SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT AMONG PETROQUEST ENERGY, L.L.C., As Borrower PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC., As a Guarantor JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC., AS LEAD ARRANGER AND SOLE BOOK RUNNER CALYON NEW YORK BRANCH, AS SYNDICATION AGENT AND CERTAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, As Lenders $100,000,000 Credit Facility November 18, 2005

EX-10.1 2 h30722exv10w1.htm SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT exv10w1
 

Exhibit 10.1
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
AMONG
PETROQUEST ENERGY, L.L.C.,
As Borrower
PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC.,
As a Guarantor
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
AS AGENT
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC.,
AS LEAD ARRANGER AND SOLE BOOK RUNNER
CALYON NEW YORK BRANCH,
AS SYNDICATION AGENT
AND
CERTAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,
As Lenders
 
$100,000,000 Credit Facility
November 18, 2005

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
                 
            Page
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS     7  
 
               
ARTICLE II THE CREDITS     26  
 
  2.1.   Commitment     26  
 
  2.2.   Borrowing Base     26  
 
  2.3.   Termination     28  
 
  2.4.   Ratable Loans     28  
 
  2.5.   Types of Advances     28  
 
  2.6.   Commitment Fee; Reductions in Borrowing Base     28  
 
  2.7.   Minimum Amount of Each Advance     28  
 
  2.8.   Optional Principal Payments     28  
 
  2.9.   Method of Selecting Types and Interest Periods for New Advances     29  
 
  2.10.   Conversion and Continuation of Outstanding Advances     29  
 
  2.11.   Changes in Interest Rate, etc     30  
 
  2.12.   Rates Applicable After Default     30  
 
  2.13.   Method of Payment     30  
 
  2.14.   Noteless Agreement; Evidence of Indebtedness     31  
 
  2.15.   Telephonic Notices     31  
 
  2.16.   Interest Payment Dates; Interest and Fee Basis     32  
 
  2.17.   Notification of Advances, Interest Rates, Facility LCs, Prepayments and Commitment Reductions     32  
 
  2.18.   Lending Installations     32  
 
  2.19.   Non-Receipt of Funds by the Agent     33  
 
  2.20.   Replacement of Lender     33  
 
  2.21.   Facility LCs     33  
 
  2.22.   Collateral     37  
 
               
ARTICLE III YIELD PROTECTION; TAXES     39  
 
  3.1.   Yield Protection     39  
 
  3.2.   Changes in Capital Adequacy Regulations     40  
 
  3.3.   Availability of Types of Advances     40  
 
  3.4.   Funding Indemnification     40  
 
  3.5.   Taxes     41  
 
  3.6.   Lender Statements; Survival of Indemnity     42  
 
               
ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS PRECEDENT     44  
 
  4.1.   Initial Credit Extension     44  
 
  4.2.   Each Credit Extension     47  

 


 

                 
            Page
ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES     49  
 
  5.1.   Existence and Standing     49  
 
  5.2.   Authorization and Validity     49  
 
  5.3.   No Conflict; Government Consent     49  
 
  5.4.   Financial Statements     50  
 
  5.5.   Material Adverse Effect     50  
 
  5.6.   Taxes     50  
 
  5.7.   Litigation and Contingent Obligations     50  
 
  5.8.   Subsidiaries     51  
 
  5.9.   ERISA     51  
 
  5.10.   Accuracy of Information     51  
 
  5.11.   Regulation U     51  
 
  5.12.   Material Agreements     51  
 
  5.13.   Compliance With Laws     51  
 
  5.14.   Ownership/Title to the Properties; Licenses; Liens     52  
 
  5.15.   Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions     53  
 
  5.16.   Environmental Matters     53  
 
  5.17.   Investment Company Act     55  
 
  5.18.   Public Utility Holding Company Act     55  
 
  5.19.   Insurance     55  
 
  5.20.   Solvency     55  
 
  5.21.   Burdensome Provisions     56  
 
  5.22.   Relationship with the Lenders     56  
 
  5.23.   Jurisdiction of Organization     56  
 
  5.24.   Full Disclosure     56  
 
  5.25.   Gas Imbalances     56  
 
  5.27.   No Default     57  
 
               
ARTICLE VI COVENANTS     58  
 
  6.1.   Financial Reporting     58  
 
  6.2.   Use of Proceeds     60  
 
  6.3.   Notice of Default     60  
 
  6.4.   Conduct of Business     60  
 
  6.5.   Taxes     61  
 
  6.6.   Insurance     61  
 
  6.7.   Compliance with Laws     61  
 
  6.8.   Maintenance of Properties     61  
 
  6.9.   Inspection     62  
 
  6.10.   Dividends; Repurchase of Capital Stock; etc     62  
 
  6.11.   Indebtedness     62  
 
  6.12.   Acquisitions and Merger     63  
 
  6.13.   Sale of Assets     64  
 
  6.14.   Investments and Acquisitions     64  
 
  6.15.   Liens     65  

 


 

                 
            Page
 
  6.17.   Operating Leases     67  
 
  6.18.   Trade Liabilities     67  
 
  6.19.   Affiliates     67  
 
  6.20.   Agreement to Deliver Collateral Documents     67  
 
  6.21.   Maintenance of Liens     68  
 
  6.22.   Title Information     68  
 
  6.23.   Deposit of Production Proceeds     68  
 
  6.25.   Rate Management Transactions     69  
 
  6.27.   Sale of Accounts     70  
 
  6.28.   Sale and Leaseback Transactions and Other Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities     70  
 
  6.29.   Contingent Obligations     70  
 
  6.30.   Financial Contracts     70  
 
  6.31.   Financial Covenants     70  
 
               
ARTICLE VII DEFAULTS     72  
 
               
ARTICLE VIII ACCELERATIONS, WAIVERS, AMENDMENTS AND REMEDIES     76  
 
  8.1.   Acceleration     76  
 
  8.2.   Amendments     77  
 
  8.3.   Preservation of Rights     78  
 
               
ARTICLE IX GENERAL PROVISIONS     79  
 
  9.1.   Survival of Representations     79  
 
  9.2.   Governmental Regulation     79  
 
  9.3.   Headings     79  
 
  9.4.   ENTIRE AGREEMENT     79  
 
  9.5.   Several Obligations; Benefits of this Agreement     79  
 
  9.6.   Expenses; Indemnification     79  
 
  9.7.   Numbers of Documents     80  
 
  9.8.   Accounting     80  
 
  9.9.   Severability of Provisions     80  
 
  9.10.   Nonliability of Lenders     80  
 
  9.11.   Confidentiality     81  
 
  9.12.   Nonreliance     81  
 
  9.13.   Disclosure     81  
 
  9.14   Interest     82  
 
  9.15   NO ORAL AGREEMENTS     82  
 
  9.16   Survival of Representations     82  
 
  9.17   Amendment and Restatement     82  
 
               
ARTICLE X THE AGENT     84  
 
  10.1.   Appointment; Nature of Relationship     84  
 
  10.2.   Powers     84  
 
  10.3.   General Immunity     84  

 


 

                 
            Page
 
  10.4.   No Responsibility for Loans, Recitals, etc     84  
 
  10.5.   Action on Instructions of Lenders     85  
 
  10.6.   Employment of Agents and Counsel     85  
 
  10.7.   Reliance on Documents; Counsel     85  
 
  10.8.   Agent’s Reimbursement and Indemnification     85  
 
  10.9.   Notice of Default     86  
 
  10.10.   Rights as a Lender     86  
 
  10.11.   Lender Credit Decision     86  
 
  10.12.   Successor Agent     86  
 
  10.13.   Agent’s Fee     87  
 
  10.14.   Delegation to Affiliates     87  
 
  10.15.   Execution of Collateral Documents     88  
 
  10.16.   Collateral Releases     88  
 
               
ARTICLE XI SETOFF; RATABLE PAYMENTS     89  
 
  11.1.   Setoff     89  
 
  11.2.   Ratable Payments     89  
 
  11.3   Application of Collateral     89  
 
               
ARTICLE XII BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS; PARTICIPATIONS     91  
 
  12.1.   Successors and Assigns     91  
 
  12.2.   Participations     91  
 
  12.3.   Assignments     92  
 
  12.4.   Dissemination of Information     93  
 
  12.5.   Tax Treatment     93  
 
               
ARTICLE XIII NOTICES     94  
 
  13.1.   Notices     94  
 
  13.2.   Change of Address     94  
 
               
ARTICLE XIV COUNTERPARTS     94  
 
  14.1.   Counterparts     94  
 
  14.2.   Facsimile Documents and Signatures     94  
 
               
ARTICLE XV CHOICE OF LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL     95  
 
