Indenture, dated as of May 14, 2018, among the Company, the Guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee

EX-4.1 2 d738091dex41.htm EX-4.1 EX-4.1

Exhibit 4.1

 

 

OASIS PETROLEUM INC.

AND EACH OF THE GUARANTORS PARTY HERETO

6.25% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2026

 

 

INDENTURE

Dated as of May 14, 2018

 

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Trustee

 

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page

ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

   1

Section 1.01

  Definitions    1

Section 1.02

  Other Definitions    35

Section 1.03

  Rules of Construction    36

ARTICLE 2 THE NOTES

   37

Section 2.01

  Form and Dating    37

Section 2.02

  Execution and Authentication    37

Section 2.03

  Registrar and Paying Agent    38

Section 2.04

  Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust    39

Section 2.05

  Holder Lists    39

Section 2.06

  Transfer and Exchange    39

Section 2.07

  Replacement Notes    52

Section 2.08

  Outstanding Notes    52

Section 2.09

  Treasury Notes    53

Section 2.10

  Temporary Notes    53

Section 2.11

  Cancellation    53

Section 2.12

  Defaulted Interest    53

Section 2.13

  Computation of Interest    53

Section 2.14

  CUSIP Numbers    53

ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT

   54

Section 3.01

  Notices to Trustee    54

Section 3.02

  Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed    54

Section 3.03

  Notice of Redemption    54

Section 3.04

  Effect of Notice of Redemption    55

Section 3.05

  Deposit of Redemption Price    56

Section 3.06

  Notes Redeemed in Part    56

Section 3.07

  Optional Redemption    56

Section 3.08

  Mandatory Redemption    57

ARTICLE 4 COVENANTS

   57

Section 4.01

  Payment of Notes    57

Section 4.02

  Maintenance of Office or Agency    58

Section 4.03

  Reports    59

Section 4.04

  Compliance Certificate    60

Section 4.05

  Taxes    60

Section 4.06

  Stay, Extension and Usury Laws    60

Section 4.07

  Restricted Payments    61

Section 4.08

  Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries    65

 

 


         Page  

Section 4.09

  Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock      68  

Section 4.10

  Asset Sales      72  

Section 4.11

  Transactions with Affiliates      76  

Section 4.12

  Liens      78  

Section 4.13

  [Reserved]      78  

Section 4.14

  Organizational Existence      78  

Section 4.15

  Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control      79  

Section 4.16

  Subsidiary Guarantees      81  

Section 4.17

  Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries      81  

Section 4.18

  Termination of Certain Covenants      82  

ARTICLE 5 SUCCESSORS

     82  

Section 5.01

  Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets      82  

Section 5.02

  Successor Corporation Substituted      84  

ARTICLE 6 DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

     84  

Section 6.01

  Events of Default      84  

Section 6.02

  Acceleration      86  

Section 6.03

  Other Remedies      87  

Section 6.04

  Waiver of Past Defaults      87  

Section 6.05

  Control by Majority      87  

Section 6.06

  Limitation on Suits      88  

Section 6.07

  Collection Suit by Trustee      88  

Section 6.08

  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim      88  

Section 6.09

  Priorities      89  

Section 6.10

  Undertaking for Costs      89  

ARTICLE 7 TRUSTEE

     90  

Section 7.01

  Duties of Trustee      90  

Section 7.02

  Rights of Trustee      91  

Section 7.03

  Individual Rights of Trustee      92  

Section 7.04

  Trustee’s Disclaimer      92  

Section 7.05

  Notice of Defaults      92  

Section 7.06

  [Reserved]      93  

Section 7.07

  Compensation and Indemnity      93  

Section 7.08

  Replacement of Trustee      94  

Section 7.09

  Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.      95  

Section 7.10

  Eligibility; Disqualification      95  

ARTICLE 8 LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     95  

Section 8.01

  Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance      95  

Section 8.02

  Legal Defeasance and Discharge      95  

 

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         Page  

Section 8.03

  Covenant Defeasance      96  

Section 8.04

  Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance      96  

Section 8.05

  Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions      98  

Section 8.06

  Repayment to Company      98  

Section 8.07

  Reinstatement      99  

ARTICLE 9 AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

     99  

Section 9.01

  Without Consent of Holders of Notes      99  

Section 9.02

  With Consent of Holders of Notes      101  

Section 9.03

  Revocation and Effect of Consents      102  

Section 9.04

  Notation on or Exchange of Notes      103  

Section 9.05

  Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.      103  

Section 9.06

  Effect of Supplemental Indentures      103  

ARTICLE 10 NOTE GUARANTEES

     103  

Section 10.01

  Guarantee      103  

Section 10.02

  Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability      105  

Section 10.03

  Notation of Guarantee Not Required      105  

Section 10.04

  Subsidiary Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms      105  

Section 10.05

  Releases      106  

ARTICLE 11 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

     107  

Section 11.01

  Satisfaction and Discharge      107  

Section 11.02

  Application of Trust Money      108  

ARTICLE 12 MISCELLANEOUS

     109  

Section 12.01

  Relation to Trust Indenture Act      109  

Section 12.02

  Notices      109  

Section 12.03

  [Reserved]      111  

Section 12.04

  Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent      111  

Section 12.05

  Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion      111  

Section 12.06

  Rules by Trustee and Agents      112  

Section 12.07

  No Personal Liability of Directors, Managers, Officers, Employees and Members      112  

Section 12.08

  Governing Law      112  

Section 12.09

  No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements      112  

Section 12.10

  Successors      112  

Section 12.11

  Severability      113  

Section 12.12

  Counterpart Originals      113  

Section 12.13

  Table of Contents, Headings, etc.      113  

Section 12.14

  Payment Date Other Than a Business Day      113  

Section 12.15

  Evidence of Action by Holders      113  

 

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         Page  

Section 12.16

  Benefit of Indenture      115  

Section 12.17

  Language of Notices, Etc.      115  

Section 12.18

  U.S.A. Patriot Act      115  

Section 12.19

  Force Majeure      115  

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A    FORM OF NOTE
Exhibit B    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER
Exhibit C    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE
Exhibit D    FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

 

iv


INDENTURE dated as of May 14, 2018 among Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with its successors as provided herein, the “Company”), the Subsidiary Guarantors (as defined) and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee.

The Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders (as defined) of the 6.25% Senior Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”):

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION

BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01 Definitions.

144A Global Note” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or its nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A.

Acquired Debt” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(1) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is merged with or into or became a Subsidiary of such specified Person, regardless of whether such Indebtedness is incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person merging with or into, or becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of, such specified Person, but excluding Indebtedness which is extinguished, retired or repaid in connection with such Person merging with or becoming a Subsidiary of such specified Person; and

(2) Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.

Additional Assets” means:

(1) any property or assets (other than Indebtedness and Capital Stock) to be used by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in a Related Business;

(2) the Capital Stock of a Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of the acquisition of such Capital Stock by the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary;

(3) Capital Stock constituting a minority interest in any Person that at such time is a Restricted Subsidiary; or

(4) Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that all the Capital Stock of such Subsidiary held by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall entitle the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to not less than a pro rata portion of all dividends or other distributions made by such Subsidiary upon any of such Capital Stock; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (2), (3) and (4), such Subsidiary is primarily engaged in a Related Business.

 

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Additional Notes” means additional Notes (other than the Initial Notes) issued under this Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.02 and 4.09 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.

Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any specified Person or Persons (all of such specified Persons, whether one or more, being referred to in this definition as the “Referent Person”), as of the date of determination (without duplication), the remainder of:

 

  (a) the sum of:

 

  (i) discounted future net revenues from proved oil and gas reserves of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines before any provincial, territorial, state, federal or foreign income taxes, as estimated by the Company in a reserve report prepared as of the end of the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available, or at the Person’s option, the Person’s most recently completed fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available, and giving effect to applicable Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contracts, as increased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net revenues from:

 

  (A) estimated proved oil and gas reserves acquired since such year end, which reserves were not reflected in such year-end or quarter-end reserve report; and

 

  (B) estimated oil and gas reserves attributable to upward revisions of estimates of proved oil and gas reserves (including previously estimated development costs incurred during the period and the accretion of discount since the prior period end) since such year or quarter end due to exploration, development, exploitation or other activities;

and decreased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net revenues from:

 

  (A) estimated proved oil and gas reserves reflected in such reserve report produced or disposed of since the date of such year-end or quarter-end reserve report; and

 

  (B) estimated oil and gas reserves attributable to downward revisions of estimates of proved oil and gas reserves reflected in such reserve report since the date of such year-end or quarter-end due to changes in geological conditions or other factors that would, in accordance with standard industry practice, cause such revisions, in each case described in this clause (i) calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines and estimated by the Company’s petroleum engineers or any independent petroleum engineers engaged by the Company for that purpose;

 

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  (ii) the capitalized costs that are attributable to Oil and Gas Properties of the Referent Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries to which no proved oil and gas reserves are attributable, based on the Company’s books and records as of a date no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest available annual or quarterly financial statements;

 

  (iii) the Net Working Capital of the Referent Person on a date no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest annual or quarterly financial statements; and

 

  (iv) the greater of:

 

  (A) the net book value of other tangible assets of the Referent Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries, and

 

  (B) the appraised value, as estimated by independent appraisers, of other tangible assets of the Referent Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case, as of a date no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest annual or quarterly period for which internal financial statements are available (provided that the Company shall not be required to obtain such appraisal solely for the purpose of determining this value); minus

 

  (b) the sum of:

 

  (i) the net book value of any Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary of the Referent Person that is not owned by the Referent Person or another Restricted Subsidiary of the Referent Person;

 

  (ii) to the extent not otherwise taken into account in determining Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Referent Person, any net gas-balancing liabilities of the Referent Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in the Company’s latest annual or quarterly period for which internal financial statements are available;

 

  (iii) to the extent included in (a)(i) above, the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in the Company’s year-end reserve report), attributable to reserves that are required to be delivered by the Referent Person to third parties to fully satisfy the obligations of the Referent Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Volumetric Production Payments (determined, if applicable, using the schedules specified with respect thereto); and

 

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  (iv) the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines, attributable to reserves subject to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments that, based on the estimates of production and price assumptions included in determining the discounted future net revenues specified in (a)(i) above, would be necessary to fully satisfy the payment obligations of the Referent Person and its Subsidiaries with respect to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments (determined, if applicable, using the schedules specified with respect thereto).

If the Company changes its method of accounting from the successful efforts or a similar method to the full cost method of accounting, “Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” of the Referent Person will continue to be calculated as if the Company were still using the successful efforts or a similar method of accounting.

Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition, “control,” as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with” have correlative meanings.

Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Authenticating Agent.

Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer or exchange.

Asset Sale” means:

(1) the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of any assets or rights (including by way of a Production Payment or a sale and leaseback transaction); provided that the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole will be governed by the provisions of Section 4.15 and/or Section 5.01 of this Indenture and not by the provisions of the Asset Sale covenant set forth in Section 4.10 of this Indenture; and

(2) the issuance of Equity Interests in any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries (other than directors’ qualifying shares) or the sale of Equity Interests held by the Company or its Subsidiaries in any of its Subsidiaries.

Notwithstanding the preceding, none of the following items will be deemed to be an Asset Sale:

(1) any single transaction or series of related transactions that involves assets having a Fair Market Value of less than $10.0 million;

(2) a transfer of assets between or among the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

4


(3) an issuance of Equity Interests by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary;

(4) the sale, lease or other disposition of equipment, inventory, products, services, accounts receivable or other assets in the ordinary course of business, including in connection with any compromise, settlement or collection of accounts receivable, and any sale or other disposition of damaged, worn-out or obsolete assets or assets that are no longer useful in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(5) the sale or other disposition of cash or Cash Equivalents;

(6) a Restricted Payment that does not violate Section 4.07 of this Indenture, including the issuance or sale of Equity Interests or the sale, lease or other disposition of products, services, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other assets pursuant to any such Restricted Payment;

(7) the consummation of a Permitted Investment, including, without limitation, unwinding any Hedging Obligations, and including the issuance or sale of Equity Interests or the sale, lease or other disposition of products, services, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other assets pursuant to any such Permitted Investment;

(8) a disposition of Hydrocarbons or mineral products inventory in the ordinary course of business;

(9) the farm-out, lease or sublease of developed or undeveloped crude oil or natural gas properties owned or held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for crude oil and natural gas properties owned or held by another Person;

(10) the creation or perfection of a Lien (but not, except as contemplated in clause (11) below, the sale or other disposition of the properties or assets subject to such Lien);

(11) the creation or perfection of a Permitted Lien and the exercise by any Person in whose favor a Permitted Lien is granted of any of its rights in respect of that Permitted Lien;

(12) the licensing or sublicensing of intellectual property, including, without limitation, licenses for seismic data, in the ordinary course of business and which do not materially interfere with the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(13) surrender or waiver of contract rights or the settlement, release or surrender of contract, tort or other claims of any kind;

(14) any Production Payments and Reserve Sales; provided that all such Production Payments and Reserve Sales (other than incentive compensation programs on terms that are reasonably customary in the oil and gas business for geologists, geophysicists and other providers of technical services to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) shall have been created, incurred, issued, assumed or Guaranteed in connection with the financing of, and within 60 days after the acquisition of, the oil and gas properties that are subject thereto;

 

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(15) the sale or other disposition (regardless of whether in the ordinary course of business) of oil and gas properties; provided that, at the time of such sale or other disposition, such properties do not have attributed to them any proved reserves; and

(16) any trade or exchange by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of properties or assets used or useful in a Related Business for other properties or assets used or useful in a Related Business owned or held by another Person (including Capital Stock of a Person engaged in a Related Business that is or becomes a Restricted Subsidiary), including any cash or Cash Equivalents necessary in order to achieve an exchange of equivalent value, provided that the Fair Market Value of the properties or assets traded or exchanged by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (including any cash or Cash Equivalents to be delivered by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary) is reasonably equivalent to the Fair Market Value of the properties or assets (together with any cash or Cash Equivalents) to be received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, and provided, further, that any cash received in the transaction must be applied in accordance with Section 4.10 as if such transaction were an Asset Sale.

Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Notes.

Bankruptcy Law” means any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law.

Beneficial Owner” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only after the passage of time or upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition. The terms “Beneficially Owns,” “Beneficially Owned” and “Beneficially Owning” will have a corresponding meaning. For purposes of this definition, a Person shall be deemed not to Beneficially Own securities that are the subject of a stock purchase agreement, merger agreement or similar agreement until consummation of the transaction or, as applicable, series of related transactions contemplated thereby.

Board of Directors” means:

(1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such board;

(2) with respect to a partnership, the board of directors of the general partner of the partnership;

 

6


(3) with respect to a limited liability company, the managers or managing member or members of such limited liability company (as applicable) or any duly authorized committee of managers or managing members (as applicable) thereof; and

(4) with respect to any other Person, the board of directors or duly authorized committee of such Person serving a similar function.

Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, the principal financial officer of the Company or a Guarantor, any other authorized officer of the Company or a Guarantor, or a person duly authorized by any of them, in each case as applicable, to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee. Where any provision of this Indenture refers to action to be taken pursuant to a Board Resolution (including the establishment of any series of the Notes and the forms and terms thereof), such action may be taken by any committee, officer or employee of the Company or a Guarantor, as applicable, authorized to take such action by the Board of Directors as evidenced by a Board Resolution.

Borrowing Base” means the maximum amount determined or re-determined by the lenders under the Senior Credit Agreement as the aggregate lending value to be ascribed to the Oil and Gas Properties of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries against which such lenders are prepared to provide loans, letters of credit or other Indebtedness to the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries under the Senior Credit Agreement, using their customary practices and standards for determining reserve based loans and which are generally applied by commercial lenders to borrowers in a Related Business, as determined semi-annually during each year and/or on such other occasions as may be provided for by the Senior Credit Agreement, and which is based upon, inter alia, the review by such lenders of the hydrocarbon reserves, royalty interests and assets and liabilities of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries.

Business Day” means any day other than a Legal Holiday.

Calculation Date” has the meaning set forth below in the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.

Capital Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at that time be required to be capitalized on a balance sheet in accordance with GAAP, and the Stated Maturity thereof shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease may be prepaid by the lessee without payment of a penalty.

Capital Stock” means:

(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;

(2) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;

(3) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and

 

7


(4) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, regardless of whether such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.

Cash Equivalents” means:

(1) United States dollars;

(2) Government Securities having maturities of not more than one year from the date of acquisition;

(3) marketable general obligations issued by any state of the United States of America or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof and, at the time of acquisition thereof, having a credit rating of “A” or better from either S&P or Moody’s;

(4) certificates of deposit, demand deposit accounts and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of one year or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding one year and overnight bank deposits, in each case, with any domestic commercial bank having capital and surplus in excess of $500.0 million and a Thomson Bank Watch Rating of “B” or better;

(5) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (2), (3) and (4) above entered into with any financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (4) above;

(6) commercial paper having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from Moody’s or S&P and, in each case, maturing within one year after the date of acquisition;

(7) money market funds at least 95% of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses (1) through (6) of this definition; and

(8) deposits in any currency available for withdrawal on demand with any commercial bank that is organized under the laws of any country in which the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary maintains its chief executive office or is engaged in the Related Business; provided that all such deposits are made in such accounts in the ordinary course of business.

Change of Control” means:

(1) any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) is or becomes a Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company (or its successor by merger, consolidation or purchase of all or substantially all of its properties or assets) (for the purposes of this clause, such person or group shall be deemed to Beneficially Own any Voting Stock of the Company held by an entity, if such person or

 

8


group Beneficially Owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such entity) which occurrence is followed by a Rating Decline within 90 days thereafter; provided, that a transaction in which the Company becomes a Subsidiary of another Person shall not constitute a Change of Control if, immediately following such transaction, the “persons” (as defined above) who were Beneficial Owners of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction Beneficially Own, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, 50% or more of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of such other Person of whom the Company has become a Subsidiary;

(2) the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), in each case which occurrence is followed by a Rating Decline within 90 days thereafter; or

(3) the adoption or approval by the stockholders of the Company of a plan for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking, S.A.

Code means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and any successor statute thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

Commission” or “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Indenture.

Consolidated Cash Flow” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus, without duplication:

(1) provision for taxes based on income or profits (including state franchise taxes accounted for as income taxes in accordance with GAAP) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such provision for taxes was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(2) the Fixed Charges of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such Fixed Charges were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(3) exploration and abandonment expense (if applicable) to the extent deducted in calculating Consolidated Net Income; plus

(4) depreciation, depletion, amortization (including amortization of intangibles but excluding amortization of prepaid cash expenses that were paid in a prior period), impairment, other non-cash expenses and other non-cash items (excluding any such non-cash expense to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash expenses in any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period to the extent that such depreciation, depletion, amortization, impairment and other non-cash expenses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

 

9


(5) any interest expense attributable to any Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contract, to the extent that such interest expense was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; minus

(6) non-cash items increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, other than items that were accrued in the ordinary course of business; and minus

(7) the sum of (a) the amount of deferred revenues that are amortized during such period and are attributable to reserves that are subject to Volumetric Production Payments and (b) amounts recorded in accordance with GAAP as repayments of principal and interest pursuant to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments;

in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.

Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, clauses (1) through (5) relating to amounts of a Restricted Subsidiary of the referent Person will be added to Consolidated Net Income to compute Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person only to the extent (and in the same proportion) that the Net Income of such Restricted Subsidiary was included in calculating the Consolidated Net Income of such Person and, to the extent the amounts set forth in clauses (1) through (5) are in excess of those necessary to offset a net loss of such Restricted Subsidiary or if such Restricted Subsidiary has net income for such period included in Consolidated Net Income, only if a corresponding amount would be permitted at the date of determination to be dividended to the referent Person by such Restricted Subsidiary without prior governmental approval (that has not been obtained), pursuant to the terms of its charter and all agreements, instruments, judgments, decrees, orders, statutes, rules and governmental regulations applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or the holders of its Capital Stock.

