Indenture dated as of February 8, 2019, among PetroQuest Energy, Inc., the guarantors party thereto and Wilmington Trust, N.A., as the trustee and collateral agent

Exhibit 4.1

Execution Version

PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC.

as Company,

THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS PARTY HERETO,

as Subsidiary Guarantors,

AND

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

as Trustee and Collateral Agent

INDENTURE

DATED AS OF FEBRUARY 8, 2019

10% SENIOR SECURED PIK NOTES DUE 2024

Reference is made to the Lien Subordination and Intercreditor Agreement (as defined herein) dated as of February 8, 2019 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Intercreditor Agreement”), by and among Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Intercreditor Agent, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Collateral Agent, PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C, PetroQuest Energy Inc. (the “Parent”) and the subsidiaries of the Parent party thereto. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the liens and security interests granted to the Collateral Agent (as defined herein) pursuant to this Indenture are expressly subject and subordinate to the liens and security interests granted to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as agent (and its permitted successors), for the benefit of the lenders referred to below, as contemplated by that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of February 8, 2019 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time), by and among PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C, PetroQuest Energy Inc., Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as agent and the lenders party thereto and (ii) the exercise of any right or remedy by the Collateral Agent hereunder is subject to the limitations and provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement and the terms of this Indenture, the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement shall govern. The foregoing provisions are intended as an inducement to the lenders under the Priority Lien Documents (as defined herein) to extend credit to PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C., and such lenders are intended third party beneficiaries of such provisions and the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE^*

N.A. means not applicable.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Appendix – Provisions Relating to Securities

Exhibit A – Form of Security

Exhibit B – Form of Guaranty Agreement

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INDENTURE, dated as of February 8, 2019, between PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the “Company”), having its principal office at 400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 6000, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, the SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS party hereto from time to time and WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee and WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Collateral Agent.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Plan of Reorganization, dated November 6, 2018, as the same may be amended, modified or restated from time to time (the “Plan of Reorganization”) relating to the reorganization under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code of the Company and certain of its direct and indirect Subsidiaries, which Plan of Reorganization was confirmed by order, dated January 31, 2019, of the Bankruptcy Court, the holders of Prepetition Second Lien Notes (as defined in the Plan of Reorganization) and Prepetition Second Lien PIK Notes (as defined in the Plan of Reorganization) are to be issued 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 of the Company in an aggregate principal amount of $80,000,000 (as increased by any increase in the aggregate principal amount of the 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 of the Company in connection with PIK Payments and PIK Notes);

WHEREAS, the Liens securing the Notes Obligations are subordinate to the Liens securing certain indebtedness of PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C in the manner and to the extent set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement; and

WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make the Securities, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent, as in this Indenture provided, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, each Guarantee, when duly executed by the Subsidiary Guarantors and delivered hereunder, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors, and this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors according to its terms, have been done and performed, and the execution of this Indenture and the issuance hereunder of the Securities and each Guarantee have in all respects been duly authorized.

NOW, THEREFORE, in order to declare the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated, issued and delivered, and in consideration of the premises set forth herein, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors covenant and agree with the Trustee and Collateral Agent for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective Holders from time to time of the Securities and the Guarantees (except as otherwise provided below), as follows:

ARTICLE 1

Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

SECTION 1.01 Definitions.

“Additional Assets” means:

(1) any property, plant or equipment used or useful in a Related Business;

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(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; or

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

provided, however, that any such Restricted Subsidiary described in clause (2) or (3) above is primarily engaged in a Related Business.

“Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” or “ACNTA” means (without duplication), as of the date of determination:

(a) the sum of:

(1) discounted future net revenue from proved oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines (but giving effect to applicable Oil and Gas Hedging Contracts in place as of the date of determination (whether positive or negative)) before any state, federal, foreign or other income taxes, as estimated by the Company in a reserve report prepared as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financials are available, as increased by, as of the date of determination, the discounted future net revenue calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in such year-end reserve report) but giving effect to applicable Oil and Gas Hedging Contracts in place as of the date of determination (whether positive or negative) of:

(A) estimated proved oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries attributable to acquisitions consummated since the date of such reserve report, and

(B) estimated oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries attributable to extensions, discoveries and other additions and upward determinations 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) due to exploration, development or exploitation, production or other activities which reserves were not reflected in such reserve report;

and decreased by, as of the date of determination, the discounted future net revenue (calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines using prices used in such year-end reserve report) attributable to:

(C) estimated proved oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in such reserve report produced or disposed of since the date of such reserve report, and

(D) reductions in the estimated oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in such reserve report since the date of such

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reserve report attributable to downward determinations of estimates of proved crude oil and natural gas reserves due to exploration, development or exploitation, production or other activities conducted or otherwise occurring since the date of such reserve report;

provided, however, that, in the case of each of the determinations made pursuant to clauses (A) through (D), such increases and decreases shall be estimated by the Company’s engineers in accordance with customary reserve engineering practices;

(2) the capitalized costs that are attributable to Oil and Gas Properties of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries to which no proved oil and gas reserves are attributed, based on the Company’s books and records as of a date no earlier than the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements of the Company have been made available prior to the date of determination;

(3) the Net Working Capital as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements of the Company have been made available prior to the date of determination; and

(4) the greater of (i) the net book value as of a date no earlier than the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements of the Company have been made available prior to the date of determination and (ii) the fair market value, as estimated by the Company, of other tangible assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of a date within the immediately preceding twelve months; minus

(b) to the extent not otherwise taken into account in the immediately preceding clause (a), the sum of

(1) minority interests;

(2) any net gas balancing liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in the Company’s latest annual or quarterly balance sheet (to the extent not deducted in calculating Net Working Capital in accordance with clause (a)(3)above of this definition);

(3) the discounted future net revenue, as of the effective date of such reserve report, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines (utilizing the same prices utilized in the Company’s year-end reserve report), attributable to reserves that are required to be delivered to third parties to fully satisfy the obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Volumetric Production Payments on the schedules specified with respect thereto; and

(4) the discounted future net revenue, as of the effective date of such reserve report, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines, attributable to reserves subject to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments that, based on the estimates of production included in determining the discounted future net revenue specified in the immediately preceding clause (a)(1) (utilizing the same prices utilized in the Company’s year-end reserve report), would be necessary to satisfy fully the obligations of the Company and its

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Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments on the schedules specified with respect thereto.

Whether the Company uses the successful efforts method of accounting or the full cost (or similar method) method of accounting, ACNTA shall be calculated as if the Company were using the full cost 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 the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Asset Disposition” means any sale, lease, transfer or other disposition (or series of related sales, leases, transfers or dispositions) by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, including any disposition by means of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction (each referred to for the purposes of this definition as a “disposition”), of:

(1) any shares of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary (other than directors’ qualifying shares or shares required by applicable law to be held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary); and

(2) any other assets (other than Capital Stock) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary outside of the ordinary course of business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary

(other than, in the case of clauses (1) and (2) above,

(A) a disposition by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to a Restricted Subsidiary;

(B) for purposes of Section 4.06 only, (i) a disposition that constitutes a Restricted Payment (or would constitute a Restricted Payment but for the exclusions from the definition thereof) and that is not prohibited by Section 4.04 and (ii) a disposition of all or substantially all the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.01;

(C) any single transaction or series of related transactions that: (a) involves the disposition of assets having a Fair Market Value of less than $5.0 million; or (b) results in Net Available Cash to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries of less than $5.0 million;

(D) the trade or exchange by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any oil and gas lease, oil or gas property or interest therein and any related assets owned or held by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or the capital stock of a Subsidiary for (a) any oil and gas lease, oil or gas property or interest therein and any related assets owned or held by another Person or (b) the Capital Stock of

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another Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such trade or exchange or the Capital Stock of another Person that is a joint venture, partnership or other similar entity, in each case all or substantially all of whose assets consist of crude oil or natural gas properties, including in the case of either of clauses (a) or (b), any cash or cash equivalents necessary in order to achieve an exchange of equivalent value; provided, however, that the value of the property or Capital Stock received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such trade or exchange (including any cash or cash equivalents) is substantially equal to the Fair Market Value of the property (including any cash or cash equivalents so traded or exchanged);

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

(F) any Production Payment and Reserve Sale created, issued or assumed in connection with the financing of the acquisition of Oil and Gas Properties that are subject thereto (and within 90 days after such acquisition), so long as the owner or purchaser of such Production Payment and Reserve Sale has recourse solely to such Oil and Gas Properties and to the proceeds thereof, subject to the obligation of the grantor or transferor of such Production Payment and Reserve Sale to operate and maintain the related Oil and Gas Properties in a prudent manner or other customary standard, to deliver the associated production (if required) and to indemnify with respect to environmental, title and other matters customary in the Oil and Gas Business;

(G) any issuance or sale of Capital Stock of the Company;

(H) a disposition of cash or Temporary Cash Investments;

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

(J) the creation of a Lien (but not the sale or other disposition of the property subject to such Lien)).

For the avoidance of doubt, any disposition of oil, natural gas or other Hydrocarbons or other mineral products and related equipment or surplus, damaged, unserviceable, worn-out or obsolete equipment; any abandonment, relinquishment, farm-in, farm-out, lease, sub-lease or other disposition of developed or undeveloped or both developed and undeveloped Oil and Gas Properties; the provision of services, equipment and other assets for the operation and development of the Company’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ oil and natural gas wells (notwithstanding that any such transaction may be recorded as an asset sale in accordance with full cost accounting guidelines); any assignment of a working, overriding royalty or net profits interest to an employee or consultant of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with the

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generation of prospects or the exploration or development of oil and natural gas projects; and the liquidation of any assets received in settlement of claims owed to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, in each such case in the ordinary course of business of the Company or its Subsidiaries, shall not constitute an Asset Disposition.

“Attributable Debt” in respect of a Sale/Leaseback Transaction means, as at the time of determination, the present value (discounted at the interest rate implicit in the Sale/Leaseback Transaction, compounded annually) of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such Sale/Leaseback Transaction (including any period for which such lease has been extended); provided, however, that if such Sale/Leaseback Transaction results in a Capital Lease Obligation, the amount of Indebtedness represented thereby shall be determined in accordance with the definition of “Capital Lease Obligation”.

“Average Life” means, as of the date of determination, with respect to any Indebtedness, the quotient obtained by dividing:

(1) the sum of the products of the numbers of years from the date of determination to the dates of each successive scheduled principal payment of or redemption or similar payment with respect to such Indebtedness multiplied by the amount of such payment by,

(2) the sum of all such payments.

“Bankruptcy Court” means the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, in the proceedings under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code styled In re PetroQuest Energy, Inc. et al., Debtors, Case No. 18-36322 (DRJ), Chief Judge David R. Jones presiding.

“Bankruptcy Proceeding” means the bankruptcy proceedings of the Company and certain of its Subsidiaries under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court

“Bank Product” means each and any of the following bank services and products provided to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor by any lender under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement or any Affiliate thereof: (a) commercial credit cards, (b) stored value cards and (c) Treasury Management Arrangements (including controlled disbursement, automated clearinghouse transactions, return items, overdrafts and interstate depository network services).

“Bank Product Obligations” means any and all Obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor) in connection with any Bank Product.

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such Board.

“Borrowing Base” means the maximum amount in United States dollars determined or re-determined by the lenders under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement as the aggregate lending value to be ascribed to the Oil and Gas Properties of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors against

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which commercial banks or one or more entities that are beneficial owners of the Securities or Affiliates of such entities are prepared to provide loans or other Indebtedness to the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement, using their customary practices and standards for determining reserve-based loans and which are generally applied by commercial banks or one or more entities that are beneficial owners of the Securities or Affiliates of such entities to borrowers in the Oil and Gas Business, as determined either quarterly or semi-annually during each year and/or on such other occasions as may be provided for by the Priority Lien 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 Subsidiary Guarantors.

“Business Day” means each day which is not a Legal Holiday.

“Capital Lease Obligation” means an obligation that is required to be classified and accounted for as a capital lease for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP, and the amount of Indebtedness represented by such obligation shall be the capitalized amount of such obligation determined 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 terminated by the lessee without payment of a penalty. For purposes of Section 4.09, a Capital Lease Obligation shall be deemed to be secured by a Lien on the property being leased.

“Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares, interests (including partnership interests), rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) equity of such Person, including any Preferred Stock, but excluding any debt securities convertible into such equity.

“Change of Control” means any one of the following events:

(1) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) other than a Permitted Holder is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that for purposes of this clause (1) such person shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company;

(2) the adoption by the stockholders of the Company of a plan of liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or

(3) the merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person or the merger of another Person with or into the Company, or the sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company (determined on a consolidated basis) to another Person other than a transaction following which (i) in the case of a merger or consolidation transaction, holders of securities that represented 100% of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction (or other securities into which such securities are converted as part of such merger or consolidation transaction) own directly or indirectly at

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least a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person in such merger or consolidation transaction immediately after such transaction and (ii) in the case of a sale of assets transaction, each transferee becomes an obligor in respect of the Securities and a Subsidiary of the transferor of such assets.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“Collateral” means all assets and property, whether real, personal or mixed, wherever located and whether now owned or at any time acquired after the date of this Indenture by the Company as to which a Lien is granted under the Security Documents to secure the Notes Obligations.

“Collateral Agent” means Wilmington Trust, National Association, in its capacity as collateral agent under the Indenture and Security Documents, until a successor replaces it in such capacity and, thereafter, means the successor.

“Collateral Disposition” means any sale, transfer or other disposition (whether voluntary or involuntary) to the extent involving assets or other rights or property that constitute Collateral.

“Confirmation Date” means the later of the date on which the Plan of Reorganization is first confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court or the last date on which an amendment, modification or restatement of the Plan of Reorganization is approved by the Bankruptcy Court.

“Consolidated Coverage Ratio” as of any date of determination means the ratio of (a) the aggregate amount of EBITDA for the period of the most recent four consecutive fiscal quarters prior to the date of such determination for which internal financial statements are available to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense for such four fiscal quarters; provided, however, that:

(1) if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has Incurred any Indebtedness since the beginning of such period that remains outstanding or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is an Incurrence of Indebtedness, or both, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis to such Indebtedness as if such Indebtedness had been Incurred on the first day of such period;

(2) if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged any Indebtedness since the beginning of such period or if any Indebtedness is to be repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged (in each case other than Indebtedness Incurred under any revolving credit facility unless such Indebtedness has been permanently repaid and the related commitment terminated) on the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated on a pro forma basis as if such discharge had occurred on the first day of such period and as if the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary had not earned the interest income actually earned during such period in respect of cash or Temporary Cash Investments used to repay, repurchase, defease or otherwise discharge such Indebtedness;

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(3) if since the beginning of such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall have made any Asset Disposition, EBITDA for such period shall be reduced by an amount equal to EBITDA (if positive) directly attributable to the assets which are the subject of such Asset Disposition for such period, or increased by an amount equal to EBITDA (if negative), directly attributable thereto for such period and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated Interest Expense directly attributable to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged with respect to the Company and its continuing Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such Asset Disposition for such period (or, if the Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary is sold, the Consolidated Interest Expense for such period directly attributable to the Indebtedness of such Restricted Subsidiary to the extent the Company and its continuing Restricted Subsidiaries are no longer liable for such Indebtedness after such sale);

(4) if since the beginning of such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (by merger or otherwise) shall have made an Investment in any Restricted Subsidiary (or any Person which becomes a Restricted Subsidiary) or an acquisition of assets, including any acquisition of assets occurring in connection with a transaction requiring a calculation to be made hereunder, which constitutes producing Oil and Gas Properties or all or substantially all of an operating unit of a business, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto (including the Incurrence of any Indebtedness) as if such Investment or acquisition had occurred on the first day of such period; and

(5) if since the beginning of such period any Person (that subsequently became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary since the beginning of such period) shall have made any Asset Disposition, any Investment or acquisition of assets that would have required an adjustment pursuant to clause (3) or (4) above if made by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary during such period, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Asset Disposition, Investment or acquisition had occurred on the first day of such period.

For purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to an acquisition of assets, the amount of income or earnings relating thereto and the amount of Consolidated Interest Expense associated with any Indebtedness Incurred in connection therewith, the pro forma calculations shall be determined in good faith by a responsible financial or accounting Officer of the Company; including any reasonably identifiable and factually supportable pro forma changes to EBITDA, including any pro forma expenses and costs reductions, that have occurred or in the judgment of such officer are reasonably expected to occur within 12 months of the date of the applicable transaction (regardless of whether such expense or cost reduction or any other operating improvements could then be reflected properly 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). If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest on such Indebtedness shall be calculated as if the rate in effect on the date of determination had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Interest Rate Agreement applicable to such Indebtedness if such Interest Rate Agreement has a remaining term in excess of

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12 months). If any Indebtedness that is being given pro forma effect bears an interest rate at the option of the Company, the interest rate shall be calculated by applying such optional rate chosen by the Company. Interest on Indebtedness that may optionally be determined at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate, a Eurocurrency interbank offered rate, or other rate, shall be deemed to have been based upon the rate actually chosen, or, if none, then based upon such optional rate chosen as the Company may designate.

If any Indebtedness is Incurred under a revolving credit facility and is being given pro forma effect, the interest on such Indebtedness shall be calculated based on the average daily balance of such Indebtedness for the four fiscal quarters or such shorter period for which such facility was outstanding or if such revolving credit facility was created after the end of such four fiscal quarters, the average daily balance of such Indebtedness during the period from the date of creation of such revolving credit facility to the date of such calculation, in each case, provided that such average daily balance shall take into account any repayment of Indebtedness under such revolving credit facility as provided under clause (2) above.

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, the total interest expense of the Company and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries, plus, to the extent not included in such total interest expense, and to the extent Incurred by the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, without duplication:

(1) interest expense attributable to Capital Lease Obligations;

(2) amortization of debt discount and debt issuance cost;

(3) capitalized interest;

(4) non-cash interest expense;

(5) commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing;

(6) net payments pursuant to Interest Rate Agreements;

(7) dividends accrued in respect of all Disqualified Stock of the Company and all Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary, in each case held by Persons other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (other than dividends payable solely in Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company); provided, however, that such dividends shall be multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the effective combined tax rate of the issuer of such Preferred Stock (expressed as a decimal) for such period (as estimated by the chief financial or accounting Officer of the Company in good faith);

(8) interest Incurred in connection with Investments in discontinued operations;

(9) interest accruing on any Indebtedness of any other Person to the extent such Indebtedness is Guaranteed by (or secured by the assets of) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; and

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(10) the cash contributions to any employee stock ownership plan or similar trust to the extent such contributions are used by such plan or trust to pay interest or fees to any Person (other than the Company) in connection with Indebtedness Incurred by such plan or trust, minus, to the extent included above, write-off of deferred financing costs (and interest) attributable to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments.

“Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, the net income of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries; provided, however, that there shall not be included in such Consolidated Net Income:

(1) any net income of any Person (other than the Company) if such Person is not a Restricted Subsidiary, except that:

(A) subject to the exclusion contained in clause (4) below, the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Person for such period shall be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed by such Person during or with respect to such period to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend or other distribution (subject, in the case of a dividend or other distribution paid to a Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitations contained in clause (3) below); and

(B) the Company’s equity in a net loss of any such Person for such period shall be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income to the extent such loss has been funded with cash from the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary during such period;

(2) any net income (or loss) of any Person acquired by the Company or a Subsidiary in a pooling of interests transaction (or any transaction accounted for in a manner similar to a pooling of interests) for any period prior to the date of such acquisition;

(3) any net income of any Restricted Subsidiary if such Restricted Subsidiary is subject to restrictions, directly or indirectly, on the payment of dividends or the making of distributions by such Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to the Company, except that:

(A) subject to the exclusion contained in clause (4) below, the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash that could have been distributed by such Restricted Subsidiary during such period to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend or other distribution (subject, in the case of a dividend or other distribution paid to another Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitation contained in this clause); and

(B) the Company’s equity in a net loss of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income;

(4) any gain (or loss), together with any provision for taxes related to such gain (or loss), realized upon the sale or other disposition of any assets of the Company, its

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consolidated Subsidiaries or any other Person (including pursuant to any sale-and-leaseback arrangement) which is not sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business and any gain (or loss) together with any provision for taxes related to such gain (or loss), realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Capital Stock of any Person;

(5) any unrealized non-cash gains or losses or charges in respect of hedge or non-hedge derivatives (including those resulting from the application of FASB ASC 815);

(6) any non-cash compensation charge arising from any grant of stock, stock options or other equity based awards;

(7) extraordinary or non-recurring gains or losses, together with any provision for taxes related to such extraordinary or non-recurring gains or losses;

(8) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles;

(9) any “ceiling limitation” on Oil and Gas Properties or other asset impairment writedowns under GAAP or SEC guidelines; and

(10) any after-tax effect of income (loss) from the early extinguishment of Indebtedness,

in each case, for such period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purposes of Section 4.04 only, there shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income any repurchases, repayments or redemptions of Investments, proceeds realized on the sale of Investments or return of capital to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to the extent such repurchases, repayments, redemptions, proceeds or returns increase the amount of Restricted Payments permitted under Section 4.04(a)(3)(E).

“Consolidated Net Worth” means the total of the amounts shown on the balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter of the Company for which internal financial statements are available prior to the taking of any action for the purpose of which the determination is being made, as the sum of:

(1) the par or stated value of all outstanding Capital Stock of the Company, plus

(2) paid-in capital or capital surplus relating to such Capital Stock, plus

(3) any retained earnings or earned surplus, less (A) any accumulated deficit and (B) any amounts attributable to Disqualified Stock.

“Credit Facility” means one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Priority Lien Credit Agreement), commercial paper facilities or other debt instruments, indentures or agreements in each case provided by one or more commercial banks or one or more entities that are beneficial owners of the Securities or Affiliates of such entities providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financings (including through the sale of receivables to the lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from the lenders against such receivables), letters

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of credit, capital markets financings and/or private placements involving bonds or other debt securities, or other debt obligations, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, restructured, supplemented, replaced or refinanced from time to time in whole or in part from time to time, including without limitation any amendment increasing the amount of Debt Incurred or available to be borrowed thereunder, extending the maturity of any Debt Incurred thereunder or contemplated thereby or deleting, adding or substituting one or more parties thereto (whether or not such added or substituted parties are commercial banks or one or more entities that are beneficial owners of the Securities or Affiliates of such entities).

“Currency Agreement” means any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement or other similar agreement with respect to currency values.