  15.1.   CHOICE OF LAW     95  
 
  15.2.   CONSENT TO JURISDICTION     95  
 
  15.3.   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL     95  

 


 

SCHEDULES AND EXHIBITS
SCHEDULES
         
Schedule 5.1
    Other Names
Schedule 5.7
    Litigation and Contingent Obligations
Schedule 5.8
    Subsidiaries
Schedule 5.14
    Ownership/Title to the Properties; Licenses; Liens
Schedule 5.16
    Environmental Matters
Schedule 5.23
    Jurisdiction of Organization
Schedule 5.25
    Gas Imbalances
Schedule 6.11
    Indebtedness
Schedule 6.14
    Investments and Acquisitions
Schedule 6.25
    Existing Rate Management Transaction
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT A — Promissory Note
EXHIBIT B — Borrowing Notice
EXHIBIT C — Assignment Agreement
     SCHEDULE 1 TO Assignment Agreement
EXHIBIT D — Form of Opinion of Porter & Hedges, L.L.P.
EXHIBIT E — Loan/Credit Related Money Transfer Instruction
EXHIBIT F — Compliance Certificate
     SCHEDULE 1 to Compliance Certificate
     SCHEDULE II to Compliance Certificate
EXHIBIT G — Form of Title Opinion

 


 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
     This Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of November 18, 2005, is among PETROQUEST ENERGY, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., a national banking association, individually and as agent (in its agent capacity herein “Agent”) and as issuer of Letters of Credit (in such capacity the “LC Issuer”); CALYON NEW YORK BRANCH, as Syndication Agent; and J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC., as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Book Runner; and the LENDERS. The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
     As used in this Agreement:
     “Advance” means a borrowing hereunder, (i) made by the Lenders on the same Borrowing Date, or (ii) converted or continued by the Lenders on the same date of conversion or continuation, consisting, in either case, of the aggregate amount of the several Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, for the same Interest Period.
     “Affiliate” of any Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person. A Person shall be deemed to control another Person if the controlling Person owns 10% or more of any class of voting securities (or other ownership interests) of the controlled Person or possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the controlled Person, whether through ownership of stock, by contract or otherwise.
     “Agent” means JPMorgan Chase in its capacity as contractual representative of the Lenders pursuant to Article X, and not in its individual capacity as a Lender, and any successor Agent appointed pursuant to Article X.
     “Aggregate Commitment” means the aggregate of the Commitments of all the Lenders, as reduced from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof.
     “Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate of the Outstanding Credit Exposure of all the Lenders.
     “Agreement” means this credit agreement, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.

 


 

     “Agreement Accounting Principles” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the financial statements referred to in Section 5.4.
     “Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate of interest per annum equal to the higher of (i) the Corporate Base Rate for such day and (ii) the sum of the Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day plus 1/2% per annum.
     “Applicable Environmental Laws” means any and all federal, state, local and foreign Laws, judicial decisions, rules, judgments, plans, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements and other governmental restrictions relating to (i) the protection of the environment (including, without limitation, CERCLA, CERCLIS and RCRA), (ii) the effect of the environment on human health, (iii) emissions, discharges or releases of pollutants, contaminants, Hazardous Substances or wastes into surface water, ground water or land, or (iv) the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, Disposal, transport or handling of pollutants, contaminants, Hazardous Substances or wastes or the clean-up or other remediation thereof, as such Laws now exist or are hereafter enacted and/or amended.
     “Applicable Fee Rate” means, at any time, the percentage rate per annum at which commitment fees are accruing on the unused portion of the Aggregate Commitment at such time as set forth in the Pricing Schedule.
     “Applicable Margin” means, with respect to Advances of any Type at any time, the percentage rate per annum which is applicable at such time with respect to Advances of such Type as set forth in the Pricing Schedule.
     “Arranger” means J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its successors, in its capacity as Lead Arranger and Sole Book Runner.
     “Article” means an article of this Agreement unless another document is specifically referenced.
     “Assignment Agreement” is defined in Section 12.3.1.
     “Authorized Officer” means any of the Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, or any Vice President of the Borrower or the Parent, acting singly.
     “Available Borrowing Base” means, at any time, the Borrowing Base then in effect (after reduction for each applicable Borrowing Base Reduction Amount) minus the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure.
     “Borrower” means PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company, and its successors and assigns.

 


 

     “Borrower Pledge Agreement” means that certain Pledge and Security Agreement of even date herewith executed by the Borrower in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.
     “Borrowing Base” shall mean the amount of indebtedness which can be adequately supported by the value of oil and gas reserves attributable to the Collateral, which value shall be determined by the Lenders, in the exercise of their sole discretion, in accordance with the Lenders’ customary practices and standards for oil and gas loans, all as more particularly set forth in Section 2.2.
     “Borrowing Base Reduction Amount” means (a) for each month after the date hereof until the next semi-annual Borrowing Base redetermination pursuant to Section 2.2.2, $-0-, and (b) for each month thereafter, such amount as designated by 100% of the Lenders from time to time in connection with each successive scheduled semi-annual Borrowing Base redetermination pursuant to Section 2.2.2 or successive unscheduled Borrowing Base redetermination pursuant to Section 2.2.3; provided however, if the Required Lenders fail to timely designate a new Borrowing Base Reduction Amount, then the Borrowing Base Reduction Amount most recently in effect will continue in effect until the Required Lenders designate a new Borrowing Base Reduction Amount.
     “Borrowing Date” means a date on which an Advance is made hereunder.
     “Borrowing Notice” is defined in Section 2.9.
     “Business Day” means (i) with respect to any borrowing, payment or rate selection of Eurodollar Advances, a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks generally are open in Houston, Chicago and New York for the conduct of substantially all of their commercial lending activities, interbank wire transfers can be made on the Fedwire system and dealings in United States dollars are carried on in the London interbank market and (ii) for all other purposes, a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks generally are open in Houston, Chicago and New York for the conduct of substantially all of their commercial lending activities and interbank wire transfers can be made on the Fedwire system.
     “Capitalized Lease” of a Person means at any date any lease of Property by such Person as lessee which would be capitalized on a balance sheet as of such date of such Person prepared in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles.
     “Capitalized Lease Obligations” of a Person means the amount of the obligations of such Person under Capitalized Leases which would be shown as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles.

 


 

     “Cash Equivalent Investments” means (i) obligations of, or fully guaranteed by, the United States of America or any agency thereof and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America, in each case which matures within twelve months from the date of acquisition, (ii) commercial paper rated A-1 or better by S&P or P-1 or better by Moody’s, (iii) demand deposit accounts maintained in the ordinary course of business, (iv) certificates of deposit issued by and time deposits with commercial banks (whether domestic or foreign) having capital and surplus in excess of $100,000,000, (v) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than 180 days for underlying securities of the types described in subsection (i) above entered into with a bank meeting the qualifications described in subsection (iv) above and (vi) money market funds, the assets of which consist primarily of obligations of the types referred to in clause (i) through (iv) above; provided in each case that the same provides for payment of both principal and interest (and not principal alone or interest alone) and is not subject to any contingency (other than the passage of time) regarding the payment of principal or interest.
     “CERCLA” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, as from time to time in effect and any successor thereto.
     “CERCLIS” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System List of the Environmental Protection Agency, as from time to time in effect and any successor thereto.
     “Change” is defined in Section 3.2.
     “Change in Control” means the acquisition by any Person, or two or more Persons acting in concert, of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of 40% or more of the outstanding shares of voting stock of the Parent.
     “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, reformed or otherwise modified from time to time.
     “Collateral” means any Property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, now or hereafter acquired, which is subject to a Lender Lien in favor of the Lenders (or in favor of the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders) or which, under the terms of any Collateral Document or otherwise, is purported to be subject to such a Lien, as described in Section 2.22.
     “Collateral Documents” means, collectively, the Deeds of Trust executed by Borrower, the Pledge Agreements, the Guaranties, any Security Agreements and all financing statements, notices, and other documents executed in connection therewith.
     “Collateral Shortfall Amount” is defined in Section 8.1.