Consolidated Net Income” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that:

(1) the Net Income (but not loss) of any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting will be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or similar distributions paid in cash to the specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Person;

(2) the Net Income of any Restricted Subsidiary will be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of that Net Income is not at the date of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval (that has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by operation of the terms of its charter or any judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders, members or partners;

 

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(3) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles will be excluded;

(4) any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any property, plant or equipment of such Person or its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (including pursuant to any sale or leaseback transaction) that is not sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business and any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Capital Stock of any Person will be excluded;

(5) any asset impairment writedowns on oil and gas properties under GAAP or SEC guidelines will be excluded;

(6) any non-cash mark-to-market adjustments to assets or liabilities resulting in unrealized gains or losses in respect of Hedging Obligations (including those resulting from the application of SFAS 133) shall be excluded; and

(7) to the extent deducted in the calculation of Net Income, any non-cash or other charges associated with any premium or penalty paid, write-off of deferred financing costs or other financial recapitalization charges in connection with redeeming or retiring any Indebtedness will be excluded.

Consolidated Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person as of any date, the amount which, in accordance with GAAP, would be set forth under the caption “Total Assets” (or any like caption) on a consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries, less all goodwill, patents, tradenames, trademarks, copyrights, franchises, experimental expenses, organization expenses and any other amounts classified as intangible assets in accordance with GAAP.

continuing means, with respect to any Default or Event of Default, that such Default or Event of Default has not been cured or waived.

Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee” will be at the address of the Trustee specified in Section 12.02 hereof.

Comparable Treasury Issue” means, with respect to Notes to be redeemed, the U.S. Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity most nearly equal to the period from the redemption date to May 1, 2021, that would be utilized at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of a comparable maturity; provided that if such period is less than one year, then the U.S. Treasury security having a maturity of one year shall be used.

Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest of such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (2) if the Trustee obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.

 

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Credit Facilities” means, with respect to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Senior Credit Agreement), commercial paper facilities or Debt Issuances providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to any lenders, other financiers or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from (or sell such receivables to) any lenders or other financiers against such receivables), letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances, other borrowings or Debt Issuances, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, extended, refunded, replaced or refinanced (in each case, without limitation as to amount), in whole or in part, from time to time (including through one or more Debt Issuances).

Currency Agreement” means in respect of a Person any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement or other similar agreement as to which such Person is a party or a beneficiary.

Custodian” means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to the Notes in global form, or any successor entity thereto.

Debt Issuances” means, with respect to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, one or more issuances after the Issue Date of Indebtedness evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other similar securities or instruments.

De Minimis Amount” means a principal amount of Indebtedness that does not exceed $1.0 million.

Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

Definitive Note” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06 of this Indenture, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.

Depositary” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.03 hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as Depositary hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provision of this Indenture.

Designated Non-cash Consideration” means the Fair Market Value of non-cash consideration received by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in connection with an Asset Sale that is so designated as Designated Non-cash Consideration pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate, less the amount of cash or Cash Equivalents received in connection with a subsequent sale of or collection on such Designated Non-cash Consideration.

Disqualified Stock” means any Capital Stock that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for which it is exchangeable, in each case at the option of the holder of the Capital Stock), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder of the Capital Stock, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the date on which the Notes mature. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, any Capital Stock that would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders of the Capital Stock have the right to

 

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require the Company to repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of a Change of Control or an Asset Sale will not constitute Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions unless such repurchase or redemption complies with Section 4.07 of this Indenture. The amount of Disqualified Stock deemed to be outstanding at any time for purposes of this Indenture will be the maximum amount that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may become obligated to pay upon the maturity of, or pursuant to any mandatory redemption provisions of, such Disqualified Stock, exclusive of accrued dividends.

Dollar-Denominated Production Payments” means production payment obligations recorded as liabilities in accordance with GAAP, together with all undertakings and obligations in connection therewith.

Domestic Restricted Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that was formed under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States or the District of Columbia or that Guarantees or otherwise provides direct credit support for any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than a Foreign Subsidiary).

Equity Interests” means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).

Equity Offering” means (i) an offering for cash by the Company of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock), or options, warrants or rights with respect to its Capital Stock or (ii) a cash contribution to the Company’s common equity capital from any Person.

Euroclear” means Euroclear Bank, S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Existing Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness under the Senior Credit Agreement, the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees) in existence on the Issue Date, until such amounts are repaid.

Fair Market Value” means the value that would be paid by a willing buyer to an unaffiliated willing seller in a transaction not involving distress or necessity of either party. Fair Market Value of an asset or property in excess of $25.0 million shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company acting in good faith, whose determination shall be conclusive and evidenced by a resolution of such Board of Directors, and any lesser Fair Market Value may be determined by an officer of the Company acting in good faith.

Farm-In Agreement” means an agreement whereby a Person agrees to pay all or a share of the drilling, completion or other expenses of an exploratory or development well (which agreement may be subject to a maximum payment obligation, after which expenses are shared in accordance with the working or participation interests therein or in accordance with the agreement of the parties) or perform the drilling, completion or other operation on such well in exchange for an ownership interest in an oil or gas property.

 

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Farm-Out Agreement” means a Farm-In Agreement, viewed from the standpoint of the party that transfers an ownership interest to another.

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means with respect to any specified Person for any four-quarter reference period, the ratio of the Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for such period to the Fixed Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurs, assumes, Guarantees, repays, repurchases, redeems, defeases or otherwise discharges any Indebtedness (other than ordinary working capital borrowings) or issues, repurchases or redeems preferred stock subsequent to the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is being calculated and on or prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the “Calculation Date”), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio will be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, Guarantee, repayment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other discharge of Indebtedness, or such issuance, repurchase or redemption of preferred stock, and the use of the proceeds therefrom, as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter reference period.

In addition, for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio:

(1) acquisitions that have been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including through mergers, consolidations or otherwise (including acquisitions of assets used or useful in a Related Business), or any Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries acquired by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including in each case any related financing transactions and increases in ownership of Restricted Subsidiaries, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date will be given pro forma effect as if they had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period, and any Consolidated Cash Flow for such period will be calculated giving pro forma effect to any operating improvements or cost savings that have occurred or are reasonably expected to occur in the reasonable judgment of the principal accounting officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company (regardless of whether those operating improvements or cost savings could then be reflected in pro forma financial statements prepared in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act or any other regulation or policy of the SEC related thereto);

(2) the Consolidated Cash Flow attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded;

(3) the Fixed Charges attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations giving rise to such Fixed Charges will not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date;

(4) any Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at all times during such four-quarter period;

 

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(5) any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed not to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at any time during such four-quarter period; and

(6) if any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligation applicable to such Indebtedness, but if the remaining term of such Hedging Obligation is less than 12 months, then such Hedging Obligation shall only be taken into account for that portion of the period equal to the remaining term thereof).

Fixed Charges” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of:

(1) the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued (excluding (i) any interest attributable to Production Payments and Reserve Sales, (ii) write-off of deferred financing costs and (iii) accretion of interest charges on future plugging and abandonment obligations, future retirement benefits and other obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness, but including, without limitation, amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount, noncash interest payments, the interest component of any deferred payment obligations other than that attributable to any Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contract, the interest component of all payments associated with Capital Lease Obligations, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit or bankers’ acceptance financings), and net of the effect of all payments made or received pursuant to Interest Rate Agreements; plus

(2) the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such period; plus

(3) any interest on Indebtedness of another Person that is Guaranteed by the specified Person or one or more of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets of such specified Person or one or more of its Restricted Subsidiaries, regardless of whether such Guarantee or Lien is called upon; plus

(4) all dividends, whether paid or accrued and regardless of whether in cash, on any series of preferred stock of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than dividends on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary,

in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.

Foreign Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary other than a Domestic Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, which are in effect from time to time. All ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this Indenture will be computed in conformity with GAAP. At any time after the Issue Date, the Company may elect to apply International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), accounting principles in lieu of GAAP and, upon any such election, references herein to GAAP shall thereafter be construed to mean IFRS (except as otherwise provided in the Indenture); provided that any such election, once made, shall be irrevocable; provided, further, that any calculation or determination in this Indenture that requires the application of GAAP for periods that include fiscal quarters ended prior to the Company’s election to apply IFRS shall remain as previously calculated or determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company shall give notice of any such election made in accordance with this definition to the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes.

Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(2) of this Indenture, which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under this Indenture.

Global Notes” means, individually and collectively, each of the Restricted Global Notes and the Unrestricted Global Notes deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto and that bears the Global Note Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto, issued in accordance with Section 2.01, 2.06(b)(3), 2.06(b)(4), or 2.06(d)(2) of this Indenture.

Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.

Guarantee” means a guarantee other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, direct or indirect, in any manner including, without limitation, by way of a pledge of assets or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof, of all or any part of any Indebtedness (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services or to take or pay or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise), or entered into for purposes of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part). “Guarantee” used as a verb has a correlative meaning.

Hedging Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person pursuant to any Interest Rate and Currency Hedges and any Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contracts.

Holder” means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.

Hydrocarbons” means oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all constituents, elements or compounds thereof and products refined or processed therefrom.

 

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Indebtedness” means, with respect to any specified Person, without duplication, any indebtedness of such Person, regardless of whether contingent:

(1) in respect of borrowed money;

(2) evidenced by bonds, notes, credit agreements, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

(3) in respect of bankers’ acceptances;

(4) representing Capital Lease Obligations;

(5) in respect of any guarantee by such Person of production or payment with respect to a Production Payment (but not any other contractual obligation in respect of such Production Payment);

(6) representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services due more than six months after such property is acquired or such services are completed, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or a trade payable; or

(7) representing any Interest Rate and Currency Hedges,

if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit and Interest Rate and Currency Hedges) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the term “Indebtedness” includes (a) all Indebtedness of any other Person, of the types described above in clauses (1) through (7), secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified Person (regardless of whether such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified Person), provided that the amount of such Indebtedness will be the lesser of (i) the Fair Market Value of such asset at such date of determination and (ii) the amount of such Indebtedness of such other Person, and (b) to the extent not otherwise included, the Guarantee by the specified Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person, of the types described above in clauses (1) through (7) above. Furthermore, the amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date will be the accreted value thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness issued with original issue discount; and the principal amount thereof, together with any interest thereon that is more than 30 days past due, in the case of any other Indebtedness.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not constitute “Indebtedness”:

 

  (i) accrued expenses and trade accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business;

 

  (ii) except as provided in clause (5) of the first paragraph of this definition, any obligation in respect of any Production Payment and Reserve Sales;

 

  (iii) any obligation in respect of any Farm-In Agreement;

 

  (iv) any indebtedness which has been defeased in accordance with GAAP or defeased pursuant to the deposit of cash or Government Securities (in an amount sufficient to satisfy all such indebtedness obligations at maturity or redemption, as applicable, and all payments of interest and premium, if any) in a trust or account created or pledged for the sole benefit of the holders of such indebtedness, and subject to no other Liens, and the other applicable terms of the instrument governing such indebtedness;

 

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  (v) oil or natural gas balancing liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice;

 

  (vi) any obligation in respect of any Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contract;

 

  (vii) any unrealized losses or charges in respect of Hedging Obligations (including those resulting from the application of the Financial Standards Accounting Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 815);

 

  (viii) any obligations in respect of (a) bid, performance, completion, surety, appeal and similar bonds, (b) obligations in respect of bankers acceptances, (c) insurance obligations or bonds and other similar bonds and obligations and (d) any Guarantees or letters of credit functioning as or supporting any of the foregoing bonds or obligations; provided, however, that such bonds or obligations mentioned in subclause (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this clause (viii), are incurred in the ordinary course of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and do not relate to obligations for borrowed money;

 

  (ix) any Disqualified Stock of the Company or preferred stock of a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (x) any obligation arising from any agreement providing for indemnities, guarantees, purchase price adjustments, holdbacks, contingency payment obligations based on the performance of the acquired or disposed assets or similar obligations (other than Guarantees of Indebtedness) incurred by any Person in connection with the acquisition or disposition of assets; and

 

  (xi) all contracts and other obligations, agreements instruments or arrangements described in clauses (20), (21), (22) and (23) of the definition of “Permitted Liens.

Independent Investment Banker” means Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., or one of their respective successors, or, if such firms or their respective successors, if any, as the case may be, are unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company.

Indenture” means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

Indirect Participant” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through a Participant.

Initial Notes” means the Notes issued on the Issue Date.

 

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Initial Purchasers” means Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BBVA Securities Inc., CIBC World Markets Corp., Citizens Capital Markets, Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., Capital One Securities, Inc., ING Financial Markets LLC, Comerica Securities, Inc., BOK Financial Securities, Inc., BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC, Regions Securities LLC, Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C., KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Piper Jaffray & Co., Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities, Inc. and IBERIA Capital Partners L.L.C.

Institutional Accredited Investor” means an institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act, who is not also a QIB.

Interest Rate Agreement” means with respect to any Person any interest rate protection agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate option agreement, interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, interest rate hedge agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement as to which such Person is party or a beneficiary.

Interest Rate and Currency Hedges” of any Person means the obligations of such Person pursuant to any Interest Rate Agreement or Currency Agreement.

Investment Grade Rating” means a rating equal to or higher than:

(1) Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s; or

(2) BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P,

or, if either such entity ceases to rate the Notes for reasons outside of the control of the Company, the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any other Rating Agency.

Investment Grade Rating Event” means the first day on which (a) the Notes have an Investment Grade Rating from at least two Rating Agencies, (b) no Default with respect to the Notes has occurred and is then continuing under this Indenture and (c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in clauses (a) and (b) of this definition.

Investments” means, with respect to any Person, all direct or indirect investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms of loans (including Guarantees or other obligations, advances or capital contributions (excluding endorsements of negotiable instruments and documents in the ordinary course of business, and commission, travel and similar advances to officers, employees and consultants made in the ordinary course of business), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. If the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary sells or otherwise disposes of any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary such that, after giving effect to any such sale or disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary, the Company will be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to the Fair Market Value of the Company’s Investments in such Restricted Subsidiary that were not sold or

 

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disposed of in an amount determined as provided in Section 4.07(d) of this Indenture. The acquisition by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company of a Person that holds an Investment in a third Person will be deemed to be an Investment by the Company or such Subsidiary in such third Person in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the Investments held by the acquired Person in such third Person in an amount determined as provided in Section 4.07(d) of this Indenture. Except as otherwise provided in this Indenture, the amount of an Investment will be determined at the time the Investment is made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value.

Issue Date” means the first date on which Notes are issued under this Indenture.

Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or at a place of payment are authorized by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed.

Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset, regardless of whether filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) of any jurisdiction other than a precautionary financing statement respecting a lease not intended as a security agreement.

Make-Whole Price” with respect to any Notes to be redeemed, means an amount equal to the greater of:

(1) 100% of the principal amount of such Notes; and

(2) the sum of the present values of (a) the redemption price of such Notes at May 1, 2021 (as set forth in Section 3.07(e)) and (b) the remaining scheduled payments of interest from the redemption date to May 1, 2021 (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued as of the redemption date) discounted back to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points;

plus, in the case of both (1) and (2), accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes, if any, to the redemption date.

Material Domestic Subsidiary” means any Domestic Restricted Subsidiary having Consolidated Tangible Assets that constitute more than 0.5% of the Company’s Consolidated Tangible Assets.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or any successor to the rating agency business thereof.

 

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Net Income” means, with respect to any specified Person, the net income (loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of non-cash preferred stock dividends, excluding, however:

(1) any gain or loss, together with any related provision for taxes on such gain or loss, realized in connection with: (a) any Asset Sale (including, without limitation, any cash received pursuant to any sale and leaseback transaction) or (b) the disposition of any securities by such Person or the extinguishment of any Indebtedness of such Person; and

(2) any extraordinary gain or loss, together with any related provision for taxes on such extraordinary gain or loss.

Net Proceeds” means the aggregate cash proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale (including, without limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of any non-cash consideration received in any Asset Sale), net of:

(1) all legal, accounting, investment banking, title and recording tax expenses, commissions and other fees and expense incurred, and all federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes required to be paid or accrued as a liability under GAAP (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing agreements), as a consequence of such Asset Sale;

(2) all payments made on any Indebtedness which is secured by any assets subject to such Asset Sale, in accordance with the terms of such Indebtedness, or which must by its terms, or in order to obtain a necessary consent to such Asset Sale, or by applicable law be repaid out of the proceeds from such Asset Sale;

(3) all distributions and other payments required to be made to holders of minority interests in Subsidiaries or joint ventures as a result of such Asset Sale; and

(4) the deduction of appropriate amounts to be provided by the seller as a reserve, in accordance with GAAP, or held in escrow, in either case for adjustment in respect of the sale price or for any liabilities associated with the assets disposed of in such Asset Sale and retained by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary after such Asset Sale.

Net Working Capital” means (a) all current assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries except current assets from Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contracts, less (b) all current liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, except (i) current liabilities included in Indebtedness, (ii) current liabilities associated with asset retirement obligations relating to oil and gas properties and (iii) any current liabilities from Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contracts, in each case as set forth in the consolidated financial statements of the Company prepared in accordance with GAAP (excluding any adjustments made pursuant to the Financial Standards Accounting Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 815).

Non-Recourse Debt” means Indebtedness:

(1) as to which neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary (a) provides any Guarantee or credit support of any kind (including any undertaking, Guarantee, indemnity, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness) or (b) is directly or indirectly liable (as a guarantor or otherwise), in each case other than Liens on and pledges of the Equity Interests of any Unrestricted Subsidiary or any joint venture owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent securing otherwise Non-Recourse Debt of such Unrestricted Subsidiary or joint venture;

 

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(2) no default with respect to which (including any rights that the holders thereof may have to take enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would permit (upon notice, lapse of time or both) any holder of any other Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to declare a default under such other Indebtedness or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its Stated Maturity; and

(3) the explicit terms of which provide there is no recourse against any of the assets of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, except for any Equity Interests referred to in clause (1) of this definition.

Non-U.S. Person” means a Person who is not a U.S. Person.

Note Guarantee” means such guarantee of the obligations of the Company under this Indenture and the Notes by a Guarantor in accordance with the provisions hereof.

Notes” means a series of Notes designated as the Company’s 6.25% Senior Notes due 2026, issued pursuant to this Indenture.

Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 6.01(d) or Section 6.01(e) of this Indenture.

Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.

Officer” means, in the case of the Company, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and, in the case of any Subsidiary Guarantor, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of such Subsidiary Guarantor.

Officers’ Certificate” means, in the case of the Company, a certificate signed by two Officers or by an Officer and either an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and, in the case of any Subsidiary Guarantor, a certificate signed by two Officers or by an Officer and either an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of such Subsidiary Guarantor.

Oil and Gas Properties” means all properties, including equity or other ownership interest therein, owned by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries which contain or are believed to contain “proved oil and gas reserves” as defined in Rule 4-10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities Act.

Oil and Natural Gas Hedging Contract” means any Hydrocarbon hedging agreements and other agreements or arrangements entered into in the ordinary course of business in the oil and gas industry for the purpose of protecting against fluctuations in Hydrocarbon prices.

 

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Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Such counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or the Trustee.

OPNA” means Oasis Petroleum North America LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a Subsidiary of Oasis.

Original Issue Discount Security” means any Note which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02. “Interest,” when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Stated Maturity, means interest payable after Stated Maturity.

Participant” means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, respectively (and, with respect to DTC, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).

Permitted Acquisition Indebtedness” means Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Company or any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries to the extent such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock was Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of:

(1) a Subsidiary prior to the date on which such Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary; or

(2) a Person that was merged or consolidated into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;

provided that on the date such Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or the date such Person was merged or consolidated into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, as applicable, after giving pro forma effect thereto,

(a) the Restricted Subsidiary or the Company, as applicable, would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09(a) of this Indenture, or

(b) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Company would be greater than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Company immediately prior to such transaction.

