equal to the amount
by
which seventy-five percent (75%) of the Discounted Net Cost exceeds
the
Discounted Net Value.
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-33-
"Discounted
Net Cost"
means
that portion of each Party’s anticipated before tax cost of ceasing operations
in accordance with the Laws / Regulations which remains after deduction of
salvage value. Such portion should be calculated at the anticipated time of
ceasing operations and discounted at the Discount Rate to December 31
of
the Calendar Year in question.
"Discounted
Net Value"
means
the value of each Party’s estimated Entitlement which remains after payment of
estimated liabilities and expenses required to win, save and transport such
production to the delivery point and after deduction of estimated applicable
taxes, royalties, imposts and levies on such production. Such Entitlement shall
be calculated using estimated market prices and including taxes on income,
discounted at the Discount Rate to December 31 of the Calendar Year in question.
No account shall be taken of tax allowances expected to be available in respect
of the costs of ceasing operations.
"Discount
Rate"
means
the rate per annum equal to the one (1) month term, London Interbank Offered
Rate (LIBOR rate) for U.S. dollar deposits applicable to the date falling thirty
(30) Business Days prior to the start of a Calendar Year as published in London
by the Financial Times or if not published then by The Wall Street
Journal.
ARTICLE
11
SURRENDER,
EXTENSIONS AND RENEWALS
11.1
|
Surrender
|
(A)
|
If
the Contract requires the Parties to surrender any portion of the
Contract
Area, Operator shall advise the Operating Committee of such requirement
at
least one hundred and twenty (120) Days in advance of the earlier
of the
date for filing irrevocable notice of such surrender or the date
of such
surrender. Prior to the end of such period, the Operating Committee
shall
determine pursuant to Article 5 the size and shape of the surrendered
area, consistent with the requirements of the Contract. If a sufficient
vote of the Operating Committee cannot be attained, then the proposal
supported by a simple majority of the Participating Interests shall
be
adopted. If no proposal attains the support of a simple majority
of the
Participating Interests, then the proposal receiving the largest
aggregate
Participating Interest vote shall be adopted. In the event of a tie,
Operator shall choose among the proposals receiving the largest aggregate
Participating Interest vote. The Parties shall execute any and all
documents and take such other actions as may be necessary to effect
the
surrender. Each Party renounces all claims and causes of action against
Operator and any other Parties on account of any area surrendered
in
accordance with the foregoing but against its recommendation if
Hydrocarbons are subsequently discovered under the surrendered
area.
|
(B)
|
A
surrender of all or any part of the Contract Area which is not required
by
the Contract shall require the unanimous consent of the
Parties.
|
11.2
|
Extension
of the Term
|
(A)
|
A
proposal by any Party to enter into or extend the term of any Exploration
or Exploitation Period or any phase of the Contract, or a proposal
to
extend the term of the Contract, shall be presented to the Parties
for
consideration. A Party shall not permit any of its Affiliates to
enter
into or extend the term of any Exploration or Exploration Period
or any
phase of the Contract.
|
(B)
|
Any
Party shall have the right to enter into or extend the term of any
Exploration or Exploitation Period or any phase of the Contract or
to
extend the term of the Contract, provided that the other Parties'
Participating Interests shall continue to apply. If any Party takes
such
action, any Party not wishing to extend shall have a right to withdraw,
subject to the requirements of Article 13. If the Contract terminates,
no
Party or its Affiliates shall apply for a new contract in respect
of the
same area or any portion thereof without offering to the other Parties
the
right to participate with a Participating Interest on the same terms
as in
this Agreement at the time of termination of the Contract.
|
ARTICLE
12
TRANSFER
OF INTEREST OR RIGHTS AND CHANGES IN CONTROL
12.1
|
Obligations
|
(A) Subject
to the requirements of the Contract,
(i)
|
any
Transfer (except Transfers pursuant to Article 7, Article 8 or Article
13)
shall be effective only if it satisfies the terms and conditions
of
Article 12.2; and
|
(ii)
|
a
Party subject to a Change in Control must satisfy the terms and conditions
of Article 12.3.
|
Should
a
Transfer subject to this Article or a Change in Control occur without
satisfaction (in all material respects) by the transferor or the Party subject
to the Change in Control, as applicable, of the requirements hereof, then each
other Party shall be entitled to enforce specific performance of the terms
of
this Article, in addition to any other remedies (including damages) to which
it
may be entitled. Each Party agrees that monetary damages alone would not be
an
adequate remedy for the breach of any Party's obligations under this
Article.
-34-
(B) For
purposes of this Agreement:
"Cash
Transfer"
means
any Transfer where the sole consideration (other than the assumption of
obligations relating to the transferred Participating Interest) takes the form
of cash, cash equivalents, promissory notes or retained interests (such as
production payments) in the Participating Interest being transferred;
and
"Cash
Value"
means
the portion of the total monetary value (expressed in U.S. dollars) of the
consideration being offered by the proposed transferee (including any cash,
other assets, and tax savings to the transferor from a non-cash deal) that
reasonably should be allocated to the Participating Interest subject to the
proposed Transfer or Change in Control.
"Change
in Control"
means
any direct or indirect change in Control of a Party (whether through merger,
sale of shares or other equity interests, or otherwise) through a single
transaction or series of related transactions, from one or more transferors
to
one or more transferees. CRC hereby represents and warrants that it is
Controlled by Medco International Ventures Limited.
"Encumbrance"
means a
mortgage, lien, pledge, charge or other encumbrance. "Encumber"
and
other derivatives shall be construed accordingly.
"Transfer"
means
any sale, assignment, Encumbrance or other disposition by a Party of any rights
or obligations derived from the Contract or this Agreement (including its
Participating Interest), other than its Entitlement and its rights to any
credits, refunds or payments under this Agreement, and excluding any direct
or
indirect change in Control of a Party.
12.2.
|
Transfer
|
(A)
|
Except
in the case of a Party transferring all of its Participating Interest,
no
Transfer shall be made by any Party which results in the transferor
or the
transferee holding a Participating Interest of less than five percent
(5%)
or any interest other than a Participating Interest in the Contract
and
this Agreement.
|
(B)
|
Subject
to the terms of Articles 4.9 and 4.10, the Party serving as
Operator
shall remain Operator following Transfer of a portion of its Participating
Interest. In the event of a Transfer of all of its Participating
Interest,
except to an Affiliate, the Party serving as Operator shall be deemed
to
have resigned as Operator, effective on the date the Transfer becomes
effective under this Article 12, in which event a successor
Operator
shall be appointed in accordance with Article 4.11. If Operator
transfers all of its Participating Interest to an Affiliate, that
Affiliate shall automatically become the successor Operator, provided
that
the transferring Operator shall remain liable for its Affiliate's
performance of its obligations.
|
(C)
|
Both
the transferee, and, notwithstanding the Transfer, the transferring
Party,
shall be liable to the other Parties for the transferring Party’s
Participating Interest share of any obligations (financial or otherwise)
which have vested, matured or accrued under the provisions of the
Contract
or this Agreement prior to such Transfer. Such obligations, shall
include
any proposed expenditure approved by the Operating Committee prior
to the
transferring Party notifying the other Parties of its proposed Transfer
and shall also include costs of plugging and abandoning xxxxx or
portions
of xxxxx and decommissioning facilities in which the transferring
Party
participated (or with respect to which it was required to bear a
share of
the costs pursuant to this sentence) to the extent such costs are
payable
by the Parties under the Contract.
|
(D)
|
A
transferee shall have no rights in the Contract or this Agreement
(except
any notice and cure rights or similar rights that may be provided
to a
Lien Holder (as defined in Article 12.2(E)) by separate instrument
signed
by all Parties) unless and until:
|
-35-
(1)
|
it
expressly undertakes in an instrument reasonably satisfactory to
the other
Parties to perform the obligations of the transferor under the Contract
and this Agreement in respect of the Participating Interest being
transferred and obtains any necessary Government approval for the
Transfer
and furnishes any guarantees required by the Government or the Contract
on
or before the applicable deadlines;
and
|
(2)
|
except
in the case of a Transfer to an Affiliate, each Party has consented
in
writing to such Transfer, which consent shall be denied only if the
transferee fails to establish to the reasonable satisfaction of each
Party
its financial capability to perform its payment obligations under
the
Contract and this Agreement and ( in the case of the Operator’s transfer
only) its technical capability to contribute to the planning and
conduct
of Joint Operations.
|
No
consent shall be required under this Article 12.2(D)(2) for a Transfer to an
Affiliate if the transferring Party agrees in an instrument reasonably
satisfactory to the other Parties to remain liable for its Affiliate’s
performance of its obligations.