 


 

     “Commitment” means, for each Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Advances to, and participate in Facility LCs issued upon the application of, the Borrower in an aggregate amount not exceeding the amount set forth opposite its signature below or as set forth in any Assignment Agreement relating to any assignment that has become effective pursuant to Section 12.3.2, as such amount may be modified from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof.
     “Consolidated Current Assets” shall mean the total of the consolidated current assets of the Parent and Borrower, including amounts available under the Available Borrowing Base; provided, however, in determining Consolidated Current Assets, such determination shall not include non-cash gains, losses or charges required (a) under SFAS 133, (b) under SFAS 143 or (c) under SFAS 123(R).
     “Consolidated Current Liabilities” shall mean the total of the consolidated current liabilities of the Parent, provided, however, in determining consolidated current liabilities, such determination shall not include non-cash gains, losses or charges required (a) under SFAS 133, (b) under SFAS 143 or (c) under SFAS 123(R).
     “Consolidated EBITDDA” means for any period Consolidated Net Income for such period plus, to the extent deducted from revenues in determining Consolidated Net Income, (i) consolidated interest expense, (ii) expense for taxes paid or accrued, (iii) depreciation, depletion, amortization, and any other non-cash charges, (iv) extraordinary or non-recurring expenses or losses incurred other than in the ordinary course of business and (v) unrealized loss from Rate Management Obligations, if any, minus, to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income, extraordinary or non-recurring income or gains realized other than in the ordinary course of business, and non-cash credits, all calculated for the Parent, Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
     “Consolidated Indebtedness” means, with reference to any period, the aggregate Indebtedness of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, after excluding Indebtedness attributable to unrealized Rate Management Transactions.
     “Consolidated Net Income” means, with reference to any period, the net income (or loss) of the Parent, Borrower and their Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis for such period; provided, however, in determining Consolidated Net Income, such determination shall not include (i) non-cash gains, losses or charges required (a) under SFAS 133 (b) under SFAS 143 or under SFAS 123(R); (ii) full cost ceiling limit write downs; and (iii) amortization of deferred compensation expense.
     “Contingent Obligation” of a Person means any agreement, undertaking or arrangement by which such Person assumes, guarantees, endorses, contingently agrees to purchase or provide funds for the payment of, or otherwise becomes or is contingently liable upon, the obligation or liability of any other Person, or agrees to maintain the net worth or working capital or other financial condition of any other Person, or otherwise assures any creditor of such other Person

 


 

against loss, (including, without limitation, any comfort letter, or obligations of the type listed above of any such Person as general partner of a partnership with respect to the liabilities of the partnership) other than endorsements of instruments in the ordinary course of business in connection with collection of the instruments.
     “Controlled Group” means all members of a controlled group of corporations or other business entities and all trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
     “Conversion/Continuation Notice” is defined in Section 2.10.
     “Corporate Base Rate” means a rate per annum equal to the corporate base rate or prime rate of interest announced by JPMorgan Chase, from time to time, changing when and as said corporate base rate or prime rate changes.
     “Credit Extension” means the making of an Advance or the issuance of a Facility LC hereunder.
     “Credit Extension Date” means the Borrowing Date for an Advance or the issuance date for a Facility LC.
     “CSP Pipeline” means CSP Pipeline LLC, a Louisiana limited liability company, a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of TDC Energy.
     “Deeds of Trust” means all of the Amended and Restated Deeds of Trust, Mortgages, Assignments, Security Agreements and Financing Statements executed by the Borrower or any Guarantor in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time, each a “Deed of Trust.”
     “Default” means an event described in Article VII.
     “Disposal” and “Disposed” shall have the meanings specified in RCRA; provided, in the event RCRA is amended so as to broaden the meaning of “Disposal” or “Disposed”, such broader meaning shall apply subsequent to the effective date of such amendment; and provided further, to the extent that the Laws of the states in which the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties are located establish a meaning for “Disposal” or “Disposed” which is broader than that specified in RCRA, such broader meaning shall apply.
     “Eligible Assignee” is defined in Section 12.3.1.

 


 

     “Enforcement Action” means any action or proceeding by the Agent for the enforcement of the Lender Liens created under any or all of the Collateral Documents and any other exercise of any right or remedy with respect to the Collateral.
     “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and any rule or regulation issued thereunder.
     “Eurodollar Advance” means an Advance which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the applicable Eurodollar Rate.
     “Eurodollar Base Rate” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance for the relevant Interest Period, the applicable British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in U.S. dollars appearing on Reuters Screen FRBD as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, and having a maturity equal to such Interest Period; provided that, (i) if Reuters Screen FRBD is not available to the Agent for any reason, the applicable Eurodollar Base Rate for the relevant Interest Period shall instead be the applicable British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in U.S. dollars as reported by any other generally recognized financial information service as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, and having a maturity equal to such Interest Period, and (ii) if no such British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rate is available to the Agent, the applicable Eurodollar Base Rate for the relevant Interest Period shall instead be the rate determined by the Agent to be the rate at which JPMorgan Chase or one of its Affiliate banks offers to place deposits in U.S. dollars with first-class banks in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, in the approximate amount of JPMorgan Chase’s relevant Eurodollar Loan and having a maturity equal to such Interest Period.
     “Eurodollar Loan” means a Loan which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the applicable Eurodollar Rate.
     “Eurodollar Rate” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance for the relevant Interest Period, the sum of (i) the quotient of (a) the Eurodollar Base Rate applicable to such Interest Period, divided by (b) one minus the Reserve Requirement (expressed as a decimal) applicable to such Interest Period, plus (ii) the Applicable Margin.
     “Excluded Subsidiary” means, individually and collectively, PetroQuest Oil & Gas, CSP Pipeline, Sea Harvester, Salvador Energy, TDC Energy Systems, Indianola Gathering and Wirth Gathering.
     “Excluded Taxes” means, in the case of each Lender or applicable Lending Installation and the Agent, taxes imposed on its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it, by any jurisdiction under the Laws, other than those imposed solely as a result of transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 


 

     “Exhibit” refers to an exhibit to this Agreement, unless another document is specifically referenced.
     “Existing Rate Management Transaction” means those certain ISDA Master Agreements or Trade Confirmations thereunder all as more particularly described on Schedule 6.25.
     “Facility LC” is defined in Section 2.21.1.
     “Facility LC Application” is defined in Section 2.21.3.
     “Facility LC Collateral Account” is defined in Section 2.21.11.
     “Facility Termination Date” means November 18, 2009 or any earlier date on which the Aggregate Commitment is reduced to zero or otherwise terminated pursuant to the terms hereof.
     “Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, an interest rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day which is a Business Day, the average of the quotations at approximately 10:00 a.m. (Houston time) on such day on such transactions received by the Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by the Agent in its sole discretion.
     “Fee Letter” means that certain letter dated August 10, 2005 between Arranger and the Borrower.
     “Financial Contract” of a Person means (i) any exchange-traded or over-the-counter futures, forward, swap or option contract or other financial instrument with similar characteristics, or (ii) any Rate Management Transaction.
     “Floating Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to (i) the Alternate Base Rate for such day plus (ii) the Applicable Margin, in each case changing when and as the Alternate Base Rate changes.
     “Floating Rate Advance” means an Advance which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the Floating Rate.
     “Floating Rate Loan” means a Loan which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the Floating Rate.