Permitted Business Investments” means Investments and expenditures made in the ordinary course of, and of a nature that is or shall have become customary in, a Related Business as means of actively exploiting, exploring for, acquiring, developing, processing, gathering, marketing or transporting oil, natural gas, other Hydrocarbons and minerals (including with respect to plugging and abandonment) through agreements, transactions, interests or arrangements that permit one to share risks or costs of such activities or comply with regulatory requirements regarding local ownership, including without limitation: (a) ownership interests in oil, natural gas, other Hydrocarbons and minerals properties, liquefied natural gas facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, pipelines, storage facilities or related systems or ancillary real property

 

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interests; (b) Investments in the form of or pursuant to operating agreements, working interests, royalty interests, mineral leases, processing agreements, Farm-In Agreements, Farm-Out Agreements, contracts for the sale, transportation or exchange of oil, natural gas and other Hydrocarbons and minerals, production sharing agreements, participation agreements, development agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, unitization agreements, pooling agreements, joint bidding agreements, service contracts, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements (whether general or limited), subscription agreements, stock purchase agreements, stockholder agreements and other similar agreements (including for limited liability companies) with third parties; and (c) direct or indirect ownership interests in drilling rigs and related equipment, including, without limitation, transportation equipment.

Permitted Investments” means:

(1) any Investment in the Company or in a Restricted Subsidiary;

(2) any Investment in Cash Equivalents;

(3) any Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in a Person, if as a result of such Investment:

(a) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; or

(b) such Person is merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its properties or assets to, or is liquidated into, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;

(4) any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.10 of this Indenture;

(5) any Investments received in compromise or resolution of (a) obligations of trade creditors or customers that were incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of any trade creditor or customer, or (b) litigation, arbitration or other disputes with Persons who are not Affiliates;

(6) Investments represented by Hedging Obligations;

(7) advances to or reimbursements of employees for moving, entertainment and travel expenses, drawing accounts and similar expenditures in the ordinary course of business, in each case to the extent they constitute Investments;

(8) loans or advances to employees in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice, in each case to the extent they constitute Investments;

(9) advances and prepayments for asset purchases in the ordinary course of business in a Related Business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

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(10) receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary created or acquired in the ordinary course of business and payable or dischargeable in accordance with customary trade terms; provided, however, that such trade terms may include such concessionary trade terms as the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary deems reasonable under the circumstances;

(11) surety and performance bonds and workers’ compensation, utility, lease, tax, performance and similar deposits and prepaid expenses in the ordinary course of business;

(12) guarantees by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of operating leases (other than Capital Lease Obligations) or of other obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness, in each case entered into by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;

(13) Investments of a Restricted Subsidiary acquired after the Issue Date or of any entity merged into the Company or merged into or consolidated with a Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with Section 5.01 or Section 10.04 (as applicable) of this Indenture to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition, merger or consolidation and were in existence on the date of such acquisition, merger or consolidation;

(14) Permitted Business Investments;

(15) Investments received as a result of a foreclosure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to any secured Investment in default;

(16) Investments in any units of any oil and gas royalty trust;

(17) Investments existing on the Issue Date, and any extension, modification or renewal of any such Investments existing on the Issue Date, but only to the extent not involving additional advances, contributions or other Investments of cash or other assets or other increases of such Investments (other than as a result of the accrual or accretion of interest or original issue discount or the issuance of pay-in-kind securities, in each case, pursuant to the terms of such Investments as in effect on the Issue Date);

(18) repurchases of or other Investments in the Notes; and

(19) other Investments in any Person having an aggregate Fair Market Value (measured on the date each such Investment was made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value), when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (19) that are at the time outstanding not to exceed the greater of (a) 5.0% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and (b) $150.0 million; provided, however, that if any Investment pursuant to this clause (19) is made in any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company at the date of the making of such Investment and such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company after such date, such Investment shall thereafter be deemed to have been made pursuant to clause (1) of this definition and shall cease to have been made pursuant to this clause (19) for so long as such Person continues to be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company.

 

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Permitted Liens” means, with respect to any Person:

(1) Liens securing Indebtedness incurred under Credit Facilities pursuant to clause (1) of Section 4.09(b) of this Indenture; provided that the aggregate amount of such Indebtedness does not exceed the aggregate amount that would be allowed under clause (1) of Section 4.09(b) of this Indenture;

(2) Liens to secure Indebtedness (including Capital Lease Obligations) permitted by clause (4) of Section 4.09(b) of this Indenture covering only the assets acquired with or financed by such Indebtedness;

(3) pledges or deposits by such Person under workers’ compensation laws, unemployment insurance laws or similar legislation, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts (other than for the payment of Indebtedness) or leases to which such Person is a party, or deposits to secure public or statutory obligations of such Person or deposits or cash or United States government bonds to secure surety or appeal bonds to which such Person is a party, or deposits as security for contested taxes or import or customs duties or for the payment of rent, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(4) landlords’, carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or similar Liens arising by contract or statute in the ordinary course of business and with respect to amounts which are not yet delinquent or are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings;

(5) Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings provided appropriate reserves required pursuant to GAAP have been made in respect thereof;

(6) Liens in favor of the issuers of surety or performance bonds or bankers’ acceptances issued pursuant to the request of and for the account of such Person in the ordinary course of its business;

(7) encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, licenses, rights of way, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other similar purposes, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real properties or Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of such Person or to the ownership of its properties which do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of such Person;

(8) leases and subleases of real property which do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

(9) any attachment or judgment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default;

 

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(10) Liens for the purpose of securing the payment of all or a part of the purchase price of, or Capital Lease Obligations with respect to, or the repair, improvement or construction cost of, assets or property acquired or repaired, improved or constructed in the ordinary course of business; provided that:

(a) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness secured by such Liens is otherwise permitted to be incurred under this Indenture and does not exceed the cost of the assets or property so acquired or repaired, improved or constructed plus fees and expenses in connection therewith; and

(b) such Liens are created within 180 days of repair, improvement or construction or acquisition of such assets or property and do not encumber any other assets or property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than such assets or property and assets affixed or appurtenant thereto (including improvements);

(11) Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provisions relating to banker’s Liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained or deposited with a depositary institution; provided that:

(a) such deposit account is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Company in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board; and

(b) such deposit account is not intended by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to provide collateral to the depository institution;

(12) Liens arising from Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filings regarding operating leases entered into by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

(13) Liens existing on the Issue Date;

(14) Liens on property at the time the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary acquired the property, including any acquisition by means of a merger or consolidation with or into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Liens are not created, incurred or assumed in connection with, or in contemplation of, such acquisition; provided further, however, that such Liens may not extend to any other property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than those of the Person merged or consolidated with the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary;

(15) Liens on property or Capital Stock of a Person at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Liens are not created, incurred or assumed in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary; provided further, however, that such Liens may not extend to any other property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

 

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(16) Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor;

(17) Liens securing the Notes, the Subsidiary Guarantees and other obligations arising under this Indenture;

(18) Liens securing Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary incurred to refinance Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that was previously so secured; provided that any such Lien is limited to all or part of the same property or assets (plus improvements, accessions, proceeds or dividends or distributions in respect thereof) that secured (or, under the written arrangements under which the original Lien arose, could secure) the Indebtedness being refinanced or is in respect of property or assets that is the security for a Permitted Lien hereunder;

(19) Liens in respect of Production Payments and Reserve Sales;

(20) Liens on pipelines and pipeline facilities that arise by operation of law;

(21) Liens arising under joint venture agreements, partnership agreements, oil and gas leases or subleases, assignments, purchase and sale agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale, purchasing, processing, transportation or exchange of oil or natural gas, unitization and pooling declarations and agreements, development agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, licenses, sublicenses, net profits interests, participation agreements, Farm-Out Agreements, Farm-In Agreements, carried working interest, joint operating, unitization, royalty, sales and similar agreements relating to the exploration or development of, or production from, oil and gas properties entered into in the ordinary course of business in a Related Business;

(22) Liens reserved in oil and gas mineral leases for bonus, royalty or rental payments and for compliance with the terms of such leases;

(23) Liens on, or related to, properties or assets to secure all or part of the costs incurred in the ordinary course of a Related Business for exploration, drilling, development, production, processing, transportation, marketing, storage, abandonment or operation;

(24) Liens arising under this Indenture in favor of the Trustee for its own benefit and similar Liens in favor of other trustees, agents and representatives arising under instruments governing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under this Indenture, provided that such Liens are solely for the benefit of the trustees, agents or representatives in their capacities as such and not for the benefit of the holders of the Indebtedness;

(25) Liens securing obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries under non-speculative Hedging Obligations;

(26) Liens on and pledges of the Equity Interests of any Unrestricted Subsidiary or any joint venture owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent securing Non-Recourse Debt of such Unrestricted Subsidiary or joint venture;

 

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(27) Liens securing Indebtedness of any Foreign Subsidiary which Indebtedness is permitted by this Indenture; and

(28) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with respect to obligations that, at any one time outstanding, do not exceed the greater of (a) $120.0 million and (b) 4.0% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, any Disqualified Stock of the Company or any preferred stock of any Restricted Subsidiary (a) issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to extend, renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise retire for value, in whole or in part, or (b) constituting an amendment, modification or supplement to or a deferral or renewal of ((a) and (b) above, collectively, a “Refinancing,” and the term “Refinanced” has a correlative meaning), any other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than intercompany Indebtedness), any Disqualified Stock of the Company or any preferred stock of a Restricted Subsidiary in a principal amount or, in the case of Disqualified Stock of the Company or preferred stock of a Restricted Subsidiary, liquidation preference, not to exceed (after deduction of reasonable and customary fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Refinancing) the lesser of:

(1) the principal amount or, in the case of Disqualified Stock or preferred stock, liquidation preference, of the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock so Refinanced (plus, in the case of Indebtedness, the amount of premium, if any paid in connection therewith), and

(2) if the Indebtedness being Refinanced was issued with any original issue discount, the accreted value of such Indebtedness (as determined in accordance with GAAP) at the time of such Refinancing.

Notwithstanding the preceding, no Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock will be deemed to be Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness, unless:

(1) such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock has a final maturity date or redemption date, as applicable, no earlier than the final maturity date or redemption date, as applicable, of, and has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of, the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock being Refinanced;

(2) if the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock being Refinanced is contractually subordinated or otherwise junior in right of payment to the Notes, such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock has a final maturity date or redemption date, as applicable, no earlier than the final maturity date or redemption date, as applicable, of, and is contractually subordinated or otherwise junior in right of payment to, the Notes, on terms at least as favorable to the Holders of Notes as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock being Refinanced at the time of the Refinancing; and

 

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(3) such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock is incurred or issued by the Company or such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock is incurred or issued by the Restricted Subsidiary who is the obligor on the Indebtedness being Refinanced or the issuer of the Disqualified Stock or preferred stock being Refinanced; provided that a Restricted Subsidiary that is also a Subsidiary Guarantor may guarantee Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred by the Company, regardless of whether such Restricted Subsidiary was an obligor or guarantor of the Indebtedness being Refinanced.

Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

Preferred Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all preferred or preference stock or other similar Equity Interests (however designated) of such Person whether outstanding or issued after the date of this Indenture.

Primary Treasury Dealer” means a U.S. government securities dealer in the City of New York.

Private Placement Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(1) hereof to be placed on all Notes issued under this Indenture except where otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Indenture.

Prior Issue Date” means February 2, 2011, the date of initial issuance of the Company’s 7.25% Senior Notes due 2019.

Production Payments” means Dollar-Denominated Production Payments and Volumetric Production Payments, collectively.

Production Payments and Reserve Sales” means the grant or transfer by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company to any Person of a royalty, overriding royalty, net profits interest, Production Payment, partnership or other interest in oil and gas properties, reserves or the right to receive all or a portion of the production or the proceeds from the sale of production attributable to such properties, including any such grants or transfers pursuant to incentive compensation programs on terms that are reasonably customary in the oil and gas business for geologists, geophysicists and other providers of technical services to the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company.

Purchase Agreement” means the purchase agreement, dated April 30, 2018, by and among the Company, Oasis Midstream Services LLC, Oasis Petroleum LLC, Oasis Petroleum Marketing LLC, Oasis Petroleum North America LLC, Oasis Petroleum Permian LLC, Oasis Well Services LLC, OMP GP LLC, OMS Holdings LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representative of the Initial Purchasers.

QIB” means a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A.

Rating Agency” means each of S&P and Moody’s, or if (and only if) S&P or Moody’s or both shall not make a rating on the notes publicly available, a nationally recognized statistical rating agency or agencies, as the case may be, selected by the Company, which shall be substituted for S&P or Moody’s, or both, as the case may be.

 

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Rating Category means:

(1) with respect to S&P, any of the following categories: AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D (or equivalent successor categories); and

(2) with respect to Moody’s, any of the following categories: Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, Ba, B, Caa, Ca, C and D (or equivalent successor categories).

Rating Decline means a decrease in the rating of the notes by either Moody’s or S&P by one or more gradations (including gradations within Rating Categories as well as between Rating Categories). In determining whether the rating of the notes has decreased by one or more gradations, gradations within Rating Categories, namely + or—for S&P, and 1, 2, and 3 for Moody’s, will be taken into account; for example, in the case of S&P, a rating decline either from BB+ to BB or BB- to B+ will constitute a decrease of one gradation.

Reference Treasury Dealer” means each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and two additional Primary Treasury Dealers selected by the Company, and their respective successors; provided, however, that if any such firm or any such successor, as the case may be, shall cease to be a Primary Treasury Dealer, the Company shall substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, no later than the second Business Day (and no earlier than the fourth Business Day) preceding such redemption date.

Regulation S” means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act.

Regulation S Global Note” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes initially sold in reliance on Rule 903 of Regulation S.

Related Business” means any business which is the same as or related, ancillary or complementary to any of the businesses of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the Issue Date, which includes (a) the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, production, operation and disposition of interests in oil, gas and other hydrocarbon properties, and the utilization of the Company’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ properties, (b) the gathering, marketing, treating, processing, storage, refining, selling and transporting of any production from such interests or properties and products produced in association therewith, (c) any power generation and electrical transmission business, (d) oil field sales and services and related activities, (e) development, purchase and sale of real estate and interests therein, and (f) any business or activity relating to, arising from, or necessary, appropriate or incidental to the activities described in the foregoing clauses (a) through (e) of this definition.

 

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Reporting Failure” means the failure of the Company to file with the SEC and make available or otherwise deliver to the Trustee and each Holder of Notes, within the time periods specified in Section 4.03 of this Indenture (after giving effect to any grace period specified under Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act), the periodic reports, information, documents or other reports that the Company may be required to file with the SEC pursuant to such provision.

Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

Restricted Definitive Note” means a Definitive Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Global Note” means a Global Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Investment” means any Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

Restricted Period” means the 40-day distribution compliance period as defined in Regulation S.

Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A” means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 903” means Rule 903 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 904” means Rule 904 promulgated under the Securities Act.

S&P” means S&P Global Ratings or any successor to the ratings business thereof.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Senior Credit Agreement” means the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of April 5, 2013, among (i) the Company, as parent, (ii) Oasis Petroleum LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (iii) OPNA, as borrower, (iv) Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and (v) the lenders party thereto from time to time, and any related notes, Guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and in each case as further amended, restated, modified, supplemented, increased, renewed, refunded, replaced (including replacement after the termination of such credit facility), supplemented, restructured or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time in one or more agreements or instruments.

 

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Senior Debt” means:

(1) all Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding under Credit Facilities and all Hedging Obligations with respect thereto;

(2) the Notes and any other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries permitted to be incurred under the terms of this Indenture, unless the instrument under which such Indebtedness is incurred expressly provides that it is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any Subsidiary Guarantee; and

(3) all Obligations with respect to the items listed in the preceding clauses (1) and (2).

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding sentence, Senior Debt will not include:

(a) any intercompany Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to the Company or any of its Affiliates;

(b) any Indebtedness that is incurred in violation of this Indenture; or

(c) any trade payables or taxes owed or owing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.

Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X under the Securities Act.

Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the documentation governing such Indebtedness as of its issue date, and will not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.

Subordinated Debt” means Indebtedness of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor that is contractually subordinated in right of payment (by its terms or the terms of any document or instrument relating thereto), to the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable.

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(1) any corporation, association or other business entity (other than a partnership) of which more than 50% of the total voting power of its Voting Stock is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

 

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(2) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).

Subsidiary Guarantee” means any Guarantee of the Notes by any Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with Article Ten of this Indenture.

Subsidiary Guarantor” means each Restricted Subsidiary that has become obligated under a Subsidiary Guarantee, in accordance with the terms of the Guarantee provisions of this Indenture, but only for so long as such Subsidiary remains so obligated pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb).

Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(159)” or any successor publication that is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and that establishes yields on actively traded U.S. Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the stated maturity, yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue shall be determined, and the Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight-line basis, rounding to the nearest month) or (2) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date. The Treasury Rate shall be calculated no later than the second Business Day (and no earlier than the fourth Business Day) preceding the redemption date.

Trustee” means U.S. Bank National Association, until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.

Unrestricted Definitive Note” means a Definitive Note that does not bear and is not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Global Note” means a Global Note that does not bear and is not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Subsidiary” means (i) Oasis Midstream Partners LP and (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary or a Person becoming a Subsidiary through merger or consolidation or Investment therein) that is designated by the Board of Directors of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to a resolution of such Board of Directors, but only to the extent that such Subsidiary:

 

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(1) has no Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt;

(2) is a Person with respect to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any direct or indirect obligation (a) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests or (b) to maintain or preserve such Person’s financial condition; and

(3) has not guaranteed or otherwise directly or indirectly provided credit support for any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, except to the extent such Guarantee or credit support would be released upon such designation.

Any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall also be an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

U.S. Person” means a U.S. Person as defined in Rule 902(k) promulgated under the Securities Act.

Volumetric Production Payments” means production payment obligations recorded as deferred revenue in accordance with GAAP, together with all related undertakings and obligations.

Voting Stock” of any specified Person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person.

Weighted Average Life to Maturity” means, when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing:

(1) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect of the Indebtedness, by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment; by

(2) the then outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness.

Section 1.02 Other Definitions.

 

Term

   Defined in
Section
 

“Affiliate Transaction”

     4.11  

“Alternate Offer”

     4.15  

“Asset Sale Offer”

     4.10  

“Authentication Order”

     2.02  

“Change of Control Offer”

     4.15  

“Change of Control Payment”

     4.15  

“Change of Control Payment Date”

     4.15  

“Covenant Defeasance”

     8.03  

“DTC”

     2.03  

 

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Term

   Defined in
Section
 

“Event of Default”

     6.01  

“Excess Proceeds”

     4.10  

“incur”

     4.09  

“Initial Lien”

     4.12  

“Legal Defeasance”

     8.02  

“Offer Amount”

     4.10  

“Offer Period”

     4.10  

“Paying Agent”

     2.03  

“Payment Default”

     6.01  

“Permitted Debt”

     4.09  

“Purchase Date”

     4.10  

“Registrar”

     2.03  

“Restricted Payments”

     4.07  

Section 1.03 Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(c) “or” is not exclusive;

(d) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

(e) “will” shall be interpreted to express a command;

(f) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;

(g) “including” shall be interpreted to mean “including, without limitation,” and the use of the word “including” followed by specific examples shall not be construed as limiting the meaning of the general wording preceding it; and

(h) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act will be deemed to include substitute, replacement of successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.

 

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ARTICLE 2

THE NOTES

Section 2.01 Form and Dating.

(a) General. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Note will be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The terms and provisions contained in the Notes will constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However, to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

(b) Global Notes. Notes issued in global form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued in definitive form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note will represent such of the outstanding Notes as will be specified therein and each shall provide that it represents the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby will be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by Section 2.06 hereof.

(c) Euroclear and Clearstream Procedures Applicable. The provisions of the “Operating Procedures of the Euroclear System” and “Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear” and the “General Terms and Conditions of Clearstream Banking” and “Customer Handbook” of Clearstream will be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Global Note that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Clearstream.

Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication.

At least one Officer must sign the Notes for the Company by manual, facsimile or electronically transmitted signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time a Note is authenticated, the Note will nevertheless be valid.

A Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature will be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.

 

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The Trustee will, upon receipt of a written order of the Company signed by an Officer of the Company (an “Authentication Order”), authenticate Notes for original issue (i) on the date hereof as Initial Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $400.0 million and (ii) thereafter any Additional Notes that may be validly issued under this Indenture. The aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at any time may not exceed the aggregate principal amount of Notes authorized for issuance by the Company pursuant to one or more Authentication Orders, except as provided in Section 2.07 hereof.