“Debt” means, for any Person, the sum of the following (without duplication): (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, bankers’ acceptances, debentures, notes or other similar instruments; (b) all obligations of such Person (whether contingent or otherwise) in respect of letters of credit, surety or other bonds and similar instruments; (c) all accounts payable and all accrued expenses, liabilities or other obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services; (d) all Capital Lease Obligations; (e) all obligations under synthetic leases; (f) all Debt (as defined in the other clauses of this definition) of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) a Lien on any property of such Person, whether or not such Debt is assumed by such Person; (g) all Debt (as defined in the other clauses of this definition) of others guaranteed by such Person or in which such Person otherwise assures a creditor against loss of the Debt (howsoever such assurance shall be made) to the extent of the lesser of the amount of such Debt and the maximum stated amount of such guarantee or assurance against loss; (h) all obligations or undertakings of such Person to maintain or cause to be maintained the financial position or covenants of others or to purchase the Debt or property of others; (i) obligations to deliver commodities, goods or services, including, without limitation, Hydrocarbons, in consideration of one or more advance payments, other than gas balancing arrangements in the ordinary course of business; (j) obligations to pay for goods or services even if such goods or services are not actually received or utilized by such Person; (k) any Debt of a partnership for which such Person is liable either by agreement, by operation of law or by a governmental requirement but only to the extent of such liability; (l) Disqualified Stock; and (m) the undischarged balance of any production payment created by such Person or for the creation of which such Person directly or indirectly received payment. The Debt of any Person shall include all obligations of such Person of the character described above to the extent such Person remains legally liable in respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is not included as a liability of such Person under GAAP.

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

“Disqualified Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any Capital Stock which by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable at the option of the holder) or upon the happening of any event:

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(1) matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than redeemable only for Capital Stock of such Person which is not itself Disqualified Stock) pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise;

(2) is convertible or exchangeable at the option of the holder for Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock; or

(3) is mandatorily redeemable or must be purchased upon the occurrence of certain events or otherwise, in whole or in part;

in each case on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the earlier of the date (a) of the Stated Maturity of the Securities and (b) on which there are no Securities outstanding; provided, however, that any Capital Stock that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for provisions thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to purchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an “asset sale” or “change of control” occurring prior to the date 91 days after the earlier date determined pursuant to clause (a) or (b) above shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if:

(A) the “asset sale” or “change of control” provisions applicable to such Capital Stock are not materially more favorable to the holders of such Capital Stock than the terms applicable to the Securities in Section 4.06 and Section 4.08; and

(B) any such requirement only becomes operative after compliance with such terms applicable to the Securities, including the purchase of any Securities tendered pursuant thereto.

The amount of any Disqualified Stock that does not have a fixed redemption, repayment or repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Stock as if such Disqualified Stock were redeemed, repaid or repurchased on any date on which the amount of such Disqualified Stock is to be determined pursuant to this Indenture; provided, however, that if such Disqualified Stock could not be required to be redeemed, repaid or repurchased at the time of such determination, the redemption, repayment or repurchase price shall be the book value of such Disqualified Stock as reflected in the most recent financial statements of such Person.

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

“EBITDA” for any period means the sum of Consolidated Net Income, plus the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income:

(1) Reorganization Expenses;

(2) all income tax expense of the Company and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries;

(3) Consolidated Interest Expense;

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(4) depreciation, depletion and amortization expense of the Company and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding amortization expense attributable to a prepaid item that was paid in cash in a prior period);

(5) all other non-cash charges of the Company and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding any such non-cash charge to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash expenditures in any future period but including non-cash charges resulting from the application of FASB ASC 410 (Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations) less all non-cash items of income of the Company and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (other than accruals of revenue by the Company and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business)); and

(6) if the Company changes its method of accounting from full cost to successful efforts or a similar method of accounting, consolidated exploration and abandonment expense of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

in each case for such period and less, to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated Net Income and in excess of any costs or expenses attributable thereto and deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income, 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.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provision for taxes based on the income or profits of, and the depreciation, depletion and amortization and non-cash charges of, a Restricted Subsidiary shall be added to Consolidated Net Income to compute EBITDA only to the extent (and in the same proportion, including by reason of minority interests) that the net income or loss of such Restricted Subsidiary was included in calculating Consolidated Net Income and only if a corresponding amount would be permitted at the date of determination to be dividended to the Company by such Restricted Subsidiary without prior 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 such Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders.

“Employee Stock Purchase Plan” means any employee stock ownership plan or trust or any employee stock purchase plan or other similar arrangement for the benefit of employees of the Company or of some or all of its Restricted Subsidiaries or of both the Company and some or all of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

“Equity Offering” means a public or private offering for cash by the Company of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock), other than public offerings registered on Form S-8.

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

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“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any Asset Disposition, Sale/Leaseback Transaction or Restricted Payment (or Investment or Permitted Investment), the price that would be negotiated in an arm’s-length transaction between a willing seller and a willing and able buyer, neither of which is under any compulsion to complete the transaction, as such price is determined in good faith by:

(1) if the value of such Asset Disposition, Sale/Leaseback Transaction or Restricted Payment (or Investment or Permitted Investment) is less than $10.0 million, an Officer of the Company; and

(2) if the value of such Asset Disposition, Sale/Leaseback Transaction or Restricted Payment (or Investment or Permitted Investment) is $10.0 million or greater, the Board of Directors.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect as of December 31, 2018, including those set forth in:

(1) the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants;

(2) statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board;

(3) such other statements by such other entity as approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession; and

(4) the rules and regulations of the SEC governing the inclusion of financial statements (including pro forma financial statements) in periodic reports required to be filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act, including opinions and pronouncements in staff accounting bulletins and similar written statements from the accounting staff of the SEC.

“Grantor” means, for purposes of the Intercreditor Agreement, the Company and each Subsidiary of the Company that has granted any Lien in favor of any of the Priority Lien Agent or the Collateral Agent on any of its assets or properties to secure any of the Priority Lien Obligations or the Notes Obligations.

“Guarantee” means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of any Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any Person and any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person:

(1) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness of such Person (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take-or-pay or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise); or

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(2) entered into for the purpose 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);

provided, however, that the term “Guarantee” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The term “Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

“Guaranty Agreement” means a supplemental indenture, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, pursuant to which a Subsidiary Guarantor guarantees the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities on the terms provided for in this Indenture.

“Hedging Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person pursuant to any Interest Rate Agreement, Currency Agreement or Oil and Gas Hedging Contract.

“Holder” or “Securityholder” means the Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.

“Hydrocarbon Interests” means all rights, titles, interests and estates in and to oil and gas leases, oil, gas and mineral leases, or other liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon leases, mineral fee interests, overriding royalty and royalty interests, net profit interests and production payment interests, including any reserved or residual interests of whatever nature.

“Hydrocarbons” means all oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all products refined or separated therefrom.

“Incur” means issue, assume, Guarantee, incur or otherwise become liable for; provided, however, that any Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary (whether by merger, consolidation, acquisition or otherwise) shall be deemed to be Incurred by such Person at the time it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary. The term “Incurrence” when used as a noun shall have a correlative meaning. Solely for purposes of determining compliance with Section 4.03:

(1) amortization of debt discount or the accretion of principal with respect to a non-interest bearing or other discount security;

(2) the accrual of interest or dividends and the payment of regularly scheduled interest in the form of additional Indebtedness of the same instrument or the payment of regularly scheduled dividends on Capital Stock in the form of additional Capital Stock of the same class and with the same terms;

(3) the obligation to pay a premium in respect of Indebtedness arising in connection with the issuance of a notice of redemption or making of a mandatory offer to purchase such Indebtedness; and

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(4) unrealized losses, charges or other similar obligations in respect of Hedging Obligations (including those resulting from the application of FASB ASC 815), shall not be deemed to be the Incurrence of Indebtedness.

“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person on any date of determination (without duplication):

(1) the principal in respect of (A) indebtedness of such Person for money borrowed and (B) indebtedness evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other similar instruments for the payment of which such Person is responsible or liable, including, in each case, any premium on such indebtedness to the extent such premium has become due and payable;

(2) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person and all Attributable Debt in respect of Sale/Leaseback Transactions entered into by such Person;

(3) all obligations of such Person issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all conditional sale obligations of such Person and all obligations of such Person under any title retention agreement (but excluding any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business);

(4) all obligations of such Person for the reimbursement of any obligor on any letter of credit, bankers’ acceptance or similar credit transaction (other than obligations with respect to letters of credit securing obligations (other than obligations described in clauses (1) through (3) above) entered into in the ordinary course of business of such Person to the extent such letters of credit are not drawn upon or, if and to the extent drawn upon, such drawing is reimbursed no later than the tenth Business Day following payment on the letter of credit);

(5) the amount of all obligations of such Person with respect to the redemption, repayment or other repurchase of any Disqualified Stock of such Person or, with respect to any Preferred Stock of any Subsidiary of such Person, the principal amount of such Preferred Stock to be determined in accordance with this Indenture (but excluding, in each case, any accrued dividends);

(6) all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (1) through (5) of other Persons and all dividends of other Persons for the payment of which, in either case, such Person is responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise, including by means of any Guarantee;

(7) all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (1) through (6) of other Persons secured by any Lien on any property or asset of such Person (whether or not such obligation is assumed by such Person), the amount of such obligation being deemed to be the lesser of the fair market value of such property or assets and the amount of the obligation so secured;

(8) to the extent not otherwise included in this definition, Hedging Obligations of such Person; and

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(9) any guarantee by such Person of production or payment with respect to a Production Payment, but excluding guarantees with respect to operation and maintenance of the related Oil and Gas Properties in a prudent manner, delivery of the associated production (if required) and other such contractual obligations.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with the purchase by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any business, the term “Indebtedness” shall exclude post-closing payment adjustments to which the seller may become entitled to the extent such payment is determined by a final closing balance sheet or such payment depends on the performance of such business after the closing; provided, however, that, at the time of closing, the amount of any such payment is not determinable and, to the extent such payment thereafter becomes fixed and determined, the amount is paid within 60 days thereafter. In addition, except as expressly provided in clause (9) above, Production Payments and Reserve Sales shall not constitute “Indebtedness.”

The amount of Indebtedness of any Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of all obligations as described above; provided, however, that in the case of Indebtedness sold at a discount, the amount of such Indebtedness at any time shall be the accreted value thereof at such time.

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

“Independent Qualified Party” means an investment banking firm, accounting firm or appraisal firm of national standing; provided, however, that such firm is not an Affiliate of the Company.

“Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding” means:

(a) any case commenced by or against the Company or any other Grantor under Bankruptcy Law, any other proceeding for the reorganization, recapitalization or adjustment or marshalling of the assets or liabilities of the Company or any other Grantor, any receivership or assignment for the benefit of creditors relating to the Company or any other Grantor or any similar case or proceeding relative to the Company or any other Grantor or its creditors, as such, in each case whether or not voluntary;

(b) any liquidation, dissolution, marshalling of assets or liabilities or other winding up of or relating to the Company or any other Grantor, in each case whether or not voluntary and whether or not involving bankruptcy or insolvency; or

(c) any other proceeding of any type or nature (including any composition agreement) in which substantially all claims of creditors of the Company or any other Grantor are determined and any payment or distribution is or may be made on account of such claims.

“Intercreditor Agreement” means the Lien Subordination and Intercreditor Agreement among the Priority Lien Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the other parties from time to time party thereto, dated as of the date hereof, as it may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with this Indenture.

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“Interest Rate Agreement” means any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement or other financial agreement or arrangement with respect to exposure to interest rates.

“Investment” in any Person means any direct or indirect advance (other than advances to customers in the ordinary course of business that are recorded as accounts receivable on the balance sheet of the lender), loan or other extensions of credit (including by way of Guarantee or similar arrangement) or capital contribution to (by means of any transfer of cash or other property to others or any payment for property or services for the account or use of others), or any purchase or acquisition of Capital Stock, Indebtedness or other similar instruments issued by such Person. If the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary issues, sells or otherwise disposes of any Capital Stock of a Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary such that, after giving effect thereto, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary, any Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such Person remaining after giving effect thereto shall be deemed to be a new Investment at such time. The acquisition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of a Person that holds an Investment in a third Person shall be deemed to be an Investment by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary in such third Person at such time. Except as otherwise provided for herein, the amount of an Investment shall be its Fair Market Value at the time the Investment is made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value. For purposes of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary”, the definition of “Restricted Payment” and Section 4.04:

(1) “Investment” shall include the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of any Subsidiary of the Company at the time that such Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that upon a redesignation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the Company shall be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary equal to an amount (if positive) equal to (A) the Company’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation less (B) the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation; and

(2) any property transferred to or from an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be valued at its Fair Market Value at the time of such transfer.

“Issue Date” means the first date on which the Securities are issued, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are not required to be open in the State of New York, the State of Texas or the place of payment.

“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, lien or charge of any kind (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or lease in the nature thereof).

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor to its rating agency business.

“Net Available Cash” from an Asset Disposition means cash payments received therefrom (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note

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or installment receivable or otherwise and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of any securities received as consideration, but only as and when received, but excluding any other consideration received in the form of assumption by the acquiring Person of Indebtedness or other obligations relating to such properties or assets or received in any other non-cash form), in each case net of:

(1) all legal, title, recording, engineering, environmental, accounting, investment banking, brokerage and relocation expenses, commissions and other fees and expenses Incurred, and all Federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes required to be paid or accrued as a liability under GAAP, as a consequence of such Asset Disposition;

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

(3) all distributions and other payments required to be made to minority interest holders in Restricted Subsidiaries as a result of such Asset Disposition;

(4) the deduction of appropriate amounts as a reserve, in accordance with GAAP, against any liabilities associated with the property or other assets disposed in such Asset Disposition and retained by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary after such Asset Disposition; and

(5) any portion of the purchase price from an Asset Disposition placed in escrow, whether as a reserve for adjustment of the purchase price, for satisfaction of indemnities in respect of such Asset Disposition or otherwise in connection with that Asset Disposition; provided, however, that upon the termination of that escrow, Net Available Cash shall be increased by any portion of funds in the escrow that are released to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.

“Net Cash Proceeds”, with respect to any issuance or sale of Capital Stock or Indebtedness, means the cash proceeds of such issuance or sale net of attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees, underwriters’ or placement agents’ fees, discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees actually Incurred in connection with such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a result thereof.

“Net Working Capital” of the Company means:

(1) all current assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, except current assets from commodity price risk management activities arising in the ordinary course of business; minus

(2) all current liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, except current liabilities included in Indebtedness (including the Securities), current liabilities from commodity price risk management activities arising in the ordinary course of

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business, current liabilities recorded with respect to stock-based compensation and current liabilities that constitute estimated abandonment costs pursuant to FASB ASC 410;

in each case, determined in accordance with GAAP.

“Non-Recourse Purchase Money Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than Capital Lease Obligations) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary Incurred in connection with the acquisition by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary of assets used in the Oil and Gas Business (including office buildings and other real property used by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary in conducting its operations) with respect to which:

(1) the holders of such Indebtedness agree that they will look solely to the assets so acquired that secure such Indebtedness, and except for the interest of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary (a) is directly or indirectly liable for such Indebtedness or (b) provides credit support, including any undertaking, Guarantee, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness (other than the grant of a Lien on such acquired assets); and

(2) no default or event of default with respect to such Indebtedness would cause, or permit (after notice or passage of time or otherwise), any holder of any other Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to declare a default or event of default on such other Indebtedness or cause the payment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to any scheduled principal payment, scheduled sinking fund payment or maturity.

“Note Documents” means this Indenture, the Securities, the Guarantees, the Guaranty Agreements, the Security Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement.

“NYMEX” means the New York Mercantile Exchange.

“Obligations” means, with respect to any Indebtedness, all obligations for principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, and other amounts payable pursuant to the documentation governing such Indebtedness.

“Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, which certificate shall be deemed to be, and the Trustee may rely on its being, executed and delivered by the Officers signing it on behalf of the Company.

“Oil and Gas Business” means:

(1) the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, operation and disposition of interests in oil, natural gas, other Hydrocarbon and mineral properties;

(2) the gathering, marketing, distribution, treating, processing, storage, refining, selling and transporting of any production from such interests or properties and

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the marketing of oil, natural gas, other Hydrocarbons and minerals obtained from unrelated Persons;

(3) any business or activity relating to or arising from exploration for or exploitation, development, production, treatment, processing, storage, refining, transportation, gathering or marketing of oil, natural gas, other Hydrocarbons and minerals and products produced in association therewith;

(4) any other related energy business, including power generation and electrical transmission business where fuel required by such business is supplied, directly or indirectly, from oil, natural gas, other Hydrocarbons and minerals produced substantially from properties in which the Company or the Restricted Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, participate;

(5) any business relating to oil field sales and service; and

(6) any activity necessary, appropriate or incidental to the activities described in the preceding clauses (1) through (5) of this definition.

“Oil and Gas Hedging Contract” means any oil and gas hedging agreement and other agreement or arrangement designed to protect the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary against fluctuations in oil and gas prices.

“Oil and Gas Liens” means:

(1) Liens on any specific property or any interest therein, construction thereon or improvement thereto to secure all or any part of the costs (other than Indebtedness) Incurred for surveying, exploration, drilling, extraction, development, operation, production, construction, alteration, repair or improvement of, in, under or on such property and the plugging and abandonment of wells located thereon (it being understood that, in the case of oil and gas producing properties, or any interest therein, costs Incurred for “development” shall include costs Incurred for all facilities relating to such properties or to projects, ventures or other arrangements of which such properties form a part or that relate to such properties or interests);

(2) Liens on an oil or gas producing property to secure obligations Incurred or Guarantees of obligations Incurred (in each case, other than Indebtedness) in connection with or necessarily incidental to commitments for the purchase or sale of, or the transportation or distribution of, the products derived from such property;

(3) Liens arising under partnership agreements, oil and gas leases, overriding royalty agreements, net profits agreements, production payment agreements, royalty trust agreements, 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, farm-out agreements, farm-in agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale, purchase, exchange, transportation, gathering or processing of oil, gas or other Hydrocarbons, unitizations and pooling designations, declarations, orders and agreements, development agreements, operating

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agreements, gas balancing or deferred production agreements, production sharing agreements, area of mutual interests agreements, injection, repressuring and recycling agreements, salt water or other disposal agreements, seismic or geophysical permits or agreements, and other agreements that are customary in the Oil and Gas Business; provided, however, that in all instances such Liens are limited to the assets that are the subject of the relevant agreement, program, order or contract;

(4) Liens securing Production Payments and Reserve Sales; provided, however, that such Liens are limited to the property that is subject to such Production Payments and Reserve Sales, and such Production Payments and Reserve Sales either:

(A) were in existence on the Issue Date;

(B) were created in connection with the acquisition of property after the Issue Date and such Lien was Incurred in connection with the financing of, and within 90 days after, the acquisition of the property subject thereto; or

(C) constitute Asset Dispositions made in compliance with Section 4.06; and

(5) Liens on pipelines or pipelines facilities that arise by operation of law.

“Oil and Gas Properties” means (a) Hydrocarbon Interests, (b) the properties now or hereafter pooled or unitized with Hydrocarbon Interests, (c) all presently existing or future unitization, pooling agreements and declarations of pooled units and the units created thereby (including, without limitation, all units created under orders, regulations and rules of any governmental authority) which may affect all or any portion of the Hydrocarbon Interests, (d) all operating agreements, contracts and other agreements, including production sharing contracts and agreements, which relate to any of the Hydrocarbon Interests or the production, sale, purchase, exchange or processing of Hydrocarbons from or attributable to such Hydrocarbon Interests, (e) all Hydrocarbons in and under and which may be produced and saved or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests, including all oil in tanks, and all rents, issues, profits, proceeds, products, revenues and other incomes from or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests, (f) all tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and properties in any manner appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental to the Hydrocarbon Interests and (g) all properties, rights, titles, interests and estates described or referred to above, including any and all property, real or personal, now owned or hereafter acquired and situated upon, used, held for use or useful in connection with the operating, working or development of any of such Hydrocarbon Interests or property (excluding drilling rigs, automotive equipment, rental equipment or other personal property which may be on such premises for the purpose of drilling a well or for other similar temporary uses) and including any and all oil wells, gas wells, injection wells or other wells, structures, fuel separators, liquid extraction plants, plant compressors, pumps, pumping units, field gathering systems, gas processing plants and pipeline systems, power and cogeneration facilities and any related infrastructure to any thereof, tanks and tank batteries, fixtures, valves, fittings, machinery and parts, engines, boilers, meters, apparatus, equipment, appliances, tools, implements, cables, wires, towers, casing, tubing and rods, surface leases, rights-of-way, easements and servitudes together

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with all additions, substitutions, replacements, accessions and attachments to any and all of the foregoing.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or the Trustee.

“Permitted Business Investments” means Investments made in the ordinary course of, and of a nature that is or shall have become customary in, the Oil and Gas Business, including through agreements, transactions, interests or arrangements that permit one to share risk or costs, comply with regulatory requirements regarding local ownership or satisfy other objectives customarily achieved through the conduct of the Oil and Gas Business jointly with third parties, including:

(1) ownership of oil, natural gas, other related hydrocarbon and mineral properties or any interest therein or gathering, transportation, processing, storage or related systems; and

(2) the entry into operating agreements, joint ventures, processing agreements, working interests, royalty interests, mineral leases, farm-in agreements, farm-out agreements, development agreements, production sharing agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, contracts for the sale, transportation or exchange of oil and natural gas and related hydrocarbons and minerals, unitization agreements, pooling arrangements, joint bidding agreements, service contracts, partnership agreements (whether general or limited), or other similar or customary agreements (including for limited liability companies), transactions, properties, interests or arrangements, and Investments and expenditures in connection therewith or pursuant thereto, in each case made or entered into in the ordinary course of the Oil and Gas Business, excluding however, Investments in corporations.

“Permitted Collateral Liens” means Liens described in clauses (4), (5), (6), (8), (13), and (17) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” that, by operation of law, have priority over the Liens securing the Notes Obligations.

“Permitted Holders” means (i) Corre Partners Management, LLC and any of its Affiliates and Related Funds and (ii) the clients, funds and accounts to which the High Yield team of MacKay Shields LLC provides discretionary investment management services.