 


 

     “Guaranties” means those certain Guaranties dated of even date herewith, executed by each Guarantor in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time, each a “Guaranty.”
     “Guarantor” means individually and collectively (i) Parent; (ii) Pittrans; (iii) TDC Energy; (iv) any hereafter formed or acquired Subsidiary of the Parent, the Borrower, Pittrans or TDC Energy; and (v) their respective successors and assigns.
     “Hazardous Substance” shall have the meaning specified in CERCLA; provided, in the event CERCLA is amended so as to broaden the meaning of “Hazardous Substance”, such broader meaning shall apply subsequent to the effective date of such amendment; and provided further, to the extent that the Laws of the states in which the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties are located establish a meaning for “Hazardous Substance” which is broader than that specified in CERCLA, such broader meaning shall apply.
     “Highest Lawful Rate” means the maximum rate (or, if the context so permits, an amount calculated at such rate) of interest which, at the time in question, would not cause the interest charged to exceed the maximum amount which the Lenders would be allowed to contract for, charge, take, reserve or receive under applicable Law after taking into account, to the extent required by applicable Law, any and all relevant payments or charges under the Loan Documents.
     “Hydrocarbons” means oil, gas, casinghead gas, coalbed methane, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all products refined or separated therefrom and all other minerals.
     “Hydrocarbons 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 interest of whatever nature.
     “Indebtedness” of a Person means such Person’s (i) obligations for borrowed money, (ii) obligations representing the deferred purchase price of Property or services (other than accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business payable on terms customary in the trade), (iii) obligations, whether or not assumed, secured by Liens or payable out of the proceeds or production from Property now or hereafter owned or acquired by such Person; provided that if not assumed, the amount of such debt will be the lesser of the amount of the debt or the value of the Property owned by such Person which secures the debt, (iv) obligations which are evidenced by notes, acceptances, or other instruments, (v) obligations of such Person to purchase securities or other Property arising out of or in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar securities or Property, (vi) Capitalized Lease Obligations, (vii) Contingent Obligations, (viii) Letters of Credit, (ix) Rate Management Obligations, (x) obligations under Sale and Leaseback Transactions, and (xi) any other obligation for borrowed money which in

 


 

accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles would be shown as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person.
     “Independent Engineer” is defined in Section 6.1(ix).
     “Indianola Gathering” L.L.C. means Indianola Gathering L.L.C., an Oklahoma limited liability company, of which Pittrans owns a sixteen (16%) membership interest.
     “Initial Reserve Report” means the reserve report dated January 1, 2005, prepared by Ryder Scott Company, L.P., an independent petroleum engineer, concerning the Oil & Gas Properties based on reasonable assumptions specified by the Agent (including discount rates and projected hydrocarbon price assumptions), a copy of which has been delivered to each Lender.
     “Interest Period” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance, a period of one, two, three or six months commencing on a Business Day selected by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement. Such Interest Period shall end on the day which corresponds numerically to such date one, two, three or six months thereafter, provided, however, that if there is no such numerically corresponding day in such next, second, third or sixth succeeding month, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such next, second, third or sixth succeeding month. If an Interest Period would otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day, such Interest Period shall end on the next succeeding Business Day, provided, however, that if said next succeeding Business Day falls in a new calendar month, such Interest Period shall end on the immediately preceding Business Day.
     “Investment” of a Person means any loan, advance (other than commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business), extension of credit (other than accounts receivable arising in the ordinary course of business on terms customary in the trade) or contribution of capital by such Person; stocks, bonds, mutual funds, partnership interests, notes, debentures or other securities owned by such Person; any deposit accounts and certificate of deposit owned by such Person; and structured notes, derivative financial instruments and other similar instruments or contracts owned by such Person.
     “JPMorgan Chase” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a national banking association having offices in Houston, Texas, in its individual capacity, and its successors.
     “Law” means all applicable statutes, laws, ordinances, regulations, orders, writs, injunctions or decrees of any state, commonwealth, nation, country, territory, possession, county, parish, municipality or Tribunal.
     “LC Fee” is defined in Section 2.21.4.
     “LC Issuer” means JPMorgan Chase (or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of JPMorgan Chase designated by JPMorgan Chase) in its capacity as issuer of Facility LCs hereunder.

 


 

     “LC Obligations” means, at any time, the sum, without duplication, of (i) the aggregate undrawn stated amount under all Facility LCs outstanding at such time plus (ii) the aggregate unpaid amount at such time of all Reimbursement Obligations.
     “LC Payment Date” is defined in Section 2.21.5.
     “Lender Liens” means the Liens granted in the Collateral in favor of the Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lenders or directly for the benefit of any Lender pursuant to the Loan Documents.
     “Lender Rate Management Obligations” means Rate Management Obligations among the Borrower and any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender arising under Rate Management Transactions among such Persons.
     “Lenders” means the lending institutions listed on the signature pages of this Agreement and their respective successors and assigns.
     “Lending Installation” means, with respect to a Lender or the Agent, the office, branch, Subsidiary or Affiliate of such Lender or the Agent listed on the signature pages hereof or on a Schedule or otherwise selected by such Lender or the Agent pursuant to Section 2.18.
     “Letter of Credit” of a Person means a letter of credit or similar instrument which is issued upon the application of such Person or upon which such Person is an account party or for which such Person is in any way liable.
     “Lien” means any lien (statutory or other), security interest, mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance or preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, the interest of a vendor or lessor under any conditional sale, Capitalized Lease or other title retention agreement).
     “Loan” means, with respect to a Lender, such Lender’s loan made pursuant to Article II (or any conversion or continuation thereof).
     “Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Notes, the Facility LC Applications, and the Collateral Documents.
     “Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (i) the business, Property, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, or prospects of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) the ability of the Borrower to perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (iii) the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Agent or the Lenders thereunder, or (iv) the

 


 

Collateral or Lender Liens on the Collateral or the perfection or priority of such Lender Liens, which significantly increases the risk that any of the Obligations will not be repaid as and when due.
     “Material Indebtedness” is defined in Section 7.5.
     “Modify” and “Modification” are defined in Section 2.21.1.
     “Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
     “Multiemployer Plan” means a Plan maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or any other arrangement to which the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group is a party to which more than one employer is obligated to make contributions.
     “Non-Recourse Indebtedness” means Indebtedness as to which (a) neither the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries (i) provides credit support of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness) or (ii) is directly or indirectly liable as a guarantor or otherwise, (b) no default with respect thereto would permit, upon notice, lapse of time or both, any holder of any other Indebtedness (other than the Obligations) of the Parent, the Borrower or their Subsidiaries to declare a default on such other Indebtedness or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its stated maturity, and (c) the holders thereof have been notified in writing that they will not have any recourse to the capital stock or assets of the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries.
     “Non-U.S. Lender” is defined in Section 3.5.4.
     “Note” means, with respect to any Lender, the promissory note issued at the request of such Lender pursuant to Section 2.14 in the form of Exhibit A.
     “Obligations” means all unpaid principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans, the Lender Rate Management Obligations, all accrued and unpaid fees and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations of the Borrower to the Lenders or to any Lender, the Agent, the LC Issuer, or any indemnified party arising under the Loan Documents.
     “Off-Balance Sheet Liability” of a Person means (i) any repurchase obligation or liability of such Person with respect to accounts or notes receivable sold by such Person, (ii) any liability under any Sale and Leaseback Transaction which is not a Capitalized Lease, (iii) any liability under any so-called “synthetic lease” transaction entered into by such Person, or (iv) any obligation arising with respect to any other transaction which is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the balance sheets of such Person, but excluding from this clause (iv) Operating Leases.

 


 

     “Oil and Gas Properties” means Hydrocarbon Interests; the properties now or hereafter pooled or unitized with Hydrocarbon Interests; 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 body or agency having jurisdiction) which may affect all or any portion of the Hydrocarbon Interests; all operating agreements, contracts and other 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; all Hydrocarbons in and under and which may be produced and saved or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests, the lands covered thereby and all oil in tanks and all rents, issues, profits, proceeds, products, revenues and other incomes from or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests; all tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and properties in anywise appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental to the Hydrocarbon Interests, 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 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, buildings, structures, fuel separators, liquid extraction plants, plant compressors, pumps, pumping units, field gathering systems, tanks and tank batteries, fixtures, valves, fittings, machinery and parts, engines, boilers, meters, apparatus, equipment, appliances, tools, implements, cables, wires, towers, casing, tubing and rods, surface leases, rights-of-way, easements and servitudes together with all additions, substitutions, replacements, accessions and attachments to any and all of the foregoing.
     “Operating Lease” of a Person means any lease of Property (other than a Capitalized Lease) by such Person as lessee which has an original term (including any required renewals and any renewals effective at the option of the lessor) of one year or more.
     “Operating Lease Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the amount obtained by aggregating the present values, determined in the case of each particular Operating Lease by applying a discount rate (which discount rate shall equal the discount rate which would be applied under Agreement Accounting Principles if such Operating Lease were a Capitalized Lease) from the date on which each fixed lease payment is due under such Operating Lease to such date of determination, of all fixed lease payments due under all Operating Leases of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries.
     “Other Taxes” is defined in Section 3.5.2.
     “Outstanding Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount of its Loans outstanding at such time, plus (ii) an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of the LC Obligations at such time.