The Trustee shall also authenticate and deliver Notes at the times and in the manner specified in Section 2.06, Section 2.07, Section 2.10, Section 3.06, Section 4.15 and Section 9.04.

With respect to any Additional Notes, the Company shall set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to original issuance thereof, the following information:

(a) the aggregate principal amount of such Additional Notes to be authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture;

(b) the issue price, the issue date (and the corresponding date from which interest shall accrue thereon and the first interest payment date therefor) and the CUSIP and/or ISIN number of such Additional Notes; and

(c) whether such Additional Notes shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in Section 2.06 relating to Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an Affiliate of the Company.

Section 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company will maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar will keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company will notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.

 

 

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The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent (at its office indicated in the definition of Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee in Section 1.01 hereof) and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes.

Section 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

The Company will require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) will have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it will segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to the Company, the Trustee will serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.

Section 2.05 Holder Lists.

The Trustee will preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company will furnish to the Trustee at least seven Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Notes.

Section 2.06 Transfer and Exchange.

(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. A Global Note may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All Global Notes will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if:

(1) the Depositary notifies the Company (A) that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as Depositary or (B) that it is no longer a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the date of such notice from the Depositary;

(2) the Company, at its option but subject to the Depositary’s requirements, notifies the Trustee in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of the Definitive Notes; or

(3) there has occurred and is continuing an Event of Default and the Depositary notifies the Trustee of its decision to exchange such Global Note for Definitive Notes.

 

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Upon the occurrence of the preceding events in (1), (2) or (3) above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in such names as the Depositary shall instruct the Trustee. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.10 hereof. Every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Section 2.07 or 2.10 hereof, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.06(a); however, beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b) or (c) hereof. Whenever any provision herein refers to issuance by the Company and authentication and delivery by the Trustee of a new Note in exchange for the portion of a surrendered Note that has not been redeemed or repurchased, as the case may be, in lieu of the surrender of any Global Note and the issuance, authentication and delivery of a new Global Note in exchange therefor, the Trustee or the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee may endorse such Global Note to reflect a reduction in the principal amount represented thereby in the amount of Notes so represented that have been so redeemed or repurchased.

(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Participants and Indirect Participants shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on their behalf by the Depositary or by the Trustee as the Custodian with respect to the Global Notes, and the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be entitled to treat the Depositary as the absolute owner of such Global Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Participants or the Indirect Participants, the operation of customary practices of such Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Note. Subject to the provisions of this Section 2.06 and Section 12.16, the Holder of a Global Note shall be entitled to grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Participants and Indirect Participants and Persons that may hold interests through such Persons, to take any action that a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Notes. Beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes will be subject to restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities Act. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also will require compliance with either subparagraph (1) or (2) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:

(1) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note. Beneficial interests in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the same Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer restrictions set forth in the Private Placement Legend. Beneficial interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(1).

 

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(2) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(1) above, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either:

(A) both:

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

(ii) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase; or

(B) both:

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

(ii) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (1) above.

Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this Indenture and the Notes or otherwise applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof.

(3) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in Another Restricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(2) above and the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof; and

(B) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof.

 

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(4) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the exchange or transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(2) above and the Registrar receives the following:

(i) the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(a) thereof; or

(ii) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this Section 2.06(b)(4), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

If any such transfer is effected pursuant to this Section 2.06(b)(4) at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company shall issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to this Section 2.06(b)(4).

Beneficial interests in an Unrestricted Global Note cannot be exchanged for, or transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of, a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note.

(c) Transfer or Exchange of Beneficial Interests for Definitive Notes. The following provisions of this Section 2.06(c) shall apply to transfers or exchanges of beneficial interests in a Global Note for a Definitive Note pursuant to Section 2.06(a). Except as provided in Section 2.06(a), Holders shall not be entitled to effect such an exchange.

(1) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

 

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(A) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(a) thereof;

(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;

(F) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(G) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(1) shall bear the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer contained therein.

 

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(2) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note may exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or may transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note only if the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or

(ii) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this Section 2.06(c)(2), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(3) Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(2) hereof, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(3) will be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest requests through instructions to the Registrar from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee will deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(3) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(d) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests.

(1) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes. If any Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note or to transfer such Restricted Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

 

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(A) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(b) thereof;

(B) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;

(F) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(G) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee will cancel the Restricted Definitive Note, increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of, in the case of clause (A) above, the appropriate Restricted Global Note, in the case of clause (B) above, the 144A Global Note, and in the case of clause (C) above, the Regulation S Global Note.

(2) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note only if the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(c) thereof; or

 

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(ii) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this Section 2.06(d)(2), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this Section 2.06(d)(2), the Trustee will cancel the Definitive Notes and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the Unrestricted Global Note.

(3) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of an Unrestricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee will cancel the applicable Unrestricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of the Unrestricted Global Notes.

If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraph (2) or (3) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.

(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar will register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder must present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder must provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 2.06(e).

 

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(1) Restricted Definitive Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be transferred to and registered in the name of Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note if the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 144A, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(B) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule 904, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof; and

(C) if the transfer will be made pursuant to any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.

(2) Restricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or transferred to a Person or Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note if the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(d) thereof; or

(ii) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this 2.06(e)(2), if the Registrar so requests, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(3) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.

(f) [Intentionally omitted.]

 

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(g) Legends. The following legends will appear on the face of all Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture.

(1) Private Placement Legend.

(A) Except as permitted by subparagraph (B) below, each Global Note and each Definitive Note (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) shall bear the legend in substantially the following form:

“THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS, EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE HOLDER (1) REPRESENTS THAT (A) IT IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) (A “QIB”) OR (B) IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON, IS NOT ACQUIRING THIS NOTE FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS NOTE IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (2) AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT, PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS ONE YEAR AFTER THE LATER OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF, THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE OF THE ISSUANCE OF ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES AND THE LAST DATE ON WHICH THE COMPANY, OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, WAS THE OWNER OF THIS NOTE, RESELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS NOTE EXCEPT (A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) TO A PERSON WHOM THE HOLDER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QIB PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QIB IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (D) PURSUANT TO THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE), OR (E) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND (3) AGREES THAT IT WILL DELIVER TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THIS NOTE OR AN INTEREST HEREIN IS TRANSFERRED A NOTICE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF THIS LEGEND. IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE OR ANY INTEREST HEREIN WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO ABOVE, THE HOLDER MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT TO THE TRUSTEE THE CERTIFICATE SPECIFIED IN THE INDENTURE RELATING TO THE MANNER OF SUCH TRANSFER (THE FORM OF WHICH CERTIFICATE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE TRUSTEE). BY ITS ACQUISITION OF THIS NOTE, THE HOLDER WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE REPRESENTED AND WARRANTED THAT EITHER (1) NO PORTION OF THE ASSETS USED BY SUCH HOLDER TO ACQUIRE OR HOLD THIS NOTE (OR ANY INTEREST IN THIS NOTE) CONSTITUTES THE ASSETS OF AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN THAT IS SUBJECT

 

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TO TITLE I OF THE U.S. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED (“ERISA”), A PLAN, INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OR OTHER ARRANGEMENT THAT IS SUBJECT TO SECTION 4975 OF THE U.S. INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED (THE “CODE”), OR ANY GOVERNMENTAL PLAN, CHURCH PLAN, OR NON-U.S. PLAN SUBJECT TO OTHER FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, NON-U.S. OR OTHER LAWS OR REGULATIONS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO SUCH PROVISIONS OF ERISA OR THE CODE (“SIMILAR LAWS”), OR AN ENTITY WHOSE UNDERLYING ASSETS ARE CONSIDERED TO INCLUDE “PLAN ASSETS” OF SUCH PLAN, ACCOUNT OR ARRANGEMENT, OR (2) THE ACQUISITION, HOLDING AND SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION OF THIS NOTE (OR ANY INTEREST IN THIS NOTE) WILL NOT CONSTITUTE A NON-EXEMPT PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE OR A SIMILAR VIOLATION UNDER ANY APPLICABLE SIMILAR LAWS. AS USED HEREIN, THE TERMS “OFFSHORE TRANSACTION,” “UNITED STATES” AND “U.S. PERSON” HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM BY RULE 902 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.

(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraphs (b)(4), (c)(2), (c)(3), (d)(2), (d)(3), (e)(2) or (e)(3) of this Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(2) Global Note Legend. Each Global Note will bear a legend in substantially the following form:

THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (1) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06 OF THE INDENTURE, (2) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (3) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (4) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (DTC), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY

 

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CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

(h) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for beneficial interests in another Global Note or Definitive Notes, or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note will be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note will be reduced accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note will be increased accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.

(i) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.

(1) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof or at the Registrar’s request.

(2) No service charge will be made to a Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.10, 3.06, 4.10, 4.15 and 9.04 hereof).

(3) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes will be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(4) Neither the Registrar nor the Company will be required:

(A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Notes for redemption under Section 3.02 hereof and ending at the close of business on the day of selection;

 

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(B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part; or

(C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a record date and the next succeeding interest payment date.

(5) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Company shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

(6) The Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02 hereof.

(7) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile or electronic image scan.

(8) The Trustee shall have no responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Note, a member of, or a participant in the Depositary or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Notes or with respect to the delivery to any participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of any notice (including any notice of optional redemption) or the payment of any amount, under or with respect to such Notes.

(9) The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants, members or beneficial owners in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by, the terms of this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

(10) The transferor of any Note shall provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any applicable tax reporting obligations, including without limitation any cost basis reporting obligations under Section 6045 of the Code. The Trustee may rely on information provided to it and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information. In connection with any proposed exchange of a certificated Note for a Global Note, the Company or the Depositary shall be required to provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any applicable tax reporting obligations, including without limitation any cost basis reporting obligations under Section 6045 of the Code. The Trustee may rely on information provided to it and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.

 

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Section 2.07 Replacement Notes.

If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or the Company and the Trustee and the Company receives evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Note, and such other reasonable requirements as may be imposed by the Company as permitted by Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code have been satisfied, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Note has been acquired by a “protected purchaser” within the meaning of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the Company will issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, will authenticate a replacement Note if the Trustee’s requirements are met. An indemnity bond must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company may charge for its expenses in replacing a Note.

Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company and will be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.

Section 2.08 Outstanding Notes.

The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those described in this Section 2.08 as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section 2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Note; however, Notes held by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company shall not be deemed to be outstanding for purposes of Section 3.07(a) hereof.

If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a protected purchaser within the meaning of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 4.01 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to accrue.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on a redemption date or other maturity date, money sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes will be deemed to be no longer outstanding and will cease to accrue interest.

 

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Section 2.09 Treasury Notes.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, will be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee will be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned will be so disregarded.

Section 2.10 Temporary Notes.

Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, will authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes will be substantially in the form of certificated Notes but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as may be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Company will prepare and the Trustee will authenticate definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.

Section 2.11 Cancellation.

The Company at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent will forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee and no one else will cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and will destroy canceled Notes (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act) in accordance with the Trustee’s policy then in effect. Certification of the destruction of all canceled Notes will be delivered to the Company upon its written request. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.12 Defaulted Interest.

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it will pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof (provided that no special record date shall be required with respect to interest paid within an applicable grace period therefor). The Company will notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment. The Company will fix or cause to be fixed each such special record date and payment date; provided that no such special record date may be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Company (or, upon the written request of the Company, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company) will mail or cause to be mailed to Holders a notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.

Section 2.13 Computation of Interest.

Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months.

 

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Section 2.14 CUSIP Numbers.

The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.

ARTICLE 3

REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT

Section 3.01 Notices to Trustee.

If the Company elects to redeem Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of Section 3.07 hereof, it must furnish to the Trustee, at least five Business Days (or such shorter time as may be acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the giving of notice of a redemption, an Officers’ Certificate setting forth:

(a) the clause of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur;

(b) the redemption date;

(c) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed; and

(d) the redemption price (if then determined and otherwise the method of determination).

Section 3.02 Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.

(a) If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee will select the Notes to be redeemed among the Holders of the Notes on a pro rata basis (or, in the case of Global Notes, the Trustee will select the Notes for redemption based on DTC’s method that most nearly approximates a pro rata selection), unless otherwise required by law or applicable stock exchange requirements.

(b) The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. No Notes in amounts of $2,000 or less shall be redeemed in part. Notes and portions of Notes selected shall be in amounts of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder, even if less than $2,000 and/or a non-multiple of $1,000, shall be redeemed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.

Section 3.03 Notice of Redemption.

(a) At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before an optional redemption date, the Company shall send or cause to be sent, by first class mail (or sent electronically if DTC is the recipient), a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address; provided, however, that (notwithstanding the foregoing) notices of redemption may be sent more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if such notice is issued in connection with a Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance of the Notes or the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

 

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The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed and shall state:

(i) the redemption date;

(ii) the redemption price, or if not then ascertainable, the manner of calculation thereof;

(iii) if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Note to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Note shall be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Note;

(iv) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(v) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price and become due on the date fixed for redemption, unless the redemption is subject to a condition precedent that is not satisfied or waived;

(vi) that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment, interest, if any, on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;

(vii) the paragraph of the Notes and/or Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed;

(viii) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP or CINS number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes; and

(ix) any conditions that must be satisfied prior to the Company becoming obligated to consummate such redemption.

(b) At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense; provided, however, that the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least five Business Days prior to mailing of notice of the redemption (or such shorter period of time as may be acceptable to the Trustee), a request pursuant to Section 3.01 hereof that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph.

Section 3.04 Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is sent in accordance with Section 3.03 hereof, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable (subject to the provisions of the next succeeding sentence) on the redemption date at the redemption price, subject to satisfaction of any condition specified with respect to such redemption. A notice of redemption may, at the Company’s discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including completion of the related Equity Offering or the occurrence of the Change of Control, as applicable, specified in the notice of redemption. If a redemption is subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, the related notice shall describe each such condition, and if applicable, shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the date of redemption may be delayed until such time as any or all such

 

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conditions shall be satisfied or waived (provided that in no event shall such date of redemption be delayed to a date later than 60 days after the date on which such notice was sent), or such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied or waived by the Company by the date of redemption, or by the date of redemption as so delayed. If any such condition precedent has not been satisfied, the Company will provide written notice to the Trustee prior to the close of business two Business Days prior to the redemption date. Upon receipt of such notice, the notice of redemption shall be rescinded and the redemption of the Notes shall not occur. Upon receipt, the Trustee shall provide such notice to each Holder of the Notes in the same manner in which the notice of redemption was given.

Section 3.05 Deposit of Redemption Price.

No later than 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the redemption date, the Company will deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest, if any, on all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent will promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest, if any, on all Notes to be redeemed.

If the Company complies with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption. If a Note is redeemed on or after an interest record date but on or prior to the related interest payment date, then any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such record date. If any Note called for redemption is not so paid upon surrender for redemption because of the failure of the Company to comply with the preceding paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal, from the redemption date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof.

Section 3.06 Notes Redeemed in Part.

Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed in part, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, the Trustee will authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Company a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered.

Section 3.07 Optional Redemption.

(a) At any time prior to May 1, 2021, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture, upon notice as provided in this Indenture, at a redemption price equal to 106.250% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption (subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest on the relevant interest payment date), with an amount of cash not greater than the net cash proceeds of one or more Equity Offerings, provided that:

(1) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under this Indenture on the date of the Indenture (excluding Notes held by the Company and its Subsidiaries) remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption; and

 

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(2) the redemption occurs within 180 days after the date of the closing of such Equity Offering.

(b) At any time prior to May 1, 2021, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon notice as provided in this Indenture, at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price (subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

(c) The Company may redeem the Notes when permitted by, and pursuant to the conditions in, Section 4.15(g) hereof.

(d) Except pursuant to Section 3.07(a), (b) or (c), the Notes will not be redeemable at the Company’s option prior to May 1, 2021.

(e) On or after May 1, 2021, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon notice as provided in this Indenture, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes redeemed, to the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on May 1 of the years indicated below, subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest on the relevant interest payment date:

 

Year

   Percentage  

2021

     103.125

2022

     101.563

2023 and thereafter

     100.000

(f) Any redemption pursuant to this Section 3.07 shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.

Section 3.08 Mandatory Redemption.

The Company is not required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

ARTICLE 4

COVENANTS

Section 4.01 Payment of Notes.

The Company will pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, the Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes. Principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, will be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company, holds as of 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the due date money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, then due.

 

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The Company will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal at a rate that is equal to the then applicable interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; it will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest, if any (without regard to any applicable grace period), at the same rate to the extent lawful.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining satisfaction and discharge with respect to the Notes or for any other purpose, pay, or direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request, or (if then held by the Company) shall, unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat, or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may, at the expense of the Company, cause to be published once, in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat, or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be repaid to the Company.

Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.

The Company will maintain, an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee) where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange. If the Definitive Notes are issued and outstanding, such office must be in the City and State of New York. The Company initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company fails to maintain any such required office or agency or fails to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations and surrenders may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

 

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The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission will in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the City and State of New York for such purposes if required. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

With respect to any Global Notes, the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be the office or agency where such Global Notes may be presented or surrendered for payment or for registration of transfer or exchange, or where successor Notes may be delivered in exchange therefor; provided, however, that any such presentation, surrender or delivery effected pursuant to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary shall be deemed to have been effected at such office or agency in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

Section 4.03 Reports.

(a) Regardless of whether required by the rules and regulations of the SEC, so long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company will file with the SEC for public availability, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and regulations (unless the SEC will not accept such a filing, in which case the Company will comply with the requirements described in Section 4.03(b)):

(1) all quarterly and annual reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 10-K under the Exchange Act if the Company were required to file such reports; and

(2) all current reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Form 8-K under the Exchange Act if the Company were required to file such reports.

All such reports will be prepared in all material respects in accordance with all of the rules and regulations applicable to such reports. Each annual report on Form 10-K will include a report on the Company’s consolidated financial statements by the Company’s certified independent accountants.

(b) If, at any time, the Company is no longer subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for any reason, the Company will nevertheless continue filing the reports specified in Section 4.03(a) with the SEC within the time periods specified in Section 4.03(a) unless the SEC will not accept such a filing. The Company will not take any action for the purpose of causing the SEC not to accept any such filings. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, the SEC will not accept the Company’s filings for any reason, the Company will post the reports referred to in Section 4.03(a) on its website within the time periods that would apply if the Company were required to file those reports with the SEC.

(c) If the Company has designated any of its Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries, then the quarterly and annual financial information required by Section 4.03(a) and Section 4.03(b) will include a reasonably detailed presentation, either on the face of the financial statements or in the footnotes thereto, and in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries separate from the financial condition and results of operations of the Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

 

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(d) In addition, the Company agrees that, for so long as any Notes remain outstanding, if at any time it is not required to file with the SEC the reports required by Section 4.03(a), it will furnish to the Holders of Notes and to securities analysts and prospective investors, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.

Section 4.04 Compliance Certificate.

(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year ending after the date of this Indenture, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and are not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default has occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto).

(b) So long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company will deliver to the Trustee, within five days after any Officer of the Company becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, a written statement specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

Section 4.05 Taxes.

The Company shall pay, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, any taxes, assessments, and governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.

Section 4.06 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.