“Permitted Investment” means an Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in:

(1) the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary or a Person that shall, upon the making of such Investment, become a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the primary business of such Person or Restricted Subsidiary is a Related Business;

(2) another Person if, as a result of such Investment, such other Person is merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or conveys all or substantially all its assets to, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Person’s primary business is a Related Business;

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(3) cash and Temporary Cash Investments;

(4) receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary if 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;

(5) payroll, commissions, travel and similar advances to cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances ultimately to be treated as expenses for accounting purposes and that are made in the ordinary course of business;

(6) loans or advances to employees made in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary;

(7) stock, obligations or securities received in settlement of debts created in the ordinary course of business and owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or in satisfaction of judgments;

(8) any Person to the extent such Investment represents the non-cash portion of the consideration received for (A) an Asset Disposition as permitted pursuant to Section 4.06 or (B) a disposition of assets not constituting an Asset Disposition;

(9) any Person where such Investment was acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (A) in exchange for any other Investment or accounts receivable held by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary in connection with or as a result of a bankruptcy, workout, reorganization or recapitalization of the issuer of such other Investment or accounts receivable or (B) as a result of a foreclosure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment in default;

(10) any Person to the extent such Investments consist of prepaid expenses, negotiable instruments held for collection and lease, utility and workers’ compensation, performance and other similar deposits made in the ordinary course of business by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(11) any Person to the extent such Investments consist of Hedging Obligations otherwise permitted under Section 4.03;

(12) any Person to the extent such Investment exists 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 thereof (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 Investment as in effect on the Issue Date);

(13) Guarantees of performance or other obligations (other than Indebtedness) arising in the ordinary course in the Oil and Gas Business, including obligations under oil

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and natural gas exploration, development, joint operating and related agreements and licenses or concessions related to the Oil and Gas Business;

(14) any Person to the extent such Investments are made solely with or in exchange for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company;

(15) Permitted Business Investments; and

(16) Persons to the extent such Investments, when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (16) and outstanding on the date such Investment is made, do not exceed $10.0 million.

“Permitted Liens” means, with respect to any Person:

(1) Liens securing Priority Lien Debt Incurred under Section 4.03(b)(1) and Liens securing Bank Product Obligations constituting Priority Lien Obligations;

(2) Liens securing Refinancing Indebtedness, provided that such Liens extend to or cover only the property or assets then securing the Indebtedness being Refinanced;

(3) Liens securing any renewal, extension, substitution, refinancing or replacement of secured Indebtedness; provided that such Liens extend to or only cover the property or assets then securing the Indebtedness being Refinanced;

(4) pledges or deposits by such Person under worker’s 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 of cash or United States government bonds to secure surety or appeal bonds or bonds of a similar nature to which such Person is a party, or deposits as security for contested taxes or import duties or for the payment of rent, in each case Incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(5) Liens Incurred in the ordinary course of business (other than in connection with Indebtedness) or imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ Liens, in each case for sums not yet due or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or other Liens arising out of judgments or awards against such Person with respect to which such Person shall then be proceeding with an appeal or other proceedings for review, Liens to the extent arising by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating to banker’s Liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution; provided, however, 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;

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(6) Liens for taxes, assessments and governmental charges not yet subject to penalties for nonpayment or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings;

(7) Liens in favor of issuers of surety bonds or letters of credit issued pursuant to the request of and for the account of such Person in the ordinary course of its business; provided, however, that such letters of credit do not constitute Indebtedness;

(8) minor survey exceptions, minor 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 property or Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of such Person or to the ownership of its properties which were not Incurred in connection with Indebtedness and 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;

(9) Liens securing Indebtedness Incurred to finance the construction, purchase or lease of, or repairs, improvements or additions to, property, plant or equipment of such Person; provided, however, that the Lien may not extend to any other property owned by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries at the time the Lien is Incurred (other than assets and property affixed or appurtenant thereto), and the Indebtedness (other than any interest thereon) secured by the Lien may not be Incurred more than 180 days after the later of the acquisition, completion of construction, repair, improvement, addition or commencement of full operation of the property subject to the Lien;

(10) Liens to secure Indebtedness and related Obligations permitted under Section 4.03(b)(3)(a);

(11) Liens existing on the Issue Date other than those specified in clauses (1) or (10) above;

(12) Liens on property or shares of Capital Stock of another Person at the time such other Person becomes a Subsidiary of such Person; provided, however, that the Liens may not extend to any other property owned by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than assets and property affixed or appurtenant thereto);

(13) Liens on property at the time such Person or any of its Subsidiaries acquires the property, including any acquisition by means of a merger or consolidation with or into such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person; provided, however, that the Liens may not extend to any other property owned by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than assets and property affixed or appurtenant thereto);

(14) Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations of a Subsidiary of such Person owing to such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person;

(15) Liens to secure any Refinancing (or successive Refinancings) as a whole, or in part, of any Indebtedness secured by any Lien referred to in the foregoing clause (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13); provided, however, that:

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(A) such new Lien shall be limited to all or part of the same property and assets that secured or, under the written agreements pursuant to which the original Lien arose, could secure the original Lien (plus improvements and accessions to, such property or proceeds or distributions thereof);

(B) the Indebtedness secured by such Lien at such time is not increased to any amount greater than the sum of (i) the outstanding principal amount or, if greater, committed amount of the Indebtedness described under clause (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) at the time the original Lien became a Permitted Lien and (ii) an amount necessary to pay any fees and expenses, including premiums, related to such refinancing, refunding, extension, renewal or replacement; and

(C) in the case of Refinancing of Indebtedness secured by Liens referred to in the foregoing clause (10) above, such Liens are pari passu with or junior to the Liens securing the Note Obligations;

(16) Liens securing Hedging Obligations so long as such Hedging Obligations are permitted to be Incurred under this Indenture;

(17) Oil and Gas Liens;

(18) Liens on the capital stock of any Unrestricted Subsidiary to the extent such Lien is securing the Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary;

(19) Liens securing Refinancing Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, other than a Refinancing of Indebtedness secured by a Lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13); and

(20) Liens securing Indebtedness in an amount which, together with the aggregate outstanding amount of all other Indebtedness secured by Liens Incurred pursuant to this clause (20), does not exceed the greater of (A) $5.0 million and (B) 2.0% of ACNTA.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Permitted Liens” shall not include any Lien described in clause (9), (12) or (13) above to the extent such Lien applies to any Additional Assets or capital expenditures acquired directly or indirectly from Net Available Cash pursuant to Section 4.06. For purposes of this definition, the term “Indebtedness” shall be deemed to include interest on, and fees and expenses Incurred in connection with, such Indebtedness.

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

“PIK Interest” means interest payable by increasing the principal amount of the Securities or by issuing PIK Notes.

“PIK Notes” means additional Securities issued in certificated form in connection with a payment of PIK Interest.

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“PIK Payment” means, in connection with a payment of PIK Interest, any increase in the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Securities or any issuance of PIK Notes.

“Preferred Stock”, as applied to the Capital Stock of any Person, means Capital Stock of any class or classes (however designated) which is preferred as to the payment of dividends or distributions, or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation or dissolution of such Person, over shares of Capital Stock of any other class of such Person.

“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus the premium, if any, payable on the Security which is due or overdue or is to become due at the relevant time.

“Priority Lien” means a Lien granted by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor in favor of the Priority Lien Agent at any time, upon any property of any Subsidiary Guarantor to secure Priority Lien Obligations.

“Priority Lien Agent” means the administrative agent under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement (or other Person designated by the administrative agent under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement), or if the Priority Lien Credit Agreement ceases to exist, the collateral agent or other representative of lenders or holders of Priority Lien Obligations designated pursuant to the terms of the Priority Lien Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement.

“Priority Lien Credit Agreement” means the Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, among PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C., as borrower, the Company, as a guarantor, the lenders party thereto from time to time and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, together with the related documents thereto (including the term loans and revolving loans thereunder, any guarantees and security documents), as amended, extended, renewed, restated, replaced, supplemented or otherwise modified (in whole or in part, and without limitation as to amount, terms, conditions, covenants and other provisions) from time to time, and any agreement (and related document), including an indenture or any receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to lenders, purchasers or special purpose entities formed to borrow from (or sell such receivables to) such lenders or other financiers against such receivables) or other document, governing Indebtedness Incurred to Refinance, replace (contemporaneously or otherwise) or supplement, in whole or in part, the borrowings and commitments then outstanding or permitted to be outstanding under such Priority Lien Credit Agreement or any successor or alternative Priority Lien Credit Agreement or other debt facilities, including any such agreements which increase the aggregate amount of Indebtedness outstanding or permitted to be outstanding under such Priority Lien Credit Agreement or debt facilities, whether by the same or any other lender or investor, or group of lenders or investors.

“Priority Lien Debt” means:

(1) Indebtedness of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement (including letters of credit (with outstanding letters of credit being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the stated amount thereof) and reimbursement obligations with respect thereto) that is subject to the Intercreditor Agreement and permitted to be Incurred and secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document; and

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(2) additional Indebtedness of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors under any other Credit Facility that is secured with the Priority Lien Credit Agreement by a Priority Lien that was permitted to be Incurred and so secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document; provided that, in the case of any Indebtedness referred to in this clause (2), that:

(A) on or before the date on which such Indebtedness is Incurred by the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, such Indebtedness is designated by the Company, in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Priority Lien Agent and the Collateral Agent, as “Priority Lien Debt” for the purposes of the Secured Debt Documents;

(B) the collateral agent or other representative with respect to such Indebtedness, the Priority Lien Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Company and each applicable Subsidiary Guarantor have duly executed and delivered the Intercreditor Agreement (or a joinder to the Intercreditor Agreement or a new Intercreditor Agreement substantially similar to the Intercreditor Agreement, as in effect on the date of this Indenture, and in a form reasonably acceptable to each of the parties thereto); and

(C) all other requirements set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement as to the confirmation, grant or perfection of the Priority Lien Agent’s Liens to secure such Indebtedness or Obligations in respect thereof are satisfied.

“Priority Lien Documents” means the Priority Lien Credit Agreement, the Priority Lien Security Documents, the other “Loan Documents” (as defined in the Priority Lien Credit Agreement) and all other loan documents, notes, guarantees, instruments and agreements governing or evidencing, or executed or delivered in connection with, any Credit Facility pursuant to which any Priority Lien Debt is Incurred.

“Priority Lien Obligations” means the Priority Lien Debt and all other Obligations in respect of Priority Lien Debt, Hedging Obligations and Bank Product Obligations, in each case, that are secured by the Priority Liens.

“Priority Lien Security Documents” means the Priority Lien Credit Agreement (insofar as the same grants a Lien on the Collateral), certain agreements listed on the exhibits to the Intercreditor Agreement and any other security agreements, pledge agreements, collateral assignments, mortgages, deeds of trust, control agreements, or grants or transfers for security, now existing or entered into after the date hereof, executed and delivered by any Grantor creating (or purporting to create) a Lien upon Collateral in favor of the Priority Lien Agent (including any such agreements, assignments, mortgages, deeds of trust and other documents or instruments associated with any Credit Facility pursuant to which any Priority Lien Debt is Incurred).

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

“Production Payments and Reserve Sales” means the grant or transfer to any Person of a Dollar-Denominated Production Payment, Volumetric Production Payment, royalty, overriding

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royalty, net profits interest, master limited partnership interest 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 or reserves.

“Refinance” means, in respect of any Indebtedness, to refinance, extend, renew, refund, repay, prepay, purchase, redeem, defease or retire, or to issue other Indebtedness in exchange or replacement for, such Indebtedness. “Refinanced” and “Refinancing” shall have correlative meanings.

“Refinancing Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that Refinances any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary existing on the Issue Date or Incurred in compliance with this Indenture, including Indebtedness that Refinances Refinancing Indebtedness; provided, however, that:

(1) (A) if the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being Refinanced is equal to or earlier than the Stated Maturity of the Securities, the Refinancing Indebtedness has a Stated Maturity no earlier than the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being Refinanced and (B) if the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being refinanced is later than the Stated Maturity of the Securities, the Refinancing Indebtedness has a Stated Maturity at least 91 days later than the Stated Maturity of the Securities;

(2) such Refinancing Indebtedness has an Average Life at the time such Refinancing Indebtedness is Incurred that is equal to or greater than the Average Life of the Indebtedness being Refinanced;

(3) the amount of such Indebtedness that may be deemed Refinancing Indebtedness shall not exceed the aggregate principal amount (or if Incurred with original issue discount, an aggregate issue price) that is equal to or less than the aggregate principal amount (or if Incurred with original issue discount, the aggregate accreted value) then outstanding (plus fees and expenses, including any premium (including any premium paid in connection with a tender offer for such Indebtedness) and defeasance costs) under the Indebtedness being Refinanced; and

(4) if the Indebtedness being Refinanced is subordinate in right of payment to the Securities, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinate in right of payment to the Securities at least to the same extent as the Indebtedness being Refinanced; provided further, however, that Refinancing Indebtedness shall not include (A) Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that Refinances Indebtedness of the Company or (B) Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that Refinances Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

“Related Business” means any Oil and Gas Business in which the Company or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries was engaged on the Issue Date and any business related, ancillary or complementary to such business.

“Related Fund” means, with respect to any Person, any fund, account or investment vehicle that is controlled, advised, sub-advised, managed or co-managed by such Person, by any Affiliate of such Person, or, if applicable, such Person’s investment manager.

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“Reorganization Expenses” means the sum of the following, without duplication:

(1) costs and expenses of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that are discharged in the Bankruptcy Proceeding, whether on a fixed or contingent basis;

(2) accounting fees and expenses and non-cash charges of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries incurred in connection with the implementation of fresh start accounting as a result of the Bankruptcy Proceeding;

(3) fees and expenses of financial and legal advisors to the unsecured creditors’ committee in the Bankruptcy Proceeding;

(4) fees and expenses of the United States Trustee in the Bankruptcy Proceeding;

(5) severance payments, bonus payments and consulting payments made to officers or employees or former officers or employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries outside of the ordinary course of business to the extent approved by the Bankruptcy Court or otherwise contemplated by the Plan of Reorganization (including any payments made pursuant to the Company’s 2018 Annual Cash Bonus Plan);

(6) fees and expenses of financial and legal advisors to holders of the Prepetition Second Lien Notes (as defined in the Plan of Reorganization) and Prepetition Second Lien PIK Notes (as defined in the Plan of Reorganization) incurred in connection with negotiations leading up to the Bankruptcy Proceeding and during the Bankruptcy Proceeding prior to the Confirmation Date, including fees and expenses relating to the negotiation, execution and delivery of this Indenture;

(7) fees and expenses of financial and legal advisors to the lenders under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement to the extent incurred prior to the Confirmation Date; and

(8) fees and expenses of legal counsel to the lenders under the Prepetition Term Loan Agreement (as defined in the Plan of Reorganization) incurred in connection with negotiations leading up to the Bankruptcy Proceeding and during the Bankruptcy Proceeding prior to the Confirmation Date.

“Restricted Payment” with respect to any Person means:

(1) the declaration or payment of any dividends or any other distributions of any sort in respect of its Capital Stock (including any payment in respect of its Capital Stock in connection with any merger or consolidation involving such Person) or similar payment to the direct or indirect holders of its Capital Stock (other than (A) dividends or distributions payable solely in its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock), (B) dividends or distributions payable solely to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and (C) pro rata dividends or other distributions made by a Subsidiary that is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary to minority stockholders (or owners of an equivalent interest in the case of a Subsidiary that is an entity other than a corporation));

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(2) the purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Capital Stock of the Company held by any Person (other than by a Restricted Subsidiary) or of any Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary held by any Affiliate of the Company (other than by a Restricted Subsidiary), including in connection with any merger or consolidation and including the exercise of any option to exchange any Capital Stock (other than into Capital Stock of the Company that is not Disqualified Stock);

(3) the purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value, prior to scheduled maturity, scheduled repayment or scheduled sinking fund payment of any Subordinated Obligations of the Company or of any Subsidiary Guarantor (other than the purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement of (A) Indebtedness owed to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(2) or (B) Subordinated Obligations purchased 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, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement); or

(4) the making of any Investment (other than a Permitted Investment) in any Person.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

“Sale/Leaseback Transaction” means an arrangement relating to property owned by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary on the Issue Date or thereafter acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary whereby the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary transfers such property to a Person and the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary leases it from such Person.

“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Secured Debt” means Priority Lien Debt and Notes Obligations.

“Secured Debt Documents” means the Priority Lien Documents or the Note Documents.

“Securities” means 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 of the Company issued on the Issue Date, any increase in the aggregate principal amount of the 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 of the Company in connection with PIK Payments, and PIK Notes. The 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 of the Company issued on the Issue Date, any increase in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities in connection with the PIK Payments and PIK Notes will be treated as a single class under the Indenture and, unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the Securities shall include any increase in the aggregate principal amount of 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 of the Company issued on the Issue Date in connection with PIK Payments and PIK Notes.

“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Security Documents” means all security agreements, pledge agreements, collateral assignments, collateral agency agreements, control agreements or other grants or transfers for

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security executed and delivered by the Company or any Guarantor creating (or purporting to create) a Lien upon Collateral in favor of the Collateral Agent, in each case, as amended, modified, renewed, restated or replaced, in whole or in part, from time to time, in accordance with its terms.

“Senior Indebtedness” means with respect to any Person:

(1) Indebtedness of such Person, whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter Incurred, including the Securities; and

(2) all other Obligations of such Person (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to such Person whether or not post-filing interest is allowed in such proceeding) in respect of Indebtedness described in clause (1) above unless, in the case of clauses (1) and (2), in the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding, it is provided that such Indebtedness or other obligations are subordinate in right of payment to the Securities or the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Person, as the case may be; provided, however, that Senior Indebtedness shall not include:

(A) any obligation of such Person to the Company or any Subsidiary;

(B) any liability for Federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by such Person;

(C) any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business;

(D) any Indebtedness or other Obligation of such Person which is subordinate or junior in right of payment to any other Indebtedness or other Obligation of such Person; or

(E) that portion of any Indebtedness which at the time of Incurrence is Incurred in violation of this Indenture.

“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 promulgated by the SEC.

“Specified Holders” means (1) the Permitted Holders, (2) any controlling stockholder, controlling member, general partner, majority owned Subsidiary, or spouse or immediate family member (in the case of an individual) of any Specified Holder, (3) any estate, trust, corporation, partnership or other entity, the beneficiaries, stockholders, partners, owners or Persons holding a controlling interest of which consist solely of one or more Persons referred to in the immediately preceding clauses (1) and (2), (4) any executor, administrator, trustee, manager, director or other similar fiduciary of any Person referred to in the immediately preceding clause (3) acting solely in such capacity, (5) any investment fund or other entity controlled by, or under common control with, a Specified Holder or the principals that control a Specified Holder, or (6) upon the liquidation of any entity of the type described in the immediately preceding clause (5), the former partners or beneficial owners thereof.

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“Standard & Poor’s” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and any successor to its rating agency business.

“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any security, the date specified in such security as the fixed date on which the final payment of principal of such security is due and payable, including pursuant to any mandatory redemption provision (but excluding any provision providing for the repurchase of such security at the option of the holder thereof upon the happening of any contingency unless such contingency has occurred).

“Subordinated Obligation” means, with respect to a Person, any Indebtedness of such Person (whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter Incurred) which is subordinate or junior in right of payment to the Securities or a Subsidiary Guarantee of such Person, as the case may be, pursuant to a written agreement to that effect.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Voting Stock is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by:

(1) such Person;

(2) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or

(3) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means a Guarantee by a Subsidiary Guarantor of the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities.

“Subsidiary Guarantor” means each Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that executes this Indenture as a guarantor on the Issue Date and each other Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that thereafter guarantees the Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

“Temporary Cash Investments” means any of the following:

(1) any investment in direct obligations of the United States of America or any agency thereof or obligations guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency thereof;

(2) investments in demand and time deposit accounts, certificates of deposit and money market deposits maturing within 270 days of the date of acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company which is organized under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America, and which bank or trust company has capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $50.0 million (or the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and has outstanding debt which is rated “A” (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act) or any money-market fund sponsored by a registered broker dealer or mutual fund distributor;

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(3) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than 180 days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (1) above entered into with a bank meeting the qualifications described in clause (2) above;

(4) investments in commercial paper, maturing not more than 180 days after the date of acquisition, issued by a corporation (other than an Affiliate of the Company) organized and in existence under the laws of the United States of America or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America with a rating at the time as of which any investment therein is made of “P-1” (or higher) according to Moody’s or “A-1” (or higher) according to Standard & Poor’s;

(5) investments in securities with maturities of nine months or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States of America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof, and rated at least “A” by Standard & Poor’s or “A” by Moody’s; and

(6) investments in money market funds that invest substantially all their assets in securities of the types described in clauses (1) through (5) above.

“Treasury Management Arrangement” means any agreement or other arrangement governing the provision of treasury or cash management services, including deposit accounts, overdraft, credit or debit card, funds transfer, automated clearinghouse, zero balance accounts, returned check concentration, controlled disbursement, lockbox, account reconciliation and reporting and trade finance services and other cash management services.

“Trustee” means Wilmington Trust, National Association, in its capacity as trustee under this Indenture, until a successor replaces it in such capacity and, thereafter, means the successor.

“Trust Indenture Act” or “TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the Issue Date.

“Trust Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee:

(1) 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 who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter relating to this Indenture is referred because of such Person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject; and

(2) who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture;

and when used with respect to the Collateral Agent, the corresponding officers of the Collateral Agent.

“Uniform Commercial Code” means the New York Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time.

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“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means:

(1) PetroQuest Oil & Gas L.L.C., PQ Holdings, LLC and any Subsidiary of the Company that at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors in the manner provided below; and

(2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

The Board of Directors may designate any Subsidiary of the Company to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary or any of its Subsidiaries owns any Capital Stock or Indebtedness of, or holds any Lien on any property of, the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company that is not a Subsidiary of the Subsidiary to be so designated; provided, however, that either (A) the Subsidiary to be so designated has total assets of $1,000 or less or (B) if such Subsidiary has assets greater than $1,000, such designation would be permitted under Section 4.04.

The Board of Directors may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that immediately after giving effect to such designation (A) the Company could Incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under Section 4.03(a) and (B) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing. Any designation of Restricted Subsidiaries or Unrestricted Subsidiaries by the Board of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means direct obligations (or certificates representing an ownership interest in such obligations) of the United States of America (including any agency or instrumentality thereof) for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged and which are not callable at the issuer’s option.

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

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

“Voting Stock” of a Person means all classes of Capital Stock of such Person then outstanding and normally entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof.

“Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary all the Capital Stock of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares) is owned by the Company or one or more other Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.

SECTION 1.02 Other Definitions.

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SECTION 1.03 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.

The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“indenture securities” means the Securities and the Subsidiary Guarantees;

“indenture security Holder” means a Securityholder;

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and

“obligor” on the Securities and Subsidiary Guarantees means the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, respectively, and any successor obligor upon the Securities and the Subsidiary Guarantees, respectively.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.

SECTION 1.04 Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:

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

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

(3) “or” is not exclusive;

(4) “including” means including without limitation;

(5) words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular;

(6) the principal amount of any noninterest bearing or other discount security at any date shall be the principal amount thereof that would be shown on a balance sheet of the issuer dated such date prepared in accordance with GAAP;

(7) the principal amount of any Preferred Stock shall be (A) the maximum liquidation value of such Preferred Stock or (B) the maximum mandatory redemption or mandatory repurchase price with respect to such Preferred Stock, whichever is greater;

(8) all references to the date the Securities were originally issued shall refer to the Issue Date;

(9) all references to “interest” shall also be deemed to be references to PIK Interest unless the context otherwise requires;

(10) references to “second lien” or “second priority” Liens means Liens that may be junior in priority to the Liens securing Priority Lien Obligations, to the extent permitted to be Incurred or to exist under the Intercreditor Agreement, and to certain Permitted Liens; and

(11) this Indenture shall not treat (A) unsecured Indebtedness as subordinated or junior to Secured Debt merely because it is unsecured or (B) Senior Indebtedness as subordinated or junior to any other Senior Indebtedness merely because it has a junior priority with respect to the same collateral or because it is guaranteed by other obligors.

ARTICLE 2

The Securities

SECTION 2.01 Form and Dating. Certain provisions relating to the Securities, any increase in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities in connection with PIK Payments, and any PIK Notes are set forth in the Appendix attached hereto (the “Appendix”), which is hereby incorporated in, and expressly made a part of, the Indenture. The Securities and any related PIK Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A, which is hereby incorporated in, and expressly made a part of, this Indenture. The Securities may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule, agreements to which the Company is subject, if any, or usage (provided that any such notation, legend or endorsement is in a form acceptable to the Company). Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Securities shall be in minimum denominations of $1.00 and integral multiples

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of $1.00 thereof. To the extent any provision of any Security conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

SECTION 2.02 Execution and Authentication. Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Security, the Security shall be valid nevertheless.

A Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Security. The manual signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee shall, upon the written direction of the Company, authenticate and make available for delivery Securities, including any PIK Notes, as set forth in Section 2.2 of the Appendix.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable to the Company to authenticate the Securities. Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, an authenticating agent may authenticate Securities 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 any Registrar, Paying Agent or agent for service of notices and demands.

SECTION 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (the “Registrar”) and an office or agency where Securities may be presented for payment (the “Paying Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent.

The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-registrar not a party to this Indenture, which shall incorporate the terms of the TIA. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation therefor pursuant to Section 7.07. The Company or any Wholly Owned Subsidiary incorporated or organized within The United States of America may act as Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or transfer agent.

The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent in connection with the Securities and the Trustee accepts such appointment as the initial Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company may remove any Registrar or Paying Agent upon written notice to such Registrar or Paying Agent and to the Trustee; provided, however, that no such removal shall become effective until (i) if applicable, acceptance of an appointment by a successor as evidenced by an appropriate agreement entered into by the Company and such successor Registrar or Paying Agent, as the case may be, and delivered to the Trustee or (ii) notification to the Trustee that the

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Trustee shall serve as Registrar or Paying Agent until the appointment of a successor in accordance with clause (i) above. The Registrar or Paying Agent may resign at any time upon written notice to the Company and the Trustee; provided, however, that the Trustee may resign as Paying Agent or Registrar only if the Trustee also resigns as Trustee in accordance with Section 7.08.

SECTION 2.04 Paying Agent To Hold Money and PIK Notes in Trust. Prior to each due date of the principal and interest on any Security, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such principal and cash interest amount and increase the principal amount of the Securities to pay PIK Interest or issue PIK Notes to pay PIK Interest pursuant to an authentication order of the Company delivered to the Trustee specifying the PIK Note amount to be issued or the increase in the amount of principal, as applicable, on the applicable interest payment date, when so becoming due. The Company shall require each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to agree in writing that the Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Securityholders and the Trustee and the Collateral Agent all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or cash interest on the Securities and shall notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it as Paying Agent and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed by the Paying Agent. Upon complying with this Section, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for the money delivered to the Trustee. Upon any Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8), the Trustee shall automatically serve as the Paying Agent for the Securities.

SECTION 2.05 Securityholder Lists. The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee, in writing at least five 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 Securityholders and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a).

SECTION 2.06 Transfer and Exchange. The Securities shall be issued in registered form and shall be transferable only upon the surrender of a Security for registration of transfer in compliance with the Appendix. When a Security is presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer, the Registrar shall register the transfer as requested if the requirements of this Indenture and Section 8-401(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code are met. When Securities are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of other denominations, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested if the same requirements are met. To permit registration of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Company’s request. The Company may require the Securityholders to make a payment of a sum sufficient to pay all taxes, assessments or other governmental charges in connection with any transfer or exchange pursuant to this Section (other than any such transfer taxes, assessments or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 3.06, 4.08 and 9.05). The Company shall not be required to make and the Registrar need not register transfers or exchanges of Securities selected for redemption (except, in the case of Securities to be redeemed

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in part, the portion thereof not to be redeemed) or any Securities for a period of 15 days before a selection of Securities to be redeemed or 15 days before an interest payment date.

Prior to the due presentation for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-registrar may deem and treat the person in whose name a Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security is overdue, and none of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-registrar shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

SECTION 2.07 Replacement Securities. If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Registrar or if the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee, upon the Company’s written instruction, shall authenticate a replacement Security if the requirements of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code are met and the Holder satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee. If required by the Trustee or the Company, such Holder shall furnish an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of the Company to protect the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar and any co-registrar and in the judgment of the Trustee to protect the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar and any of the Trustee’s agents from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Company and the Trustee may charge the Holder for their expenses in replacing a Security.

Every replacement Security is an additional Obligation of the Company.

SECTION 2.08 Outstanding Securities. Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section as not outstanding. A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Security is held by a protected purchaser (as defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code).

If the Paying Agent segregates and holds in trust, in accordance with this Indenture, on a redemption date or maturity date money sufficient to pay all principal and interest payable on that date with respect to the Securities (or portions thereof) to be redeemed or maturing, as the case may be, then on and after that date such Securities (or portions thereof) cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

SECTION 2.09 Temporary Securities. In the event that Definitive Securities are to be issued under the terms of this Indenture, until such Definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of Definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate Definitive Securities and make them

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available for delivery in exchange for temporary Securities upon surrender of such temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company, without charge to the Holder. Until such exchange, temporary Securities shall be entitled to the same rights, benefits and privileges as Definitive Securities.

SECTION 2.10 Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee and no one else shall cancel and destroy (subject to the record retention requirements of the Exchange Act) all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation in accordance with the Trustee’s procedures and, upon written request, deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities it has redeemed, paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

SECTION 2.11 Defaulted Interest. If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities, the Company shall pay defaulted interest at the rate per annum shown on the Security (plus interest on such defaulted interest to the extent lawful) in any lawful manner. The Company may pay the defaulted interest to the persons who are Securityholders on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix or cause to be fixed any such special record date and payment date and shall promptly send to each Securityholder a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid.

SECTION 2.12 CUSIP Numbers, ISINs, etc. The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers and ISINs (in each case if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers and ISINs in notices as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such notice shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company shall advise the Trustee in writing of any change in any “CUSIP” numbers or ISINs applicable to the Securities.

SECTION 2.13 Calculation of Specified Percentage of Securities. With respect to any matter requiring consent, waiver, approval or other action of the Holders of a specified percentage of the principal amount of all the Securities (including any outstanding PIK Notes and any increased principal amounts as a result of any payment of PIK Interest), such percentage shall be calculated, on the relevant date of determination, by dividing (a) the principal amount, as of such date of determination, of the Securities (including any outstanding PIK Notes and any increased principal amounts as a result of any payment of PIK Interest), the Holders of which have so consented by (b) the aggregate principal amount, as of such date of determination, of the Securities then outstanding (including any outstanding PIK Notes and any increased principal amounts as a result of any payment of PIK Interest), in each case, as determined in accordance with Section 2.08 and Section 11.06 of this Indenture. Any such calculation made pursuant to this Section 2.13 shall be made by the Company and delivered to the Trustee in an Officers’ Certificate.

ARTICLE 3

Redemption

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SECTION 3.01 Notices to Trustee. If the Company elects to redeem Securities pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Securities, the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date, the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and the paragraph of the Securities pursuant to which the redemption will occur.

The Company shall give the notice to the Trustee provided for in this Section at least 35 days before the redemption date unless the Trustee consents to a shorter period. Such notice shall be accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel from the Company to the effect that such redemption will comply with the conditions herein.

SECTION 3.02 Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed. If fewer than all the Securities are to be redeemed pursuant to notice sent pursuant to Section 3.03, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed pro rata to the extent practicable or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depository. The Trustee shall make the selection from outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption. Securities and portions of them the Trustee selects shall be in principal amounts of $1.00 or whole multiples of $1.00. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of the Securities or portions of Securities to be redeemed.

SECTION 3.03 Notice of Redemption. At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a date for redemption of Securities pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Securities, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail or, in the case of global notes, send electronically to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address.

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

(1) the redemption date;

(2) the redemption price;

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

(4) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(5) if fewer than all the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification and principal amounts of the particular Securities to be redeemed;

(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment or interest on Securities (or portion thereof) called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;

(7) the “CUSIP” number, ISIN or “Common Code” number, if any, printed on the Securities being redeemed; and

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(8) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the “CUSIP” number, ISIN, or “Common Code” number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.

In addition, if such redemption is subject to satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, such notice of redemption shall describe each such condition, and if applicable, shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the redemption date may be delayed until such time as any or all such conditions shall be satisfied, 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 by the stated redemption date, or by the redemption date as so delayed.

At the Company’s request made at least five (5) Business Days prior to the date on which notices of redemption are to be sent (or such shorter period as may be agreed by the Trustee), the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense. In such event, the Company shall provide the Trustee with the information required by this Section.

SECTION 3.04 Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is sent pursuant to Section 3.03, Securities called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price stated in the notice (except to the extent such redemption is conditional as set forth in Section 3.03) and from and after such redemption date (unless the Company defaults in the payment of the redemption price and accrued and unpaid interest), such Securities will cease to bear interest. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price stated in the notice, plus accrued interest to but not including the redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the related interest payment date), and such Securities shall be cancelled by the Trustee. Failure to give notice or any defect in the notice to any Holder shall not affect the validity of the notice to any other Holder.

SECTION 3.05 Deposit of Redemption Price. Prior to 11:00 A.M. New York time on the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company or a Subsidiary is the Paying Agent, shall segregate and hold in trust) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued and unpaid cash interest together with an amount of cash equal to all accrued and unpaid PIK Interest on all Securities to be redeemed on that date (including any PIK Notes or any increased principal amount of Securities in connection with a PIK Payment) other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.

SECTION 3.06 Securities Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder (at the Company’s expense) a new Security equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE 4

Covenants

SECTION 4.01 Payment of Securities. The Company shall pay the principal of and cash interest and increase the principal amount of the Securities or issue PIK Notes to pay PIK

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Interest, on the Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities and in this Indenture. Principal, cash interest and any increased principal amount of Securities or PIK Notes sufficient to pay PIK Interest shall be considered paid on the date due if on such date (i) the Trustee or the Paying Agent holds in accordance with this Indenture money in immediately available funds sufficient to pay all principal, cash interest then due, and any increased principal amount of the applicable Global Securities and (ii) the Company has delivered to the Trustee a written direction to authenticate any PIK Notes or increase the principal amount of Global Securities, as applicable, sufficient to pay all PIK Interest then due.

The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate specified therefor in the Securities, and it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate to the extent lawful.

SECTION 4.02 SEC Reports. Whether the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall file with the SEC (subject to the next sentence) and furnish to the Trustee and Securityholders with such annual and other reports as are specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act and applicable to a U.S. Person subject to such Sections, such reports to be so filed and provided at the times specified for the filings of such reports with respect to a non-accelerated filer under such Sections 13 and 15(d) and containing all the information, audit reports and exhibits required for such reports. If at any time, the Company is not subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for any reason, the Company shall nevertheless continue filing the reports specified in the preceding sentence with the SEC within the time periods required with respect to a non-accelerated filer unless the SEC shall not accept such a filing. The Company agrees that it shall not take any action for the purpose of causing the SEC not to accept any such filings. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, the SEC shall not accept such filings for any reason, the Company shall post the reports specified in the preceding sentence on the Company’s website within the time periods with respect to a non-accelerated filer that would apply if the Company was required to file those reports with the SEC.

At any time that any of the Company’s Subsidiaries are Unrestricted Subsidiaries, then, unless the operations, assets, liabilities and cash flows of the Unrestricted Subsidiaries are, in aggregate, immaterial, the quarterly and annual financial information required by the preceding paragraph shall 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 of the Company.

The availability of the foregoing materials on the SEC website or the Company’s website shall be deemed to satisfy the foregoing obligation to deliver reports to Holders and availability of the foregoing materials on the SEC website shall be deemed to satisfy the foregoing obligation to deliver reports to the Trustee.

Delivery of such materials to the Trustee is for informational purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipt of such materials shall not constitute notice or constructive notice to the Trustee

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of the contents thereof, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

In addition, at any time when the Company is not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and for so long as any Securities remain outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Holders and to prospective investors, in each case upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act so long as the Securities are not freely transferable under the Securities Act.

Any failure to comply with this Section 4.02 shall be automatically cured when the Company files with the SEC and furnishes to the Trustee and Securityholders all required reports; provided that such cure shall not otherwise affect the rights of the Securityholders under Section 6.01 hereof if the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on the Securities have been accelerated in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such acceleration has not been rescinded or cancelled prior to such cure.

SECTION 4.03 Limitation on Indebtedness. (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, Incur, directly or indirectly, any Indebtedness; provided, however, that the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall be entitled to Incur Indebtedness if, on the date of such Incurrence and after giving effect thereto on a pro forma basis, the Consolidated Coverage Ratio exceeds 2.5 to 1.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 4.03(a), the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall be entitled to Incur any or all of the following Indebtedness:

(1) Indebtedness Incurred by the Company and Subsidiary Guarantors pursuant to any Credit Facility; provided, however, that, immediately after giving effect to any such Incurrence, the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness Incurred under this clause (1) and then outstanding does not exceed the greater of (A) $65.0 million, (B) the Borrowing Base in effect at the time of the Incurrence up to $150.0 million and (C) 35% of ACNTA determined at the time of Incurrence;

(2) Indebtedness owed to and held by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that (A) any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock which results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any subsequent transfer of such Indebtedness (other than to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) shall be deemed, in each case, to constitute the Incurrence of such Indebtedness by the obligor thereon, (B) if the Company is the obligor on such Indebtedness and the holder of such Indebtedness is neither the Company nor a Subsidiary Guarantor, such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated in right of payment to all obligations with respect to the Securities, and (C) if a Subsidiary Guarantor is the obligor on such Indebtedness and the holder of such Indebtedness is neither the Company nor a Subsidiary Guarantor, such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated in right of payment to all obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor with respect to its Subsidiary Guarantee; provided further, however, that nothing in the foregoing clauses (B) or (C) shall prohibit the repayment of such Indebtedness at maturity or otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Indenture;

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(3) (a) the Securities issued on the Issue Date, (b) any increase in the principal amount of the Securities and the issuance of PIK Notes, in each case in connection with PIK Payments and Guarantees thereof, and (c) Guarantees of Indebtedness permitted to be Incurred under this clause (3);

(4) Indebtedness outstanding on the Issue Date, other than Indebtedness described in Section 4.03(b)(1), (2) or (3);

(5) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary Incurred and outstanding on or prior to the date on which such Subsidiary was acquired by the Company (other than Indebtedness Incurred in connection with, or to provide all or any portion of the funds or credit support utilized to consummate, the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was acquired by the Company); provided, however, that on the date of such acquisition and after giving pro forma effect thereto and any related financing transactions, either (A) the Company would have been entitled to Incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or (B) the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is equal to or greater than the Consolidated Coverage Ratio immediately before such transaction;

(6) Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(3), (4), (5) or this Section 4.03(b)(6); provided, however, that to the extent such Refinancing Indebtedness directly or indirectly Refinances Indebtedness of a Subsidiary Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(5), such Refinancing Indebtedness shall be Incurred only by such Subsidiary, by the Company or by the Company and such Subsidiary;

(7) Hedging Obligations consisting of Interest Rate Agreements directly related to Indebtedness permitted to be Incurred by the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to this Indenture;

(8) Hedging Obligations consisting of Oil and Gas Hedging Contracts and Currency Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of limiting risks that arise in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(9) obligations in respect of completion, performance, bid and surety bonds and completion guarantees, insurance obligations or bonds and other similar bonds and obligations provided by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business or letters of credit providing support for or issued in lieu of any such bonds, guarantees or obligations;

(10) Capital Lease Obligations and other purchase money Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding of not to exceed the greater of (A) $5.0 million and (B) 2.5% of ACNTA;

(11) Non-Recourse Purchase Money Indebtedness;

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(12) Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business; provided, however, that such Indebtedness is extinguished promptly following its Incurrence;

(13) Indebtedness consisting of the Subsidiary Guarantee of a Subsidiary Guarantor and any Guarantee by the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(3), (4), (7), (8), (9) or (10) or pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(6) to the extent the Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred thereunder directly or indirectly Refinances Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(3) or (4);

(14) In-kind obligations relating to oil and gas balancing obligations arising in the ordinary course of business;

(15) any obligation arising from agreements of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor providing for indemnification, guarantee, adjustment of purchase price, holdback, contingency payment obligation based on the performance of acquired or disposed assets or similar obligations, in each case Incurred or assumed in connection with the acquisition or disposition of any business, asset or Capital Stock of a Subsidiary Guarantor; and

(16) Indebtedness of the Company or of any of its Subsidiary Guarantors in an aggregate principal amount which, when taken together with all other Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiary Guarantors outstanding on the date of such Incurrence (other than Indebtedness permitted by Section 4.03(b)(1) through (14) above or Section 4.03(a)) does not exceed the greater of (A) $10.0 million and (B) 5.0% of ACNTA.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 4.03(b), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary Guarantor shall Incur any Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(b) if the proceeds thereof are used, directly or indirectly, to Refinance any Subordinated Obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor unless such Indebtedness shall be subordinated to the Securities or the applicable Subsidiary Guarantee to at least the same extent as such Subordinated Obligations.

(d) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.03, in the event an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in Section 4.03(a) and Section 4.03(b), the Company, in its sole discretion, shall be permitted to divide and classify such item of Indebtedness on the date of Incurrence, provided, that any Indebtedness outstanding under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement on the Issue Date will be treated as Incurred on the Issue Date under Section 4.03(b)(1) and may not be reclassified.

(e) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.03, a Guarantee by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness Incurred by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, as applicable, shall not be a separate Incurrence of Indebtedness. For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.03, accrual of interest or dividends, the accretion of accreted value, the accretion or amortization of deferred financing costs or original issue discount, the payment of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms,

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the payment of dividends on Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, in the form of additional shares of Disqualified Stock of Preferred Stock, and the accretion or amortization of original issue discount or liquidation preference and increases in the amount of Indebtedness outstanding solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies, shall, in each case, not be deemed to be an Incurrence of Indebtedness or issuance of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock.

(f) Other than pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(1), neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary shall incur Indebtedness for borrowed money that is senior in right of payment to the Notes Obligations, secured by a Lien (other than Permitted Liens) that is senior in priority to the Liens securing the Notes Obligations or structurally senior to the Notes Obligations and also junior (whether by payment priority, Lien priority or structural priority) to other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(1). For the avoidance of doubt, the forgoing is not intended to restrict the incurrence of Indebtedness that may otherwise be incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(1) though (16).

SECTION 4.04 Limitation on Restricted Payments. (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to make a Restricted Payment if at the time the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary makes such Restricted Payment:

(1) a Default shall have occurred and be continuing (or would result therefrom);

(2) the Company is not entitled to Incur an additional $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(a); or

(3) the aggregate amount of such Restricted Payment and all other Restricted Payments since the Issue Date would exceed the sum of (without duplication):

(A) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income accrued during the period (treated as one accounting period) from January 1, 2019 to the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements of the Company are available at the time of determination (or, in case such Consolidated Net Income shall be a deficit, minus 100% of such deficit); plus

(B) 100% of the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds and 100% of the Fair Market Value of securities or other property other than cash (including Capital Stock of Persons engaged in the Oil and Gas Business that become Restricted Subsidiaries or assets used in the Oil and Gas Business) received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary subsequent to the Issue Date from the issue or sale of Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock), other than Capital Stock sold to a Subsidiary of the Company and other than an issuance or sale to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan; plus

(C) 100% of the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company subsequent to the Issue Date from the issue or sale of any Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan; provided, however, that if an Employee Stock Purchase Plan Incurs any Indebtedness to finance the purchase of such Capital Stock, such aggregate amount shall be limited to the excess of such Net Cash Proceeds over the amount of such

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Indebtedness plus an amount equal to any increase in the Consolidated Net Worth of the Company resulting from principal repayments made by an Employee Stock Purchase Plan with respect to such Indebtedness after the Issue Date; plus

(D) the amount by which Indebtedness is reduced on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Company) subsequent to the Issue Date of any Indebtedness convertible or exchangeable for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (plus the amount of any accrued interest then outstanding on such Indebtedness to the extent the obligation to pay such interest is extinguished less the amount of any cash, or the Fair Market Value of any property, distributed by the Company upon such conversion or exchange); provided, however, that the foregoing amount shall not exceed the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from the sale of such Indebtedness (excluding Net Cash Proceeds from sales to a Subsidiary of the Company or to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan); plus

(E) an amount equal to the sum of (i) the net reduction in the Investments (other than Permitted Investments) made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in any Person resulting from repurchases, repayments or redemptions of such Investments by such Person, proceeds realized on the sale of such Investment and proceeds representing the return of capital (excluding dividends and distributions), in each case received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, and (ii) to the extent such Person is an Unrestricted Subsidiary, the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time such Subsidiary is designated a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that to the extent the foregoing sum exceeds, in the case of any such Person or Subsidiary, the amount of Investments (excluding Permitted Investments) previously made (and treated as a Restricted Payment) by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such Person or Subsidiary, such excess shall not be included in this clause (E) unless the amount represented by such excess has not been and shall not be taken into account in one of the foregoing clauses (A)-(D).