 


 

     “Parent” means PetroQuest Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
     “Parent Pledge Agreement” means that certain Pledge and Security Agreement of even date herewith executed by the Parent in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.
     “Participant” is defined in Section 12.2.1.
     “Payment Date” means the first day of each January, April, July and October, commencing January 1, 2006.
     “PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any successor thereto.
     “PDP Present Value” means the present value discounted at nine percent (9%) of future net revenues attributable to all PDP Reserves from the Oil and Gas Properties calculated based on a Reserve Report prepared in accordance with Section 6.1.
     “PDP Reserves” means Proved Reserves which are categorized as both “Developed” and “Producing.”
     “Person” means any natural person, corporation, firm, joint venture, partnership, limited liability company, association, enterprise, trust or other entity or organization, or any government or political subdivision or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof.
     “PetroQuest Oil & Gas” means PetroQuest Oil & Gas, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company the sole member of which is the Parent.
     “Pittrans” means Pittrans, Inc., an Oklahoma corporation, a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Borrower.
     “Plan” means an employee pension benefit plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA or subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code as to which the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group may have any liability.
     “Pledge Agreements” means the Borrower Pledge Agreement, the Parent Pledge Agreement and the TDC Pledge Agreement, each a “Pledge Agreement.”
     “Pricing Schedule” means the Schedule attached hereto identified as such.
     “Prior Credit Agreement” means the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated May 13, 2003 among Borrower, the Parent, the Agent, and the financial institutions party thereto, as amended from time to time.

 


 

     “Pro Rata Share” means, with respect to a Lender, a portion equal to a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s Commitment and the denominator of which is the Aggregate Commitment.
     “Property” of a Person means any and all property, whether real, personal, tangible, intangible, or mixed, of such Person, or other assets owned, leased or operated by such Person.
     “Proved Reserves” has the meaning given that term in the definitions promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers and the World Petroleum Congress as in effect at the time in question.
     “Rate Management Obligations” of a Person means any and all obligations of such Person, whether absolute or contingent, realized or unrealized (in which case netted against one another) and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (i) any and all Rate Management Transactions, and (ii) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any Rate Management Transactions.
     “Rate Management Transaction” means any transaction (including an agreement with respect thereto) now existing or hereafter entered into between the Borrower and any Lender or Affiliate thereof which is a rate swap, basis swap, forward rate transaction, commodity swap, commodity option, equity or equity index swap, equity or equity index option, bond option, interest rate option, foreign exchange transaction, cap transaction, floor transaction, collar transaction, forward transaction, currency swap transaction, cross-currency rate swap transaction, currency option or any other similar transaction (including any option with respect to any of these transactions) or any combination thereof, whether linked to one or more interest rates, foreign currencies, commodity prices, equity prices or other financial measures including, without limitation, the Existing Rate Management Transaction.
     “RCRA” means the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended by the Used Oil Recycling Act of 1980, the Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments of 1980, and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984, as from time to time in effect and any successor thereto.
     “Regulation D” means Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in effect and any successor thereto or other regulation or official interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to reserve requirements applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve System.
     “Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in effect and any successor or other regulation or official interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to the extension of credit by banks for the

 


 

purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stocks applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve System.
     “Reimbursement Obligations” means, at any time, the aggregate of all obligations of the Borrower then outstanding under Section 2.21 to reimburse the LC Issuer for amounts paid by the LC Issuer in respect of any one or more drawings under Facility LCs.
     “Release” shall have the meaning specified in CERCLA; provided, in the event CERCLA is amended so as to broaden the meaning of “Release”, such broader meaning shall apply subsequent to the effective date of such amendment; and provided further, to the extent that the Laws of the states in which the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties are located establish a meaning for “Release” which is broader than that specified in CERCLA, such broader meaning shall apply.
     “Release Price” means in connection with the sale of any of the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties permitted by Section 6.13, the price determined by the Required Lenders in their discretion based upon the loan value of such Oil and Gas Properties being sold that the Required Lenders in their discretion (using such methodology, assumptions and discount rates as such Required Lenders customarily use in assigning loan value to oil and gas properties) assign to such Oil and Gas Properties as of the time of their sale.
     “Reportable Event” means a reportable event as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA and the regulations issued under such Section, with respect to a Plan, excluding, however, such events as to which the PBGC has by regulation waived the requirement of Section 4043(a) of ERISA that it be notified within 30 days of the occurrence of such event, provided, however, that a failure to meet the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code and of Section 302 of ERISA shall be a Reportable Event regardless of the issuance of any such waiver of the notice requirement in accordance with either Section 4043(a) of ERISA or Section 412(d) of the Code.
     “Reports” is defined in Section 9.6.
     “Required Lenders” means (i) Lenders having 100% of the Aggregate Commitment if there are only two or fewer Lenders; or (ii) Lenders in the aggregate having at least 662/3% of the Aggregate Commitment if there are more than two Lenders or, (iii) if the Aggregate Commitment has been terminated, Lenders in the aggregate holding at least 662/3% of the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the outstanding Advances.
     “Reserve Report” means the Initial Reserve Report and each reserve report delivered pursuant to Sections 6.1(x) or (xi).
     “Reserve Requirement” means, with respect to an Interest Period, the maximum aggregate reserve requirement (including all basic, supplemental, marginal and other reserves) which is imposed under Regulation D on Eurocurrency liabilities.

 


 

     “Rights” means rights, remedies, powers, and privileges.
     “Risk-Based Capital Guidelines” is defined in Section 3.2.
     “S&P” means Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.
     “Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any sale or other transfer of Property by any Person with the intent to lease such Property as lessee.
     “Salvador Energy” means Salvador Energy Company, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company, a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of TDC Energy.
     “Schedule” refers to a specific schedule to this Agreement, unless another document is specifically referenced.
     “Sea Harvester” means Sea Harvester Energy Development Company, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company, a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of TDC Energy.
     “Section” means a numbered section of this Agreement, unless another document is specifically referenced.
     “Security Agreements” means any and all security agreements now or hereafter executed by the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as they may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.
     “Senior Notes” means the senior unsecured promissory notes due 2012 of the Borrower and Parent, as co-issuers, issued May 2005 and June 2005 pursuant to the Senior Notes Indenture, and includes the unsecured guaranties thereof executed from time to time by certain Subsidiaries of Parent and the Borrower, notes (and the guaranties thereof) issued from time to time in exchange for such Senior Notes due 2012 and all reissues and replacements of the foregoing.
     “Senior Notes Indenture” means the Indenture dated May 11, 2005, among the Borrower and Parent, as co-issuers, the subsidiary guarantors identified therein and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
     “Single Employer Plan” means a Plan maintained by the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group for employees of the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group.
     “Solid Waste” shall have the meaning specified in RCRA; provided, in the event RCRA is amended so as to broaden the meaning of “Solid Waste”, such broader meaning shall apply

 


 

subsequent to the effective date of such amendment; and provided further, to the extent that the Laws of the states in which the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties are located establish a meaning for “Solid Waste” which is broader than that specified in RCRA, such broader meaning shall apply.
     “Subsidiary” of a Person means (i) any corporation more than 50% of the outstanding securities having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) any partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or similar business organization more than 50% of the ownership interests having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be so owned or controlled. Unless otherwise expressly provided, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” shall mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower and all references herein to a “Subsidiary” of the Parent shall mean Subsidiaries of the Parent other than the Excluded Subsidiaries.
     “Substantial Portion” means, ten percent 10% of the present value discounted at ten percent 10% per annum of the PDP Present Value of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as reflected in the most recent Reserve Report.
     “Syndication Agent” means Calyon New York Branch and not in its individual capacity as a Lender, and any successor Syndication Agent appointed pursuant to Article X.
     “Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, charges or withholdings, and any and all liabilities with respect to the foregoing, but excluding Excluded Taxes and Other Taxes.
     “TDC Energy” means TDC Energy LLC, a Louisiana limited liability company, Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Parent.
     “TDC Energy Pledge Agreement” means that certain Pledge and Security Agreement of even date herewith executed by TDC Energy in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.
     “TDC Energy Systems” means TDC Energy Systems, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company, a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of TDC Energy.
     “Transferee” is defined in Section 12.4.
     “Tribunal” means any government, any arbitration panel, any court or any governmental department, central bank or comparable agency, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality of the United States or any state, province, commonwealth, nation, territory, possession, county, parish, town, township, village or municipality, whether now or hereafter constituted or existing.