The Company and each of the Subsidiary Guarantors covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company and each of the Subsidiary Guarantors (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

 

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Section 4.07 Restricted Payments.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:

(1) declare or pay any dividend or make any other payment or distribution on account of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests (including, without limitation, any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) or to the direct or indirect holders of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests in their capacity as such (other than dividends or distributions payable in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company and other than dividends or distributions payable to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary);

(2) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire for value (including, without limitation, any such purchase, redemption, acquisition or retirement made in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company) any Equity Interests of the Company or any direct or indirect parent company of the Company;

(3) make any payment on or with respect to, or purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value any Subordinated Debt, except a payment of interest or principal at the Stated Maturity thereof (excluding (a) any intercompany Indebtedness between or among the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (b) the purchase or other acquisition of Subordinated Debt acquired in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of such purchase or other acquisition); or

(4) make any Restricted Investment;

(all such payments and other actions set forth in clauses (1) through (4) above being collectively referred to as “Restricted Payments”), unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such Restricted Payment:

(A) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would occur as a consequence of such Restricted Payment;

(B) the Company would, at the time of such Restricted Payment and after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Restricted Payment had been made at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, have been permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09(a) of this Indenture; and

(C) such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries since the Prior Issue Date (excluding Restricted Payments permitted by clauses (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) and (12) of Section 4.07(b) of this Indenture), is equal to or less than the sum, without duplication, of:

 

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(i) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for the period (taken as one accounting period) from the beginning of the most recent fiscal quarter commencing before the Prior Issue Date to the end of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted Payment (or, if such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, less 100% of such deficit); plus

(ii) 100% of (1)(A) the aggregate net cash proceeds and (B) the Fair Market Value of (i) marketable securities (other than marketable securities of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company), (ii) Capital Stock of a Person (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) engaged primarily in any Related Business and (iii) other assets used or useful in any Related Business, in each case received by the Company since the Prior Issue Date as a contribution to its common equity capital or from the issue or sale of Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or from the issue or sale of convertible or exchangeable Disqualified Stock or convertible or exchangeable debt securities of the Company that have been converted into or exchanged for such Equity Interests (other than Equity Interests (or Disqualified Stock or debt securities) sold to a Subsidiary of the Company), (2) with respect to Indebtedness that is incurred on or after the Prior Issue Date, the amount by which such Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is reduced on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange after the Prior Issue Date of any such Indebtedness into or for Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock), and (3) the aggregate net cash proceeds, if any, received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries upon any conversion or exchange described in clause (1) or (2) above; plus

(iii) with respect to Restricted Investments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries after the Prior Issue Date, an amount equal to the sum, without duplication, of (1) the net reduction in such Restricted Investments in any Person resulting from (a) repayments of loans or advances, or other transfers of assets, in each case to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, (b) other repurchases, repayments or redemptions of such Restricted Investments, (c) the sale of any such Restricted Investment to a purchaser other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company or (d) the release of any Guarantee (except to the extent any amounts are paid under such Guarantee) that constituted a Restricted Investment plus (2) with respect to any Unrestricted Subsidiary designated as such after the Prior Issue Date that is redesignated as a Restricted Subsidiary after the Prior Issue Date, the lesser of (a) the Fair Market Value of the Company’s Investment in such Subsidiary held by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries at the time of such redesignation and (b) the aggregate amount of Investments made by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in such Subsidiary upon or after the designation of such Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary and prior to the redesignation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary; plus

 

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(iv) 100% of any dividends received by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary after the Prior Issue Date from an Unrestricted Subsidiary, to the extent such dividends were not otherwise included in the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for such period.

(b) Section 4.07(a) of this Indenture will not prohibit:

(1) the payment of any dividend or the consummation of any irrevocable redemption within 60 days after the date of declaration of the dividend or giving of the redemption notice, as the case may be, if at the date of declaration or notice, the dividend or redemption payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture;

(2) the making of any Restricted Payment in exchange for, or out of the net cash proceeds from the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of, Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock and other than Equity Interests issued or sold to an employee stock ownership plan, option plan or similar trust to the extent such sale to an employee stock ownership plan, option plan or similar trust is financed by loans from or Guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries unless such loans have been repaid with cash on or prior to the date of determination) or from the substantially concurrent contribution of common equity capital to the Company; provided that the amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such Restricted Payment will be excluded from clause (4)(C)(ii) of Section 4.07(a) and clause (7) of this Section 4.07(b);

(3) the purchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of Subordinated Debt (including the payment of any required premium and any fees and expenses incurred in connection with such purchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement) with the net cash proceeds from a substantially concurrent incurrence of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness;

(4) the purchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Equity Interests of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary held by any of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ current or former directors or employees in connection with the exercise or vesting of any equity compensation (including, without limitation, stock options, restricted stock and phantom stock) in order to satisfy the Company’s or such Restricted Subsidiary’s tax withholding obligation with respect to such exercise or vesting;

(5) purchases of Capital Stock deemed to occur upon the exercise of stock options if such Capital Stock represents a portion of the exercise price thereof;

(6) payments to fund the purchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value by the Company of fractional Equity Interests arising out of stock dividends, splits or combinations, business combinations or other transactions permitted by this Indenture;

 

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(7) as long as no Default has occurred and is continuing or would be caused thereby, the purchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Equity Interests of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary held by any of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ current or former directors or employees; provided that the aggregate price paid for all such purchased, redeemed, acquired or retired Equity Interests may not exceed the sum of (A) $20.0 million, plus (B) the aggregate amount of cash proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Company’s Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) to any such directors or employees that occurs after the Prior Issue Date; provided that the amount of such cash proceeds utilized for any such purchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement will be excluded from clause (4)(C)(ii) of Section 4.07(a) and clause (2) of this Section 4.07(b) plus (C) the cash proceeds of key man life insurance policies received by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries after the Prior Issue Date;

(8) as long as no Default has occurred and is continuing or would be caused thereby, the declaration and payment of regularly scheduled or accrued dividends to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the Company or any class or series of preferred stock of any Restricted Subsidiary issued on or after the Prior Issue Date in accordance with Section 4.09;

(9) the payment of any dividend (or, in the case of any partnership or limited liability company, any similar distribution) by a Restricted Subsidiary to the holders of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of such Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such dividend or similar distribution is paid to all holders of such Equity Interests on a pro rata basis based on their respective holdings of such Equity Interests;

(10) purchases of Subordinated Debt at a purchase price not greater than (A) 101% of the principal amount of such Subordinated Debt and accrued and unpaid interest thereon in the event of a Change of Control or (B) 100% of the principal amount of such Subordinated Debt and accrued and unpaid interest thereon in the event of an Asset Sale in connection with any change of control offer or asset sale offer required by the terms of such Subordinated Debt, but only if:

(A) in the case of a Change of Control, the Company has first complied with and fully satisfied its obligations under Section 4.15; or

(B) in the case of an Asset Sale, the Company has complied with and fully satisfied its obligations under Section 4.10;

(11) payments or distributions to dissenting stockholders pursuant to applicable law in connection with a merger, consolidation or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company that complies with Section 5.01 of this Indenture; and

(12) other Restricted Payments since the Prior Issue Date in an aggregate amount at any time outstanding not to exceed $50.0 million.

 

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(c) The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) shall be the Fair Market Value, on the date of such Restricted Payment, of the Restricted Investment proposed to be made or the asset(s) or securities proposed to be paid, transferred or issued by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to such Restricted Payment, except that the Fair Market Value of any non-cash dividend paid within 60 days after the date of declaration shall be determined as of such date.

(d) The Fair Market Value of any cash Restricted Payment shall be its face amount, and the Fair Market Value of any non-cash Restricted Payment shall be determined in accordance with the definition of that term. For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.07, in the event that a Restricted Payment meets the criteria of more than one of the exceptions described in clauses (1) through (12) of Section 4.07(b) or is entitled to be made pursuant to Section 4.07(a), the Company shall, in its sole discretion, classify such Restricted Payment, or later classify, reclassify or re-divide all or a portion of such Restricted Payment, in any manner that complies with this Section 4.07.

Section 4.08 Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to:

(1) pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(2) make loans or advances to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; or

(3) sell, lease or transfer any of its properties or assets to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

(b) However, the restrictions in Section 4.08(a) will not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing under, by reason of or with respect to:

(1) the Senior Credit Agreement, any Existing Indebtedness, Capital Stock or any other agreements or instruments, in each case, in effect on the Issue Date and any amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, extensions, supplements, increases, refundings, replacements or refinancings thereof; provided that the encumbrances and restrictions in any such amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, extensions, supplements, increases, refundings, replacements or refinancings are, in the reasonable good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, no more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those contained in the applicable agreements or instruments as in effect on the Issue Date;

(2) this Indenture, the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees;

 

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(3) applicable law, rule, regulation, order, approval, permit or similar restriction;

(4) any instrument governing Indebtedness or Capital Stock of a Person acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as in effect at the time of such acquisition (except to the extent such Indebtedness or Capital Stock was incurred in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person, or the property or assets of the Person, so acquired and any amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, extensions, supplements, increases, refundings, replacements or refinancings thereof; provided, that the encumbrances and restrictions in any such amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, extensions, supplements, increases, refundings, replacements or refinancings are, in the reasonable good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, no more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those in effect on the date of the acquisition; provided, further, that, in the case of Indebtedness, such Indebtedness was permitted by the terms of this Indenture to be incurred;

(5) customary non-assignment provisions in contracts, leases and licenses (including, without limitation, licenses of intellectual property) entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(6) any agreement for the sale or other disposition of the Equity Interests in, or all or substantially all of the properties or assets of, a Restricted Subsidiary, that restricts distributions by the applicable Restricted Subsidiary pending the sale or other disposition;

(7) Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness; provided that the restrictions contained in the agreements governing such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness are not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those contained in the agreements governing the Indebtedness being refinanced;

(8) Liens permitted to be incurred under the provisions of Section 4.12 that limit the right of the debtor to dispose of the assets subject to such Liens;

(9) the issuance of preferred stock by a Restricted Subsidiary or the payment of dividends thereon in accordance with the terms thereof; provided that issuance of such preferred stock is permitted pursuant to Section 4.09 and the terms of such preferred stock do not expressly restrict the ability of a Restricted Subsidiary to pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock (other than requirements to pay dividends or liquidation preferences on such preferred stock prior to paying any dividends or making any other distributions on such other Capital Stock);

(10) other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries permitted to be incurred pursuant to an agreement entered into subsequent to the Issue Date in accordance with Section 4.09; provided that the provisions relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in such Indebtedness are not materially less favorable to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in the reasonable good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, than the provisions contained in the Senior Credit Agreement as in effect on the Issue Date;

 

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(11) Indebtedness incurred or Capital Stock issued by any Restricted Subsidiary, provided that the restrictions contained in the agreements or instruments governing such Indebtedness or Capital Stock (A) apply only in the event of a payment default or a default with respect to a financial covenant in such agreement or instrument or (B) will not materially affect the Company’s ability to pay all principal, interest and premium, if any, on the Notes, in the reasonable good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company;

(12) customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of any lease governing a leasehold interest;

(13) Hedging Obligations permitted from time to time under this Indenture;

(14) restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business; and

(15) with respect only to encumbrances or restrictions of the type referred to in clause (3) of Section 4.08(a):

(A) customary nonassignment provisions (including provisions forbidding subletting) in leases governing leasehold interests or Farm-In Agreements or Farm-Out Agreements relating to leasehold interests in oil and gas properties to the extent such provisions restrict the transfer of the lease, the property leased thereunder or the other interests therein;

(B) provisions limiting the disposition or distribution of assets or property in, or transfer of Capital Stock of, joint venture agreements, asset sale agreements, sale-leaseback agreements, stock sale agreements and other similar agreements entered into (1) in the ordinary course of business, or (2) with the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors, which limitations are applicable only to the assets, property or Capital Stock that are the subject of such agreements; and

(C) Capital Lease Obligations, security agreements, mortgages, purchase money agreements or similar instruments to the extent such encumbrance or restriction restricts the transfer of the property (including Capital Stock) subject to such Capital Lease Obligations, security agreements, mortgages, purchase money agreements or similar instruments.

 

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Section 4.09 Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly create, incur, issue, assume, Guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable, contingently or otherwise, with respect to (collectively, “incur;” with “incurrence” having a correlative meaning) any Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt), and the Company will not issue any Disqualified Stock and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to issue any preferred stock; provided,however, that the Company may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) and issue Disqualified Stock, and Subsidiary Guarantors may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) and issue preferred stock, if (i) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Company’s most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Stock or preferred stock is issued, as the case may be, would have been at least 2.0 to 1.0, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred or the Disqualified Stock or preferred stock had been issued, as the case may be, at the beginning of such four-quarter period and (ii) no Default would occur as a consequence of, and no Event of Default would be continuing following, the incurrence of the Indebtedness or the transactions relating to such incurrence, including any related application of the proceeds thereof.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 4.09(a) will not prohibit the incurrence of any of the following items of Indebtedness or the issuance of any Disqualified Stock or preferred stock described in clauses (5), (7) and (15) of this Section 4.09(b) (collectively, “Permitted Debt”):

(1) the incurrence by the Company and any Subsidiary Guarantor of Indebtedness under Credit Facilities in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding under this clause (1) (with letters of credit being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the maximum potential liability of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries thereunder) not to exceed the greatest of (A) $1.6 billion, (B) the sum of $300.0 million plus an amount equal to 30.0% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company, determined as of the date of the incurrence of such Indebtedness and (C) the Borrowing Base as of the date of incurrence of such Indebtedness, in each case after giving pro forma effect to such incurrence and the application of the proceeds therefrom;

(2) the incurrence by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries of Existing Indebtedness;

(3) the incurrence by the Company of Indebtedness represented by the Notes to be issued on the Issue Date;

(4) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness represented by Capital Lease Obligations, mortgage financings or purchase money obligations, in each case, incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of design, construction, installation, improvement, deployment, refurbishment or modification of property, plant or equipment or furniture,

 

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fixtures and equipment, in each case, used in the business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding, including all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to extend, renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise retire for value any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (4), not to exceed the greater of (A) $150.0 million and (B) 5.0% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company, determined as of the date of the incurrence of such Indebtedness;

(5) the incurrence or issuance by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to extend, renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise retire for value any Indebtedness (other than intercompany Indebtedness) or Disqualified Stock of the Company, or Indebtedness (other than intercompany Indebtedness) or preferred stock of any Restricted Subsidiary, in each case that was permitted by this Indenture to be incurred or issued under Section 4.09(a) or clause (2), (3), (4), (5), (10), (14) or (15) of this Section 4.09(b);

(6) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of intercompany Indebtedness between or among the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that (A) if the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is the obligor on such Indebtedness and the payee is not the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor, such Indebtedness must be expressly subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all obligations then due with respect to the Notes, in the case of the Company, or the Subsidiary Guarantee, in the case of a Subsidiary Guarantor; and (B)(1) any subsequent issuance or transfer of Equity Interests that results in any such Indebtedness being held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and (2) any sale or other transfer of any such Indebtedness to a Person that is not either the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary will be deemed, in each case, to constitute an incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, that was not permitted by this clause (6);

(7) the issuance by any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries to the Company or to any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of any preferred stock; provided, however, that:

(A) any subsequent issuance or transfer of Equity Interests that results in any such preferred stock being held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; and

(B) any sale or other transfer of any such preferred stock to a Person that is not either the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary,

will be deemed, in each case, to constitute an issuance of such preferred stock by such Restricted Subsidiary that was not permitted by this clause (7);

 

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(8) the incurrence of obligations of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to Interest Rate and Currency Hedges, in each case entered into in the ordinary course of business for the non-speculative purpose of limiting risks that arise in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(9) the Guarantee by the Company or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that was permitted to be incurred by another provision of this Section 4.09; provided that if the Indebtedness being Guaranteed is subordinated to or pari passu with the Notes, then the Guarantee shall be subordinated or pari passu, as applicable, to the same extent as the Indebtedness Guaranteed;

(10) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Permitted Acquisition Indebtedness;

(11) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument inadvertently drawn against insufficient funds, so long as such Indebtedness is covered within five Business Days;

(12) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness consisting of the financing of insurance premiums in customary amounts consistent with the operations and business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(13) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness constituting reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit; provided that, upon the drawing of such letters of credit, such obligations are reimbursed within 30 days following such drawing;

(14) the incurrence by any Foreign Subsidiary of Indebtedness that, in the aggregate together with all other Indebtedness of all Foreign Subsidiaries (including all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to extend, renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise retire for value any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (14)), does not exceed the greater of (A) 20.0% of the Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of all Foreign Subsidiaries, considered as a consolidated enterprise, determined as of the date of the incurrence of such Indebtedness after giving pro forma effect to such incurrence and the application of the proceeds therefrom and (B) $25.0 million; and

(15) the incurrence by the Company or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference that, when taken together with all other Indebtedness and Disqualified Stock of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding on the date of such incurrence (other than Indebtedness permitted by clauses (1) through (14) above or Section 4.09(a)) and any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to extend, renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise retire for value any Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock incurred pursuant to this clause (15) does not exceed the greater of (A) 5.0% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company, determined as of the date of the incurrence of such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock after giving pro forma effect to such incurrence and the application of the proceeds therefrom and (B) $150.0 million.

 

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(c) The Company will not incur, and will not permit any Subsidiary Guarantor to incur, any Indebtedness (including Permitted Debt) that is contractually subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor unless such Indebtedness is also contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Notes and the applicable Subsidiary Guarantee, on substantially identical terms; provided, however, that no Indebtedness will be deemed to be contractually subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company solely by virtue of being unsecured or by virtue of being secured on a first or junior Lien basis.

(d) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.09, (i) in the event that an item of proposed Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Permitted Debt described in clauses (1) through (15) of Section 4.09(b), or is entitled to be incurred or issued pursuant to Section 4.09(a), the Company will be permitted to divide and classify such item on the date of its incurrence or issuance, or later divide and reclassify all or a portion of such item, in any manner that complies with this Section 4.09 and (ii) all Indebtedness outstanding on the Issue Date under the Senior Credit Agreement shall be deemed incurred on the Issue Date under clause (1) of Section 4.09(b). The accrual of interest, the accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the payment of interest on any Indebtedness in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms, the reclassification of preferred stock as Indebtedness due to a change in accounting principles, and the payment of dividends on Disqualified Stock or preferred stock in the form of additional Disqualified Stock or preferred stock of the same class will be deemed not to be an incurrence of Indebtedness or an issuance of Disqualified Stock or preferred stock for purposes of this Section 4.09; provided, in each such case, that the amount of any such accrual, accretion or payment is included in Fixed Charges of the Company as accrued.

(e) For purposes of determining compliance with any U.S. dollar-denominated restriction on the incurrence of Indebtedness, the U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency shall be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date such Indebtedness was incurred, in the case of term Indebtedness, or first committed, in the case of revolving credit Indebtedness; provided that if such Indebtedness is incurred to refinance other Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency, and such refinancing would cause the applicable U.S. dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date of such refinancing, such U.S. dollar-denominated restriction shall be deemed not to have been exceeded so long as the principal amount of such refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount of such Indebtedness being refinanced. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.09, the maximum amount of Indebtedness that the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may incur pursuant to this Section 4.09 shall not be deemed to be exceeded solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies. The principal amount of any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refinance other Indebtedness, if incurred in a different currency from the Indebtedness being refinanced, shall be calculated based on the currency exchange rate applicable to the currencies in which such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is denominated that is in effect on the date of such refinancing.

 

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Section 4.10 Asset Sales.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, consummate an Asset Sale unless:

(1) the Company (or the Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be) receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the assets or Equity Interests issued or sold or otherwise disposed of; and

(2) at least 75% of the aggregate consideration received in respect of such Asset Sale by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (considered together on a cumulative basis, with all consideration received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of other Asset Sales consummated since the Prior Issue Date), is in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents. For purposes of this provision, each of the following will be deemed to be cash:

(A) any liabilities, as shown on the Company’s most recent consolidated balance sheet, of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than contingent liabilities, Subordinated Debt and any obligations in respect of preferred stock) that are assumed or forgiven by the transferee of any such assets or Equity Interests pursuant to a novation agreement (or other legal documentation with the same effect) that includes a full release of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from any and all liability therefor;

(B) any securities, notes or other obligations received by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash within 90 days after the date of the Asset Sale, to the extent of the cash received in that conversion;

(C) any Capital Stock or assets of the kind referred to in clause (2) of Section 4.10(c) below; and

(D) any Designated Non-cash Consideration received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such Asset Sale having an aggregate Fair Market Value, taken together with all other Designated Non-cash Consideration received pursuant to this clause (D), not to exceed an amount equal to 5.0% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company (determined at the time of receipt of such Designated Non-cash Consideration), with the Fair Market Value of each item of Designated Non-cash Consideration being measured at the time received and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the 75% limitation referred to above in Section 4.10(a) shall be deemed satisfied with respect to any Asset Sale in which the cash or Cash Equivalents portion of the consideration received therefrom, determined in accordance with Section 4.10(a) on an after-tax basis, is equal to or greater than what the after-tax proceeds would have been had such Asset Sale complied with the aforementioned 75% limitation.