(b) Section 4.04(a) shall not prohibit:

(1) the making of any Restricted Payment (including a dividend) within 60 days after the date the Company or Restricted Subsidiary became legally or contractually obligated to make such Restricted Payment (including the declaration of a dividend), if at the date of becoming so legally or contractually bound, such Restricted Payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture (and such Restricted Payment shall be deemed to be made on the date of becoming so legally or contractually bound for purposes of any calculation required by this Section 4.04); provided, however, that such Restricted Payments shall be included (without duplication) in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments unless otherwise excluded pursuant to Sections 4.04(b)(2)-(9);

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(2) the redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition of any Subordinated Obligation of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or of any Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for, or out of the Net Cash Proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of, Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock); provided, however, that the amount of any such Net Cash Proceeds that are utilized for any such redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition shall be excluded (A) from Section 4.04(a)(3)(B) and (C) and (B) in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;

(3) the defeasance, redemption, repurchase, retirement or other acquisition of any Subordinated Obligations of the Company or of any Subsidiary Guarantor with the Net Cash Proceeds from an Incurrence of any Subordinated Obligations permitted to be Incurred under Section 4.03; provided, however, that such defeasance, redemption, repurchase, retirement or other acquisition shall be excluded in the calculation of Restricted Payments;

(4) so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company held by any employees, former employees, directors or former directors of Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or heirs, estates or other permitted transferees of such employees or directors) pursuant to any agreements (including employment agreements), management equity subscription agreement or stock option agreements or plans (or amendments thereto), approved by the Board of Directors, under which such individuals purchase or sell or are granted the right to purchase or sell shares of Capital Stock; provided that the aggregate price paid for all such repurchased, redeemed, acquired or retired Capital Stock shall not exceed $2.0 million in any calendar year (with any unused amounts in any calendar year being carried over to succeeding calendar years); provided further, that such amount in any calendar year may be increased by an amount not to exceed (A) the cash proceeds received by the Company from the sale of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company to members of management or directors of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries that occurs after the Issue Date (to the extent the cash proceeds from the sale of such Capital Stock have not otherwise been applied to the payment of Restricted Payments by virtue of Section 4.04(a)(3)), plus (B) the cash proceeds of key man life insurance policies received by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries after the Issue Date, less (C) the amount of any Restricted Payments made after the Issue Date pursuant to clauses (A) and (B) of this Section 4.04(b)(4); provided further, however, that such repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;

(5) repurchases or other acquisitions for value of Capital Stock deemed to occur upon the exercise or exchange of stock options, warrants or other convertible securities or upon the vesting of restricted Capital Stock if such Capital Stock represents a portion of the exercise or exchange price thereof or made in lieu of withholding taxes in connection with any such exercise, exchange or vesting; provided, however, that such repurchases or

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other acquisitions for value shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;

(6) so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control or an Asset Disposition and within 60 days after the completion of the offer to repurchase the Securities under Section 4.08 or Section 4.06 (including the purchase of all Securities tendered), any purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or other retirement for value of Subordinated Obligations required under the terms thereof as a result of such Change of Control or Asset Disposition at a purchase or redemption price not to exceed 101% of the outstanding principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any; provided, however, that such purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or other retirement for value shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;

(7) so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, the purchase by the Company of fractional shares arising out of stock dividends, splits or business combinations; provided, however, that such purchases shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;

(8) payments to dissenting stockholders (i) pursuant to applicable law or (ii) in connection with the settlement or satisfaction of legal claims made pursuant to or in connection with consolidation, merger or transfer of assets in connection with a transaction that is not permitted by this Indenture;

(9) the declaration and payments of dividends on Disqualified Stock issued pursuant to Section 4.03; provided, however, that at the time of declaration of such dividend, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (or result therefrom); provided further, however, that such dividends shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments; or

(10) Restricted Payments in an amount not to exceed $10.0 million in the aggregate at any time outstanding; provided, however, that the amount of such Restricted Payments shall be included in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments.

The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) shall be the Fair Market Value on the date the Restricted Payment of the asset(s) or securities proposed to be transferred or issued by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment is made or deemed made.

For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.04, if a Restricted Payment meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Restricted Payments described in Sections 4.04(b)(1)-(10), the Company, in its sole discretion, shall be entitled to divide, order and classify such Restricted Payment in any manner in compliance with this Section 4.04 and shall be entitled to later redivide, reorder and reclassify such Restricted Payment in any manner that then complies with this Section 4.04.

In computing Consolidated Net Income under Section 4.04(a)(3)(A) above, (1) the Company shall use audited financial statements for the portions of the relevant period for which

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audited financial statements are available on the date of determination and unaudited financial statements and other current financial data based on the books and records of the Company for the remaining portion of such period and (2) the Company shall be permitted to rely in good faith on the financial statements and other financial data derived from the books and records of the Company that are available on the date of determination.

If any Person in which an Investment is made, which Investment constitutes a Restricted Payment when made, thereafter becomes a Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with this Indenture, all such Investments previously made in such Person shall be Permitted Investments, and for the avoidance of doubt all such Investments shall no longer be counted as Restricted Payments for purposes of calculating the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments pursuant Section 4.04(a)(3), in each case to the extent such Investments would otherwise be so counted.

SECTION 4.05 Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries. The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company (it being understood that the priority of any Preferred Stock in receiving dividends or liquidating distributions prior to dividends or liquidating distributions being paid on Capital Stock shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make distributions on Capital Stock), (b) make any loans or advances to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (it being understood that the subordination of loans or advances made to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to other Indebtedness Incurred by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make loans or advances) or (c) transfer any of its property or assets to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, except:

(1) with respect to clauses (a), (b) and (c),

(A) any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement (including the Priority Lien Credit Agreement) in effect at or entered into on the Issue Date;

(B) any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement relating to any Indebtedness Incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary on or prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary was acquired by the Company (other than Indebtedness Incurred as consideration in, or to provide all or any portion of the funds or credit support utilized to consummate, the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was acquired by the Company) and outstanding on such date;

(C) any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement effecting a Refinancing of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to an agreement referred to in clause (A), (B) or (I) of clause (1) of this Section 4.05 or this clause (C) or contained in any amendment to an agreement referred to in clause (A), (B) or (I) of clause (1) of this Section 4.05 or this clause (C); provided, however, that the encumbrances and restrictions with respect to such Restricted Subsidiary contained

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in any such refinancing agreement or amendment are not materially less favorable, taken as a whole, to the Securityholders than encumbrances and restrictions with respect to such Restricted Subsidiary contained in such predecessor agreements;

(D) any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary imposed pursuant to an agreement entered into for the sale or disposition of Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary pending the closing of such sale or disposition;

(E) any encumbrance or restriction on the disposition or distribution of assets or property, including cash or other deposits, under agreements entered into in the ordinary course of the Oil and Gas Business of the types described in clause (2) of the definition of Permitted Business Investments;

(F) encumbrances and restrictions contained in contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business, not relating to any Indebtedness, and that do not, individually or in the aggregate, detract from the value of, or from the ability of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries to realize the value of, property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in any manner material to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(G) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements (in each case relating solely to the respective joint venture or similar entity or the equity interests therein) entered in the ordinary course of business;

(H) restrictions on cash, cash equivalents, Temporary Cash Investments or other deposits or net worth imposed under contracts entered into the ordinary course of business, including such restrictions imposed by customers or insurance, surety or bonding companies; and

(I) encumbrances or restrictions contained in agreements governing Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary permitted to be Incurred pursuant to an agreement entered into subsequent to the Issue Date in accordance with Section 4.03; provided that the provisions relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in such Indebtedness are not materially less favorable to the Company taken as a whole, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith, than the provisions contained in the Priority Lien Credit Agreement or in this Indenture as in effect on the Issue Date.

(2) with respect to clause (c) only,

(A) any encumbrance or restriction consisting of customary subletting, nonassignment or transfer provisions in leases, licenses, similar agreements, operating agreements or other agreements customary in the Oil and Gas Business to the extent such provisions restrict the transfer of the lease, license or similar agreement or the property subject thereto;

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(B) any encumbrance or restriction contained in security agreements or mortgages securing Indebtedness to the extent such encumbrance or restriction restricts the transfer of the property subject to such security agreements or mortgages;

(C) pursuant to customary provisions restricting dispositions of real property interests set forth in any reciprocal easement agreements of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; and

(D) provisions with respect to the disposition or distribution of assets or property in operating agreements, joint venture agreements, development agreements, area of mutual interest agreements and other agreements that are customary in the Oil and Gas Business and entered into in the ordinary course of business.

SECTION 4.06 Limitation on Sales of Assets and Subsidiary Stock. (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, consummate any Asset Disposition unless:

(1) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary receives consideration at the time of such Asset Disposition at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares and assets subject to such Asset Disposition;

(2) at least 75% of the consideration thereof received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is in the form of cash or cash equivalents; and

(3) an amount equal to 100% of the Net Available Cash from such Asset Disposition is applied by the Company (or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be)

(A) first, (i) if the Asset Disposition is a Collateral Disposition, to the extent the Company elects (or is required by the terms of any Indebtedness), to prepay, repay, redeem, defease or purchase Priority Lien Debt and other outstanding Priority Lien Obligations within one year from the later of the date of such Asset Disposition or the receipt of such Net Available Cash, or (ii) if the Asset Disposition is not a Collateral Disposition, to the extent the Company elects (or is required by the terms of any Indebtedness), to prepay, repay, redeem, defease or purchase Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor that is not Subordinated Indebtedness (but excluding intercompany Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to the Company or any of its Affiliates) within one year from the later of the date of such Asset Disposition or the receipt of such Net Available Cash;

(B) second, to the extent of the balance of such Net Available Cash after application in accordance with clause (A), to the extent the Company elects, to acquire Additional Assets or to make capital expenditures in the Oil and Gas Business within one year from the later of the date of such Asset Disposition or the receipt of such Net Available Cash; and

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(C) third, to the extent of the balance of such Net Available Cash after application in accordance with Section 4.06(a)(3)(A) and (B), to make an offer to the holders of the Securities to purchase Securities pursuant to and subject to the conditions contained in this Indenture; provided, however, that in connection with any prepayment, repayment or purchase of Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.06(a)(3)(A) or this Section 4.06(a)(3)(C), the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary shall permanently retire such Indebtedness and shall cause the related loan commitment (if any) to be permanently reduced in an amount equal to the principal amount so prepaid, repaid or purchased.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall not be required to apply any Net Available Cash in accordance with this Section except to the extent that the aggregate Net Available Cash from all Asset Dispositions which is not applied in accordance with this Section exceeds $5.0 million. Pending application of Net Available Cash pursuant to this Section, the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall be entitled to temporarily reduce Indebtedness or otherwise invest such Net Available Cash in any manner not prohibited by this Indenture.

For the purposes of this Section, the following are deemed to be cash or cash equivalents:

(1) the assumption or discharge of Priority Lien Debt or Senior Indebtedness of the Company or of a Subsidiary Guarantor (other than obligations in respect of Disqualified Stock of the Company) or any Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor (other than obligations in respect of Disqualified Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary) and the release of the Company, such Subsidiary Guarantor or such Restricted Subsidiary from all liability on such Indebtedness in connection with such Asset Disposition; and

(2) securities received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from the transferee that are promptly converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash, to the extent of cash received in that conversion.

(b) In the event of an Asset Disposition that requires the purchase of Securities pursuant to Section 4.06(a)(3)(C), the Company shall purchase Securities tendered pursuant to an offer by the Company for the Securities (the “Offer”) at a purchase price of 100% of their principal amount without premium, plus accrued but unpaid interest in accordance with the procedures (including prorating in the event of oversubscription) set forth in Section 4.06(d). If the aggregate purchase price of the Securities tendered exceeds the Net Available Cash allotted to their purchase, the Company shall select the Securities to be purchased on a pro rata basis or otherwise required by the procedures of the Depository, rounded up to the nearest dollar. The Company shall not be required to make such an offer to purchase Securities pursuant to this Section if the Net Available Cash available therefor (and for the purchase of such other Senior Indebtedness) is less than $5.0 million (which lesser amount shall be carried forward for purposes of determining whether such an offer is required with respect to the Net Available Cash from any subsequent Asset Disposition). Upon completion of such an offer to purchase, Net Available Cash shall be deemed to be reduced by the aggregate amount of such offer.

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(c) The requirement of Section 4.06(a)(3)(B) shall be deemed to be satisfied if an agreement (including a lease, whether a capital lease or an operating lease) committing to make the acquisitions or expenditures referred to therein is entered into by the Company or its Restricted Subsidiary within the specified time period and such Net Available Cash is subsequently applied in accordance with such agreement within six months following such agreement.

(d) (1) Promptly, and in any event within 10 days after the Company becomes obligated to make an Offer, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee and send, by first-class mail, or in the case of Global Securities, electronically, to each Holder, a written notice stating that the Holder may elect to have his Securities purchased by the Company either in whole or in part (subject to prorating as described in Section 4.06(b) in the event the Offer is oversubscribed) in integral multiples of $1.00 of principal amount, at the applicable purchase price. The notice shall specify a purchase date not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days after the date of such notice (the “Purchase Date”) and shall contain such information concerning the business of the Company which the Company in good faith believes will enable such Holders to make an informed decision and all instructions and materials necessary to tender Securities pursuant to the Offer, together with the information contained in clause (3).

(2) At least one day prior to the Purchase Date, the Company shall irrevocably deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust) in Temporary Cash Investments, maturing on or before the last day prior to the Purchase Date or on the Purchase Date if funds are immediately available by open of business, an amount equal to the Net Available Cash allotted to purchase of Securities which shall be held for payment in accordance with the provisions of this Section. Upon the expiration of the period for which the Offer remains open (the “Offer Period”), the Company shall deliver to the Trustee for cancellation the Securities or portions thereof which have been properly tendered to and are to be accepted by the Company. The Trustee shall, on the Purchase Date, deliver payment (or cause the delivery of payment) to each tendering Holder in the amount of the purchase price.

(3) Holders electing to have a Security purchased shall be required to surrender the Security, with an appropriate form duly completed, to the Company at the address specified in the notice at least three Business Days prior to the Purchase Date. Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Trustee or the Company receives not later than one Business Day prior to the Purchase Date, a telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Security which was delivered for purchase by the Holder and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Security purchased. Holders whose Securities are purchased only in part shall be issued new Securities equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered.

(e) The Company shall comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Section. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Section, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section by virtue of its compliance with such securities laws or regulations.

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SECTION 4.07 Limitation on Affiliate Transactions. (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into or permit to exist any transaction (including the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property, employee compensation arrangements or the rendering of any service) with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate of the Company (an “Affiliate Transaction”) unless:

(1) the terms of the Affiliate Transaction are not materially less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that could reasonably be expected to be obtained at the time of the Affiliate Transaction in arm’s-length dealings with a Person who is not an Affiliate;

(2) if such Affiliate Transaction involves an amount in excess of $10.0 million, the terms of the Affiliate Transaction are set forth in writing and a majority of the directors of the Company disinterested with respect to such Affiliate Transaction have determined in good faith that the criteria set forth in clause (1) are satisfied and have approved the relevant Affiliate Transaction as evidenced by a resolution of the Board of Directors; and

(3) if such Affiliate Transaction involves an amount in excess of $20.0 million, the Board of Directors shall also have received a written opinion from an Independent Qualified Party to the effect that such Affiliate Transaction is fair, from a financial standpoint, to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or is not materially less favorable to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries than could reasonably be expected to be obtained at the time in an arm’s-length transaction with a Person who was not an Affiliate.

(b) The provisions of Section 4.07(a) shall not prohibit:

(1) any Investment (other than a Permitted Investment) or other Restricted Payment, in each case permitted to be made pursuant to Section 4.04(a);

(2) any employment agreement or other employee compensation plan or arrangement in existence on the Issue Date or entered into thereafter in the ordinary course of business including any issuance of securities, or other payments, awards or grants in cash, securities or otherwise pursuant to, or the funding of, employment arrangements, stock options and stock ownership plans approved by the Board of Directors;

(3) loans or advances to employees in the ordinary course of business in accordance with the past practices of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, but in any event not to exceed $1.0 million in the aggregate outstanding at any one time;

(4) advances to or reimbursements of employees for moving, entertainment and travel expenses, drawing accounts and similar expenditures, in each case in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(5) the payment of reasonable compensation and fees to directors of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries who are not employees of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries;

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(6) any transaction with the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary or joint venture or similar entity (excluding an Unrestricted Subsidiary) which would not constitute an Affiliate Transaction but for the Company’s or a Restricted Subsidiary’s ownership of an equity interest in or control of such Restricted Subsidiary, joint venture or similar entity;

(7) indemnities of officers, directors and employees of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary consistent with applicable charter, by-law or statutory provisions;

(8) the issuance or sale of any Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or the receipt by the Company of a cash capital contribution from its stockholders;

(9) any transaction with an Unrestricted Subsidiary to the extent such transaction is in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and of such Unrestricted Subsidiary;

(10) 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 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;

(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 director 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 shall abstain from voting as a director of the Company or such direct or indirect parent company, as the case may be, on any matter involving such other Person; and

(12) any transaction with Affiliates pursuant to arrangements in existence on the Issue Date pursuant to which those Affiliates own, or are entitled to acquire, working, overriding royalty or other similar interests in particular properties operated by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or in which any of the Company or one or more Restricted Subsidiaries also own an interest.

SECTION 4.08 Change of Control. (a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder shall have the right to require that the Company purchase such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price payable in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof on the date of purchase plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest on the relevant interest payment date), in accordance with the terms contemplated in Section 4.08(b).

(b) Within 30 days following any Change of Control, unless the Company has previously or concurrently exercised its right to redeem all of the Securities as described in

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Article 3 and paragraph 5 of the Securities, the Company shall mail a notice to each Holder with a copy to the Trustee (the “Change of Control Offer”) stating:

(1) that a Change of Control has occurred and that such Holder has the right to require the Company to purchase such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof on the date of purchase, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest on the relevant interest payment date) (the “Change of Control Payment”);

(2) a description of the transaction or transactions giving rise to such Change of Control;

(3) the purchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed); and

(4) the instructions, as determined by the Company, consistent with this Section, that a Holder must follow in order to have its Securities purchased.

(c) Holders electing to have a Security purchased will be required to surrender the Security, with an appropriate form duly completed, to the Company at the address specified in the notice at least three Business Days prior to the purchase date. Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Trustee or the Company receives not later than one Business Day prior to the purchase date, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Security which was delivered for purchase by the Holder and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Security purchased.

(d) On the purchase date, all Securities purchased by the Company under this Section shall be delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation, together with an Officers’ Certificate confirming the purchase and directing the Trustee to cancel such Securities, and the Company shall pay the purchase price plus accrued and unpaid interest to the Holders entitled thereto.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer following a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Section applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

(f) A Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, and conditioned upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time the Change of Control Offer is made.

(g) If Holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities validly tender and do not withdraw such Securities in a Change of Control Offer and the Company, or any third party making a Change of Control Offer in lieu of the Company as described in Section 4.08(e), purchases all of the Securities validly tendered and not

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withdrawn 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 such purchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer described above, to redeem all Securities that remain outstanding following such purchase at a redemption price in cash equal to the applicable Change of Control Payment plus, to the extent not included in the Change of Control Payment, accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

(h) The Company shall comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Section. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Section, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section by virtue of its compliance with such securities laws or regulations.

SECTION 4.09 Limitation on Liens. The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, Incur or permit to exist any Lien of any nature whatsoever on any of its properties (including Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary), whether owned at the Issue Date or thereafter acquired, securing any Indebtedness, other than Permitted Liens.

SECTION 4.10 Limitation on Sale/Leaseback Transactions. The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale/ Leaseback Transaction with respect to any property unless:

(1) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would be entitled to (A) Incur Indebtedness in an amount equal to the Attributable Debt with respect to such Sale/Leaseback Transaction pursuant to Section 4.03 and (B) create a Lien on such property securing such Attributable Debt pursuant to Section 4.09;

(2) the net proceeds received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such Sale/Leaseback Transaction are at least equal to the Fair Market Value of such property; and

(3) the Company applies the proceeds of such transaction in compliance with Section 4.06.

SECTION 4.11 Future Guarantors. The Company shall cause each direct domestic Restricted Subsidiary that is not already a Subsidiary Guarantor that is a borrower under or guarantees the Priority Lien Credit Agreement to, at the same time, execute and deliver to the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, if applicable, a Guaranty Agreement pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary shall Guarantee payment of the Securities on the same terms and conditions as those set forth in this Indenture.

SECTION 4.12 Compliance Certificate. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company an Officers’ Certificate stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their duties as Officers of the Company they would normally have knowledge of any Default and whether the signers know of any Default that

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occurred during such fiscal year. If they do, the certificate shall describe the Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto. The Company also shall comply with TIA § 314(a)(4) and deliver the certificate referred to in such section of the TIA, which certificate shall be delivered to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company. For purposes of this Section 4.12, the “fiscal year” of the Company means a calendar year ending December 31.

SECTION 4.13 Further Instruments and Acts. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purpose of this Indenture.

SECTION 4.14 Insurance. The Company will, and will cause each of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations. Subject to the Security Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement, the loss payable clauses or provisions in said insurance policy or policies insuring any of the Collateral shall be endorsed in favor of the Collateral Agent as its interests in the Collateral may appear and such policies shall name the Collateral Agent as “additional insureds” and provide that the insurer will endeavor to give at least thirty (30) days prior notice of any cancellation to the Collateral Agent, it being understood that the Company shall be afforded a period of sixty (60) days following the Issue Date to comply with this Section.