 


 

     “Type” means, with respect to any Advance, its nature as a Floating Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Advance.
     “Unfunded Liabilities” means the amount (if any) by which the present value of all vested and unvested accrued benefits under all Single Employer Plans exceeds the fair market value of all such Plan assets allocable to such benefits, all determined as of the then most recent valuation date for such Plans using PBGC actuarial assumptions for single employer plan terminations.
     “Unmatured Default” means an event which but for the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a Default.
     “Utilization Percentage” means as of any day, the quotient obtained by dividing the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure on such day by the Borrowing Base (after reduction for each applicable Borrowing Base Reduction Amount) as of such day.
     “Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” of a Person means (i) any Subsidiary all of the outstanding voting securities of which shall at the time be owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person, or by such Person and one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person, or (ii) any partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or similar business organization 100% of the ownership interests having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be so owned or controlled.
     “Wirth Gathering” means Wirth Gathering Partnership, an Oklahoma Limited Liability Partnership, of which Pittrans owns a fifty percent (50%) interest.
     The foregoing definitions shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the defined terms.
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ARTICLE II
THE CREDITS
     2.1. Commitment. From and including the date of this Agreement and prior to the Facility Termination Date, each Lender severally agrees, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement to (i) make Advances to the Borrower and (ii) participate in Facility LCs issued upon the request of the Borrower; provided, that, after giving effect to the making of each such Advance and the issuance of each such Facility LC, such Lender’s Outstanding Credit Exposure shall not exceed its Commitment. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow at any time prior to the Facility Termination Date provided, that the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure shall not exceed the lesser of (a) the Aggregate Commitment and (b) the Borrowing Base. The Commitments to extend credit hereunder shall expire on the Facility Termination Date. The LC Issuer will issue Facility LCs hereunder on the terms and conditions set forth in Section 2.21.
     2.2. Borrowing Base.
          2.2.1 During the period from the date of this Agreement to the date as of which the Borrowing Base is first redetermined pursuant to Section 2.2.2, the Borrowing Base shall be $25,000,000.00, as reduced pursuant to Section 2.2.5.
          2.2.2 On or before March 1 and September 1 of each year the Borrower shall furnish to each Lender all information, reports, and data which the Agent has then requested concerning the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ businesses and properties (including their Oil and Gas Properties and interests and the reserves and production relating thereto), together with the Reserve Report described in Sections 6.1(x) or (xi), as appropriate. By April 1, in the case of the Reserve Report delivered by March 1, and by October 1, in the case of the Reserve Report delivered by September 1, or as promptly thereafter as practicable, in either case, (i) the Agent shall determine and the Required Lenders shall approve an amount for the Borrowing Base (provided that all Lenders must agree to any increase in the Borrowing Base) and (ii) the Agent shall by notice to the Borrower designate such amount as the new Borrowing Base available to the Borrower hereunder, which designation shall take effect immediately on the date such notice is sent and shall remain in effect (subject to reduction pursuant to Sections 2.2.5 and 2.2.6) until, but not including, the next date as of which the Borrowing Base is redetermined. If the Borrower does not furnish all such information, reports, and data by the date specified in the first sentence of this section, the Agent may nonetheless designate the Borrowing Base at any amount which the Required Lenders have approved and may redesignate the Borrowing Base from time to time thereafter until each Lender receives all such information, reports, and data, whereupon the Required Lenders shall designate a new Borrowing Base as described above. Any redetermination of the Borrowing Base shall not be effective until written notice is sent to the Borrower.

 


 

          2.2.3 In addition to the foregoing, the Required Lenders or the Borrower may initiate a redetermination of the Borrowing Base at any other time as they or it, as the case may be, so elect; provided, however, that the Borrower may initiate only one (1) such unscheduled redetermination between each scheduled redetermination by specifying in writing to the Lenders the date on which the Borrower will furnish the information required by Section 2.2.2 and the date on which it desires such redetermination to occur. The Lenders shall have at least forty-five (45) days after the delivery of the information required by Section 2.2.2 to make any unscheduled redetermination of the Borrowing Base requested by the Borrower. The Required Lenders may, at any time, initiate an unscheduled redetermination of the Borrowing Base by specifying in writing to the Borrower the date by which the Borrower is to furnish the information required by Section 2.2.2 and the projected date on which such redetermination is to occur. The Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower, in writing, of the new Borrowing Base.
          2.2.4 The Agent shall determine and submit to the Lenders for approval by the Required Lenders the amount of the Borrowing Base and Borrowing Base Reduction Amount based upon the loan collateral value which they in their discretion assign to the various Oil and Gas Properties of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries at the time in question and based upon such other credit factors (including, without limitation, the assets, senior and subordinate liabilities, cash flow, hedged and unhedged exposure to oil and gas prices, foreign exchange rate, and interest rate changes, business, properties, prospects, management, and ownership of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries) as they in their sole discretion deem significant. It is expressly understood that the Lenders and the Agent have no obligation to agree upon or designate the Borrowing Base at any particular amount, whether in relation to the Aggregate Commitment or otherwise, and that the Lenders’ Commitments to advance funds hereunder is determined by reference to the Borrowing Base from time to time in effect, and, to the extent permitted by Law and regulatory authorities, for the purposes of capital adequacy determination and reimbursements under Section 3.2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the amount of the Borrowing Base may not be increased at any time without the consent of 100% of the Lenders.
          2.2.5 The Borrowing Base shall automatically reduce by the applicable Borrowing Base Reduction Amount on the first day of each month as specified in the definition of the term “Borrowing Base Reduction Amount.”
          2.2.6. Upon the sale of any of the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower or any Subsidiary other than those permitted to be sold under Section 6.13(i) through (iv), the Borrower will immediately make a prepayment of principal on the Loans equal to, and the Borrowing Base will automatically reduce by, an amount equal to 100% of the Release Price.
          2.2.7. In the event the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure shall, at any time, be in excess of the amount of the Borrowing Base in effect at such time, then the Borrower shall prepay Credit Extensions in an amount at least equal to such excess immediately, or at the option of the Borrower, in three (3) successive installments, each in an amount equal to one-third of

 


 

such excess, due 60, 90 and 120 days respectively from the date of the determination of the existence of such excess.
     2.3. Termination. The Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure and all other unpaid Obligations shall be paid in full by the Borrower on the Facility Termination Date.
     2.4. Ratable Loans. Each Advance hereunder shall consist of Loans made from the several Lenders ratably according to their Pro Rata Shares.
     2.5. Types of Advances. The Advances may be Floating Rate Advances or Eurodollar Advances, or a combination thereof, selected by the Borrower in accordance with Sections 2.9 and 2.10.
     2.6. Commitment Fee; Reductions in Borrowing Base. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent for the account of each Lender, according to its Pro Rata Share, a commitment fee at a per annum rate equal to the Applicable Fee Rate on the average daily Available Borrowing Base from the date hereof to and including the Facility Termination Date, payable in arrears for the immediately preceding three (3) calendar month period on each Payment Date hereafter and on the Facility Termination Date. The Borrower may permanently reduce the Borrowing Base in whole, or in part ratably among the Lenders in integral multiples of $1,000,000, upon at least five Business Days’ written notice to the Agent, which notice shall specify the amount of any such reduction, provided, however, that the amount of the Borrowing Base may not be reduced below the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure. All accrued commitment fees shall be payable on the effective date of any termination of the obligations of the Lenders to make Credit Extensions hereunder.
     2.7. Minimum Amount of Each Advance. Each Eurodollar Advance shall be in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 (and in multiples of $100,000 if in excess thereof), and each Floating Rate Advance shall be in the minimum amount of $200,000 (and in multiples of $100,000 if in excess thereof), provided, however, that any Floating Rate Advance may be in the amount of the Available Borrowing Base.
     2.8. Optional Principal Payments. The Borrower may from time to time pay, without penalty or premium, all outstanding Floating Rate Advances, or, in a minimum aggregate amount of $500,000 or any integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, any portion of the outstanding Floating Rate Advances upon one Business Day’s prior notice to the Agent. The Borrower may from time to time pay, subject to the payment of any funding indemnification amounts required by Section 3.4 but without penalty or premium, all outstanding Eurodollar Advances, or, in a minimum aggregate amount of $500,000 or any integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, any portion of the outstanding Eurodollar Advances upon three Business Days’ prior notice to the Agent.