(E)
|
Nothing
contained in this Article 12 shall prevent a Party from Encumbering
all or
any undivided share of its Participating Interest to a third party
(a
"Lien Holder")
for the purpose of security relating to finance, provided
that:
|
(1)
|
such
Party shall remain liable for all obligations relating to such
interest;
|
(2)
|
the
Encumbrance shall be subject to any necessary approval of the Government
and be expressly subordinated to the rights of the other Parties
under
this Agreement;
|
(3)
|
such
Party shall ensure that any Encumbrance shall be expressed to be
without
prejudice to the provisions of this
Agreement.
|
(F)
|
Any
Transfer of all or a portion of a Party's Participating Interest,
other
than a Transfer to an Affiliate or the granting of an Encumbrance
as
provided in Article 12.2(E), shall be subject to the following
procedure.
|
(1)
|
Once
the final terms and conditions of a Transfer have been fully negotiated,
the transferor shall disclose all such final terms and conditions
as are
relevant to the acquisition of the Participating Interest (and, if
applicable, the determination of the Cash Value of the Participating
Interest) in a notice to the other Parties, which notice shall be
accompanied by a copy of all instruments or relevant portions of
instruments establishing such terms and conditions. Each other Party
shall
have the right to acquire the Participating Interest subject to the
proposed Transfer from the transferor on the terms and conditions
described in Article 12.2(F)(3) if, within thirty (30) Days
of the
transferor's notice, such Party delivers to all other Parties a
counter-notification that it accepts such terms and conditions without
reservations or conditions (subject to Articles 12.2(F)(3) and 12.2(F)(4),
where applicable). If no Party delivers such counter-notification,
the
Transfer to the proposed transferee may be made, subject to the other
provisions of this Article 12, under terms and conditions
no more
favorable to the transferee than those set forth in the notice to
the
Parties, provided that the Transfer shall be concluded within one
hundred
eighty (180) Days from the date of the notice plus such additional
period
as may be required to secure governmental approvals. No Party shall
have a
right under this Article 12.2(F) to acquire any asset other
than a
Participating Interest, nor may any Party be required to acquire
any asset
other than a Participating Interest, regardless of whether other
properties are included in the
Transfer.
|
(2)
|
If
more than one Party counter-notifies that it intends to acquire the
Participating Interest subject to the proposed Transfer, then each
such
Party shall acquire a proportion of the Participating Interest to
be
transferred equal to the ratio of its own Participating Interest
to the
total Participating Interests of all the counter-notifying Parties,
unless
the counter-notifying Parties otherwise
agree.
|
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(3)
|
In
the event of a Cash Transfer that does not involve other properties
as
part of a wider transaction, each other Party shall have a right
to
acquire the Participating Interest subject to the proposed Transfer
on the
same final terms and conditions as were negotiated with the proposed
transferee. In the event of a Transfer that is not a Cash Transfer
or
involves other properties included in a wider transaction (package
deal),
the transferor shall include in its notification to the other Parties
a
statement of the Cash Value of the Participating Interest subject
to the
proposed Transfer, and each other Party shall have a right to acquire
such
Participating Interest on the same final terms and conditions as
were
negotiated with the proposed transferee except that it shall pay
the Cash
Value in immediately available funds at the closing of the Transfer
in
lieu of the consideration payable in the third party offer, and the
terms
and conditions of the applicable instruments shall be modified as
necessary to reflect the acquisition of a Participating Interest
for cash.
In the case of a package sale, no Party may acquire the Participating
Interest subject to the proposed package sale unless and until the
completion of the wider transaction (as modified by the exclusion
of
properties subject to preemptive rights or excluded for other reasons)
with the package sale transferee. If for any reason the package sale
terminates without completion, the other Parties' rights to acquire
the
Participating Interest subject to the proposed package sale shall
also
terminate.
|
(4)
|
For
purposes of Article 12.2(F)(3), the Cash Value proposed by
the
transferor in its notice shall be conclusively deemed correct unless
any
Party (each a “Disagreeing
Party”)
gives notice to the transferor with a copy to the other Parties within
ten
(10) Days of receipt of the transferor's notice stating that it does
not
agree with the transferor's statement of the Cash Value, stating
the Cash
Value it believes is correct, and providing any supporting information
that it believes is helpful. In such event, the transferor and the
Disagreeing Parties shall have fifteen (15) Days in which to attempt
to
negotiate an agreement on the applicable Cash Value. If no agreement
has
been reached by the end of such fifteen (15) Day period, either the
transferor or any Disagreeing Party shall be entitled to refer the
matter
to an independent expert as provided in Article 18.3 for determination
of
the Cash Value.
|
(5)
|
If
the determination of the Cash Value is referred to an independent
expert
and the value submitted by the transferor is no more than five percent
(5%) above the Cash Value determined by the independent expert, the
transferor's value shall be used for the Cash Value and the Disagreeing
Parties shall pay all costs of the expert. If the value submitted
by the
transferor is more than five percent (5%) above the Cash Value determined
by the independent expert, the independent expert's value shall be
used
for the Cash Value and the transferor shall pay all costs of the
expert.
Subject to the independent expert’s value being final and binding in
accordance with Article 18.3, the Cash Value determined by the procedure
shall be final and binding on all Parties.
|
(6)
|
Once
the Cash Value is determined under Article 12.2(F)(5), Operator
shall
provide notice of such Cash Value to all Parties and the transferor
shall
be obligated to sell and the Parties which provided notice of their
intention to purchase the transferor's Participating Interest pursuant
to
Article 12.2(F)(1) shall be obligated to buy the Participating Interest
at
said value.
|
12.3
|
Change
in Control
|
(A)
|
A
Party subject to a Change in Control shall obtain any necessary Government
approval with respect to the Change in Control and furnish any replacement
Security required by the Government or the Contract on or before
the
applicable deadlines.
|
(B)
|
A
Party subject to a Change in Control shall provide evidence reasonably
satisfactory to the other Parties that following the Change in Control
such Party shall continue to have the financial capability to satisfy
its
payment obligations under the Contract and this Agreement. Should
the
Party that is subject to the Change in Control fail to provide such
evidence, any other Party, by notice to such Party, may require such
Party
to provide Security satisfactory to the other Parties with respect
to its
Participating Interest share of any obligations or liabilities which
the
Parties may reasonably be expected to incur under the Contract and
this
Agreement during the then-current Exploration or Exploitation Period
or
phase of the Contract.
|
(C)
|
Any
Change in Control of a Party, other than one which results in ongoing
Control by an Affiliate, shall be subject to the following procedure.