ARTICLE 5

Successor Company

SECTION 5.01 Merger and Consolidation. (a) The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease, in one transaction or a series of transactions, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all its assets to, any Person, unless:

(1) the resulting, surviving or transferee Person (the “Successor Company”) shall be a Person organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia and the Successor Company (if not the Company) shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and Collateral Agent, as applicable, in form satisfactory to the Trustee and Collateral Agent, as applicable, all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and the Note Documents;

(2) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such transaction (and treating any Indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Successor Company or any Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been Incurred by such Successor Company or such Subsidiary at the time of such transaction), no Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

(3) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such transaction and any related financing transactions, either (A) the Successor Company would be able to Incur an additional $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or (B) the Consolidated

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Coverage Ratio of the Successor Company is equal to or greater than the Consolidated Coverage Ratio of the Company immediately before such transaction;

(4) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such sale, disposition, consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture (if any) comply with this Indenture; and

(5) the Successor Company shall take such action (or agree to take such action) as may be reasonably necessary to cause any property or assets that constitute Collateral owned by or transferred to the Successor Company to be subject to the Liens securing the Notes Obligations in the manner and to the extent required under the Note Documents;

provided, however, that clause (3) shall not be applicable to (A) a Restricted Subsidiary consolidating with, merging into or transferring all or part of its properties and assets to the Company or (B) the Company merging with an Affiliate of the Company solely for the purpose and with the sole effect of reincorporating the Company in another jurisdiction in the United States.

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

The Successor Company shall be the successor to the Company and shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture and the other Note Documents, and the predecessor Company, except in the case of a lease, shall be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Securities.

(b) Except in a transaction resulting in the release of a Subsidiary Guarantee of a Subsidiary Guarantor, the Company shall not permit any Subsidiary Guarantor to sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, or consolidate with or merge with or into (whether or not such Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving Person) another Person (other than the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor) unless:

(1) immediately after giving effect to such transaction or transactions, on a pro forma basis (and treating any Indebtedness which becomes an Obligation of the resulting, surviving or transferee Person as a result of such transaction as having been issued by such Person at the time of such transaction) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

(2) the Person acquiring the assets in such sale or disposition or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than such Subsidiary Guarantor) (the “Successor Guarantor”) (A) shall be a Person organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction under which the Subsidiary was organized or under the laws of the United States of America, or any state thereof or the District of Columbia and (B) assumes all obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee (by a Guaranty Agreement), this Indenture and all Note Documents to which it is a party pursuant to agreements or instruments satisfactory in form to the Trustee;

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(3) the Successor Guarantor, if applicable, shall take such action (or agree to take such action) as may be reasonably necessary to cause any property or assets that constitute Collateral owned by or transferred to the Successor Guarantor to be subject to the Liens securing the Notes Obligations in the manner and to the extent required under the Note Documents and shall deliver an Opinion of Counsel as to the enforceability of any amendments, supplements or other instruments with respect to the Note Documents to be executed, delivered, filed and recorded, as applicable, and such other matters as the Trustee or Collateral Agent, as applicable, may reasonably request;

(4) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger and Subsidiary Guarantee of the Successor Guarantor complies with this Indenture; and

(5) the Company provides a certificate from an authorized officer of the Company to the Trustee to the effect that the Company will comply with the obligations under Section 4.06 with respect to such transaction.

ARTICLE 6

Defaults and Remedies

SECTION 6.01 Events of Default. An “Event of Default” occurs if:

(1) the Company defaults in any payment of interest on any Security when the same becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 30 days;

(2) the Company (A) defaults in the payment of the principal of any Security when the same becomes due and payable at its Stated Maturity, upon optional redemption, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise, or (B) fails to purchase Securities when required pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities;

(3) the Company fails to comply with Section 5.01;

(4) the Company fails to comply with Section 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10 or 4.11 (other than a failure to purchase Securities when required under Section 4.06 or 4.08) and such failure continues for 30 days after the notice specified below;

(5) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor fails to comply with any of its agreements contained in the Securities or this Indenture (other than those referred to in clause (1), (2), (3) or (4) above) and such failure continues for 60 days (or 120 days in the case of a failure to comply with the reporting obligations under Section 4.02) after the notice specified below;

(6) Indebtedness of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary is not paid within any applicable grace period after final maturity or is accelerated by the holders thereof because of a default and the total amount of such Indebtedness unpaid or accelerated exceeds $10.0 million, or its foreign currency equivalent at the time;

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(7) the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(A) commences a voluntary case;

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

(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for any substantial part of its property; or

(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency;

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

(A) is for relief against the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary case;

(B) appoints a Custodian of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property; or

(C) orders the winding up or liquidation of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary;

or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days;

(9) any judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of $10.0 million or its foreign currency equivalent at the time such judgment or decree is entered against the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary, remains outstanding for a period of 60 consecutive days following the entry of such judgment or decree and is not discharged, waived or the execution thereof stayed;

(10) any Subsidiary Guarantee ceases to be in full force and effect (other than in accordance with the terms of such Subsidiary Guarantee) or any Subsidiary Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee (other than in accordance with the terms of such Subsidiary Guarantee); or

(11) the occurrence of the following:

(A) except as permitted by the Note Documents, any Note Document establishing the Liens securing the Notes Obligations ceases for any reason to be enforceable; provided that it will not be an Event of Default under this Section 6.01(11)(A) if the sole result of the failure of one or more Note Documents to be fully enforceable is that any Lien purported to be granted under such Note Documents on Collateral, individually or in the aggregate, having a fair market

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value of not more than $15.0 million, ceases to be an enforceable and perfected Lien; provided further, that if such failure is susceptible to cure, no Event of Default shall arise with respect thereto until 45 days after any Officer of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary becomes aware of such failure, which failure has not been cured during such time period;

(B) except as permitted by the Note Documents, any Lien purported to be granted under any Note Document on Collateral, individually or in the aggregate, having a fair market value in excess of $15.0 million, ceases to be an enforceable and perfected second priority Lien, subject to the Intercreditor Agreement and Permitted Liens provided that if such failure is susceptible to cure, no Event of Default shall arise with respect thereto until 45 days after any Officer of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary becomes aware of such failure, which failure has not been cured during such time period; and

(C) the Company or any other Grantor, or any Person acting on behalf of any of them, denies or disaffirms, in writing, any obligation of the Company or any other Grantor set forth in or arising under any Note Document establishing Liens securing the Notes Obligations.

The foregoing will constitute Events of Default whatever the reason for any such Event of Default and whether it is voluntary or involuntary or is effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body.

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, United States Code, or any similar Federal or state law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, custodian or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

A Default under clauses (4) or (5) is not an Event of Default until the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities notify the Company of the Default and the Company does not cure such Default within the time specified after receipt of such notice. Such notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that such notice is a “Notice of Default”.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 30 days after the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officers’ Certificate of any Event of Default under clauses (1), (2), (3), (6), (10) or (11) and any event which with the giving of notice or the lapse of time would become an Event of Default under clauses (4), (5) or (9), its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

SECTION 6.02 Acceleration. (a) If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8) with respect to the Company) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities by notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on all the Securities to be due and payable. Upon such a declaration, such principal, interest shall be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(7)

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or (8) with respect to the Company occurs, the principal of and interest on all the Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Securityholders. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities by notice to the Trustee and the Company may rescind an acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal or interest that has become due solely because of acceleration. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default under Section 6.01(6) has occurred and is 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 if (i) the Indebtedness that is the subject of such Event of Default under Section 6.01(6) has been repaid or (ii) 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 with respect thereto, and (iii) any other existing Events of Default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the Securities that became due solely because of the acceleration of the Securities, have been cured and waived.

SECTION 6.03 Other Remedies. Subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Securityholder 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. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All available remedies are cumulative.

SECTION 6.04 Waiver of Past Defaults. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities by notice to the Trustee may waive an existing Default and its consequences except (a) a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on a Security, (b) a Default arising from the failure to redeem or purchase any Security when required pursuant to this Indenture or (c) a Default in respect of a provision that under Section 9.02 cannot be amended without the consent of each Securityholder affected. When a Default is waived, it is deemed cured, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any consequent right.

SECTION 6.05 Control by Majority. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture or, subject to Section 7.01, that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Securityholders or would involve the Trustee in personal liability; provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction. Prior to taking any action hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification

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satisfactory to it in its sole discretion against all losses, liabilities and expenses caused by taking or not taking such action.

SECTION 6.06 Limitation on Suits. Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal, premium or interest when due, no Securityholder may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities unless:

(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice stating that an Event of Default is continuing;

(2) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against any loss, liability or expense;

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

(5) the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request during such 60-day period.

A Securityholder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Securityholder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Securityholder. In the event that the Definitive Securities are not issued to any beneficial owner promptly after the Registrar has received a request from the Holder of a Global Security (as defined in the Appendix) to issue such Definitive Securities to such beneficial owner of its nominee, the Company expressly agrees and acknowledges, with respect to the right of any Holder to pursue a remedy pursuant to this Indenture, the right of such beneficial holder of Securities to pursue such remedy with respect to the portion of the Global Security that represents such beneficial holder’s Securities as if such Definitive Securities had been issued.

SECTION 6.07 Rights of Holders to Receive Payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on the Securities held by such Holder, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Securities, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee. Subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, if an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(1) or (2) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount then due and owing (together with interest on any unpaid interest to the extent lawful) and the amounts provided for in Section 7.07.

SECTION 6.09 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may 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, the Collateral Agent and the Securityholders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company, its creditors or its property and, unless prohibited by law or

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applicable regulations, may vote on behalf of the Holders in any election of a trustee in bankruptcy or other Person performing similar functions, and any Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make 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 it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, the Collateral Agent and each of their agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee or Collateral Agent, as applicable, under Section 7.07.

No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee or Collateral Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, compromise, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee or Collateral Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 6.10 Priorities. Subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, if the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

FIRST: to the Trustee, the Collateral Agent and their agents for amounts due under Section 7.07;

SECOND: to Securityholders for amounts due and unpaid on the Securities for principal and interest ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

THIRD: to the Company as provided in a written direction from the Company.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Securityholders pursuant to this Section. At least 15 days before such record date, the Company shall mail to each Securityholder and the Trustee a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.

SECTION 6.11 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 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 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities.

SECTION 6.12 Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws. The Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) shall not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and shall not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted

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to the Trustee, but shall suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

ARTICLE 7

Trustee

SECTION 7.01 Duties of Trustee. (a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care in their exercise as a prudent Person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such Person’s own affairs.

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

(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture 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, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability 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;

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

(3) the Trustee shall 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.

(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise Incur financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds to believe that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(e) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.

(f) Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

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(g) Every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section and to the provisions of the TIA.

SECTION 7.02 Rights of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee may rely on 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 and/or an Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on the Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

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

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.

(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel, and the advice or opinion of counsel with respect to legal matters relating to this Indenture and the Securities shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect to any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.

(f) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default, except a Default under Sections 6.01(1) or 6.01(2) (but only if the Trustee is also the Paying Agent), unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a Default or Event of Default is received by a Trust Officer at its office described in Section 11.02 herein from the Company or the Holders of 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities, and such notice references the specific Default or Event of Default, the Securities and this Indenture and, in the absence of any such notice, the Trustee may conclusively assume that no such Default or Event of Default exists.

(g) In no event shall the Trustee be liable to any Person for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(h) The Trustee may conclusively rely on and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order or other paper or document (whether in its original, electronic or facsimile form) reasonably 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.

(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

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enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and to each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder, including as Collateral Agent.

(j) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture or the other Note Documents at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered, and if requested, provided, to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the losses, liabilities and expenses which may be incurred therein or thereby.

(k) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any fact or matter unless such fact or matter is actually known to a Trust Officer of the Trustee or unless written notice of such fact or matter is received by the Trustee at the corporate trust office of the Trustee specified in Section 11.02.

(l) Whenever in the administration of this Indenture or the other Note Documents the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder or thereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith or willful misconduct on its part, conclusively rely upon an Officers’ Certificate.

(m) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, coupon or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.

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

(o) The Trustee may request that the Company delivers an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture or the other Note Documents.

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

(q) The permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated hereunder shall not be construed as duties.

SECTION 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity (including in its capacity as the Collateral Agent) may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee or Collateral Agent. Any Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or co-paying agent may do the same with like rights. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the SEC for permission to continue as Trustee (if this Indenture has been qualified under the TIA) or resign. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11 hereof.

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SECTION 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture, the Securities or any other Note Documents, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of its proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the Company in this Indenture or in any document issued in connection with the sale of the Securities or in the Securities other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication.

SECTION 7.05 Notice of Defaults. If a Default occurs, is continuing and is actually known to a Trust Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall send to each Securityholder notice of the Default within 90 days after it occurs. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, except in the case of a Default involving the payment of principal of or interest on any Security (including payments pursuant to the mandatory redemption provisions of such Security, if any), the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is not opposed to the interests of the Securityholders.

SECTION 7.06 TIA and Listings. As promptly as practicable after each August 15 beginning with August 15, 2019, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a brief report dated as of August 15 that complies with TIA § 313(a) (but if no event described in TIA § 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). During the same time period specified above, the Trustee also shall comply with TIA § 313(b), which section relates to the release or substitution of certain property from the Lien of this Indenture and advances made by the Trustee. The Trustee will also transmit by mail all reports as required by TIA § 313(c).

If this Indenture has been qualified under the TIA, a copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange (if any) on which the Securities are listed in accordance with TIA § 313(d). The Company agrees to notify promptly the Trustee whenever the Securities become listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.

SECTION 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses Incurred or made by it, including costs of collection, in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and experts. The Company shall indemnify the Trustee and its respective officers, directors, employees and agents against any and all loss, liability or expense (including attorneys’ fees) Incurred by any of them in connection with the administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense Incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith.

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To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee other than money or property held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities.

The Company’s payment obligations pursuant to this Section shall survive the discharge of this Indenture and the resignation and removal of the Trustee hereunder. When the Trustee Incurs expenses after the occurrence of a Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8) with respect to the Company, the expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under the Bankruptcy Law.

The Trustee will comply with the provisions of TIA § 313(b)(2) to the extent applicable.

SECTION 7.08 Replacement of Trustee. The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and may appoint a successor Trustee. The Company shall remove the Trustee if:

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

(2) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;

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

(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns, is removed by the Company or by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities and such Holders do not reasonably promptly appoint a successor Trustee, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason (the Trustee in such event being referred to herein as the retiring Trustee), the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Securityholders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07.

If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee or the Holders of 10% in principal amount of the Securities may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Securityholder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

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Notwithstanding the replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

SECTION 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger. If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all its corporate trust business or assets to, another corporation or banking association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

In case at the time such successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture any of the Securities shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee, and deliver such Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have.

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 $100.0 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

This Indenture will always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee is subject to TIA § 310(b).

SECTION 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated.

ARTICLE 8

Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance

SECTION 8.01 Discharge of Liability on Securities; Defeasance. (a) When (1) the Company delivers to the Trustee all outstanding Securities (other than Securities replaced pursuant to Section 2.07) for cancellation, (2) all outstanding Securities have become due and payable, whether at maturity or on a redemption date as a result of the mailing of a notice of redemption pursuant to Article 3 hereof or (3) all outstanding Securities not theretofore delivered for cancellation will become due and payable within one year at Stated Maturity or as the result of the giving of a notice of redemption and, in the case of clause (2) or (3), the Company irrevocably deposits with the Trustee cash in U.S. dollars or non-callable U.S. Government Obligation or a combination thereof, in amounts sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all outstanding Securities, including interest thereon to maturity or such redemption date (other than Securities replaced pursuant to Section 2.07), and if in either case the Company pays all other sums payable hereunder by the Company, then this Indenture and the other Note Documents (insofar as related

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to this Indenture and the Securities) shall, subject to Section 8.01(c), cease to be of further effect. The Trustee and Collateral Agent shall acknowledge satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and other Note Documents (insofar as related to this Indenture and the Securities) on demand of the Company accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel and at the cost and expense of the Company.

(b) Subject to Sections 8.01(c) and 8.02, the Company at any time may terminate (1) all its obligations under the Securities and this Indenture (“legal defeasance option”) or (2) its obligations under Sections 4.02, 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10 and 4.11 and the operation of Sections 6.01(4), 6.01(5) (but only with respect to the Company’s reporting obligations under Section 4.02), 6.01(6), 6.01(7), 6.01(8), 6.01(9), 6.01(10) and 6.01(11) (but, in the case of Sections 6.01(7) and (8), with respect only to Significant Subsidiaries and Subsidiary Guarantors) and the limitations contained in Section 5.01(a)(3) (“covenant defeasance option”). The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option notwithstanding its prior exercise of its covenant defeasance option.

If the Company exercises its legal defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect thereto. If the Company exercises its covenant defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default specified in Sections 6.01(4), 6.01(5) (but only with respect to the Company’s reporting obligations under Section 4.02), 6.01(6), 6.01(7), 6.01(8), 6.01(9), 6.01(10) and 6.01(11) (but, in the case of Sections 6.01(7) and (8), with respect only to Significant Subsidiaries and Subsidiary Guarantors) or because of the failure of the Company to comply with Section 5.01(a)(3). If the Company exercises its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option, each Subsidiary Guarantor, if any, shall be released from all its obligations with respect to its Subsidiary Guarantee, except to the extent necessary to guarantee any of the Company’s continuing obligations pursuant to Section 8.01(c) hereof.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth herein, and satisfaction of the other covenants or obligations under the other Note Documents (insofar as related to the Securities and this Indenture), and upon request of the Company, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of those obligations that the Company terminates and the Collateral shall be released.

(c) Notwithstanding clauses (a) and (b) above, the Company’s obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 7.07 and 7.08 and in this Article 8 shall survive until the Securities have been paid in full. Thereafter, the Company’s obligations in Sections 7.07, 8.04 and 8.05 shall survive.

SECTION 8.02 Conditions to Defeasance. The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option only if:

(1) the Company irrevocably deposits with the Trustee cash in U.S. dollars or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof for the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities to maturity or redemption, as the case may be;

(2) the Company delivers to the Trustee a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of independent accountants expressing their opinion that the payments of

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principal and interest when due and without reinvestment on the deposited U.S. Government Obligations plus any deposited money without investment will provide cash at such times and in such amounts as will be sufficient to pay principal and interest when due on all the Securities to maturity or redemption, as the case may be;

(3) 123 days pass after the deposit is made and during the 123-day period no Default specified in Sections 6.01(7) or (8) with respect to the Company occurs which is continuing at the end of the period;

(4) the deposit does not constitute a default under any other agreement binding on the Company;

(5) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the trust resulting from the deposit does not constitute, or is qualified as, a regulated investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(6) in the case of the legal defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that since the Issue Date (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (B) 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 shall confirm that, the Securityholders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and 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 defeasance had not occurred;

(7) in the case of the covenant defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Securityholders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and 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; and

(8) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the defeasance and discharge of the Securities as contemplated by this Article 8 have been complied with.

Before or after a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date in accordance with Article 3.

SECTION 8.03 Application of Trust Money. The Trustee shall hold in trust money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to this Article 8. It shall apply the deposited money and the money from U.S. Government Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities.

SECTION 8.04 Repayment to the Company. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly turn over to the Company upon written request any excess money or securities held by them at any time.

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Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years, and, thereafter, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors.

SECTION 8.05 Indemnity for Government Obligations. The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against deposited U.S. Government Obligations or the principal and interest received on such U.S. Government Obligations.

SECTION 8.06 Reinstatement. If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article 8 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 each Subsidiary Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture, the Securities and other Note Documents (insofar as related to this Indenture and the Securities) shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article 8 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article 8; provided, however, that, if the Company has made any payment of interest on or principal of any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE 9

Amendments

SECTION 9.01 Without Consent of Holders. The Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, if applicable, may amend any of this Indenture, the Securities or the other Note Documents without notice to or consent of any Securityholder:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

(2) to comply with Article 5;

(3) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; provided, however, that the uncertificated Securities are issued in registered form for purposes of Section 163(f) of the Code or in a manner such that the uncertificated Securities are described in Section 163(f)(2)(B) of the Code;

(4) to add or release Guarantees with respect to the Securities, including any Subsidiary Guarantees, in each case in compliance with the Note Documents;

(5) to add to the covenants of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor;

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(6) to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with qualifying this Indenture under the TIA;

(7) to make any amendment to the provisions of this Indenture relating to the transfer and legending of Securities; provided, however, that (a) compliance with this Indenture as so amended would not result in Securities being transferred in violation of the Securities Act or any other applicable securities law and (b) such amendment does not materially and adversely affect the rights of Holders to transfer Securities;

(8) to make, complete or confirm any grant of Collateral permitted or required by any of the Note Documents;

(9) to release or subordinate Liens on Collateral in accordance with the Note Documents;

(10) to comply with the requirements of any securities depository with respect to the Securities;

(11) with respect to the Note Documents, as provided in the Intercreditor Agreement;

(12) to evidence and provide for the acceptance and appointment (x) under this Indenture of a successor Trustee or Collateral Agent hereunder pursuant to the requirements hereof or (y) under the Note Documents of a successor Trustee or Collateral Agent thereunder pursuant to the requirements thereof;

(13) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder; or

(14) to provide for the issuance of PIK Notes or the increase of the principal amount of the Securities to pay PIK Interest in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

In addition, the Intercreditor Agreement may be amended in accordance with its terms and without the consent of any Holder or the Trustee with the consent of the parties thereto or otherwise in accordance with its terms, including to add additional Indebtedness as Priority Lien Debt and add other parties (or any authorized agent thereof or trustee therefor) holding such Indebtedness thereto and to establish that the Liens on any Collateral securing such Indebtedness shall rank equally with the Liens on such Collateral securing the other Priority Lien Debt then outstanding, in each case to the extent permitted by the Security Documents. The Intercreditor Agreement will also provide that in certain circumstances the Security Documents may be amended automatically without the consent of the Holders or the Trustee, or the Collateral Agent in connection with any amendments to corresponding security documents creating Priority Liens.

After an amendment under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Securityholders a notice briefly describing such amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Securityholders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section.

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SECTION 9.02 With Consent of Holders. The Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, if applicable, may amend this Indenture, the Securities or the other Note Documents with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange for the Securities), and any past default or compliance with any provisions may also be waived with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding. However, without the consent of each Securityholder affected thereby, an amendment or waiver may not:

(1) reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment;

(2) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any Security;

(3) reduce the principal of or extend the Stated Maturity of any Security;

(4) reduce the amount payable upon the redemption of the Securities or change the time at which any Security may be redeemed as described in Article 3 hereto and paragraph 5 of the Securities;

(5) make any Security payable in money other than that stated in the Security;

(6) impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on such Holder’s Securities on or after the due dates therefor or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Securities;

(7) expressly subordinate the Securities or any Guarantee or otherwise modify the ranking thereof to any other Indebtedness of the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors;

(8) make any change in the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement or this Indenture dealing with the application of proceeds of the Collateral that would adversely affect the Securityholders;

(9) make any change in Section 6.04 or 6.07 or the second sentence of this Section; or

(10) make any change in, or release other than in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee that would adversely affect the Securityholders.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. A consent to any amendment or waiver under this Indenture by any Holder of Securities given in connection with a tender of such Holder’s Securities shall not be rendered invalid by such tender.