 

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(c) Within 365 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from an Asset Sale or, if the Company has entered into a binding commitment or commitments with respect to any of the actions described in clauses (2) or (3) below, within the later of (x) 365 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from an Asset Sale or (y) 120 days after the entering into of such commitment or commitments, the Company (or the applicable Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be) may apply such Net Proceeds:

(1) to permanently repay Senior Debt;

(2) to invest in Additional Assets; or

(3) to make capital expenditures in respect of a Related Business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

However, pending application or investment of such Net Proceeds as provided in clauses (1) through (3) above, such Net Proceeds may be applied to temporarily reduce revolving credit Indebtedness or in any other manner not prohibited by this Indenture. An amount equal to any Net Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not applied or invested as provided in clauses (1) through (3) above will constitute “Excess Proceeds.”

(d) Within ten Business Days after the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $50.0 million, the Company will make an offer (an “Asset Sale Offer”) to all Holders of Notes and all holders of other Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes containing provisions similar to those set forth in this Indenture with respect to offers to purchase or redeem with the proceeds of sales of assets, to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness that may be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds. The offer price in any Asset Sale Offer will be equal to 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase, and will be payable in cash. If any Excess Proceeds remain after consummation of an Asset Sale Offer, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may use those Excess Proceeds for any purpose not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture. If the aggregate principal amount of Notes and other pari passu Indebtedness tendered into such Asset Sale Offer exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds, the Company will use the Excess Proceeds to purchase the Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness on a pro rata basis. Upon completion of each Asset Sale Offer, the amount of Excess Proceeds will be reset at zero.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the sale, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, will be governed by Sections 5.01 and/or 4.15 of this Indenture, as applicable, and not by this Section 4.10.

(f) The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with each repurchase of Notes pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Asset Sales provisions of this Indenture, or compliance with the Asset Sales provisions of this Indenture would constitute a violation of any such laws or regulations, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the Asset Sales provisions of this Indenture by virtue of such compliance.

 

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(g) In the event that, pursuant to this Section 4.10, the Company is required to commence an Asset Sale Offer, it will follow the procedures specified below:

(1) The Asset Sale Offer shall be made to all Holders and all holders of other Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes containing provisions similar to those set forth in the Indenture with respect to offers to purchase or redeem with the proceeds of sales of assets. The Asset Sale Offer will remain open for a period of at least 20 Business Days following its commencement and not more than 30 Business Days, except to the extent that a longer period is required by applicable law (the “Offer Period”). No later than three Business Days after the termination of the Offer Period (the “Purchase Date”), the Company will apply all Excess Proceeds (the “Offer Amount”) to the purchase of Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness (on a pro rata basis, if applicable) or, if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes and other Indebtedness tendered in response to the Asset Sale Offer. Payment for any Notes so purchased will be made in the same manner as interest payments are made.

(2) If the Purchase Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related Interest Payment Date, any accrued and unpaid interest will be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on such record date, and no additional interest will be payable to Holders who tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer.

(3) Upon the commencement of an Asset Sale Offer, the Company will send, by first class mail, a notice to the Trustee and each of the Holders. The notice will contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer. The notice, which will govern the terms of the Asset Sale Offer, will state:

(A) that the Asset Sale Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 4.10 and the length of time the Asset Sale Offer will remain open;

(B) the Offer Amount, the purchase price and the Purchase Date;

(C) that any Note not tendered or accepted for payment will continue to accrue interest;

(D) that, unless the Company defaults in making such payment, any Note accepted for payment pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer will cease to accrue interest after the Purchase Date;

(E) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer may elect to have Notes purchased in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000 only;

 

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(F) that Holders electing to have Notes purchased pursuant to any Asset Sale Offer will be required to surrender the Notes, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” attached to the Notes completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the Company, a depositary, if appointed by the Company, or a Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Purchase Date;

(G) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Company, the depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, receives, not later than the expiration of the Offer Period, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased;

(H) that, if the aggregate principal amount of Notes and other pari passu Indebtedness surrendered by Holders thereof exceeds the Offer Amount, the Company will select the Notes and other pari passu Indebtedness to be purchased on a pro rata basis based on the principal amount of Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness surrendered (with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Company so that only Notes in denominations of $2,000, or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000, will be purchased); and

(I) that Holders whose Notes were purchased only in part will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry transfer), which unpurchased portion must be equal to $2,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000.

(4) On or before the Purchase Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful, accept for payment, on a pro rata basis to the extent necessary, the Offer Amount of Notes or portions thereof tendered pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer, or if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes tendered, and will deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating that such Notes or portions thereof were accepted for payment by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Section 4.10. The Company, the depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, will promptly (but in any case not later than five days after the Purchase Date) mail or deliver to each tendering Holder an amount equal to the purchase price of the Notes tendered by such Holder and accepted by the Company for purchase, and the Company will promptly issue a new Note, and the Trustee, upon written request from the Company, will authenticate and mail or deliver (or cause to be transferred by book entry) such new Note to such Holder, in a principal amount equal to any unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered. Any Note not so accepted shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the Company to the Holder thereof. The Company will publicly announce the results of the Asset Sale Offer on the Purchase Date.

 

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Section 4.11 Transactions with Affiliates.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any property or assets from, or enter into or make or amend any transaction, contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or Guarantee with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate of the Company (each, an “Affiliate Transaction”) involving aggregate consideration to or from the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in excess of $5.0 million, unless:

(1) the Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary with a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Company; and

(2) the Company delivers to the Trustee:

(A) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $15.0 million, an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions complies with this Section 4.11; and

(B) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $30.0 million, a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company set forth in an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions complies with this Section 4.11.

(b) The following items will not be deemed to be Affiliate Transactions and, therefore, will not be subject to the provisions of Section 4.11(a):

(1) any employment, consulting or similar agreement or arrangement, stock option or stock ownership plan, employee benefit plan, officer or director indemnification agreement, restricted stock agreement, severance agreement or other compensation plan or arrangement entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business and payments, awards, grants or issuances of securities pursuant thereto;

(2) transactions between or among the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(3) transactions with a Person (other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary) that is an Affiliate of the Company solely because the Company owns, directly or through a Subsidiary, an Equity Interest in, or controls, such Person;

(4) reasonable fees and expenses and compensation paid to, and indemnity or insurance provided on behalf of, officers, directors or employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

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(5) any issuance of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company to, or receipt of a capital contribution from, Affiliates of the Company;

(6) Restricted Payments that do not violate Section 4.07 of this Indenture or any Permitted Investments;

(7) loans or advances to employees in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice;

(8) advances to or reimbursements of employees for moving, entertainment and travel expenses, drawing accounts and similar expenditures in the ordinary course of business;

(9) the performance of obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries under the terms of any written agreement to which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries was a party on the Issue Date, as these agreements may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time; provided, however, that any future amendment, modification or supplement entered into after the Issue Date will be permitted to the extent that its terms do not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Holders of the Notes (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) as compared to the terms of the agreements in effect on the Issue Date;

(10) (A) guarantees of performance by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries of Unrestricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, except for Guarantees of Indebtedness in respect of borrowed money, and (B) pledges of Equity Interests of Unrestricted Subsidiaries for the benefit of lenders of Unrestricted Subsidiaries;

(11) transactions between the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and any Person, a director of which is also a director of the Company or any direct or indirect parent company of the Company and such director is the sole cause for such Person to be deemed an Affiliate of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such director abstains from voting as director of the Company or such direct or indirect parent company of the Company, as the case may be, on any matter involving such other Person;

(12) transactions with customers, clients, suppliers, or purchasers or sellers of goods or services, in each case in the ordinary course of business and otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Indenture, provided that in the reasonable determination of the Board of Directors of the Company or the senior management of the Company, such transactions are on terms not materially less favorable to the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that could reasonably be expected to be obtained in a comparable transaction at such time on an arm’s-length basis from a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Company; and

(13) any transaction in which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, delivers to the trustee a letter from an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national standing stating that such transaction meets the requirements of clause (1) of paragraph (a) of this Section 4.11.

 

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Section 4.12 Liens.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur or permit to exist any Lien (the “Initial Lien”), other than Permitted Liens, upon any of its property or assets (including Capital Stock and Indebtedness of any Subsidiaries of the Company and including any income or profits from such property or assets), whether owned on the Issue Date or thereafter acquired, which Lien secures any Subordinated Debt or other Indebtedness, unless:

(1) in the case of Liens securing Subordinated Debt of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor, the Notes or Subsidiary Guarantee, as applicable, are secured by a Lien on such property or assets on a senior basis to the Subordinated Debt so secured with the same priority as the Notes or such Subsidiary Guarantee, as applicable, has to such Subordinated Debt until such time as such Subordinated Debt is no longer so secured by a Lien; and

(2) in the case of Liens securing other Indebtedness of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor, the Notes or Subsidiary Guarantees, as applicable, are secured by a Lien on such property or assets on an equal and ratable basis with the other Indebtedness so secured until such time as such other Indebtedness is no longer so secured by a Lien.

(b) Any Lien securing the Notes or Subsidiary Guarantees created pursuant to Section 4.12(a) shall provide by its terms that such Lien shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon the unconditional release and discharge of the Initial Lien.

Section 4.13 [Reserved].

Section 4.14 Organizational Existence.

Subject to Article 5 and Section 10.04 hereof, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect:

(a) its corporate existence, and the corporate, partnership or other existence of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary; and

(b) the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.

 

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Section 4.15 Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control.

(a) If a Change of Control occurs, each Holder of Notes will have the right, except as provided below in clause (e) of this Section 4.15, to require the Company to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000) of that Holder’s Notes pursuant to an offer (a “Change of Control Offer”) on the terms set forth in this Section 4.15. In the Change of Control Offer, the Company will offer a payment in cash (the “Change of Control Payment”) equal to not less than 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased to the date of purchase (the “Change of Control Payment Date”), subject to the rights of Holders of Notes on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date. Within 30 days following any Change of Control, except as provided below in clause (e) of this Section 4.15, the Company will send a notice to each Holder describing the transaction or transactions that constitute the Change of Control and stating:

(1) that the Change of Control Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 4.15 and that all Notes tendered will be accepted for payment;

(2) the purchase price and the Change of Control Payment Date, which shall be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is sent;

(3) that any Note not tendered will continue to accrue interest;

(4) that, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Change of Control Payment, all Notes accepted for payment pursuant to the Change of Control Offer will cease to accrue interest after the Change of Control Payment Date;

(5) that Holders electing to have any Notes purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender the Notes, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” attached to the Notes completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date;

(6) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Paying Agent receives, not later than the close of business on the second Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of Notes delivered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have the Notes purchased; and

(7) that Holders whose Notes are being purchased only in part will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry transfer), which unpurchased portion must be equal to $2,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000.

 

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The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control provisions of this Indenture, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the Change of Control provisions of this Indenture by virtue of such compliance.

(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:

(1) accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

(2) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and

(3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased by the Company.

(c) The Paying Agent will promptly mail or wire transfer to each Holder of Notes properly tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Notes (or, if all the Notes are then in global form, make such payment through the facilities of the Depositary), and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, if any; provided that each such new Note will be in a principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000. Any Note or portion thereof so accepted for payment will cease to accrue interest on and after the Change of Control Payment Date unless the Company defaults in making the Change of Control Payment.

(d) The Company will publicly announce the results of the Change of Control Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Change of Control Payment Date.

(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.15, the Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if:

(1) a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the price, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under the Change of Control Offer;

(2) notice of redemption of all outstanding Notes has been given pursuant to Section 3.03 of this Indenture; or

(3) in connection with or in contemplation of any Change of Control, the Company has made an offer to purchase (an “Alternate Offer”) any and all Notes properly tendered and not validly withdrawn at a cash price equal to or higher than the Change of Control Payment and has purchased all Notes properly tendered in accordance with the terms of such Alternate Offer.

 

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(f) A Change of Control Offer or Alternate Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, and conditioned upon the occurrence of such Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time of making the Change of Control Offer or Alternate Offer. Notes repurchased by the Company pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or Alternate Offer will have the status of Notes issued but not outstanding or will be retired and cancelled, at the Company’s option. Notes purchased by a third party pursuant to clause (e) of this Section 4.15 will have the status of Notes issued and outstanding.

(g) In the event that Holders of at least 90% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes accept a Change of Control Offer or Alternate Offer and the Company (or any third party making such Change of Control Offer, in lieu of the Company, as described in clause (e) of this Section 4.15) purchases all of the Notes validly tendered by such Holders, the Company will have the right, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice, given not more than 30 days following the purchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer or Alternate Offer, as applicable, to redeem all, but not less than all, of the Notes that remain outstanding at a redemption price equal to the Change of Control Payment plus, to the extent not included in the Change of Control Payment, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes that remain outstanding, to the date of redemption (subject to the right of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).

Section 4.16 Subsidiary Guarantees.

(a) If, after the Issue Date, (i) any Material Domestic Subsidiary that is not already a Subsidiary Guarantor incurs any Indebtedness in excess of a De Minimis Amount, or issues any preferred stock or (ii) any Domestic Restricted Subsidiary incurs any Indebtedness whatsoever in respect of obligations under the Senior Credit Agreement, then such Subsidiary (referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of this sentence) will become a Subsidiary Guarantor by executing and delivering a supplemental indenture, in the form provided for in this Indenture, to the Trustee within 30 days of the date on which it incurred such Indebtedness or issued such preferred stock (in each case, referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of this sentence).

(b) The Subsidiary Guarantee of a Subsidiary Guarantor will be released upon request of the Subsidiary Guarantor at such time as such Subsidiary Guarantor is not liable for any Indebtedness and has no preferred stock outstanding, as long as at the time of such release (i) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and (ii) the Subsidiary Guarantor is not an obligor party to any undrawn Credit Facility or any Credit Facility under which letters of credit are outstanding or any instrument governing the terms of undrawn Indebtedness or any Guarantee thereof.

Section 4.17 Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any Restricted Subsidiary to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary if that designation would not cause a Default. If a Restricted Subsidiary is designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, the aggregate Fair Market Value of all outstanding Investments owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the Subsidiary designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be deemed to be an Investment made as of the time of the designation. That designation will only be permitted if the applicable Restricted Subsidiary meets the definition of an Unrestricted Subsidiary and if such Investment would be permitted at that time, either pursuant to (i) Section 4.07 or (ii) the definition of Permitted Investment.

 

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(b) Any designation of a Subsidiary of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a certified copy of a Board Resolution of the Company giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the preceding conditions and was permitted by Section 4.07. If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet the requirements of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary,” it will thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of this Indenture and any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary will be deemed to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary as of such date and, if such Indebtedness is not permitted to be incurred as of such date under Section 4.09, the Company will be in Default of the covenant in Section 4.09. The Board of Directors of the Company may at any time designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such designation will be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted Subsidiary of any outstanding Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary, and such designation will only be permitted if (i) such Indebtedness is permitted under Section 4.09, calculated on a pro forma basis as if such designation had occurred at the beginning of the four-quarter reference period; and (ii) no Default or Event of Default would be in existence following such designation.

Section 4.18 Termination of Certain Covenants.

From and after the occurrence of an Investment Grade Rating Event, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall no longer be subject to clause (4) of Section 5.01(a) and Sections 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10 and 4.11 of this Indenture. Furthermore, after an Investment Grade Rating Event, the Company may not designate any of its Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

ARTICLE 5

SUCCESSORS

Section 5.01 Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets.

(a) The Company will not (1) consolidate or merge with or into another Person (regardless of whether the Company is the surviving corporation), convert into another form of entity or continue in another jurisdiction; or (2), directly or indirectly, sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to another Person, unless:

(1) either: (A) the Company is the surviving corporation; or (B) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger or resulting from such conversion (if other than the Company) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition has been made is a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia;

 

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(2) the Person formed by or surviving any such conversion, consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or the Person to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition has been made assumes all the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture pursuant to a supplemental indenture reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee; provided that, unless such Person is a corporation, a corporate co-issuer of the Notes will be added to this Indenture by a supplement reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee;

(3) immediately after such transaction or transactions, no Default or Event of Default exists;

(4) the Company or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition has been made, would (on the date of such transaction after giving pro forma effect thereto and to any related financing transactions as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period) either:

(A) be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09(a) of this Indenture; or

(B) have a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio that is not less than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries immediately before such transaction; and

(5) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition and such supplemental indenture, if any, comply with this Section 5.01 and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

(b) For purposes of this Section 5.01, the sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company, which properties or assets, if held by the Company instead of such Subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company.

(c) Notwithstanding the restrictions described in the foregoing clause (a)(4), any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, merge into or dispose of all or part of its properties or assets to the Company, the Company may merge into a Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of reincorporating the Company in another jurisdiction, and any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, merge into or dispose of all or part of its properties or assets to another Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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Section 5.02 Successor Corporation Substituted.

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.01 of this Indenture, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for the Company (so that from and after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the successor Person and not to the Company), and may exercise every right and power of the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company shall not be relieved from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes in the case of a lease of all or substantially all of the Company’s properties or assets in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.01.

ARTICLE 6

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01 Events of Default.

Each of the following is an “Event of Default”:

(a) default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest on the Notes;

(b) default in the payment when due of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the Notes;

(c) failure by the Company to comply with its obligations under Section 5.01 of this Indenture, or to consummate a purchase of Notes when required pursuant to Section 4.10 or Section 4.15 of this Indenture;

(d) failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries for 30 days after receipt of a written notice (specifying such failure, requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” under this Indenture) from the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes to comply with the provisions described under Section 4.10 or Section 4.15 of this Indenture to the extent not described in clause (c) of this Section 6.01;

(e) failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries for 60 days (or 180 days in the case of a Reporting Failure) after receipt of a written notice (specifying such failure, requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” under this Indenture) from the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes to comply with any of the other agreements in this Indenture or the Notes;

(f) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), other than Indebtedness owed to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, whether such Indebtedness or Guarantee now exists, or is created after the Issue Date, which default:

(1) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness (“Payment Default”); or

 

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(2) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its maturity;

and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $35.0 million or more;

(g) failure by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary to pay final judgments aggregating in excess of $35.0 million (net of any amounts that a reputable and creditworthy insurance company has acknowledged liability for in writing), which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days;

(h) except as permitted by this Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee is held in a judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or ceases for any reason to be in full force and effect, or any Subsidiary Guarantor, or any Person acting on behalf of any Subsidiary Guarantor, denies or disaffirms its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee;

(i) the Company, any Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, pursuant to or within the meaning of Bankruptcy Law:

(1) commences a voluntary case;

(2) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case;

(3) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

(4) generally is not paying its debts as they become due; and

(j) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(1) is for relief against the Company, any Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, in an involuntary case; or

(2) appoints a custodian of the Company, any Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company, any Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary; or

 

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(3) orders the liquidation of the Company, any Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary;

and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days.

Section 6.02 Acceleration.

(a) In the case of an Event of Default specified in clause (i) or clause (j) of Section 6.01 of this Indenture, all then outstanding Notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may declare all of the Notes to be due and payable immediately by notice in writing to the Company and, in case of a notice by Holders, also to the Trustee specifying the respective Event of Default and that it is a notice of acceleration. Upon any such declaration, the Notes shall become due and payable immediately.

(b) At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Notes has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article Six provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:

(1) the Company or one or more of the Subsidiary Guarantors has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay:

(A) all overdue interest on all Notes;

(B) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Notes which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Notes;

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Notes; and

(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and

(2) all Events of Default with respect to the Notes, other than the non-payment of the principal of the Notes that have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.04 of this Indenture.