For
purposes of this Article 12.3, the term “acquired
Party”
shall refer to the Party that is subject to a Change in Control and
the
term “acquiror”
shall refer to the Party or third party proposing to acquire Control
in a
Change in Control.
|
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(1)
|
Once
the final terms and conditions of a Change in Control have been fully
negotiated, the acquired Party shall disclose all such final terms
and
conditions as are relevant to the acquisition of such Party's
Participating Interest and the determination of the Cash Value of
that
Participating Interest in a notice to the other Parties, which notice
shall be accompanied by a copy of all instruments or relevant portions
of
instruments establishing such terms and conditions. Each other Party
shall
have the right to acquire the acquired Party's Participating Interest
on
the terms and conditions described in Article 12.3(C)(3) if,
within
thirty (30) Days of the acquired Party's notice, such Party delivers
to
all other Parties a counter-notification that it accepts such terms
and
conditions without reservations or conditions (subject to Articles
12.3(C)(3) and 12.3(C)(4), where applicable). If no Party delivers
such
counter-notification, the Change in Control may proceed without further
notice, subject to the other provisions of this Article 12,
under
terms and conditions no more favorable to the acquiror than those
set
forth in the notice to the Parties, provided that the Change in Control
shall be concluded within one hundred eighty (180) Days from the
date of
the notice plus such additional period as may be required to secure
governmental approvals. No Party shall have a right under this
Article 12.3(C) to acquire any asset other than a Participating
Interest, nor may any Party be required to acquire any asset other
than a
Participating Interest, regardless of whether other properties are
subject
to the Change in Control.
|
(2)
|
If
more than one Party counter-notifies that it intends to acquire the
Participating Interest subject to the proposed Change in Control,
then
each such Party shall acquire a proportion of that Participating
Interest
equal to the ratio of its own Participating Interest to the total
Participating Interests of all the counter-notifying Parties, unless
the
counter-notifying Parties otherwise
agree.
|
(3)
|
The
acquired Party shall include in its notification to the other Parties
a
statement of the Cash Value of the Participating Interest subject
to the
proposed Change in Control, and each other Party shall have a right
to
acquire such Participating Interest for the Cash Value, on the final
terms
and conditions negotiated with the proposed acquiror that are relevant
to
the acquisition of a Participating Interest for cash. No Party may
acquire
the acquired Party's Participating Interest pursuant to this Article
12.3(C) unless and until completion of the Change in Control. If
for any
reason the Change in Control agreement terminates without completion,
the
other Parties' rights to acquire the Participating Interest subject
to the
proposed Change in Control shall also
terminate.
|
(4)
|
For
purposes of Article 12.3(C)(3), the Cash Value proposed by
the
acquired Party in its notice shall be conclusively deemed correct
unless
any Party (each a “Disagreeing
Party”)
gives notice to the acquired Party with a copy to the other Parties
within
ten (10) Days of receipt of the acquired Party's notice stating that
it
does not agree with the acquired Party's statement of the Cash Value,
stating the Cash Value it believes is correct, and providing any
supporting information that it believes is helpful. In such event,
the
acquired Party and the Disagreeing Parties shall have fifteen (15)
Days in
which to attempt to negotiate an agreement on the applicable Cash
Value.
If no agreement has been reached by the end of such fifteen (15)
Day
period, either the acquired Party or any Disagreeing Party shall
be
entitled to refer the matter to an independent expert as provided
in
Article 18.3 for determination of the Cash
Value.
|
(5)
|
If
the determination of Cash Value is referred to an independent expert,
and
the value submitted by the acquired Party is no more than five percent
(5%) above the Cash Value determined by the independent expert, the
acquired Party's value shall be used for the Cash Value and the
Disagreeing Parties shall pay all costs of the expert. If the value
submitted by the acquired Party is more than five percent (5%) above
the
Cash Value determined by the independent expert, the independent
expert's
value shall be used for the Cash Value and the acquired Party shall
pay
all costs of the expert. Subject to the independent expert’s value being
final and binding in accordance with Article 18.3, the Cash Value
determined by the procedure shall be final and binding on all Parties.
|
(6)
|
Once
the Cash Value is determined under Article 12.3(C)(4), Operator
shall
provide notice of such Cash Value to all Parties and the acquired
Party
shall be obligated to sell and the Parties which provided notice
of their
intention to purchase the acquired Party’s Participating Interest pursuant
to Article 12.3(C)(1) shall be obligated to buy the Participating
Interest at said value.
|
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ARTICLE
13
WITHDRAWAL
FROM AGREEMENT
13.1
|
Right
of Withdrawal
|
(A)
|
Subject
to the provisions of this Article 13, the Dilution and Carried Interest
Agreement and the Contract, any Party not in default may at its option
withdraw from this Agreement and the Contract by giving notice to
all
other Parties stating its decision to withdraw. Such notice shall
be
unconditional and irrevocable when given, except as may be provided
in
Article 13.7.
|
(B)
|
The
effective date of withdrawal for a withdrawing Party shall be the
end of
the calendar month following the calendar month in which the notice
of
withdrawal is given, provided that if all Parties elect to withdraw,
the
effective date of withdrawal for each Party shall be the date determined
by Article 13.9.
|
13.2
|
Partial
or Complete
Withdrawal
|
(A)
|
Within
thirty (30) Days of receipt of each withdrawing Party’s notification, each
of the other Parties may also give notice that it desires to withdraw
from
this Agreement and the Contract. Should all Parties give notice of
withdrawal, the Parties shall proceed to abandon the Contract Area
and
terminate the Contract and this Agreement. If less than all of the
Parties
give such notice of withdrawal, then the withdrawing Parties shall
take
all steps to withdraw from the Contract and this Agreement on the
earliest
possible date and execute and deliver all necessary instruments and
documents to assign their Participating Interest to the Parties which
are
not withdrawing, without any compensation whatsoever, in accordance
with
the provisions of Article 13.6.
|
(B)
|
Any
Party withdrawing under Article 11.2 or under this Article 13 shall
withdraw from the entirety of the Contract Area, including all
Exploitation Areas and all Discoveries made prior to such withdrawal,
and
thus abandon to the other Parties not joining in its withdrawal all
its
rights to Cost Hydrocarbons and Profit Hydrocarbons generated by
operations after the effective date of such withdrawal and all rights
in
associated Joint Property.
|
13.3
|
Rights
of a Withdrawing
Party
|
A
withdrawing Party shall have the right to receive its Entitlement produced
through the effective date of its withdrawal. The withdrawing Party shall be
entitled to receive all information to which such Party is otherwise entitled
under this Agreement until the effective date of its withdrawal. After giving
its notification of withdrawal, a Party shall not be entitled to vote on any
matters coming before the Operating Committee, other than matters for which
such
Party has financial responsibility.