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In addition, any amendment to, or waiver of, the provisions of the Note Documents that has the effect of releasing all or substantially all of the Collateral from the Liens securing the Securities or subordinating Liens securing the Securities (except as permitted by the terms of the Note Documents) will require the consent of the Holders of at least 66-2/3% in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding.

Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution of the Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any supplemental indenture entered into to effect any such amendment, supplement or waiver permitted under the terms of this Section, and upon receipt by the Trustee (and the Collateral Agent to the extent applicable) of the documents described in Section 9.06, the Trustee (and the Collateral Agent to the extent applicable) shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture or supplement or amendment to the Note Documents and Intercreditor Agreement. After an amendment under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall send to Securityholders a notice briefly describing such amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Securityholders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section.

SECTION 9.03 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Subject to Section 11.06, every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.

SECTION 9.04 Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers. A consent to an amendment or a waiver by a Holder of a Security shall bind the Holder and every subsequent Holder of that Security or portion of the Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent or waiver is not made on the Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent or waiver as to such Holder’s Security or portion of the Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective. After an amendment or waiver becomes effective, it shall bind every Securityholder. An amendment or waiver becomes effective upon the execution of such amendment or waiver by the Trustee.

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Securityholders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Securityholders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or to take any such action, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date unless consent from the Holders of the principal amount of Securities required hereunder for such amendment or waiver to be effective also shall have been given and not revoked within such 120-day period.

SECTION 9.05 Notation on or Exchange of Securities. If an amendment changes the terms of a Security, the Trustee may require the Securityholder to deliver it to the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security regarding the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects

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the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or to issue a new Security shall not affect the validity of such amendment.

SECTION 9.06 Trustee To Sign Amendments. The Trustee and Collateral Agent shall sign any amendment authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee or the Collateral Agent as applicable. If an amendment adversely affects the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee or Collateral Agent, the Trustee or the Collateral Agent, as applicable, may but need not sign it. In signing any amendment each of the Trustee and the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to receive indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it and to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that such amendment is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and the other Note Documents.

SECTION 9.07 Payment for Consent. Neither the Company nor any Affiliate of the Company shall, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture or the Securities unless such consideration is offered to all Holders and is paid to all Holders that so consent, waive or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or agreement; provided that if such consents, waivers or amendments are sought in connection with a tender offer or an exchange offer where participation in such tender offer or exchange offer is limited to Holders who are “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or non-U.S. persons, within the meaning given to such term in Regulation S under the Securities Act, then such consideration need only be offered to all Holders to whom the tender offer or exchange offer is made and to be paid to all such Holders that consent, waive or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in the solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or amendment.

ARTICLE 10

Subsidiary Guarantees

SECTION 10.01 Guarantees. Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees, jointly and severally, to each Holder, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent and its successors and assigns (a) the full and punctual payment of principal of and interest on the Securities when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, and all other monetary obligations of the Company under this Indenture and the Securities and (b) the full and punctual performance within applicable grace periods of all other obligations of the Company under this Indenture and the Securities (all the foregoing being hereinafter collectively called the “Guaranteed Obligations”). Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that the Guaranteed Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice or further assent from such Subsidiary Guarantor and that such Subsidiary Guarantor will remain bound under this Article 10 notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Obligation.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor waives presentation to, demand of, payment from and protest to the Company of any of the Guaranteed Obligations and also waives notice of protest for nonpayment. Each Subsidiary Guarantor waives notice of any default under the Securities or the Guaranteed Obligations. The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be

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affected by (1) the failure of any Holder or the Trustee or the Collateral Agent to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against the Company or any other Person (including any Subsidiary Guarantor) under any of the Note Documents or any other agreement or otherwise; (2) any extension or renewal of any Note Document; (3) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of any of the terms or provisions of the Note Documents or any other agreement; (4) the release of any security held by any Holder, the Trustee or the Collateral Agent for the Guaranteed Obligations or any of them; (5) the failure of any Holder, or the Trustee and Collateral Agent to exercise any right or remedy against any other guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations; or (6) except, as set forth in Section 10.06, any change in the ownership of such Subsidiary Guarantor.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee herein constitutes a guarantee of payment, performance and compliance when due (and not a guarantee of collection) and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any Holder or the Trustee to any security held for payment of the Guaranteed Obligations.

Except as expressly set forth in Sections 8.01(b), 10.02 or 10.06, the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense of setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever or by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Guaranteed Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor herein shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the obligations, or by any other act or thing or omission or delay to do any other act or thing which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of such Subsidiary Guarantor or would otherwise operate as a discharge of such Subsidiary Guarantor as a matter of law or equity.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that its Guarantee herein shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by any Holder or the Trustee upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise.

In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Holder or the Trustee has at law or in equity against any Subsidiary Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay the principal of or interest on any Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, or to perform or comply with any other Obligation, each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby promises to and shall, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Holders, the Trustee or the Collateral Agent, as applicable, an amount equal to the sum of (A) the unpaid amount of such Guaranteed Obligations, (B) accrued and unpaid interest on such Guaranteed Obligations (but only to the extent not prohibited by law) and (C) all other monetary Guaranteed Obligations of the Company to the Holders, the Trustee or the Collateral Agent.

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Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that, as between it, on the one hand, and the Holders, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, on the other hand, (i) the maturity of the Guaranteed Obligations hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 for the purposes of such Subsidiary Guarantor’s Subsidiary Guarantee herein, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereby, and (ii) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such Guaranteed Obligations as provided in Article 6, such Guaranteed Obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by such Subsidiary Guarantor for the purposes of this Section.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor also agrees to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) Incurred by the Trustee, the Collateral Agent or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this Section.

SECTION 10.02 Limitation on Liability. Any term or provision of this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum aggregate amount of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereunder by any Subsidiary Guarantor shall not exceed the maximum amount that can be hereby guaranteed without rendering this Indenture, as it relates to such Subsidiary Guarantor, voidable under applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.

SECTION 10.03 Successors and Assigns. This Article 10 shall be binding upon each Subsidiary Guarantor and its successors and assigns and shall enure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Trustee, the Collateral Agent and the Holders and, in the event of any transfer or assignment of rights by any Holder, the Trustee or the Collateral Agent, the rights and privileges conferred upon that party in this Indenture and in the Securities shall automatically extend to and be vested in such transferee or assignee, all subject to the terms and conditions of this Indenture.

SECTION 10.04 No Waiver. Neither a failure nor a delay on the part of either the Trustee, the Collateral Agent or the Holders in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Article 10 shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any right, power or privilege. The rights, remedies and benefits of the Trustee, the Collateral Agent and the Holders herein expressly specified are cumulative and not exclusive of any other rights, remedies or benefits which either may have under this Article 10 at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.

SECTION 10.05 Modification. No modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Article 10, nor the consent to any departure by any Subsidiary Guarantor therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Trustee, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. No notice to or demand on any Subsidiary Guarantor in any case shall entitle such Subsidiary Guarantor to any other or further notice or demand in the same, similar or other circumstances.

SECTION 10.06 Release of Subsidiary Guarantor. A Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically and unconditionally released from its obligations under this Article 10 (other than any obligation that may have arisen under Section 10.07):

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(1) in connection with any sale or other disposition of the Capital Stock of a Subsidiary Guarantor (including by way of merger or consolidation) other than to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, if such transaction at the time of such disposition complies with Section 4.06 hereof and the Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as a result of such transaction;

(2) if the Company designates any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Subsidiary Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture;

(3) if the Company effects either its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option in accordance with Section 8.01(b) hereof or if it satisfies and discharges this Indenture in accord with Section 8.01(a) hereof; or

(4) unless a Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, at such time as such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to guarantee any other Indebtedness of the Company or any other Subsidiary Guarantor under a Credit Facility.

At the request of the Company, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, as applicable shall execute and deliver such instrument reasonably requested by the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor evidencing such release.

SECTION 10.07 Contribution. Each Subsidiary Guarantor that makes a payment under its Subsidiary Guarantee shall be entitled upon payment in full of all Guaranteed Obligations under this Indenture to a contribution from each other Subsidiary Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Subsidiary Guarantor’s pro rata portion of such payment based on the respective net assets of all the Subsidiary Guarantors at the time of such payment determined in accordance with GAAP.

ARTICLE 11

Miscellaneous

SECTION 11.01 Trust Indenture Act Controls. If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by TIA §318(c), the imposed duties will control.

SECTION 11.02 Notices. Any notice or communication shall be in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail addressed as follows:

if to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor:

PetroQuest Energy, Inc.

400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 6000

Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

Attention of Chief Financial Officer

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if to the Trustee or Collateral Agent:

Wilmington Trust, National Association

Global Capital Markets

15950 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 550

Dallas, TX 75248

Attention: PetroQuest Energy Secured Notes Administrator

The Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor, the Trustee or the Collateral Agent by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication mailed to a Securityholder shall be mailed to the Securityholder at the Securityholder’s address as it appears on the registration books of the Registrar and shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the time prescribed. Any notice or communication will also be so mailed to any Person described in TIA § 313(c), to the extent required by the TIA. Notwithstanding any provision of this Indenture to the contrary, so long as the Securities are evidenced by Global Securities, any notice to the Securityholders shall be sufficient if given in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depository within the time prescribed.

Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

Any notice or communication to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall be deemed given or made as of the date so delivered if personally delivered or if delivered electronically, in pdf format; when receipt is acknowledged, if telecopied; and seven calendar days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (except that a notice of change of address shall not be deemed to have been given until actually received by the addressee). Any notice or communication to the Trustee or Collateral Agent shall only be deemed delivered upon receipt.

If a notice or communication is sent in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it, except that notices to the Trustee or Collateral Agent shall be effective only upon receipt.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or the Securities, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption or purchase) to a Securityholder of a global note (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depository.

SECTION 11.03 Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Securityholders may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

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SECTION 11.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take or refrain from taking any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(1) an Officers’ Certificate in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(2) an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.

SECTION 11.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a covenant or condition provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) must comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and shall include:

(1) a statement that the individual making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(2) 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;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such individual, such covenant or condition has been complied with.

SECTION 11.06 When Securities Disregarded. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture or any other Notes Document, Section 316(a) of the TIA (including the last sentence thereof) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and the other Notes Documents for all purposes. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver, consent or approval or other action of Holders, Securities owned by the Company, any Guarantor or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any Guarantor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that (i) Securities owned by Specified Holders shall not be so disregarded and (ii) for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver, consent approval or other action of Holders, only Securities which the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith shall not be so disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to deliver any such direction, waiver, consent, approval or other action of Holders with respect to the Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company any Guarantor or any other Subsidiary of the Company. Also, subject to the foregoing, only Securities outstanding at the time shall be considered in any such determination.

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SECTION 11.07 Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders. The Registrar and the Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.

SECTION 11.08 Legal Holidays. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday, payment shall be made on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period. If a regular record date is a Legal Holiday, the record date shall not be affected.

SECTION 11.09 Governing Law. This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

SECTION 11.10 Force Majeure. Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent shall Incur any liability for not performing any act or fulfilling any duty, obligation or responsibility hereunder by reason of any occurrence beyond the control of the Trustee (including but not limited to any act or provision of any present or future law or regulation or governmental authority, any act of God or war, civil unrest, local or national disturbance or disaster, any act of terrorism, or the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or facsimile or other wire or communication facility); it being understood that the Trustee and the Collateral Agent shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

SECTION 11.11 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS, THE TRUSTEE AND THE COLLATERAL AGENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES, THE GUARANTEES, THE GUARANTY AGREEMENTS, THE OTHER NOTE DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

SECTION 11.12 No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder, as such, of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee, this Indenture or any other Note Document or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Securityholder shall waive and release all such claims and liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

SECTION 11.13 Successors. All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors.

SECTION 11.14 Multiple Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. One signed copy is enough to prove this Indenture. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective

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execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes.

SECTION 11.15 Table of Contents; Headings. The table of contents, cross-reference sheet and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof and shall not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

SECTION 11.16 Severability. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

ARTICLE 12

Collateral and Security

SECTION 12.01 Security Interest.

(a) The due and punctual payment of the Obligations on the Securities and the Obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Subsidiary Guarantees, when and as the same shall be due and payable, whether on an interest payment date, at maturity, by acceleration, repurchase, redemption or otherwise and interest on the overdue principal of, premium, if any and interest (to the extent permitted by law), on the Securities, the Subsidiary Guarantees and performance and payment of all other obligations of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors to the Holders or the Trustee and/or the Collateral Agent under the Note Documents, according to the terms hereunder or thereunder (collectively, the “Notes Obligations”), are secured as provided in the Security Documents. The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors consent and agree to be bound by the terms of the Security Documents to which they are parties, as the same may be in effect from time to time, and agree to perform their obligations thereunder in accordance therewith. The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby agree that the Collateral Agent shall hold the Collateral on behalf of and for the benefit of all of the Holders pursuant to the terms hereof and the Security Documents, and subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement.

(b) Each Holder of Securities, by its acceptance thereof and of the Guarantees and Guaranty Agreements, consents and agrees to the terms of the Security Documents (including, without limitation, the provisions providing for possession, use, foreclosure and release of Collateral and amendments to the Security Documents) as the same may be in effect or may be amended from time to time in accordance with their terms, and authorizes and appoints Wilmington Trust, National Association as the Collateral Agent. Each Holder of Securities, by accepting the Securities and the Subsidiary Guarantees of the Subsidiary Guarantors, hereby authorizes and directs the Collateral Agent to enter into the Security Documents and to perform its obligations and exercise its rights thereunder in accordance therewith, subject to the terms and conditions thereof. The Collateral Agent hereby accepts such designation and appointment as the Collateral Agent under the Indenture and agrees to act as the Collateral Agent on the conditions contained in this Indenture. Each Holder agrees that any action taken by the Collateral Agent in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, the Security Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement, and the exercise by the Collateral Agent of any rights or remedies as are expressly set forth herein and therein, shall be binding upon the Holders.

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SECTION 12.02 [Reserved].

SECTION 12.03 Further Assurances; Liens on Additional Property. (a) The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall do or cause to be done all acts and things that may be required, or that the Collateral Agent from time to time may reasonably request, to assure and confirm that the Collateral Agent holds, for the benefit of the Holders of Securities, duly created and enforceable and perfected Liens upon the Collateral (including any property or assets constituting Collateral (subject to the Intercreditor Agreement and Permitted Collateral Liens) that are acquired or otherwise become, Collateral after the Issue Date), in each case, as contemplated by, and, with the Lien priority required under, the Security Documents, and in connection with any merger, consolidation or sale of assets of the Company, the property and assets of the Person which is consolidated or merged with or into the Company, to the extent that they are property or assets of the types which would constitute Collateral under the Security Documents, shall be treated as after-acquired property and the Company shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to cause such property and assets to be made subject to the Liens securing the Notes Obligations, in the manner and to the extent required under the Security Documents.

(b) Upon the reasonable request of the Collateral Agent (it being understood that the Collateral Agent shall have no duty to make such request) at any time and from time to time, each of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall promptly execute, acknowledge and deliver such Security Documents, instruments, certificates, notices and other documents, and take such other actions as shall be reasonably required, or that the Collateral Agent may reasonably request, to create, perfect, protect, assure or enforce the Liens and benefits intended to be conferred, in each case as contemplated by the Notes Documents for the benefit of the Holders of Securities; provided, that no such Security Document, instrument or other document shall be materially more burdensome upon the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors than the Notes Documents executed and delivered (or required to be executed and delivered promptly after the Issue Date) by the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors in connection with the issuance of the Securities on or about the Issue Date.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture or the Security Documents, and subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall not be required to take any action to perfect a security interest in any Collateral other than (i) to file financing or continuation statements under the Uniform Commercial Code (or similar laws) in effect in any jurisdiction with respect to the security interests created under the Security Documents, and (ii) transferring Collateral to the Collateral Agent’s (or the Priority Lien Agent’s, as set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement) possession (if the security interest in such Collateral can only be perfected by possession).

(d) In addition, from and after the Issue Date, if the Company acquires equity interests in any Subsidiary that is required to become a Guarantor pursuant to Section 4.11, the Company shall promptly (but not in any event later than the date that is 20 Business Days after the acquisition of such equity interests), to the extent permitted by applicable law, execute and deliver to the Collateral Agent appropriate security documents (or amendments thereto) in such form as shall be necessary to grant the Collateral Agent a valid and enforceable perfected second-priority Lien (subject to the Intercreditor Agreement and to Permitted Collateral Liens) on the capital stock of such Subsidiary or take such other actions in favor of the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the

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Securityholders, as shall be reasonably necessary to grant the Collateral Agent a valid and enforceable perfected second-priority Lien on such Collateral to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Holders, subject to the terms of this Indenture, the Intercreditor Agreement and the other Note Documents.

SECTION 12.04 Intercreditor Agreement. This Article 12 and the provisions of each Security Document are subject to the terms, conditions and benefits set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement. The Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor consents to, and agrees to be bound by, the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, as the same may be in effect from time to time, and to perform its obligations thereunder in accordance with the terms thereof. Each Holder of Securities, by its acceptance of the Securities (a) consents to the subordination of Liens provided for in the Intercreditor Agreement, (b) agrees that it will be bound by, and will take no actions contrary to, the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement and (c) authorizes and instructs the Collateral Agent on behalf of each Holder to enter into the Intercreditor Agreement as a Second Priority Agent (as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement) on behalf of such Holders and binding such Holders to the terms thereof as Second Priority Secured Parties (as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement). In addition, each Holder authorizes and instructs the Collateral Agent to enter into any amendments or joinders to the Intercreditor Agreement, without the consent of any Holder, to add additional Indebtedness as Priority Lien Debt or other Indebtedness that is secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is permitted under this Indenture to be pari passu with or junior to the Liens securing the Notes Obligations and add other parties (or any authorized agent or trustee therefor) holding such Indebtedness thereto and to establish that the Lien on any Collateral securing such Indebtedness ranks equally with the Liens on such Collateral securing the other Priority Lien Debt then outstanding, in each case, where the Incurrence of such secured Indebtedness is permitted by this Indenture. The foregoing provisions are intended as an inducement to the lenders under the Priority Lien Credit Agreement to extend credit to the Company and certain of the Subsidiaries, and such lenders are intended third party beneficiaries of such provisions and the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement.

SECTION 12.05 Release of Liens in Respect of Securities. The Collateral Agent’s Liens upon the Collateral will no longer secure the Securities outstanding under this Indenture or any other Notes Obligations, and the right of the Holders to the benefits and proceeds of the Collateral Agent’s Liens on the Collateral will terminate and be discharged:

(a) upon satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture in accordance with Section 8.01(a) hereof;

(b) upon legal defeasance or covenant defeasance in accordance with Section 8.01(b) hereof;

(c) upon payment in full in cash and discharge of all Securities outstanding under this Indenture and all other Notes Obligations that are outstanding, due and payable under this Indenture and the other Note Documents at the time the Securities are paid in full in cash and discharged;

(d) as to any Collateral that is sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of by the Company to a Person that is not (either before or after such sale, transfer or disposition) the

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Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction or other circumstance that complies with Section 4.06 (other than the obligation to apply Net Available Cash as provided in such section) and is permitted by all of the other Note Documents, at the time of such sale, transfer or other disposition or to the extent of the interest sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of; provided that the Collateral Agent’s Liens upon the Collateral will not be released if the sale or disposition is subject to Section 5.01;

(e) in whole or in part, with the consent of the Holders of the requisite percentage of aggregate principal amount of Securities in accordance with Section 9.02 hereof; or

(f) if and to the extent required by Section 5.1 of the Intercreditor Agreement.

With respect to any release of Collateral, upon receipt of an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent under this Indenture and the Security Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement to such release have been satisfied and any necessary or proper instruments of termination, satisfaction or release with respect to such Collateral prepared by the Company, the Collateral Agent shall execute, deliver or acknowledge (at the Company’s expense) such instruments to evidence the release or discharge of any Collateral permitted to be released pursuant to this Indenture, the Security Documents or the Intercreditor Agreement. The Collateral Agent shall not be liable for any such release undertaken in reliance upon any such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

The release of any Collateral from the terms of the Security Documents shall not be deemed to impair the security under this Indenture in contravention of the provisions hereof if and to the extent the Collateral is released pursuant to this Indenture and the Security Documents. To the extent permitted under the TIA and/or any interpretation or guidance as to the meaning thereof of the SEC and its staff, including “no action” letters or exemptive orders, the fair value of Collateral released from the Liens and security interest created by this Indenture and the Security Documents pursuant to the terms of the Security Documents shall not be considered in determining whether the aggregate fair value of the Collateral released from the Liens and security interest created by this Indenture and the Security Documents in any calendar year exceeds the 10% threshold specified in TIA § 314(d)(1). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph, the Company will not be required to comply with all or any portion of TIA §314(d) if under the terms of TIA §314(d) and/or any interpretation or guidance as to the meaning thereof of the SEC and its staff, including “no action” letters or exemptive orders, all or any portion of TIA §314(d) is inapplicable to one or a series of released Collateral.

SECTION 12.06 Collateral Agent. (a) The Collateral Agent will hold (directly or through co-trustees or agents) and, subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, will be entitled to enforce all Liens on the Collateral created by the Security Documents.

(b) The Collateral Agent will not be obligated:

(1) to act upon directions purported to be delivered to it by any Person;

(2) to foreclose upon or otherwise enforce any Lien; or

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(3) to take any other action whatsoever with regard to any or all of the Security Documents, the Liens created thereby or the Collateral.

(c) By accepting a Security, each Holder is deemed to authorize the Collateral Agent to release or subordinate any Collateral that is permitted to be sold, reclassified or released or be subject to a Priority Lien pursuant to the terms of this Indenture and the Security Documents. By accepting a Security, each Holder is deemed to authorize the Collateral Agent to execute and deliver to the Company, at the Company’s sole cost and expense, any and all releases of Liens, termination statements, assignments or other documents reasonably requested by the Company in connection with any sale, reclassification or other disposition of Collateral to the extent such sale, reclassification or other disposition, and such release of Liens, is permitted by the terms of this Indenture and the Security Documents.