 


 

     2.9. Method of Selecting Types and Interest Periods for New Advances. The Borrower shall select the Type of Advance and, in the case of each Eurodollar Advance, the Interest Period applicable thereto from time to time. The Borrower shall give the Agent irrevocable notice (a “Borrowing Notice”) substantially in the form of Exhibit B not later than 10:00 a.m. (Houston time) at least one Business Day before the Borrowing Date of each Floating Rate Advance and three Business Days before the Borrowing Date for each Eurodollar Advance, specifying:
  (i)   the Borrowing Date, which shall be a Business Day, of such Advance,
 
  (ii)   the aggregate amount of such Advance,
 
  (iii)   the Type of Advance selected, and
 
  (iv)   in the case of each Eurodollar Advance, the Interest Period applicable thereto.
Not later than noon (Houston time) on each Borrowing Date, each Lender shall make available its Loan or Loans in funds immediately available in Houston to the Agent at its address specified pursuant to Article XIII. The Agent will make the funds so received from the Lenders available to the Borrower at the Agent’s aforesaid address.
     2.10. Conversion and Continuation of Outstanding Advances. Floating Rate Advances shall continue as Floating Rate Advances unless and until such Floating Rate Advances are converted into Eurodollar Advances pursuant to this Section 2.10 or are repaid in accordance with Section 2.8. Each Eurodollar Advance shall continue as a Eurodollar Advance until the end of the then applicable Interest Period therefor, at which time such Eurodollar Advance shall be automatically converted into a Floating Rate Advance unless (x) such Eurodollar Advance is or was repaid in accordance with Section 2.8 or (y) the Borrower shall have given the Agent a Conversion/Continuation Notice (as defined below) requesting that, at the end of such Interest Period, such Eurodollar Advance continue as a Eurodollar Advance for the same or another Interest Period. Subject to the terms of Section 2.7, the Borrower may elect from time to time to convert all or any part of a Floating Rate Advance into a Eurodollar Advance. The Borrower shall give the Agent irrevocable notice (a “Conversion/Continuation Notice”) of each conversion of a Floating Rate Advance into a Eurodollar Advance or continuation of a Eurodollar Advance not later than 10:00 a.m. (Houston time) at least three Business Days prior to the date of the requested conversion or continuation, specifying:
  (i)   the requested date, which shall be a Business Day, of such conversion or continuation,
 
  (ii)   the aggregate amount and Type of the Advance which is to be converted or continued, and

 


 

  (iii)   the amount of such Advance which is to be converted into or continued as a Eurodollar Advance and the duration of the Interest Period applicable thereto.
     2.11. Changes in Interest Rate, etc. Each Floating Rate Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof, for each day from and including the date such Advance is made or is automatically converted from a Eurodollar Advance into a Floating Rate Advance pursuant to Section 2.10, to but excluding the date it is paid or is converted into a Eurodollar Advance pursuant to Section 2.10 hereof, at a rate per annum equal to the Floating Rate for such day. Changes in the rate of interest on that portion of any Advance maintained as a Floating Rate Advance will take effect simultaneously with each change in the Alternate Base Rate. Each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from and including the first day of the Interest Period applicable thereto to (but not including) the last day of such Interest Period at the interest rate determined by the Agent as applicable to such Eurodollar Advance based upon the Borrower’s selections under Sections 2.8 and 2.9 and otherwise in accordance with the terms hereof. No Interest Period may end after the Facility Termination Date.
     2.12. Rates Applicable After Default. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Sections 2.9 or 2.10, during the continuance of a Default the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any provision of Section 8.2 requiring unanimous consent of the Lenders to changes in interest rates), declare that no Advance may be made as, converted into or continued as a Eurodollar Advance. During the continuance of a Default the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any provision of Section 8.2 requiring unanimous consent of the Lenders to changes in interest rates), declare that (i) each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest for the remainder of the applicable Interest Period at the rate otherwise applicable to such Interest Period plus 2% per annum and (ii) each Floating Rate Advance shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Floating Rate in effect from time to time plus 2% per annum, provided that, during the continuance of a Default under Sections 7.6 or 7.7, the interest rates set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) above shall be applicable to all Credit Extensions without any election or action on the part of the Agent or any Lender.
     2.13. Method of Payment. All payments of the Obligations hereunder shall be made, without setoff, deduction, or counterclaim, in immediately available funds to the Agent at the Agent’s address specified pursuant to Article XIII, or at any other Lending Installation of the Agent specified in writing by the Agent to the Borrower, by noon (local time) on the date when due and shall (except in the case of Reimbursement Obligations for which the LC Issuer has not been fully indemnified by Lenders, or as otherwise specifically required hereunder) be applied ratably by the Agent among the Lenders. Each payment delivered to the Agent for the account of any Lender shall be delivered promptly by the Agent to such Lender in the same type of funds that the Agent received at its address specified pursuant to Article XIII or at any Lending

 


 

Installation specified in a notice received by the Agent from such Lender. Each reference to the Agent in this Section 2.13 shall also be deemed to refer, and shall apply equally, to the LC Issuer, in the case of payments required to be made by the Borrower to the LC Issuer pursuant to Section 2.21.6. The Agent is hereby authorized to charge the account of the Borrower maintained with JPMorgan Chase for each payment of principal, interest and fees as it becomes due hereunder.
     2.14. Noteless Agreement; Evidence of Indebtedness. (i) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender from time to time, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
          (ii) The Agent shall also maintain accounts in which it will record (a) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Type thereof and the Interest Period with respect thereto, (b) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder, (c) the original stated amount of each Facility LC and the amount of LC Obligations outstanding at any time, and (d) the amount of any sum received by the Agent hereunder from the Borrower and each Lender’s share thereof.
          (iii) The entries maintained in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraphs (i) and (ii) above shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the Obligations therein recorded; provided, however, that the failure of the Agent or any Lender to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Obligations in accordance with their terms.
          (iv) Any Lender may request that its Loans be evidenced by a promissory note (a “Note”). In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a Note payable to the order of such Lender in a form supplied by the Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such Note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after any assignment pursuant to Section 12.3) be represented by one or more Notes payable to the order of the payee named therein or any assignee pursuant to Section 12.3, except to the extent that any such Lender or assignee subsequently returns any such Note for cancellation and requests that such Loans once again be evidenced as described in paragraphs (i) and (ii) above.
     2.15. Telephonic Notices. The Borrower hereby authorizes the Lenders and the Agent to extend, convert or continue Advances, effect selections of Types of Advances and to transfer funds based on telephonic notices made by any Person or Persons designated in writing by the Borrower from time to time, it being understood that the foregoing authorization is specifically intended to allow Borrowing Notices and Conversion/Continuation Notices to be given telephonically. The Borrower agrees to deliver promptly to the Agent a written confirmation, if such confirmation is requested by the Agent or any Lender, of each telephonic notice signed by an Authorized Officer. If the written confirmation differs in any material respect from the action

 


 

taken by the Agent and the Lenders, the records of the Agent and the Lenders shall govern absent manifest error.
     2.16. Interest Payment Dates; Interest and Fee Basis. Interest accrued on each Floating Rate Advance shall be payable on each Payment Date, commencing with the first such date to occur after the date hereof, on any date on which the Floating Rate Advance is prepaid, whether due to acceleration or otherwise, and at maturity. Interest accrued on that portion of the outstanding principal amount of any Floating Rate Advance converted into a Eurodollar Advance on a day other than a Payment Date shall be payable on the date of conversion. Interest on Floating Rate Advances, commitment fees and LC Fees shall be calculated for actual days elapsed on a basis of a 365, or when appropriate 366, day per year. Interest accrued on each Eurodollar Advance shall be payable on the last day of its applicable Interest Period, on any date on which the Eurodollar Advance is prepaid, whether by acceleration or otherwise, and at maturity. Interest accrued on each Eurodollar Advance having an Interest Period longer than three months shall also be payable on the last day of each three-month interval during such Interest Period. Interest on Eurodollar Advances shall be calculated for actual days elapsed on the basis of a 360-day year. Interest shall be payable for the day an Advance is made but not for the day of any payment on the amount paid if payment is received prior to noon (local time) at the place of payment. If any payment of principal of or interest on a Floating Rate Advance shall become due on a day which is not a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and, in the case of a principal payment, such extension of time shall be included in computing interest in connection with such payment.
     2.17. Notification of Advances, Interest Rates, Facility LCs, Prepayments and Commitment Reductions. Promptly after receipt thereof, the Agent will notify each Lender of the contents of each Aggregate Commitment reduction notice, Borrowing Notice, Conversion/Continuation Notice, and repayment notice received by it hereunder. Promptly after notice from the LC Issuer, the Agent will notify each Lender of the contents of each request for issuance of a Facility LC hereunder. The Agent will notify each Lender of the interest rate applicable to each Eurodollar Advance promptly upon determination of such interest rate and will give each Lender prompt notice of each change in the Alternate Base Rate.
     2.18. Lending Installations. Each Lender may book its Loans and its participation in any LC Obligations and the LC Issuer may book the Facility LCs at any Lending Installation selected by such Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, and may change its Lending Installation from time to time. All terms of this Agreement shall apply to any such Lending Installation and the Loans, Facility LCs, participations in LC Obligations and any Notes issued hereunder shall be deemed held by each Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, for the benefit of any such Lending Installation. Each Lender and the LC Issuer may, by written notice to the Agent and the Borrower in accordance with Article XIII, designate replacement or additional Lending Installations through which Loans will be made by it or Facility LCs will be issued by it and for whose account Loan payments or payments with respect to Facility LCs are to be made.