13.4
|
Obligations
and Liabilities of a Withdrawing
Party
|
(A)
|
A
withdrawing Party shall, following its notification of withdrawal,
remain
liable only for its share of the
following:
|
(1)
|
costs
of Joint Operations, and Exclusive Operations in which it has agreed
to
participate, that were approved by the Operating Committee or Consenting
Parties as part of a Work Program and Budget (including a multi-year
Work
Program and Budget under Article 6.5) or AFE prior to such Party’s
notification of withdrawal, regardless of when they are
incurred;
|
(2)
|
any
Minimum Work Obligations for the current period or phase of the Contract,
and for any subsequent period or phase which has been approved pursuant
to
Article 11.2 and with respect to which such Party has failed to timely
withdraw under Article 13.4(B);
|
-39-
(3)
|
expenditures
described in Articles 4.2(B)(13) and 13.5 related to an emergency
occurring prior to the effective date of a Party’s withdrawal, regardless
of when such expenditures are
incurred;
|
(4)
|
all
other obligations and liabilities of the Parties or Consenting Parties,
as
applicable, with respect to acts or omissions under this Agreement
prior
to the effective date of such Party’s withdrawal for which such Party
would have been liable, had it not withdrawn from this Agreement;
and
|
(5)
|
in
the case of a partially withdrawing Party, any costs and liabilities
with
respect to Exploitation Areas, Commercial Discoveries and Discoveries
from
which it has not withdrawn.
|
The
obligations and liabilities for which a withdrawing Party remains liable shall
specifically include its share of any costs of plugging and abandoning xxxxx
or
portions of xxxxx in which it participated (or was required to bear a share
of
the costs pursuant to Article 13.4(A)(1)) to the extent such costs of plugging
and abandoning are payable by the Parties under the Contract. Any mortgages,
liens, pledges, charges or other encumbrances which were placed on the
withdrawing Party’s Participating Interest prior to such Party’s withdrawal
shall be fully satisfied or released, at the withdrawing Party’s expense, prior
to its withdrawal. A Party’s withdrawal shall not relieve it from liability to
the non-withdrawing Parties with respect to any obligations or liabilities
attributable to the withdrawing Party under this Article 13 merely because
they
are not identified or identifiable at the time of withdrawal.
(B)
|
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a Party shall not be liable for any operations or
expenditures it voted against (other than operations and expenditures
described in Article 13.4(A)(2) or Article 13.4(A)(3))
if it
sends notification of its withdrawal within five (5) Days (or within
twenty-four (24) hours for Urgent Operational Matters) of the Operating
Committee vote approving such operation or expenditure. Likewise,
a Party
voting against voluntarily entering into or extending of an Exploration
Period or Exploitation Period or any phase of the Contract or voluntarily
extending the Contract shall not be liable for the Minimum Work
Obligations associated therewith provided that it sends notification
of
its withdrawal within thirty (30) Days of such vote pursuant to Article
11.2.
|
13.5
|
Emergency
|
If
a well
goes out of control or a fire, blow out, sabotage or other emergency occurs
prior to the effective date of a Party’s withdrawal, the withdrawing Party shall
remain liable for its Participating Interest share of the costs of such
emergency, regardless of when they are incurred.
13.6
|
Assignment
|
A
withdrawing Party shall assign its Participating Interest free of cost to each
of the non-withdrawing Parties in the proportion which each of their
Participating Interests (prior to the withdrawal) bears to the total
Participating Interests of all the non-withdrawing Parties (prior to the
withdrawal), unless the non-withdrawing Parties agree otherwise. The expenses
associated with the withdrawal and assignments shall be borne by the withdrawing
Party.
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13.7
|
Approvals
|
A
withdrawing Party shall promptly join in such actions as may be necessary or
desirable to obtain any Government approvals required in connection with the
withdrawal and assignments. The non-withdrawing Parties shall use reasonable
endeavors to assist the withdrawing Party in obtaining such approvals. Any
penalties or expenses incurred by the Parties in connection with such withdrawal
shall be borne by the withdrawing Party. If the Government does not approve
a
Party’s withdrawal and assignment to the other Parties, then the withdrawing
Party shall at its option either (1) retract its notice of withdrawal by notice
to the other Parties and remain a Party as if such notice of withdrawal had
never been sent, or (2) hold its Participating Interest in trust for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the non-withdrawing Parties with the right to be
reimbursed by the non-withdrawing Parties for any subsequent costs and
liabilities incurred by it for which it would not have been liable, had it
successfully withdrawn.
13.8
|
Security
|
A
Party
withdrawing from this Agreement and the Contract pursuant to this Article 13
shall provide Security satisfactory to the other Parties to satisfy any
obligations or liabilities for which the withdrawing Party remains liable in
accordance with Article 13.4, but which become due after its withdrawal,
including Security to cover the costs of an abandonment, if
applicable.
13.9
|
Withdrawal
or Abandonment by All
Parties
|
In
the
event all Parties decide to withdraw, the Parties agree that they shall be
bound
by the terms and conditions of this Agreement for so long as may be necessary
to
wind up the affairs of the Parties with the Government, to satisfy any
requirements of the Laws / Regulations and to facilitate the sale, disposition
or abandonment of property or interests held by the Joint Account, all in
accordance with Article 2.
ARTICLE
14
RELATIONSHIP
OF PARTIES AND TAX
14.1
|
Relationship
of Parties
|
The
rights, duties, obligations and liabilities of the Parties under this Agreement
shall be individual, not joint or collective. It is not the intention of the
Parties to create, nor shall this Agreement be deemed or construed to create,
a
mining or other partnership, joint venture or association or (except as
explicitly provided in this Agreement) a trust. This Agreement shall not be
deemed or construed to authorize any Party to act as an agent, servant or
employee for any other Party for any purpose whatsoever except as explicitly
set
forth in this Agreement. In their relations with each other under this
Agreement, the Parties shall not be considered fiduciaries except as expressly
provided in this Agreement.
14.2
|
Tax
|
Each
Party shall be responsible for reporting and discharging its own tax measured
by
the profit or income of the Party and the satisfaction of such Party’s share of
all contract obligations under the Contract and under this Agreement. Each
Party
shall protect, defend and indemnify each other Party from any and all loss,
cost
or liability arising from the indemnifying Party’s failure to report and
discharge such taxes or satisfy such obligations. The Parties intend that all
income and all tax benefits (including deductions, depreciation, credits and
capitalization) with respect to the expenditures made by the Parties hereunder
will be allocated by the Government tax authorities to the Parties based on
the
share of each tax item actually received or borne by each Party. If such
allocation is not accomplished due to the application of the Laws / Regulations
or other Government action, the Parties shall attempt to adopt mutually
agreeable arrangements that will allow the Parties to achieve the financial
results intended. Operator shall provide each Party, in a timely manner and
at
such Party’s sole expense, with such information with respect to Joint
Operations as such Party may reasonably request for preparation of its tax
returns or responding to any audit or other tax proceeding.
-41-
ARTICLE
15
VENTURE
INFORMATION - CONFIDENTIALITY - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
15.1
|
Venture
Information
|
(A) |
Except
as otherwise provided in this Article 15 or in Articles 4.4 and 8.4(A),
each Party will be entitled to receive all Venture Information related
to
operations in which such party is a participant. "Venture
Information" means
any information and results developed or acquired as a result of
Joint
Operations and shall be Joint Property, unless provided otherwise
in
accordance with this Agreement and the Contract. Each Party shall
have the
right to use all Venture Information it receives without accounting
to any
other Party, subject to any applicable patents and any limitations
set
forth in this Agreement and the Contract. For purposes of this Article
15,
such right to use shall include, the rights to copy, prepare derivative
works, disclose, license, distribute, and sell.
|
(B)
|
Each
Party may, subject to any applicable restrictions and limitations
set
forth in the Contract, extend the right to use Venture Information
to each
of its Affiliates which are obligated to terms not less restrictive
that
this Article 15.
|
(C)
|
The
acquisition or development of Venture Information under terms other
than
as specified in this Article 15 shall require the approval of the
Operating Committee. The request for approval submitted by a Party
shall
be accompanied by a description of, and summary of the use and disclosure
restrictions which would be applicable to, the Venture Information,
and
any such Party will be obligated to use all reasonable efforts to
arrange
for rights to use which are not less restrictive than specified in
this
Article 15.
|
(D)
|
All
Venture Information received by a Party under this Agreement is received
on an "as is" basis without warranties, express or implied, of any
kind.