(d) Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys or agents shall be responsible for (i) perfecting, maintaining, monitoring, preserving or protecting the security interest or Lien granted under the Security Documents or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) the filing, re-filing, recording, re-recording or continuing of any document, financing statement, assignment, notice, instrument of further assurance or other instrument in any public office at any time or times or (iii) providing, maintaining, monitoring or preserving insurance on or the payment of taxes with respect to the Collateral. The actions described in clauses (i) through (iii) shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors. The Collateral Agent hereby disclaims any representation or warranty to each current and future Holder of the Securities and Note Obligations concerning the perfection of the security interests granted to it or in the value of any Collateral.

(e) Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys or agents will be responsible or liable for the existence, genuineness, value or protection of any Collateral, for the legality, enforceability, effectiveness, or sufficiency of the Collateral Documents, for the creation, perfection, priority, sufficiency or protection of any Lien, including without limitation not being responsible for payment of any Taxes, charges or assessments upon the Collateral or otherwise as to the maintenance of the Collateral, or for any defect or deficiency as to any such matters, or for any failure to demand, collect, foreclose or realize upon or otherwise enforce any of the Liens or Collateral Documents or any delay in doing so. Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys or agents will be responsible or liable for making any filings or recordings to perfect or maintain the perfection of the Collateral Agent’s Lien in the Collateral, including without limitation, the filing of any UCC financing statements, continuation statements or any other filings.

(f) The Company shall furnish to the Trustee, at such time as required by the TIA, such Opinions of Counsel and certificates or opinions of engineers, appraisers or other experts as may be required by Section 314(b) or 314(d) of the TIA and shall take such other action as may be necessary to cause TIA Section 314(d) relating to the release of Collateral from the security interests created by this Indenture and the Security Documents to be complied with. Any certificate or opinion required by TIA Section 314(d) may be made by an Officer of the Company, except in cases where TIA Section 314(d) requires that such certificate or opinion be made by an

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independent Person, which Person shall be an independent engineer, appraiser or other expert selected or approved by the Trustee in the exercise of reasonable care. A Person is “independent” if such Person (a) is in fact independent, (b) does not have any direct financial interest or any material indirect financial interest in the Company or in any Affiliate of the Company and (c) is not an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner or director or person performing similar functions to any of the foregoing for the Company. The Trustee and the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to receive and rely upon a certificate provided by any such Person confirming that such Person is independent within the foregoing definition.

(g) In acting under this Indenture and, whether or not expressly stated therein, under each other Notes Document, the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to all of the rights, privileges, immunities and indemnities granted to the Trustee in Article 7 hereof, including without limitation, the right to compensation and indemnity set forth in Section 7.07, as if the references to Trustee in such applicable provisions of Article 7 were references to Collateral Agent.

(h) The Collateral Agent will not be responsible or liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it hereunder or under any other Security Document, except for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a non-appealable final order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. No implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities, whether arising under statute, common law or otherwise shall be read into this Indenture, Security Documents or the Intercreditor Agreement, or otherwise exist against the Collateral Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the use of the term “agent” in this Indenture with reference to the Collateral Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law. Instead, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting parties. The Collateral Agent will not be required to take any action that is contrary to applicable law or any provision of this Indenture, the Security Documents or the Intercreditor Agreement and will not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers. Prior to taking any action, the Collateral Agent will be entitled to seek direction from the Trustee or the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities outstanding.

(i) No provision of this Indenture, the Security Documents or the Intercreditor Agreement will require the Collateral Agent to advance or expend any of its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers or rights hereunder or thereunder (or any omission to perform or take any action at the request or direction of the Holders) unless it has been provided with security or indemnity satisfactory to the Collateral Agent against any and all loss, liability or expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take or omitting to take such action relating thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Indenture, the Security Documents or the Intercreditor Agreement, in the event the Collateral Agent is entitled or required to commence an action to foreclose or otherwise exercise its remedies to acquire control or possession of the Collateral, the Collateral Agent shall not be required to commence any such action or exercise any remedy or to inspect or conduct any studies of any property under the mortgages or take any such other action if the Collateral Agent has determined that the Collateral Agent may incur personal liability as a result of the presence at, or release on or from, the Collateral or such property, of any hazardous substances unless the Collateral Agent has received security or indemnity from the Holders in an

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amount and in a form all satisfactory to the Collateral Agent in its sole discretion, protecting the Collateral Agent from all such liability. The Collateral Agent shall at any time be entitled to cease taking any action described in this paragraph (i) if it no longer reasonably deems any indemnity, security or undertaking from the Company or the Holders to be sufficient.

(j) Beyond the exercise of reasonable care in the custody of Collateral in its possession or control, the Collateral Agent will have no duty as to any Collateral in its possession or control or in the possession or control of any agent or bailee or any income thereon or as to preservation of rights against prior parties or any other rights pertaining thereto.

(k) The Collateral Agent may resign or be removed and a successor collateral agent be appointed, all in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.08 and 7.09 hereof, as if references to Trustee therein were references to Collateral Agent.

SECTION 12.07 Limitations on Pledged Equity Interests. To the extent that Rule 3-16 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act requires or is amended, modified or interpreted by the SEC to require (or is replaced with another rule or regulation, or any other law, rule or regulation is adopted, that would require) the filing with the SEC (or any other governmental agency) of separate financial statements of any Restricted Subsidiary due to the fact that such Restricted Subsidiary’s equity interests secure the Securities, then the equity interests of such Restricted Subsidiary shall automatically be deemed not to be part of the Collateral. In such event, the Note Documents may be amended or modified, without the consent of any Holder and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article 9, to the extent necessary to release the Liens for the benefit of the Securities on the equity interests that are so deemed to no longer constitute part of the Collateral, all at the written request and certification by the Company, upon which the Trustee may conclusively rely. In the event that Rule 3-16 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act is amended, modified or interpreted by the SEC to permit (or is replaced with another rule or regulation, or any other law, rule or regulation is adopted, which would permit) such Restricted Subsidiary’s equity interests to secure the Securities and the Guarantees in excess of the amount then pledged without the filing with the SEC (or any other governmental agency) of separate financial statements of such Restricted Subsidiary, then the equity interests of such Restricted Subsidiary shall automatically be deemed to be a part of the Collateral (but only to the extent such Restricted Subsidiary would not be subject to any such financial statement requirement). In such event, the Note Documents may be amended or modified, without the consent of any Holder, to the extent necessary to subject such equity interests to the Liens under the Note Documents.

[Signature Page Follows]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

[Signature Page to Indenture]

APPENDIX

PROVISIONS RELATING TO SECURITIES

Capitalized terms used in this Appendix and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings provided in the Indenture. For the purposes of this Appendix and the Indenture as a whole, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated below:

“Definitive Security” means a certificated Security that does not include the Global Securities Legend.

“Depository” means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors.

“Global Securities” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 hereof.

“Global Securities Legend” means the legend set forth under that caption in Exhibit A to the Indenture.

“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of the Issue Date, among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the other parties named therein, as such agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“Securities Custodian” means the custodian with respect to a Global Security (as appointed by the Depository) or any successor Person thereto and shall initially be the Trustee.

The Securities shall be issued in the form of one or more global notes (a “Global Security” and are collectively referred to herein as “Global Securities”). The aggregate principal amount of the Global Securities may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depository or its nominee and on the schedules thereto as hereinafter provided.

The Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, pursuant to an order of the Company signed by two Officers, authenticate and deliver initially one or more Global Securities that (i) shall be registered in the name of the Depository for such Global Security or Global Securities or the

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APPENDIX

nominee of such Depository and (ii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depository or pursuant to such Depository’s instructions or held by the Trustee as Securities Custodian.

Members of, or participants in, the Depository (“Agent Members”) shall have no rights under the Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depository or by the Trustee as Securities Custodian or under such Global Security, and the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be entitled to treat the Depository as the absolute owner of such Global Security 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 Depository or impair, as between the Depository and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of such Depository governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Security.

Except as provided in Section 2.3 or 2.4, owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities shall not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Securities.

the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as requested if its reasonable requirements for such transaction are met; provided, however, that the Definitive Securities surrendered for transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or its attorney duly authorized in writing.

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APPENDIX

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APPENDIX

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APPENDIX

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APPENDIX

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EXHIBIT A

[FORM OF FACE OF SECURITY]

[Global Securities Legend]

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS 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.

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.

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10% Senior Secured PIK Notes Due 2024

PetroQuest Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of                  Dollars [as may be increased or decreased as set forth on the attached Schedule of Increases or Decreases in Global Security] on February 15, 2024.

Interest Payment Dates: February 15 and August 15.

Record Dates: February 1 and August 1.

Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the other side of this Security.

Dated:

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[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF SECURITY]

10% Senior Secured PIK Notes Due 2024

PetroQuest Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being herein called the “Company”) promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Security (including any PIK Notes and increases in principal amount as a result of the payment of PIK Interest) at the rate per annum shown above. The Company shall pay interest semiannually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing August 15, 2019. Interest on the Securities shall accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from February 8, 2019. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate borne by this Security plus 1.0% per annum, and it will pay interest on overdue installments of Cash Interest or PIK Interest at the same rate to the extent lawful.

Interest on the Securities will accrue at the annual rate set forth above and will be payable by increasing the principal amount of the outstanding Securities represented by one or more book entry Securities or Global Securities (the “PIK Interest”) or, with respect to Securities represented by individual certificates, if any, by issuing additional “PIK Notes” in certificated form, in each case by rounding up to the nearest $1.00. At the election of the Board of Directors, so long as the Company has provided notice to the Securityholders with a copy to the Trustee of such election at least 30 days prior to any applicable interest payment date, however, interest on the Securities for any interest period may instead be payable at the annual rate first set forth above (i) solely in cash (the “Cash Interest”) or (ii) partially as Cash Interest and partially as PIK Interest as set forth in such notice to the Securityholders and the Trustee, in each case. Interest payable at Stated Maturity, upon redemption or repurchase of the Securities shall be payable as Cash Interest.

Any PIK Notes issued in certificated form will be dated as of the applicable interest payment date and will bear interest from and after such date. Following an increase in the principal amount of the outstanding Securities as a result of a PIK Payment, the Securities will accrue interest on such increased principal amount from and after the related interest payment date of such PIK Payment. References herein and in the Indenture to the “principal amount” of the Securities include any increases in the principal amount of the outstanding Securities as a result of a PIK Payment.

The Company shall pay interest on the Securities (except defaulted interest) to the Persons who are registered holders of Securities at the close of business on the February 1 or August 1 (whether or not a Legal Holiday) next preceding the interest payment date even if Securities are cancelled after the record date and on or before the interest payment date. Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments. The Company will pay principal, interest in money of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday, payment shall be made on the next

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succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period. Payments of Cash Interest in respect of the Securities represented by a Global Security (including principal, premium and interest) will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Depository. The Company will make all payments in respect of a certificated Security (including principal, premium and Cash Interest) by mailing a check to the registered address of each Holder thereof; provided, however, that payments on a certificated Security will be made by wire transfer to a U.S. dollar account maintained by the payee with a bank in the United States if such Holder elects payment by wire transfer by giving written notice to the Trustee or the Paying Agent to such effect designating such account no later than 30 days immediately preceding the relevant due date for payment (or such other date as the Trustee may accept in its discretion).

At all times, PIK Interest on Securities will be payable, without the consent of the Holders: (i) with respect to book entry Securities or Securities represented by one or more Global Securities registered in the name of, or held by, DTC (or any successor depositary) or its nominee on the relevant record date, by increasing the principal amount of the outstanding book entry Securities or Global Securities, effective as of the applicable interest payment date, by an amount equal to the amount of PIK Interest for the applicable interest period (rounded up to the nearest $1.00) (“PIK Payment”) and the Trustee shall, at the request and direction of the Company set forth in an authentication order, authenticate or increase the principal amount of the book entry Security or Global Securities by the amount of the PIK Payment and (ii) with respect to Securities represented by individual certificates, if any, by issuing PIK Notes in certificated form, dated as of the applicable interest payment date, in an aggregate principal amount equal to the amount of PIK Interest for the applicable interest period (rounded up to the nearest $1.00), and the Trustee shall, at the request and direction of the Company set forth in an authentication order, authenticate and deliver such PIK Notes in certificated form for original issuance to the Holders on the relevant record date, as shown by the records of the register of holders.

Initially, Wilmington Trust, National Association, a national banking association (the “Trustee”), will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may appoint and change any Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar without notice. The Company or any of its domestically incorporated Wholly Owned Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.

The Company originally issued the Securities under the Indenture dated as of February 8, 2019 (the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors named therein and the Trustee and Collateral Agent. The terms of the Securities include those stated in the Indenture. Terms defined in the Indenture and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture. To the extent any provision of any Security conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The Securities are subject to all such terms, and Securityholders are referred to the Indenture. The Securities are entitled to the benefits of the Security Documents, subject to the terms of the Note Documents, including the Intercreditor Agreement.

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The Securities issued on the Issue Date, any increase in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities in connection with PIK Payments and PIK Notes will be treated as a single class for all purposes under the Indenture.

The Indenture contains covenants that limit the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to Incur additional indebtedness; pay dividends or distributions on, or redeem or repurchase capital stock; make investments; issue or sell capital stock of subsidiaries; engage in transactions with affiliates; create liens on assets; transfer or sell assets; guarantee indebtedness; restrict dividends or other payments of subsidiaries; consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of its assets and the assets of its subsidiaries; and engage in sale/leaseback transactions. These covenants are subject to important exceptions and qualifications.

Except as set forth below, the Company shall not be entitled to redeem the Securities at its option.

The Company shall be entitled at its option to redeem all or a portion of the Securities upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice, at the redemption prices set forth below (expressed in percentages of principal amount on the redemption date), plus accrued and unpaid Cash Interest together with an amount of cash equal to all accrued and unpaid PIK Interest on the Securities to be redeemed to but not including the redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), if redeemed during the periods set forth below:

Notice of redemption pursuant to paragraph 5(a) will be sent at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address. If money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on all Securities (or portions thereof) to be redeemed on the redemption date is deposited with the Paying Agent on or before the redemption date and certain other conditions are satisfied, on and after such date interest ceases to accrue on such Securities (or such portions thereof) called for redemption.

Upon a Change of Control, any Holder of Securities will have the right to cause the Company to repurchase all or any part of the Securities of such Holder at a repurchase price payable in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Securities to be repurchased (including any PIK Notes or any increase in the principal amount of Securities in connection with

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PIK Payments) plus accrued interest to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the related interest payment date) as provided in, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture.

The payment by the Company of the principal of, and premium and interest on, the Securities is fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a joint and several senior basis by each of the Subsidiary Guarantors to the extent set forth in the Indenture.

The Securities are in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $1.00 principal amount and integral multiples of $1.00. A Holder may transfer or exchange Securities in accordance with the Indenture. The Registrar may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Registrar need not register the transfer of or exchange any Securities selected for redemption (except, in the case of a Security to be redeemed in part, the portion of the Security not to be redeemed) or any Securities for a period of 15 days before a selection of Securities to be redeemed or 15 days before an interest payment date.

Each Securityholder, by accepting a Security, shall be deemed to have agreed to and accepted the terms and conditions of the Security Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement and the performance by the Trustee and the Collateral Agent of their respective obligations and the exercise of their respective rights thereunder and in connection therewith.

The registered Holder of this Security may be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.

If money for the payment of principal or interest (including accrued and unpaid PIK Interest), if any, remains unclaimed for two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company at its request unless an abandoned property law designates another Person. After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look only to the Company and not to the Trustee for payment.

Subject to certain conditions, the Company at any time shall be entitled to terminate some or all of its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture and to the release of liens on the Collateral if the Company deposits with the Trustee cash in U.S. dollars, U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof for the payment of principal and interest on the Securities (including accrued and unpaid PIK Interest) to redemption or maturity, as the case may be.

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The provisions governing amendment, supplementation and waiver of any provision of the Indenture are included in the Indenture. Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, if applicable, may amend the Indenture, the Securities or the other Note Documents with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange for the Securities) and any past default or compliance with any provisions may also be waived with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding.

Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, if applicable, may amend any of the Indenture, the Securities or the other Note Documents without notice to or consent of any Securityholder to, among other things, (a) cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency, (b) to add or release Guarantees with respect to the Securities, including any Subsidiary Guarantees, in each case in compliance with the Note Documents, (c) comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with qualifying the Indenture under the TIA, (d) make, complete or confirm any grant of Collateral permitted or required by any of the Note Documents, (e) to release or subordinate Liens on Collateral in accordance with the Note Documents, and (f) to provide for the issuance of PIK Notes or the increase in the principal amount of the Securities to pay PIK Interest in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

In addition, the Intercreditor Agreement may be amended in accordance with their terms and without the consent of any Securityholder or the Trustee with the consent of the parties thereto or otherwise in accordance with their terms to, among other things, add additional Indebtedness as Priority Lien Debt and add other parties (or any authorized agent thereof or trustee therefor) holding such Indebtedness thereto and to establish that the Liens on any Collateral securing such Indebtedness shall rank equally with the Liens on such Collateral securing the other Priority Lien Debt then outstanding, in each case to the extent permitted by the Security Documents. The Intercreditor Agreement also provides that in certain circumstances the Security Documents may be amended automatically without the consent of the Securityholders or the Trustee in connection with any amendments to corresponding security documents creating Priority Liens.

Section 316(a) of the Trust Indenture Act is expressly excluded from the Indenture and the other Notes Documents for all purposes. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver, consent, approval or other action of Holders, Securities owned by the Company, any Guarantor or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any Guarantor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that Securities owned by Specified Holders (as defined in the Indenture) shall not be so disregarded.

The Events of Default relating to the Securities are set forth in the Indenture. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities may declare all the Securities to be due and payable immediately. Certain events

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of bankruptcy or insolvency are Events of Default which will result in the Securities being due and payable immediately upon the occurrence of such Events of Default.

Securityholders may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities except as provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may refuse to enforce the Indenture or the Securities unless it receives indemnity or security satisfactory to it. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Securityholders notice of any continuing Default (except a Default in payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding notice is in the interest of the Holders.

Subject to certain limitations imposed by the TIA, each of the Trustee and the Collateral Agent under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity (including its capacity as Collateral Agent under the Indenture), may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee or Collateral Agent, as the case may be.

A director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder, as such, of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities, the Subsidiary Guarantees, the Indenture or any other Note Document or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Securityholder waives and releases all such claims and liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent) manually signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Security.

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Securityholder or an assignee, such as TEN COM (=tenants in common), TEN ENT (=tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (=joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (=custodian), and U/G/M/A (=Uniform Gift to Minors Act).

The Company has caused CUSIP and ISIN numbers to be printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use such numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Securityholders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on

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the Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

The Company will furnish to any Securityholder upon written request and without charge to the Securityholder a copy of the Indenture which has in it the text of this Security in larger type. Requests may be made to:

PetroQuest Energy, Inc.

400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road

Suite 6000

Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

Attention: Corporate Secretary

Each Holder of this Security, by acceptance hereof, acknowledges and agrees to the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement, including the obligations of the Holders with respect to a registration and the indemnification of the Company to the extent provided therein.

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ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

I or we assign and transfer this Security to

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)

and irrevocably appoint agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security.

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

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[TO BE ATTACHED TO GLOBAL SECURITIES]

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL SECURITY

The following increases or decreases in this Global Security have been made:

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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.06 or 4.08 of the Indenture, check the box:  ☐

If you want to elect to have only part of this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.06 or 4.08 of the Indenture, state the amount in principal amount (integral multiples of $1.00): $

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

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EXHIBIT B

FORM OF GUARANTY AGREEMENT

[                ] SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of [●], 2019, among [Name of Future Subsidiary Guarantor(s)] (the “New Guarantor”), a subsidiary of PetroQuest Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation [or its permitted successor] (the “Company”), the existing Subsidiary Guarantors (as defined in the Indenture referred to herein), the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee under the Indenture referred to herein (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns, the “Trustee”) and the collateral agent under the Indenture referred to herein (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns, the “Collateral Agent”). The New Guarantor and the existing Subsidiary Guarantors are sometimes referred to collectively herein as the “Subsidiary Guarantors,” or individually as a “Subsidiary Guarantor.”

W I T N E S E T H

WHEREAS, the Company and the existing Subsidiary Guarantors have heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee and the Collateral Agent an indenture (the “Indenture”), dated as of February 8, 2019, relating to the 10% Senior Secured PIK Notes due 2024 (the “Securities”) of the Company;

WHEREAS, Section 4.11 of the Indenture in certain circumstances requires the Company to cause a newly acquired or created Restricted Subsidiary (i) to become a Subsidiary Guarantor by executing a supplemental indenture and (ii) to deliver an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee as provided in such Section; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent are authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture to amend or supplement the Indenture without the consent of any Holder;

NOW THEREFORE, to comply with the provisions of the Indenture and in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the New Guarantor, the other Subsidiary Guarantors, the Company and the Trustee and the Collateral Agent mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities 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 New Guarantor hereby agrees, jointly and severally, with all other Subsidiary Guarantors, to unconditionally Guarantee to each Holder and to the Trustee and the Collateral Agent the Notes Obligations, to the extent set forth in the Indenture and subject to the provisions in the Indenture. The obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors to the Holders of Securities and to the Trustee and the Collateral Agent pursuant to the Subsidiary

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Guarantees and the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article X of the Indenture and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for the precise terms of the Subsidiary Guarantees.

3. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY. The New Guarantor agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any failure to endorse on each Security a notation of such Subsidiary Guarantee.

4. NEW YORK LAW TO GOVERN. THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE AND ENFORCE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE.

5. 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. This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in multiple counterparts which, when taken together, shall constitute one instrument. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile, PDF or other electronic transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Supplemental Indenture for all purposes.

6. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

7. THE TRUSTEE AND THE COLLATERAL AGENT. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, no duties, responsibilities or liabilities are assumed, or shall be construed to be assumed, by the Trustee or Collateral Agent by reason of this Supplemental Indenture. This Supplemental Indenture is executed and accepted by the Trustee and the Collateral Agent subject to all the terms and conditions set forth in the Indenture with the same force and effect as if those terms and conditions were repeated at length herein and made applicable to the Trustee and the Collateral Agent with respect hereto. Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent make any representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or with respect to the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the other parties hereto.

8. RATIFICATION OF INDENTURE; SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES PART OF INDENTURE. Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every Holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Guaranty Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date first above written.

Dated: _________________, 20___.

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