 

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No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing Section 6.02(b), if an Event of Default specified in clause (f) of Section 6.01 above shall have occurred and be continuing, such Event of Default and any consequential acceleration (to the extent not in violation of any applicable law or in conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction) shall be automatically rescinded (i)(A) if the Indebtedness that is the subject of such Event of Default has been repaid or (B) if the default relating to such Indebtedness is waived by the holders of such Indebtedness or cured and if such Indebtedness has been accelerated, then the holders thereof have rescinded their declaration of acceleration in respect of such Indebtedness, in each case within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto, and (ii) if any other existing Events of Default, except non-payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes that became due solely because of the acceleration of the Notes, have been cured or waived.

Section 6.03 Other Remedies.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, and is known to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.02(g) hereof, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

Section 6.04 Waiver of Past Defaults.

The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes by written notice to the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest, if any, on, the Notes (including in connection with an offer to purchase); provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related Payment Default that resulted from such acceleration. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.05 Control by Majority.

Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Notes or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability.

 

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Section 6.06 Limitation on Suits.

No Holder of a Note may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Notes unless:

(a) such Holder has previously given to the Trustee written notice that an Event of Default is continuing;

(b) Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(c) such Holder or Holders offer and, if requested, provide to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

(d) the Trustee does not comply with such request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of reasonable security or indemnity; and

(e) during such 60-day period, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with such request.

A Holder of a Note may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of a Note or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of a Note (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any such use by a Holder prejudices the rights of any other Holders or obtains preference or priority over such other Holders).

Section 6.07 Collection Suit by Trustee.

If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a) or (b) hereof occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as Trustee of an express trust against the Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes) for the whole amount of principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, remaining unpaid on, the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

Section 6.08 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders of the Notes allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for

 

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the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.09 Priorities.

If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

First: to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under Section 7.07 hereof, including payment of all compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;

Second: to Holders of the Notes for amounts due and unpaid on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, respectively; and

Third: to the Company or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders of the Notes pursuant to this Section 6.09.

Section 6.10 Undertaking for Costs.

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.10 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.

 

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ARTICLE 7

TRUSTEE

Section 7.01 Duties of Trustee.

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee will exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(1) the duties of the Trustee will be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee will examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.01;

(2) the Trustee will not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and

(3) the Trustee will not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 hereof.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Section 7.01.

(e) No provision of this Indenture will require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights and powers under this Indenture at the request of any Holders, unless such Holder has offered to the Trustee security and indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

 

 

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(f) The Trustee will not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

Section 7.02 Rights of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel will be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and will not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

(d) The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Company will be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Company.

(f) The Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against the losses, liabilities and expenses that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

(g) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of a Default or an Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge of such Default or Event of Default.

(h) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood or such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(i) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

 

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(j) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.

(k) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture

Section 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee.

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or any Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest (as defined in the Trust Indenture Act) after a Default has occurred and is continuing it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the SEC for permission to continue as trustee (if the indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act) or resign. Any Agent may do the same with like rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Section 7.10 hereof.

Section 7.04 Trustees Disclaimer.

The Trustee will not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Notes or any money paid to the Company or upon the Company’s direction under any provision of this Indenture, it will not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee, and it will not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any statement in the Notes or any other document in connection with the sale of the Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its certificate of authentication.

Section 7.05 Notice of Defaults.

Within 90 days after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee obtains actual knowledge of the occurrence of any Default hereunder with respect to the Notes, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of Notes, as their names and addresses appear in register of Notes maintained by the Registrar as provided in Section 2.03, notice of such Default hereunder, unless such Default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest with respect to any Note, the Trustee may withhold from Holders of Notes notice of any continuing Default or Event of Default if the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders of Notes; and, provided, further, that (i) in the case of any Default of the character specified in Section 6.01(d), no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof, and (ii) in the case of any Default of the character specified in Section 6.01(e), no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 60 days (or 180 days in the case of a Reporting Failure) after the occurrence thereof.

 

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Section 7.06 [Reserved].

Section 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity.

(a) The Company will pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the parties shall agree in writing from time to time. The Trustee’s compensation will not be limited by any law on compensation of a Trustee of an express trust. The Company will reimburse the Trustee promptly upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and expenses incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses will include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents, accountants, consultants, court costs, counsel and other experts employed by it in the exercise and performance of its powers and duties as Trustee.

(b) The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, jointly and severally, will indemnify, defend, protect and hold the Trustee harmless from and against any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses suffered or incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its duties under this Indenture, including the costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture against the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors (including this Section 7.07) and defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, any Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss, liability or expense may be attributable to its gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The Trustee will notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors of their obligations hereunder. The Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor will defend the claim and the Trustee will cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company will pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. None of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor need pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.

(c) The obligations of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors under this Section 7.07 will survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.

(d) To secure the Company’s and the Subsidiary Guarantors’ payment obligations in this Section 7.07, the Trustee will have a Lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, particular Notes. Such Lien will survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

(e) When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(i) or (j) hereof occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

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Section 7.08 Replacement of Trustee.

(a) A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee will become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.08.

(b) The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be discharged from the trust hereby created by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in writing at least 30 days in advance of such removal. The Company may remove the Trustee if:

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof;

(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(3) a custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

(c) If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company will promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

(d) If a successor Trustee does not take office within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company, or the Holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(e) If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder who has been a Holder for at least six months, fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof, such Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(f) A successor Trustee will deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee will become effective, and the successor Trustee will have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee will mail a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee will promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee; provided all sums owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the Lien provided for in Section 7.07 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Company’s and the Subsidiary Guarantors’ obligations under Section 7.07 hereof will continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

 

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Section 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act will be the successor Trustee.

Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.

There will at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate Trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and that has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50.0 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

ARTICLE 8

LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section 8.01 Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

The Company may at any time, at the option of its Board of Directors evidenced by resolutions set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, elect to have either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof be applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article 8.

Section 8.02 Legal Defeasance and Discharge.

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Company and each of the Subsidiary Guarantors will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from their obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes (including the Note Guarantees) on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes (including the Note Guarantees), which will thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.05 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all their other obligations under such Notes, the Note Guarantees and this Indenture (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which will survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:

(a) the rights of Holders of outstanding Notes to receive payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, such Notes when such payments are due from the trust referred to in Section 8.04 hereof;

(b) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Notes under Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.06, 2.07, 2.10, and 2.11 and Section 4.02 hereof;

 

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(c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s and the Subsidiary Guarantors’ obligations in connection therewith; and

(d) this Article 8.

Subject to compliance with this Article 8, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 8.02 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.03 hereof.

Section 8.03 Covenant Defeasance.

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03, the Company and each of the Subsidiary Guarantors will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be released from each of their respective obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.14, 4.15, 4.16, and 4.17 hereof and clause (4) of Section 5.01(a) hereof with respect to the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”), and the Notes will thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but will continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes will not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes to the extent permitted by GAAP). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes and Note Guarantees, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors may omit to comply with and will have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01 hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes and Note Guarantees will be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, Sections 6.01(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (i) and (j) hereof will not constitute Events of Default.

Section 8.04 Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.

In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance under either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof:

(a) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, in the opinion of an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national standing, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must specify whether the Notes are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date (provided that if such redemption is made as provided in Section 3.07(b), (x) the amount of cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a

 

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combination thereof, that must be irrevocably deposited will be determined using an assumed Make-Whole Price calculated as of the date of such deposit and (y) the depositor must irrevocably deposit or cause to be deposited additional money in trust on the redemption date as necessary to pay the Make-Whole Price as determined on such date);

(b) in the case of an election under Section 8.02 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that:

(1) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling; or

(2) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law,

in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel will confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

(c) in the case of an election under Section 8.03 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that the Holders of the outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

(d) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit (and any similar concurrent deposit relating to other Indebtedness), and the granting of Liens to secure such borrowings);

(e) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture and the agreements governing any other Indebtedness being defeased, discharged or replaced) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;

(f) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Notes over the other creditors of the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and

(g) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

 

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Section 8.05 Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.

Subject to Section 8.06 hereof, all money and non-callable Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.05, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof in respect of the outstanding Notes will be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.

Notwithstanding anything in this Article 8 to the contrary, the Trustee will deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 8.04 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 8.04(a) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

Section 8.06 Repayment to Company.

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) will, unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat, or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note will thereafter be permitted to look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which will not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat, or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be repaid to the Company.

 

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Section 8.07 Reinstatement.

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any U.S. dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s and the Subsidiary Guarantors’ obligations under this Indenture and the Notes and the Note Guarantees will be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest, if any, on, any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE 9

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

Section 9.01 Without Consent of Holders of Notes.

Without the consent of any Holder of a Note, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors (if any) and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Note Guarantee or the Notes to:

(a) cure any ambiguity or defect or to correct or supplement any provision herein that may be inconsistent with any other provision herein;

(b) evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and, to the extent applicable, to the Notes;

(c) provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;

(d) add a Note Guarantee and cause any Person to become a Subsidiary Guarantor, and/or to evidence the succession of another Person to a Subsidiary Guarantor and the assumption by any such successor of the Note Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor herein;

(e) secure the Notes of any series;

(f) add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as the Company shall consider to be appropriate for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Notes (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Notes, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a Default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as set forth herein; provided, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction, condition or provision, such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of grace after Default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in the case

 

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of other Defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon such an Event of Default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such an Event of Default or may limit the right of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes of such series to waive such an Event of Default;

(g) make any change to any provision of this Indenture that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of Notes or that does not adversely affect the rights or interests of any such Holder;

(h) provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Indenture on the date of this Indenture;

(i) add any additional Defaults or Events of Default in respect of all or any series of Notes;

(j) change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no Note outstanding of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision;

(k) establish the form or terms of Notes of any series as permitted by this Indenture, including to reopen any series of any Notes as permitted under this Indenture;

(l) evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Notes of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 7.08(b);

(m) conform the text of this Indenture (and/or any supplemental indenture) or any Notes issued hereunder to any provision of a description of such Notes appearing in a prospectus or prospectus supplement or an offering memorandum or offering circular pursuant to which such Notes were offered to the extent that such provision was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture (and/or any supplemental indenture) or any Notes or Note Guarantee issued hereunder;

(n) add a corporate co-issuer in accordance with Section 5.01 hereof; or

(o) modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, or under any similar federal statute subsequently enacted, and to add to this Indenture such other provisions as may be expressly required under the Trust Indenture Act.

Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 9.05 hereof, the Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company and any Subsidiary Guarantor in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer, assignment, mortgage, charge or pledge of any property thereunder, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

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Section 9.02 With Consent of Holders of Notes.

The Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors (if any) and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Note Guarantee and the Notes with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of each series of Notes affected by such amendment or supplemental indenture, with each such series voting as a separate class (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Notes) and, subject to Section 6.04 hereof, any existing Default or Event of Default or compliance with any provision of this Indenture, the Note Guarantee or the Notes may be waived with respect to each series of Notes with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of such series voting as a separate class (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Notes).

Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Notes as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 9.05 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors (if any) in the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture unless such amended or supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but will not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture.

It is not necessary for the consent of the Holders of Notes under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment, supplement or waiver.

After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Company will send to the Holders of Notes affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, will not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amended or supplemental indenture or waiver.

Subject to Section 6.04 hereof, the application of or compliance with, either generally or in any particular instance, any provision of this Indenture, the Notes or the Note Guarantee may be waived as to each series of Notes by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of such series. However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 may not (with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder):

(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Note, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02, or change any place of payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Note or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date therefor);

 

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(b) reduce the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such amendment, supplement or waiver;

(c) modify any of the provisions of Section 6.04, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Note affected thereby; provided, however, that this clause (c) shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 7.08(b) and Section 9.01(l);

(d) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Note; provided, however, that any purchase or repurchase of Notes shall not be deemed a redemption of the Notes;

(e) release any Subsidiary Guarantor from any of its obligations under its Note Guarantee or this Indenture, except in accordance with the terms of this Indenture (as supplemented by any supplemental indenture); or

(f) make any change in the foregoing amendment and waiver provisions.

A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture that has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Notes, or that modifies the rights of the Holders of Notes of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Notes of any other series.

Section 9.03 Revocation and Effect of Consents.

Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent Holder of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder unless it makes a change described in any of clauses (a) through (f) of the first paragraph of Section 9.02, in which case, the amendment, supplement or waiver shall bind only each Holder of a Note who has consented to such amendment, supplement or waiver and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same indebtedness as the consenting Holder’s Note.

 

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Section 9.04 Notation on or Exchange of Notes.

The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment, supplement or waiver on any Note thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for all Notes may issue and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, authenticate new Notes that reflect the amendment, supplement or waiver.

Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note will not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.

Section 9.05 Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.

The Trustee will sign any amended or supplemental indenture authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment or supplement does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. In executing any amended or supplemental indenture, the Trustee will be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 7.01 hereof) will be fully protected in relying upon, in addition to the documents required by Section 12.04 hereof, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.

Section 9.06 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

Upon the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture under this Article 9, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such amended or supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes and every Holder of Notes theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby, unless such amended or supplemental indenture makes a change described in any of clauses (a) through (f) of the first paragraph of Section 9.02, in which case, such amended or supplemental indenture shall bind only each Holder of a Note who has consented to such amended or supplemental indenture and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same indebtedness as the consenting Holder’s Note.

ARTICLE 10

NOTE GUARANTEES

Section 10.01 Guarantee.

(a) Subject to this Article 10, each of the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally Guarantees to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, that:

(1) the principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, the Notes will be promptly paid in full when due, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, the Notes, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid in full, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and

 

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(2) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration or otherwise.

Failing payment when due of any amount so Guaranteed or any performance so Guaranteed for whatever reason, the Subsidiary Guarantors will be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that this is a Guarantee of payment and not a Guarantee of collection.

(b) The Subsidiary Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder are unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor. Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenant that this Note Guarantee will not be discharged except by complete payment of all amounts due under the Notes and this Indenture.

(c) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors, any amount paid by any of them to the Trustee or such Holder, this Note Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, will be reinstated in full force and effect.

(d) Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that it will not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations Guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations Guaranteed hereby. Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Subsidiary Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (1) the maturity of the obligations Guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 hereof for the purposes of this Note Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations Guaranteed hereby, and (2) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article 6 hereof, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) will forthwith become due and payable by the Subsidiary Guarantors for the purpose of this Note Guarantee. The Subsidiary Guarantors will have the right to seek contribution from any non-paying Subsidiary Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Note Guarantee.

 

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Section 10.02 Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor and, by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Note Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Note Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor will be limited to the maximum amount that will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor that are relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under this Article 10, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Note Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.

Section 10.03 Notation of Note Guarantee Not Required.

The Note Guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor shall be evidenced solely by its execution and delivery of this Indenture (or, in the case of any Subsidiary Guarantor that is not party to this Indenture on the date hereof, a supplemental indenture hereto), and no Subsidiary Guarantor shall be required to make a notation on the Notes to reflect any Note Guarantee.

Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Note Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01 will remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of a notation of such Note Guarantee on each Note.

The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, will constitute due delivery of the Note Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Subsidiary Guarantors.

Section 10.04 Subsidiary Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms.

A Subsidiary Guarantor may not sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets to, or consolidate with or merge with or into (regardless of whether such Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving Person) another Person, other than the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor, unless:

(a) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists; and

(b) either:

(1) (A) such Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving Person or (B) the Person acquiring the properties or assets in any such sale or other disposition or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than such Subsidiary Guarantor) assumes all the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under this Indenture (including its Subsidiary Guarantee), on the terms set forth herein, pursuant to a supplemental indenture reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee; or

 

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(2) such transaction does not violate the provisions of this Indenture described in Section 4.10.

In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale or other disposition and upon the assumption by the successor Person, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor and the due and punctual performance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed by the Subsidiary Guarantor, such successor Person will succeed to and be substituted for the Subsidiary Guarantor with the same effect as if it had been named herein as a Subsidiary Guarantor. Such successor Person thereupon may cause to be signed any or all of the Subsidiary Guarantee notations to be endorsed upon all of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by such Subsidiary Guarantor and delivered to the Trustee. All the Subsidiary Guarantees so issued will in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Subsidiary Guarantees theretofore and thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Subsidiary Guarantees had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.

Section 10.05 Releases.

(a) Each Subsidiary Guarantor will be released and relieved of any obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee as set forth under Section 4.16(b) of this Indenture, and the Subsidiary Guarantee of a Subsidiary Guarantor will also be released immediately and automatically:

(1) upon any sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor (including by way of merger or consolidation) to a Person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, if the sale or other disposition does not violate Section 4.10 of this Indenture;

(2) upon any sale or other disposition of the Capital Stock of such Subsidiary Guarantor to a Person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, if the sale or other disposition does not violate Section 4.10 of this Indenture and such Subsidiary Guarantor no longer qualifies as a Subsidiary of the Company as a result of such disposition;

(3) upon designation of such Subsidiary Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with Section 4.17 of this Indenture;

(4) upon Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance in accordance with Article Eight of this Indenture or satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture in accordance with Article Eleven of this Indenture; or

(5) upon the liquidation or dissolution of such Subsidiary Guarantor, provided that no Default or Event of Default occurs as a result thereof or shall have occurred and is continuing.

 

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(b) Upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that all conditions precedent to the release of such Subsidiary Guarantee, as set forth in this Indenture, have been satisfied, the Trustee will execute any documents reasonably required in order to evidence the release of any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under such Subsidiary Guarantee.

(c) Any Subsidiary Guarantor not released from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee as provided in this Section 10.05 will remain liable for the full amount of principal of and interest and premium, if any, on the Notes and for the other obligations of any Subsidiary Guarantor under this Indenture as provided in this Article Ten.

ARTICLE 11

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge.

This Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to all Notes issued hereunder (except as to surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of the Notes and as otherwise specified in this Indenture), when:

(a) either

(1) all Notes that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(2) all Notes that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year and the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination of cash in U.S. dollars and non-callable Government Securities, in amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire Debt on the Notes not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of Stated Maturity or redemption (provided, that if such redemption is made in accordance with the optional redemption provisions as provided in the second paragraph of Paragraph 5 of the Notes, (x) the amount of cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, that must be irrevocably deposited will be determined using an assumed Make-Whole Price calculated as of the date of such deposit and (y) the depositor must irrevocably deposit or cause to be deposited additional cash in U.S. dollars in trust on the redemption date as necessary to pay the Make-Whole Price as calculated by such date);

 

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(b) in respect of clause (2) of Section 11.01(a) above, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of the deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing or securing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of Liens securing such borrowing);

(c) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material agreement or instrument (other than the agreements or instruments governing any other Indebtedness being defeased, discharged or replaced) to which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is bound;

(d) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture;

(e) the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at their Stated Maturity or on the redemption date, as the case may be; and

(f) the Company has delivered to the Trustee (i) an Officers’ Certificate, stating that all conditions precedent set forth in clauses (a) through (e) above have been satisfied, and (ii) an Opinion of Counsel, stating that all conditions precedent set forth in clauses (c) and (e) above have been satisfied.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money has been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (2) of clause (a) of this Section 11.01, the provisions of Sections 11.02 and 8.06 hereof will survive. In addition, nothing in this Section 11.01 will be deemed to discharge those provisions of Section 7.07 hereof, that, by their terms, survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

Section 11.02 Application of Trust Money.

Subject to the provisions of Section 8.06 hereof, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal, premium, if any, interest, if any, for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 11.01 hereof by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s and any Subsidiary Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof; provided that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

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Notwithstanding the above, the Trustee shall pay to the Company from time to time upon its request any money or Government Securities held by the Trustee as provided in this Section 11.02 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect satisfaction and discharge under this Article 11.

Any money or Government Securities deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as Trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may, at the expense of the Company, cause to be published once, in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining shall be repaid to the Company.

The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.

ARTICLE 12

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 12.01 Relation to Trust Indenture Act.

This Indenture shall not be subject to the Trust Indenture Act.

Section 12.02 Notices.

Any notice or communication by the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or the Trustee to the others is duly given if in writing in the English language and delivered in Person or by first class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), electronic image scan, facsimile transmission or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the others’ address:

If to the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors:

Oasis Petroleum Inc.