Any use of such Venture Information by a Party shall be at such Party’s
sole risk.
|
15.2
|
Confidentiality
|
(A)
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Contract and this Article 15, the Parties
agree
that all information in relation with Joint Operations or Exclusive
Operations shall be considered confidential and shall be kept confidential
and not be disclosed during the term of the Contract and for a period
of
seven (7) years thereafter to any person or entity not a Party to
this
Agreement, except:
|
(1)
|
to
an Affiliate pursuant to Article 15.1(B);
|
(2)
|
to
a governmental agency or other entity when required by the
Contract;
|
(3)
|
to
the extent such information is required to be furnished in compliance
with
the applicable law or regulations, or pursuant to any legal proceedings
or
because of any order of any court binding upon a Party;
|
(4)
|
to
prospective or actual attorneys engaged by any Party where disclosure
of
such information is essential to such attorney’s work for such
Party;
|
(5)
|
to
prospective or actual contractors and consultants engaged by any
Party
where disclosure of such information is essential to such contractor’s or
consultant’s work for such Party;
|
(6)
|
to
a bona fide prospective transferee of a Party’s Participating Interest to
the extent appropriate in order to allow the assessment of such
Participating Interest (including an entity with whom a Party and/or
its
Affiliates are conducting bona fide negotiations directed toward
a merger,
consolidation or the sale of a majority of its or an Affiliate's
shares);
|
(7)
|
to
a bank or other financial institution to the extent appropriate to
a Party
arranging for funding;
|
-42-
(8)
|
to
the extent such information must be disclosed pursuant to any rules
or
requirements of any government or stock exchange having jurisdiction
over
such Party, or its Affiliates; provided that if any Party desires
to
disclose information in an annual or periodic report to its or its
Affiliates' shareholders and to the public and such disclosure is
not
required pursuant to any rules or requirements of any government
or stock
exchange, then such Party shall comply with Article
20.3;
|
(9)
|
to
its respective employees for the purposes of Joint Operations or
Exclusive
Operations as the case may be, subject to each Party taking customary
precautions to ensure such information is kept confidential;
and
|
(10)
|
any
information which, through no fault of a Party, becomes a part of
the
public domain.
|
(B)
|
Disclosure
as pursuant to Articles 15.2(A)(5), (6), and (7) shall not be made
unless
prior to such disclosure the disclosing Party has obtained a written
undertaking from the recipient party to keep the information strictly
confidential for at least seven (7) years and to use the information
for
the sole purpose described in Articles 15.2(A)(5), (6), and (7),
whichever
is applicable, with respect to the disclosing
Party.
|
15.3
|
Intellectual
Property
|
(A)
|
Subject
to Articles 15.3(C) and 15.5 and unless provided otherwise in the
Contract, all intellectual property rights in the Venture Information
shall be Joint Property. Each Party and its Affiliates have the right
to
use all such intellectual property rights in their own operations
(including joint operations or a production sharing arrangement in
which
the Party or its Affiliates has an ownership or equity interest)
without
the approval of any other Party. Decisions regarding obtaining,
maintaining and licensing such intellectual property rights shall
be made
by the Operating Committee, and the costs thereof shall be for the
Joint
Account. Upon unanimous consent of the Operating Committee as to
ownership, licensing rights, and income distribution, the ownership
of
intellectual property rights in the Venture Information may be assigned
to
the Operator or to a Party.
|
(B)
|
Nothing
in this Agreement shall be deemed to require a Party to (i) divulge
proprietary technology to any of the other Parties; or (ii) grant
a
license or other rights under any intellectual property rights owned
or
controlled by such Party or its Affiliates to any of the other Parties.
|
(C)
|
If
in the course of carrying out activities charged to the Joint Account,
a
Party or an Affiliate of a Party makes or conceives any inventions,
discoveries, or improvements which primarily relate to or are primarily
based on the proprietary technology of such Party or its Affiliates,
then
all intellectual property rights to such inventions, discoveries,
or
improvements shall vest exclusively in such Party and each other
Party
shall have a perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable license to use
such
inventions, discoveries, or improvements, but only in connection
with the
Joint Operations.
|
(D)
|
Subject
to Article 4.6(B), all costs and expenses of defending, settling
or
otherwise handling any claim which is based on the actual or alleged
infringement of any intellectual property right shall be for the
account
of the operation from which the claim arose, whether Joint Operations
or
Exclusive Operations.
|
15.4
|
Continuing
Obligations
|
Any
Party
ceasing to own a Participating Interest during the term of this Agreement shall
nonetheless remain bound by the obligations of confidentiality in Article 15.2,
and any disputes in relation thereto shall be resolved in accordance with
Article 18.2.
15.5
|
Trades
|
Operator
may, with approval of the Operating Committee, make well trades and data trades
for the benefit of the Parties, with any data so obtained to be furnished to
all
Parties who participated in the cost of the data that was traded. Operator
shall
cause any third party to such trade to enter into an undertaking to keep the
traded data confidential.
-43-
ARTICLE
16
FORCE
MAJEURE
16.1
|
Obligations
|
If
as a
result of Force Majeure any Party is rendered unable, wholly or in part, to
carry out its obligations under this Agreement, other than the obligation to
pay
any amounts due or to furnish Security, then the obligations of the Party giving
such notice, so far as and to the extent that the obligations are affected
by
such Force Majeure, shall be suspended during the continuance of any inability
so caused and for such reasonable period thereafter as may be necessary for
the
Party to put itself in the same position that it occupied prior to the Force
Majeure, but for no longer period. The Party claiming Force Majeure shall notify
the other Parties of the Force Majeure within a reasonable time after the
occurrence of the facts relied on and shall keep all Parties informed of all
significant developments. Such notice shall give reasonably full particulars
of
the Force Majeure and also estimate the period of time which the Party will
probably require to remedy the Force Majeure. The affected Party shall use
all
reasonable diligence to remove or overcome the Force Majeure situation as
quickly as possible in an economic manner but shall not be obligated to settle
any labor dispute except on terms acceptable to it, and all such disputes shall
be handled within the sole discretion of the affected Party.
16.2
|
Definition
of Force Majeure
|
For
the
purposes of this Agreement, "Force
Majeure"
shall
have the same meaning as is set out in the Contract.
ARTICLE
17
NOTICES
Except
as
otherwise specifically provided, all notices authorized or required between
the
Parties by any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing (in
English) and delivered in person or by courier service or by any electronic
means of transmitting written communications which provides written confirmation
of complete transmission, and addressed to such Parties. Oral communication
does
not constitute notice for purposes of this Agreement, and e-mail addresses
and
telephone numbers for the Parties are listed below as a matter of convenience
only. A notice given under any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed
delivered only when received by the Party to whom such notice is directed,
and
the time for such Party to deliver any notice in response to such originating
notice shall run from the date the originating notice is received. "Received"
for
purposes of this Article 17 shall mean actual delivery of the notice to the
address of the Party specified hereunder or to be thereafter notified in
accordance with this Article 17. Each Party shall have the right to change
its
address at any time and/or designate that copies of all such notices be directed
to another person at another address, by giving written notice thereof to all
other Parties.
To IPR: | Indo-Pacific Resources (Java) Ltd. | To CRC: | Camar Resources Canada Inc. | ||
World Trade Centre 14th Floor | Graha Niaga 16th floor | ||||
J1 Jend Surdirman Kav. 29-31 | J Jend Xxxxxxxxx Xxx. 00 | ||||
Xxxxxxx 00000 | Jakarta 12190 | ||||
Republic of Indonesia | Republic of Indonesia | ||||
Attention: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | Attention: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | ||
or Xxxxx Xxxx | |||||
Fax: | 00-00-000-0000 | Fax: | x00-00-000 5536 | ||
-44-
ARTICLE
18
APPLICABLE
LAW - DISPUTE RESOLUTION - WAIVER OF SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY
18.1
|
Applicable
Law
|
This
Agreement shall, in all respects, be governed by, subject to and be interpreted
and construed in accordance with the laws in effect within the Province of
Alberta, Canada excluding any conflict of laws principles or rules embodied
therein. Each Party hereby expressly attorns to the jurisdiction of the courts
of the Province of Alberta, Canada and all courts of appeal therein or
therefrom, and hereby waives any claim or defence of inconvenient forum or
the
benefit of any other principles of conflicts of laws.
18.2
|
Dispute
Resolution
|
(A)
|
Notification.
A
Party who desires to submit a Dispute for resolution shall commence
the
dispute resolution process by providing the other parties to the
Dispute
written notice of the Dispute ("Notice
of Dispute").
The Notice of Dispute shall identify the parties to the Dispute and
contain a brief statement of the nature of the Dispute and the relief
requested. The submission of a Notice of Dispute shall toll any applicable
statutes of limitation related to the Dispute, pending the conclusion
or
abandonment of dispute resolution proceedings under this Article
18.
|
(B)
|
Negotiations.
The parties to the Dispute shall seek to resolve any Dispute by
negotiation between Senior Executives. A "Senior
Executive"
means any individual who has authority to negotiate the settlement
of the
Dispute for a Party. Within thirty (30) Days after the date of the
receipt
by each party to the Dispute of the Notice of Dispute (which notice
shall
request negotiations among Senior Executives), the Senior Executives
representing the parties to the Dispute shall meet at a mutually
acceptable time and place to exchange relevant information in an
attempt
to resolve the Dispute. If a Senior Executive intends to be accompanied
at
the meeting by an attorney, each other party’s Senior Executive shall be
given written notice of such intention at least three (3) Days in
advance
and may also be accompanied at the meeting by an attorney. Notwithstanding
the above, any Party may initiate arbitration proceedings pursuant
to
Article 18.2 (D) concerning such Dispute within thirty (30) Days
after the
date of receipt of the Notice of Dispute.
|
(C) |
deleted
|
(D)
|
Arbitration.
Any Dispute not finally resolved by alternative dispute resolution
procedures set forth in Article 18.2(B) shall be exclusively and
definitively resolved through final and binding arbitration, it being
the
intention of the Parties that this is a broad form arbitration agreement
designed to encompass all possible disputes.
|
(1)
|
Rules.
The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of
Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (as then
in
effect) (the "Rules"):
|
(2)
|
Number
of Arbitrators.
The arbitration shall be conducted by three arbitrators, unless all
parties to the Dispute agree to a sole arbitrator within thirty (30)
Days
after the filing of the arbitration. For greater certainty, for purposes
of this Article 18.2(D), the filing of the arbitration means the
date on
which the claimant's request for arbitration is received by the last
of
the other parties to the Dispute.
|
(3)
|
Method
of Appointment of the Arbitrators.
If the arbitration is to be conducted by a sole arbitrator, then
the
arbitrator will be jointly selected by the parties to the Dispute.
If the
parties to the Dispute fail to agree on the arbitrator within thirty
(30)
Days after the filing of the arbitration, then the ICC shall appoint
the
arbitrator.
|
If
the
arbitration is to be conducted by three arbitrators and there are only two
parties to the Dispute, then each party to the Dispute shall appoint one
arbitrator within thirty (30) Days of the filing of the arbitration, and the
two
arbitrators so appointed shall select the presiding arbitrator within thirty
(30) Days after the latter of the two arbitrators has been appointed by the
parties to the Dispute. If a party to the Dispute fails to appoint its
party-appointed arbitrator or if the two party-appointed arbitrators cannot
reach an agreement on the presiding arbitrator within the applicable time
period, then the ICC shall appoint the remainder of the three arbitrators not
yet appointed.
-45-
If
the
arbitration is to be conducted by three arbitrators and there are more than
two
parties to the Dispute, then within thirty (30) Days of the filing of the
arbitration, all claimants shall jointly appoint one arbitrator and all
respondents shall jointly appoint one arbitrator, and the two arbitrators so
appointed shall select the presiding arbitrator within thirty (30) Days after
the latter of the two arbitrators has been appointed by the parties to the
Dispute. If either all claimants or all respondents fail to make a joint
appointment of an arbitrator or if the party-appointed arbitrators cannot reach
an agreement on the presiding arbitrator within the applicable time period,
then
ICC shall appoint the remainder of the three arbitrators not yet appointed.
(4)
|
Consolidation.
If the Parties initiate multiple arbitration proceedings, the subject
matters of which are related by common questions of law or fact and
which
could result in conflicting awards or obligations, then all such
proceedings may be consolidated into a single arbitral
proceeding.
|
(5)
|
Place
of Arbitration.
Unless otherwise agreed by all parties to the Dispute, the place
of
arbitration shall be Calgary, Alberta,
Canada.
|
(6)
|
Language.
The arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in the English language
and
the arbitrator(s) shall be fluent in the English
language.
|
(7)
|
Entry
of Judgment.
The award of the arbitral tribunal shall be final and binding. Judgment
on
the award of the arbitral tribunal may be entered and enforced by
any
court of competent jurisdiction.
|
(8)
|
Notice.
All notices required for any arbitration proceeding shall be deemed
properly given if sent in accordance with Article
17.
|
(9)
|
Qualifications
and Conduct of the Arbitrators.
All arbitrators shall be and remain at all times wholly impartial,
and,
once appointed, no arbitrator shall have any ex
parte communications
with any of the parties to the Dispute concerning the arbitration
or the
underlying Dispute other than communications directly concerning
the
selection of the presiding arbitrator, where applicable. Whenever
the
parties to the Dispute are of more than one nationality, the single
arbitrator or the presiding arbitrator (as the case may be) shall
not be
of the same nationality as any of the parties or their ultimate parent
entities, unless the parties to the Dispute otherwise agree.
|
(10)
|
Interim
Measures.
Notwithstanding any requirements for alternative dispute resolution
procedures as set forth in Article 18(B) any party to the Dispute
may
apply to a court for interim measures (i) prior to the constitution
of the
arbitral tribunal (and thereafter as necessary to enforce the arbitral
tribunal’s rulings); or (ii) in the absence of the jurisdiction of the
arbitral tribunal to rule on interim measures in a given jurisdiction.
The
Parties agree that seeking and obtaining such interim measures shall
not
waive the right to arbitration. The arbitrators (or in an emergency
the
presiding arbitrator acting alone in the event one or more of the
other
arbitrators is unable to be involved in a timely fashion) may grant
interim measures including injunctions, attachments and conservation
orders in appropriate circumstances, which measures may be immediately
enforced by court order. Hearings on requests for interim measures
may be
held in person, by telephone, by video conference or by other means
that
permit the parties to the Dispute to present evidence and arguments.
|
(11)
|
Costs
and Attorneys’ Fees.
The arbitral tribunal is authorized to award costs and attorneys’ fees and
to allocate them between the parties to the Dispute. The costs of
the
arbitration proceedings, including attorneys’ fees, shall be borne in the
manner determined by the arbitral tribunal.
|
(12)
|
Interest.
The award shall include interest, as determined by the arbitral award,
from the date of any default or other breach of this Agreement until
the
arbitral award is paid in full. Interest shall be awarded at the
Agreed
Interest Rate.
|
(14)
|
Currency
of Award.