First City Tower

1001 Fannin, Suite 1500

Houston, Texas 77002

Facsimile No.: (281) 404-9704

Attention: General Counsel

 

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with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.

First City Tower

1001 Fannin, Suite 2500

Houston, Texas 77002

Facsimile No.: (713) 651-5861

Attention: David P. Oelman

If to the Trustee:

U.S. Bank National Association

8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100

Houston, Texas 77046

Facsimile: (713) 212-3718

Attention: Corporate Trust Services

The Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or the Trustee, by notice to the others, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications. Notices given by publication will be deemed given on the first date on which publication is made.

All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders) will be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if transmitted by electronic image scan or facsimile; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.

Any notice or communication to a Holder will be mailed by first class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery to its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar, except that all notices and communications to the Depositary as a Holder shall be given in the manner it prescribes, notwithstanding anything to the contrary indication herein. Failure to send a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it will not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

If a notice or communication is given in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

If the Company sends a notice or communication to Holders, it will send a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by the Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

 

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Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Note, where this Indenture or any Note provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption or purchase) to a Holder of a Global Note (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream (or its designee), including by electronic mail in accordance with the Applicable Procedures.

Section 12.03 [Reserved].

Section 12.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(a) an Officers’ Certificate in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which must include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and

(b) an Opinion of Counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which must include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.

Section 12.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture must include:

(a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been satisfied; and

(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been satisfied.

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

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Any certificate or opinion of an Officer with respect to any Person may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such Officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of, or representation by, counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon certificates of public officials or upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Officer or Officers with respect to any Person stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of such Person (or, if such Person is a limited partnership, such Person’s general partner) unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

Section 12.06 Rules by Trustee and Agents.

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

Section 12.07 No Personal Liability of Directors, Managers, Officers, Employees and Members.

No director, manager, officer, member, partner, employee, incorporator, stockholder or other owner of Capital Stock of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Notes, this Indenture or the Note Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

Section 12.08 Governing Law.

THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND THE NOTE GUARANTEES.

Section 12.09 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of any other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 12.10 Successors.

All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Notes will bind its successors, except as provided in Section 5.02. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture will bind its successors. All agreements of each Subsidiary Guarantor in this Indenture will bind its successors, except as otherwise provided in Section 10.05 hereof.

 

112


Section 12.11 Severability.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Notes is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 12.12 Counterpart Originals.

The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture, and each party hereto may sign any number of separate copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 12.13 Table of Contents, Headings, etc.

The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and will in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 12.14 Payment Date Other Than a Business Day.

If any payment with respect to any principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest, if any, on any Note (including any payment to be made on any date fixed for redemption or purchase of any Note) is due on a day which is not a Business Day, then the payment need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such date, and no interest will accrue for the intervening period.

Section 12.15 Evidence of Action by Holders.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by the Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agents duly appointed in writing, and may be given, made or taken in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, outstanding Notes; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company if made in the manner provided in this Section 12.15.

 

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Without limiting the generality of this Section 12.15, unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, (i) a Holder, including a Depositary or its nominee that is a Holder of a Global Note, may give, make or take, by an agent or agents duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act provided in or pursuant to this Indenture to be given, made or taken by the Holders, and a Depositary or its nominee that is a Holder of a Global Note may duly appoint in writing as its agent or agents members of, or participants in, such Depositary holding interests in such Global Note in the records of such Depositary; and (ii) with respect to any Global Note the Depositary for which is DTC, any consent or other action given, made or taken by an “agent member” of DTC by electronic means in accordance with the Automated Tender Offer Procedures system or other customary procedures of, and pursuant to authorization by, DTC shall be deemed to constitute the “Act” of the Holder of such Global Note, and such Act shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Company and the Trustee upon the delivery by DTC of an “agent’s message” or other notice of such consent or other action having been so given, made or taken in accordance with the customary procedures of DTC.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to such witness, notary or officer the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 12.15 or elsewhere in this Indenture, the principal amount and serial numbers of Notes held by any Holder, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the register of the Notes maintained by the Registrar as provided in Section 2.03.

(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of the Notes any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, fix in advance a record date for the determination of the Holders entitled to give, make or take such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Such record date shall be the record date specified in or pursuant to such resolution, which shall be a date not earlier than the date 30 days prior to the first solicitation of the Holders generally in connection therewith or the date of the most recent list of the Holders forwarded to the Trustee prior to such solicitation pursuant to Section 2.05 and not later than the date such solicitation is completed. If such a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the second sentence of Section 9.03, any instrument embodying and evidencing such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be executed before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on such record date (whether or not such Persons were Holders before, or continue to be Holders after, such record date) shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of the then outstanding Notes have given, made or taken such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the then outstanding Notes shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such Act by the Holders of record on any record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than eleven months after such record date.

 

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(e) Subject to Section 9.03, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Note shall bind every future Holder of the same Note and the Holder of every Note issued upon the registration or transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Note.

(f) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to give, make or take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Note may do so itself with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Note or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount.

Section 12.16 Benefit of Indenture.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Registrar and their successors hereunder, and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 12.17 Language of Notices, Etc.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act required or permitted under this Indenture shall be in the English language, except that any published notice may be in an official language of the country of publication.

Section 12.18 U.S.A. Patriot Act.

The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify and record information that identities each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

Section 12.19 Force Majeure.

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

[Signatures on following page]

 

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SIGNATURES

Dated as of May 14, 2018

 

OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
By:  

/s/ Michael H. Lou

Name:   Michael H. Lou
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
OMP GP LLC
By:  

/s/ Michael H. Lou

Name:   Michael H. Lou
Title:   President
OASIS MIDSTREAM SERVICES LLC
OASIS PETROLEUM LLC
OASIS PETROLEUM MARKETING LLC
OASIS PETROLEUM NORTH AMERICA LLC
OASIS PETROLEUM PERMIAN LLC
OASIS WELLS SERVICES LLC
OMS HOLDINGS LLC
By:  

/s/ Michael H. Lou

Name:   Michael H. Lou
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer

Signature Page to Indenture


U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

 

By:  

/s/ Alejandro Hoyos

Name:   Alejandro Hoyos
Title:   Vice President

Signature Page to Indenture


EXHIBIT A

[Face of Note]

 

CUSIP [                ]

6.25% Senior Notes due 2026

[Insert the Global Note Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

[Insert the Private Placement Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

No. ___                                                                                                                                                                                    $____________

OASIS PETROLEUM INC.

promises to pay to                  or registered assigns,

the principal sum of                                 DOLLARS [or such greater or lesser amount as may be indicated on the attached Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note] on May 1, 2026.

Interest Payment Dates: May 1 and November 1

Record Dates: April 15 and October 15

Dated: _______________

 

OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

This is one of the Notes referred to

  

in the within-mentioned Indenture:

  

U.S. Bank National Association,

  
    as Trustee   

 

By:  

 

                  Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

A-1


[BACK OF NOTE]

6.25% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2026

Capitalized terms used herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.

(1) INTEREST. Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) promises to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of this Note at 6.25% per annum. The Company will pay interest, if any, semi-annually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning November 1, 2018 (each, an “Interest Payment Date”). Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that, if there is no existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Interest Payment Date. The Company will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on demand at a rate that is equal to the then applicable interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; the Company will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest, if any (without regard to any applicable grace period), from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful.

Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months. If any payment with respect to any principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest, if any, on any Note (including any payment to be made on any date fixed for redemption or purchase of any Note) is due on a day which is not a Business Day, then the payment need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such date, and no interest will accrue for the intervening period.

(2) METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay interest on the Notes (except defaulted interest), if any, to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes at the close of business on the April 15 and October 15 next preceding each Interest Payment Date, even if such Notes are canceled after such record date and on or before such Interest Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose or, at the option of the Company, payment of interest, if any, may be made by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses set forth in the register of Holders; provided that payment by wire transfer of immediately available funds will be required with respect to principal of, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on, all Global Notes and all other Notes, the Holders of which hold not less than $1.0 million of Notes and will have provided wire transfer instructions to the Company or the Paying Agent to an account within the continental United States. Such payment will be in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

(3) PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, U.S. Bank National Association, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may change the Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

 

A-2


(4) INDENTURE. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of May 14, 2018 (the “Indenture”) among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture for a statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The Notes are unsecured obligations of the Company. The Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be issued thereunder.

(5) OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.

(a) At any time prior to May 1, 2021, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture, upon notice as provided in the Indenture, at a redemption price equal to 106.250% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption (subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest on the relevant Interest Payment Date), with an amount of cash not greater than the net cash proceeds of an Equity Offering, provided that:

(A) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under the Indenture on the date of the Indenture (excluding Notes held by the Company and its Subsidiaries) remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption; and

(B) the redemption occurs within 180 days after the date of the closing of such Equity Offering.

(b) At any time prior to May 1, 2021, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon notice as provided in the Indenture, at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price, subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date.

(c) The Company may redeem Notes when permitted by, and pursuant to the conditions in, Section 4.15(g) of the Indenture.

(d) Except pursuant to the preceding paragraphs, the Notes will not be redeemable at the Company’s option prior to May 1, 2021.

(e) On and after May 1, 2021, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon notice as provided in the Indenture, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes redeemed, to the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on May 1 of the years indicated below, subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest on the relevant Interest Payment Date:

 

A-3


Year

   Percentage  

2021

     103.125

2022

     101.563

2023 and thereafter

     100.0000

Unless the Company defaults in the payment of the redemption price, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption on the applicable redemption date.

(6) MANDATORY REDEMPTION. The Company is not required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

(7) REPURCHASE AT THE OPTION OF HOLDER.

(a) If there is a Change of Control, except as provided in the Indenture, the Company will be required to make an offer (a “Change of Control Offer”) to each Holder to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof) of each Holder’s Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to the date of purchase, subject to the rights of Holders on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date (the “Change of Control Payment”). Within 30 days following any Change of Control, the Company will send a notice to each Holder setting forth the procedures governing the Change of Control Offer as required by the Indenture.

(b) If the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company consummates any Asset Sales, within ten days of each date on which the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $50.0 million, the Company may be required to make an Asset Sale Offer to all Holders of Notes and all holders of other Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes containing provisions similar to those set forth in the Indenture with respect to offers to purchase or redeem with the proceeds of sales of assets. The offer price in any Asset Sale Offer will be equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase, subject to the rights of Holders of Notes on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date, and will be payable in cash. Holders of Definitive Notes that are the subject of an offer to purchase will receive an Asset Sale Offer from the Company prior to any related purchase date and may elect to have such Notes purchased by completing the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” attached to the Notes.

(8) NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company will send or cause to be sent by first class mail (or sent electronically if DTC is the recipient), a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Notes or a satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture pursuant to Article 8 or 11 thereof. Notes and portions of Notes selected will be in amounts of $2,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder shall be redeemed.

 

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(9) DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part. Also, the Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the period between a record date and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.

(10) PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may be treated as the owner of it for all purposes. Only registered Holders have rights under the Indenture.

(11) AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER. Subject to certain exceptions, the Indenture, the Notes or the Note Guarantees may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes including Additional Notes, if any, voting as a single class, and any existing Default or Event of Default or compliance with any provision of the Indenture or the Notes or the Note Guarantees may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes including Additional Notes, if any, voting as a single class. Without the consent of any Holder of Notes, the Indenture, the Notes or the Note Guarantees may be amended or supplemented for certain purposes set forth in the Indenture.

(12) DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES. In the case of an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, all outstanding Notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may declare all the Notes to be due and payable immediately. Holders may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice of any continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default relating to the payment of principal, premium, if any, on, and interest, if any, on the Notes) if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes by notice to the Trustee may, on behalf of all the Holders, rescind an acceleration and its consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest, if any, on, the Notes (including in connection with an offer to purchase any Notes). The Company is required to deliver to the Trustee annually an Officers’ Certificate regarding compliance with the Indenture, and the Company is required, upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, to deliver to the Trustee a written statement specifying such Default or Event of Default.

 

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(13) TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.

(14) NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No director, manager, officer, member, partner, employee, incorporator, stockholder or other owner of Capital Stock of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Notes, the Indenture, the Note Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

(15) AUTHENTICATION. This Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.

(16) ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

(17) CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes, and the Trustee may use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption, and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

(18) GOVERNING LAW. THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THE INDENTURE, THIS NOTE AND THE NOTE GUARANTEES.

The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture. Requests may be made to:

Oasis Petroleum Inc.

First City Tower

1001 Fannin, Suite 1500

Houston, Texas 77002

Attention: General Counsel

 

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ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

 

(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to:                                                                                                                                    
                                (Insert assignee’s legal name)

                                                                      

 

 

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

and irrevocably appoint                                                                                                                                                                                

to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Date: _______________

 

  Your Signature:                                                                                  
            (Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

Signature Guarantee*: _________________________

 

* Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.10 or 4.15 of the Indenture, check the appropriate box below:

☐ Section 4.10                         ☐ Section 4.15

If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.10 or Section 4.15 of the Indenture, state the amount you elect to have purchased:

$_______________

Date: _______________

 

  Your Signature:                                                                                  
            (Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
 

Tax Identification No.:                                                                   

Signature Guarantee*: _________________________

 

* Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

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SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE *

The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an interest in another Global Note or for a Definitive Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an interest in this Global Note, have been made:

 

Date of

Exchange

  

Amount of

decrease in

Principal

Amount of

this Global Note

  

Amount of

increase in

Principal

Amount of

this Global Note

  

Principal
Amount

of this Global
Note following
such decrease

(or increase)

  

Signature of
authorized
officer of Trustee
or Custodian

 

* This schedule should be included only if the Note is issued in global form.

 

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EXHIBIT B

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

Oasis Petroleum Inc.

1001 Fannin, Suite 1500

Houston, Texas 77002

U.S. Bank National Association

8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100

Houston, Texas 77046

Attention: Corporate Trust Services

Re: 6.25% Senior Notes due 2026

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of May 14, 2018 (the “Indenture”), among Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the Subsidiary Guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

                         , (the “Transferor”) owns and proposes to transfer the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified in Annex A hereto, in the principal amount of $                 in such Note[s] or interests (the “Transfer”), to                              (the “Transferee”), as further specified in Annex A hereto. In connection with the Transfer, the Transferor hereby certifies that:

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

1. ☐ Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note or a Restricted Definitive Note pursuant to Rule 144A. The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that the beneficial interest or Definitive Note is being transferred to a Person that the Transferor reasonably believes is purchasing the beneficial interest or Definitive Note for its own account, or for one or more accounts with respect to which such Person exercises sole investment discretion, and such Person and each such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A in a transaction meeting the requirements of Rule 144A, and such Transfer is in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the 144A Global Note and/or the Restricted Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

2. ☐ Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note or a Restricted Definitive Note pursuant to Regulation S. The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that (i) the Transfer is not being made to a Person in the United States and (x) at the time the buy order was originated, the Transferee was outside the United States or such Transferor and any Person acting on its behalf reasonably

 

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believed and believes that the Transferee was outside the United States or (y) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market and neither such Transferor nor any Person acting on its behalf knows that the transaction was prearranged with a buyer in the United States, (ii) no directed selling efforts have been made in contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule 904(b) of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (iii) the transaction is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act and (iv) if the proposed transfer is being made prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, the transfer is not being made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (other than an Initial Purchaser). Upon consummation of the proposed transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will be subject to the restrictions on Transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Regulation S Global Note and/or the Restricted Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

3. ☐ Check and complete if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Definitive Note pursuant to any provision of the Securities Act other than Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Transfer is being effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to beneficial interests in Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States, and accordingly the Transferor hereby further certifies that (check one):

(a) ☐ such Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act;

OR

(b) ☐ such Transfer is being effected to the Company or a subsidiary thereof;

OR

(c) ☐ such Transfer is being effected pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and in compliance with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

4. ☐ Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or of an Unrestricted Definitive Note.

(a) ☐ Check if Transfer is pursuant to Rule 144. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

 

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(b) ☐ Check if Transfer is Pursuant to Regulation S. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

(c) ☐ Check if Transfer is Pursuant to Other Exemption. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in compliance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 144, Rule 903 or Rule 904 and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any State of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will not be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes or Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

 

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This certificate and the statements contained herein are made for your benefit.

 

 

  [Insert Name of Transferor]
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

Dated: _______________________

 

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ANNEX A TO CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

1. The Transferor owns and proposes to transfer the following:

[CHECK (a) OR (b)]

(a) ☐ a beneficial interest in the [CHECK (i), (ii) OR (iii)]:

(i) ☐ 144A Global Note (CUSIP [•]),

(ii) ☐ Regulation S Global Note (CUSIP [•]); or

(b) ☐ a Restricted Definitive Note.

2. After the Transfer the Transferee will hold:

[CHECK (a), (b) OR (c)]

(a) ☐ a beneficial interest in the [CHECK (i), (ii) OR (iii)]:

(i) ☐ 144A Global Note (CUSIP [•]), or

(ii) ☐ Regulation S Global Note (CUSIP [•]), or

(iv) ☐ Unrestricted Global Note (CUSIP             ); or

(b) ☐ a Restricted Definitive Note; or

(c) ☐ an Unrestricted Definitive Note,

in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

 

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EXHIBIT C

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE

Oasis Petroleum Inc.

1001 Fannin, Suite 1500

Houston, Texas 77002

U.S. Bank National Association

8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100

Houston, Texas 77046

Attention: Corporate Trust Services

Re: 6.25% Senior Notes due 2026

(CUSIP [ 🌑 ])

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of May 14, 2018 (the “Indenture”), among Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the Subsidiary Guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

                         , (the “Owner”) owns and proposes to exchange the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified herein, in the principal amount of $                 in such Note[s] or interests (the “Exchange”). In connection with the Exchange, the Owner hereby certifies that:

1. Exchange of Restricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Unrestricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note

(a) ☐ Check if Exchange is from beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note to beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note in an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

(b) ☐ Check if Exchange is from beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note to Unrestricted Definitive Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

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(c) ☐ Check if Exchange is from Restricted Definitive Note to beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. In connection with the Owner’s Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

(d) ☐ Check if Exchange is from Restricted Definitive Note to Unrestricted Definitive Note. In connection with the Owner’s Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

2. Exchange of Restricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes for Restricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes

(a) ☐ Check if Exchange is from beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note to Restricted Definitive Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a Restricted Definitive Note with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies that the Restricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the Restricted Definitive Note issued will continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

(b) ☐ Check if Exchange is from Restricted Definitive Note to beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in the [CHECK ONE] ☐ 144A Global Note, ☐ Regulation S Global Note with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer and (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, and in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the beneficial interest issued will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the relevant Restricted Global Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

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This certificate and the statements contained herein are made for your benefit.

 

 

 

[Insert Name of Transferor]

By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

Dated:                                         

 

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EXHIBIT D

[FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

TO BE DELIVERED BY SUBSEQUENT GUARANTORS]

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of                                 , among                                  (the “Guaranteeing Subsidiary”), a subsidiary of Oasis Petroleum Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the other Subsidiary Guarantors (as defined in the Indenture referred to herein) and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee under the Indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”).

W I T N E S S E T H

WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an indenture (the “Indenture”), dated as of May 14, 2018 providing for the issuance of 6.25% Senior Notes due May 1, 2026 (the “Notes”);

WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that under certain circumstances the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall unconditionally Guarantee all of the Company’s Obligations under the Notes and the Indenture on the terms and conditions set forth herein (the “Note Guarantee”); and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, the other Subsidiary Guarantors, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:

1. CAPITALIZED TERMS. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

2. AGREEMENT TO GUARANTEE. The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby agrees to provide an unconditional Guarantee on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Note Guarantee and in the Indenture including but not limited to Article 10 thereof.

3. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No director, manager, officer, member, partner, employee, incorporator, stockholder or unitholder or other owner of Capital Stock of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Notes, the Indenture or the Note Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

5. NEW YORK LAW TO GOVERN. THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE.

 

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6. COUNTERPARTS. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

7. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

8. THE TRUSTEE. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, the other Subsidiary Guarantors and the Company.

 

D-2


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date first above written.

Dated:                             ,

 

[GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY]
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
[EXISTING SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS]
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
As Trustee
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory

 

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