The arbitral award shall be made and payable in United States dollars,
free of any tax or other deduction.
|
-46-
(15)
|
Exemplary
Damages.
The Parties waive their rights to claim or recover, and the arbitral
tribunal shall not award, any punitive, multiple, or other exemplary
damages (whether statutory or common law) except to the extent such
damages have been awarded to a third party and are subject to allocation
between or among the parties to the
Dispute.
|
(16)
|
Waiver
of Challenge to Decision or Award.
To the extent permitted by law, any right to appeal or challenge
any
arbitral decision or award, or to oppose enforcement of any such
decision
or award before a court or any governmental authority, is hereby
waived by
the Parties except with respect to the limited grounds for modification
or
non-enforcement provided by any applicable arbitration statute or
treaty.
|
(E)
|
Confidentiality.
All negotiations, mediation, and arbitration determinations relating
to a
Dispute (including a settlement resulting from negotiation or mediation,
an arbitral award, documents exchanged or produced during a mediation
or
arbitration proceeding, and memorials, briefs or other documents
prepared
for the arbitration) are confidential and may not be disclosed by
the
Parties, their employees, officers, directors, counsel, consultants,
and
expert witnesses, except (in accordance with Article 15.2) to
the extent necessary to enforce this Article 18 or any arbitration
award,
to enforce other rights of a Party, or as required by law; provided,
however, that breach of this confidentiality provision shall not
void any
settlement, determination or award.
|
18.4 Waiver
of Sovereign Immunity
Any
Party
that now or hereafter has a right to claim sovereign immunity for itself or
any
of its assets hereby waives any such immunity to the fullest extent permitted
by
the laws of any applicable jurisdiction. This waiver includes immunity from
(i)
any expert determination, mediation, or arbitration proceeding commenced
pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) any judicial, administrative or other
proceedings to aid the expert determination, mediation, or arbitration commenced
pursuant to this Agreement; and (iii) any effort to confirm, enforce, or execute
any decision, settlement, award, judgment, service of process, execution order
or attachment (including pre-judgment attachment) that results from an expert
determination, mediation, arbitration or any judicial or administrative
proceedings commenced pursuant to this Agreement. Each Party acknowledges that
its rights and obligations hereunder are of a commercial and not a governmental
nature.
ARTICLE
19
ALLOCATION
OF COST & PROFIT HYDROCARBONS
19.1
|
Allocation
of Total Production
|
(A)
|
The
total quantity of Hydrocarbons produced and measured at the delivery
point
(as determined in accordance with Article 9) from each Exploitation
Area
and to which the Parties are collectively entitled under the Contract
shall be composed of Cost Hydrocarbons and Profit Hydrocarbons in
accordance with the provisions of the Contract.
|
(B)
|
Operator
shall develop and the Operating Committee shall approve procedures
for
allocating such Cost Hydrocarbons and Profit Hydrocarbons during
each
Calendar Quarter among the individual operations based upon the following
principles.
|
(1)
|
Cost
Hydrocarbons and Profit Hydrocarbons shall first be allocated to
Joint
Operations based on the principle that Joint Operations shall not
be
enhanced or impaired in any way by the execution of any Exclusive
Operations. Any remaining Cost Hydrocarbons and Profit Hydrocarbons
shall
be allocated to Exclusive Operations based on the principle that
an
earlier executed Exclusive Operation shall not be enhanced or impaired
in
any way by the subsequent execution of another Exclusive
Operation.
|
(2)
|
All
allocations made pursuant to this Article 19 shall incorporate adjustments
to reflect differences in value if different qualities of Hydrocarbons
are
produced.
|
19.2
|
Allocation
of Hydrocarbons to Parties
|
(A) |
Cost
Hydrocarbons and Profit Hydrocarbons allocated to Joint Operations
or
Exclusive Operations pursuant to Article 19.1 shall, subject always
to the
provisions of the Dilution and Carried Interest Agreement, be allocated
to
the Parties in proportion to their respective Participating Interests
in
such operations.
|
-47-
(B) |
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Article 19, and to the
extent
allowed under the Contract, Cost Hydrocarbons which are not specifically
attributable to an operation, if any, shall be allocated to the Parties
in
proportion to their respective participation in the operations which
underlie any such Cost Hydrocarbons, provided, however, that the
rights of
a Party to Cost Hydrocarbons or Profit Hydrocarbons from an operation
to
which it is a participant shall not be impaired by the rights of
any other
Party to recover Cost Hydrocarbons which are not specifically attributable
to an operation.
|
19.3
|
Use
of Estimates
|
Initial
distribution of Hydrocarbons pursuant to this Article 19 shall be based upon
estimates furnished by Operator pursuant to Article 9, with adjustments for
actual figures to be made in kind within forty-five (45) Days after the end
of
the Calendar Quarter and at any later date when adjustments must be made with
the Government under the Contract.
19.4
|
Principles
|
If
no
allocation procedure is approved by the Operating Committee in accordance with
Article 19.1, the Parties shall nonetheless be bound by the principles set
forth
in this Article 19 with regard to the allocation of Cost Hydrocarbons and Profit
Hydrocarbons.
ARTICLE
20
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
20.1
|
Conduct
of the Parties
|
(A)
|
Each
Party warrants that it and its Affiliates have not made, offered,
or
authorized and will not make, offer, or authorize with respect to
the
matters which are the subject of this Agreement, any payment, gift,
promise or other advantage, whether directly or through any other
person
or entity, to or for the use or benefit of any public official
(i.e.,
any person holding a legislative, administrative or judicial office,
including any person employed by or acting on behalf of a public
agency, a
public enterprise or a public international organization) or any
political
party or political party official or candidate for office, where
such
payment, gift, promise or advantage would violate (i) the applicable
laws
of the Republic of Indonesia; (ii) the laws of the country of
incorporation of such Party or such Party’s ultimate parent company and of
the principal place of business of such ultimate parent company;
or (iii)
the principles described in the Convention on Combating Bribery of
Foreign
Public Officials in International Business Transactions, signed in
Paris
on December 17, 1997, which entered into force on February 15, 1999,
and
the Convention’s Commentaries. Each Party shall defend, indemnify and hold
the other Parties harmless from and against any and all claims, damages,
losses, penalties, costs and expenses arising from or related to,
any
breach by such first Party of such warranty. Such indemnity obligation
shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.
|
(B)
|
Each
Party agrees to (i) maintain adequate internal controls; (ii) properly
record and report all transactions; and (iii) comply with the laws
applicable to it. Each Party must rely on the other Parties’ system of
internal controls, and on the adequacy of full disclosure of the
facts,
and of financial and other data regarding the Joint Operations undertaken
under this Agreement. No Party is in any way authorized to take any
action
on behalf of another Party that would result in an inadequate or
inaccurate recording and reporting of assets, liabilities or any
other
transaction, or which would put such Party in violation of its obligations
under the laws applicable to the operations under this Agreement.
|
-48-
20.2
|
Conflicts
of Interest
|
(A)
|
Operator
undertakes that it shall avoid any conflict of interest between its
own
interests (including the interests of Affiliates) and the interests
of the
other Parties in dealing with suppliers, customers and all other
organizations or individuals doing or seeking to do business with
the
Parties in connection with activities contemplated under this
Agreement.
|
(B)
|
The
provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to: (1) Operator’s
performance which is in accordance with the local preference laws
or
policies of the Government; or (2) Operator’s acquisition of products or
services from an Affiliate, or the sale thereof to an Affiliate,
made in
accordance with the terms of this
Agreement.
|
(C)
|
Unless
otherwise agreed, the Parties and their Affiliates are free to engage
or
invest (directly or indirectly) in an unlimited number of activities
or
businesses, any one or more of which may be related to or in competition
with the business activities contemplated under this Agreement, without
having or incurring any obligation to offer any interest in such
business
activities to any Party.
|
20.3
|
Public
Announcements
|
(A)
|
Operator
shall be responsible for the preparation and release of all public
announcements and statements regarding this Agreement or the Joint
Operations; provided that no public announcement or statement shall
be
issued or made unless, prior to its release, all the Parties have
been
furnished with a copy of such statement or announcement and the approval
of at least two (2) Parties which are not Affiliates of Operator
holding
fifty percent (50%) or more of the Participating Interests not held
by
Operator or its Affiliates has been obtained. Where a public announcement
or statement becomes necessary or desirable because of danger to
or loss
of life, damage to property or pollution as a result of activities
arising
under this Agreement, Operator is authorized to issue and make such
announcement or statement without prior approval of the Parties,
but shall
promptly furnish all the Parties with a copy of such announcement
or
statement.
|
(B)
|
If
a Party wishes to issue or make any public announcement or statement
regarding this Agreement or the Joint Operations, it shall not do
so
unless, prior to the release of the public announcement or statement,
such
Party furnishes all the Parties with a copy of such announcement
or
statement, and obtains the approval of at least two (2) Parties which
are
not Affiliates holding fifty percent (50%) or more of the Participating
Interests not held by such announcing Party or its Affiliates; provided
that, notwithstanding any failure to obtain such approval, no Party
shall
be prohibited from issuing or making any such public announcement
or
statement if it is necessary to do so in order to comply with the
applicable laws, rules or regulations of any government, legal proceedings
or stock exchange having jurisdiction over such Party or its Affiliates
as
set forth in Article 15.2.
|
20.4
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
Subject
to the limitations on Transfer contained in Article 12, this Agreement shall
inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of the
Parties.
20.5
|
Waiver
|
No
waiver
by any Party of any one or more defaults by another Party in the performance
of
any provision of this Agreement shall operate or be construed as a waiver of
any
future default or defaults by the same Party, whether of a like or of a
different character. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement no Party
shall be deemed to have waived, released or modified any of its rights under
this Agreement unless such Party has expressly stated, in writing, that it
does
waive, release or modify such right.
20.6
|
No
Third Party
Beneficiaries
|
Except
as
provided under Article 4.6 (B), the interpretation of this Agreement shall
exclude any rights under legislative provisions conferring rights under a
contract to persons not a party to that contract.
-49-
20.7
|
Joint
Preparation
|
Each
provision of this Agreement shall be construed as though all Parties
participated equally in the drafting of the same. Consequently, the Parties
acknowledge and agree that any rule of construction that a document is to be
construed against the drafting party shall not be applicable to this
Agreement.
20.8 |
Severance
of Invalid Provisions
|
If
and
for so long as any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to be judged
invalid for any reason whatsoever, such invalidity shall not affect the validity
or operation of any other provision of this Agreement except only so far as
shall be necessary to give effect to the construction of such invalidity, and
any such invalid provision shall be deemed severed from this Agreement without
affecting the validity of the balance of this Agreement.
20.9
|
Modifications
|
Except
as
is provided in Articles 11.2(B) and 20.8, there shall be no modification of
this
Agreement or the Contract except by written consent of all Parties.
20.10
|
Interpretation
|
(A)
|
Headings.
The topical headings used in this Agreement are for convenience only
and
shall not be construed as having any substantive significance or
as
indicating that all of the provisions of this Agreement relating
to any
topic are to be found in any particular
Article.
|
(B)
|
Singular
and Plural.
Reference to the singular includes a reference to the plural and
vice
versa.
|
(C)
|
Gender.
Reference to any gender includes a reference to all other
genders.
|
(D)
|
Article.
Unless otherwise provided, reference to any Article or an Exhibit
means an
Article or Exhibit of this
Agreement.
|
(E)
|
Include.
"include"
and "including"
shall mean include or including without limiting the generality of
the
description preceding such term and are used in an illustrative sense
and
not a limiting sense.
|
20.11
|
Counterpart
Execution
|
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each such
counterpart shall be deemed an original Agreement for all purposes; provided
that no Party shall be bound to this Agreement unless and until all Parties
have
executed a counterpart. For purposes of assembling all counterparts into one
document, Operator is authorized to detach the signature page from one or more
counterparts and, after signature thereof by the respective Party, attach each
signed signature page to a counterpart.
-50-
20.12
|
Entirety
|
With
respect to the subject matter contained herein, this Agreement (i) is the entire
agreement of the Parties; and (ii) supersedes all prior understandings and
negotiations of the Parties.
IN
WITNESS of their agreement each Party has caused its duly authorized
representative to sign this instrument on the date indicated below such
representative’s signature.
CAMAR
RESOURCES CANADA INC.
By:
/s/Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
(Print
or
type name)
Title:
Asst. to CEO
Date:
Nov. 26, 2004
INDO-PACIFIC
RESOURCES (JAVA) LTD.
By:
/s/
Xxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxx Xxxx
(Print
or
type name)
Title:
President
Date:
Nov. 26, 2004
-51-
EXHIBIT
"A" - ACCOUNTING PROCEDURE
-52-
EXHIBIT
"B" - EMPLOYEES
-53-
EXHIBIT
C - DECISIONS REQUIRING SPECIAL MAJORITIES
(A)
|
All
decisions, approvals and other actions for which column (A) below
is
checked shall require the affirmative vote of one or more Party which
are
not Affiliates representing at least Ninety-Five
percent
(
95 %)
of the Participating Interests, or two or more Parties which are
not
Affiliates representing at least Seventy-Five
percent
( 75
%)
of the Participating Interests.
|
(B) |
All
decisions, approvals and other actions for which column (B) below
is
checked shall require the affirmative vote of one or more Party
which are
not Affiliates representing at least Fifty-One
percent
(51 %)
of the Participating
Interests.
|
Matter
|
(A)
|
(B)
|
|
(1)
|
Minimum
Work Programs and Budgets for XX Xxxxx
|
X
|
|
(2)
|
All
other Work Programs and Budgets
|
X
|
|
(3)
|
Drilling,
Recompleting or Reworking Exploration Xxxxx.
|
|
X
|
(4)
|
Deepening,
Testing, Sidetracking or Plugging Back
|
X
|
|
(5)
|
Development
Plans.
|
|
X
|
(6)
|
Production
programs and Normal Operations.
|
|
X
|
(7)
|
Completion
of a well.
|
X
|
|
(8)
|
Plugging
and abandoning a well.
|
X
|
|
(9)
|
Acquisition
of G & G Data.
|
X
|
|
(10)
|
Construction
of processing, treatment, compression, gathering, transportation
and other
downstream facilities.
|
|
X
|
(11)
|
Contract
awards over $500,000 (see Article 6.6)
|
X
|
|
(12)
|
Determination
that a Discovery is a Commercial Discovery.
|
|
X
|
(13)
|
Unitization
under the terms of the Contract with an adjoining contract
area.
|
|
X
|
(14)
|
Management
of an interest bearing account for Joint Account monies.
|
X
|
|
(15)
|
Policy
for distributions from Joint Account
|
X
|
|
(16)
|
Acquisition
and development of Venture Information under terms other than as
specified
in Article 15.
|
|
X
|
(17)
|
Remedial
Activities
|
X
|
|
(18)
|
Appointment
of Enterprise Trading Limited or any affiliate thereof as
Operator
|
X
|
|
(18)
|
All
other matters within the Operating Committee’s authority.
|
|
X
|
-54-