 


 

     2.19. Non-Receipt of Funds by the Agent. Unless the Borrower or a Lender, as the case may be, notifies the Agent prior to the date on which it is scheduled to make payment to the Agent of (i) in the case of a Lender, the proceeds of a Loan or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, a payment of principal, interest or fees to the Agent for the account of the Lenders, that it does not intend to make such payment, the Agent may assume that such payment has been made. The Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make the amount of such payment available to the intended recipient in reliance upon such assumption. If such Lender or the Borrower, as the case may be, has not in fact made such payment to the Agent, the recipient of such payment shall, on demand by the Agent, repay to the Agent the amount so made available together with interest thereon in respect of each day during the period commencing on the date such amount was so made available by the Agent until the date the Agent recovers such amount at a rate per annum equal to (x) in the case of payment by a Lender, the Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day for the first three days and, thereafter, the interest rate applicable to the relevant Loan or (y) in the case of payment by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to the relevant Loan.
     2.20. Replacement of Lender. If the Borrower is required pursuant to Sections 3.1, 3.2 or 3.5 to make any additional payment to any Lender or if any Lender’s obligation to make or continue, or to convert Floating Rate Advances into, Eurodollar Advances shall be suspended pursuant to Section 3.3 (any Lender so affected an “Affected Lender”), the Borrower may elect, if such amounts continue to be charged or such suspension is still effective, to replace such Affected Lender as a Lender party to this Agreement, provided that no Default or Unmatured Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such replacement, and provided further that, concurrently with such replacement, (i) another bank or other entity which is reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower and the Agent shall agree, as of such date, to purchase for cash the Advances and other Obligations due to the Affected Lender pursuant to an assignment substantially in the form of Exhibit C and to become a Lender for all purposes under this Agreement and to assume all obligations of the Affected Lender to be terminated as of such date and to comply with the requirements of Section 12.3 applicable to assignments, and (ii) the Borrower shall pay to such Affected Lender in same day funds on the day of such replacement (A) all interest, fees and other amounts then accrued but unpaid to such Affected Lender by the Borrower hereunder to and including the date of termination, including without limitation payments due to such Affected Lender under Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.5, and (B) an amount, if any, equal to the payment which would have been due to such Lender on the day of such replacement under Section 3.4 had the Loans of such Affected Lender been prepaid on such date rather than sold to the replacement Lender.
     2.21. Facility LCs.
          2.21.1. Issuance. Except as provided below, the LC Issuer hereby agrees, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, to issue standby and commercial letters of credit (each, a “Facility LC”) and to renew, extend, increase, decrease or otherwise modify each Facility LC (“Modify,” and each such action a “Modification”), from time to time from and

 


 

including the date of this Agreement and prior to the Facility Termination Date upon the request of the Borrower; provided that immediately after each such Facility LC is issued or Modified, (i) the aggregate amount of the outstanding LC Obligations shall not exceed $15,000,000 and (ii) the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure shall not exceed the lesser of (a) the Aggregate Commitment and (b) the Borrowing Base. No Facility LC shall have an expiry date later than the earlier of (x) the fifth Business Day prior to the Facility Termination Date and (y) one year after its issuance; provided, however, that any Facility LC with a one-year tenor may provide for the renewal thereof for additional one-year periods (which shall in no event extend beyond the fifth Business Day prior to the Facility Termination Date) unless the LC Issuer provides prior notice of non-renewal to the beneficiary of such Facility LC.
          2.21.2. Participations. Upon the issuance or Modification by the LC Issuer of a Facility LC in accordance with this Section 2.21, the LC Issuer shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto, to have unconditionally and irrevocably sold to each Lender, and each Lender shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto, to have unconditionally and irrevocably purchased from the LC Issuer, a participation in such Facility LC (and each Modification thereof) and the related LC Obligations in proportion to its Pro Rata Share.
          2.21.3. Notice. Subject to Section 2.21.1, the Borrower shall give the LC Issuer notice prior to 10:00 a.m. (Houston time) at least five Business Days prior to the proposed date of issuance or Modification of each Facility LC, specifying the beneficiary, the proposed date of issuance (or Modification) and the expiry date of such Facility LC, and describing the proposed terms of such Facility LC and the nature of the transactions proposed to be supported thereby. Upon receipt of such notice, the LC Issuer shall promptly notify the Agent, and the Agent shall promptly notify each Lender, of the contents thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s participation in such proposed Facility LC. The issuance or Modification by the LC Issuer of any Facility LC shall, in addition to the conditions precedent set forth in Article IV (the satisfaction of which the LC Issuer shall have no duty to ascertain), be subject to the conditions precedent that such Facility LC shall be satisfactory to the LC Issuer and that the Borrower shall have executed and delivered such application agreement and/or such other instruments and agreements relating to such Facility LC as the LC Issuer shall have reasonably requested (each, a “Facility LC Application”). In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of any Facility LC Application, the terms of this Agreement shall control.
          2.21.4. LC Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Agent, for the account of the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, with respect to each Facility LC, a letter of credit fee at a per annum rate equal to the Applicable Margin for Eurodollar Rate Loans per annum on the average daily undrawn stated amount under such standby Facility LC, such fee to be payable in arrears on each Payment Date (such fee described in this sentence an “LC Fee”); provided, that during the continuance of a Default the LC Fee shall be the sum of 2% plus the Applicable Margin for Eurodollar Rate Loans per annum. The Borrower shall also pay to the LC Issuer for its own account (x) in arrears on each Payment

 


 

Date, a fronting fee of .25% per annum of the face amount of each Facility LC, and (y) documentary and processing charges in connection with the issuance or Modification of and draws under Facility LCs in accordance with the LC Issuer’s standard schedule for such charges as in effect from time to time.
          2.21.5. Administration; Reimbursement by Lenders. Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Facility LC of any demand for payment under such Facility LC, the LC Issuer shall notify the Agent and the Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and each other Lender as to the amount to be paid by the LC Issuer as a result of such demand and the proposed payment date (the “LC Payment Date”). The responsibility of the LC Issuer to the Borrower and each Lender shall be only to determine that the documents (including each demand for payment) delivered under each Facility LC in connection with such presentment shall be in conformity in all material respects with such Facility LC. The LC Issuer shall endeavor to exercise the same care in the issuance and administration of the Facility LCs as it does with respect to letters of credit in which no participations are granted, it being understood that in the absence of any gross negligence or willful misconduct by the LC Issuer, each Lender shall be unconditionally and irrevocably liable without regard to the occurrence of any Default or any condition precedent whatsoever, to reimburse the LC Issuer on demand for (i) such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the amount of each payment made by the LC Issuer under each Facility LC to the extent such amount is not reimbursed by pursuant to Section 2.21.6 below, plus (ii) interest on the foregoing amount to be reimbursed by such Lender, for each day from the date of the LC Issuer’s demand for such reimbursement (or, if such demand is made after 11:00 a.m. (Houston time) on such date, from the next succeeding Business Day) to the date on which such Lender pays the amount to be reimbursed by it, at a rate of interest per annum equal to the Federal Funds Effective Rate for the first three days and, thereafter, at a rate of interest equal to the rate applicable to Floating Rate Advances.
          2.21.6. Reimbursement by Borrower. The Borrower shall be irrevocably and unconditionally obligated to reimburse the LC Issuer on or before the applicable LC Payment Date for any amounts to be paid by the LC Issuer upon any drawing under any Facility LC, without presentment, demand, protest or other formalities of any kind; provided that neither the Borrower nor any Lender shall hereby be precluded from asserting any claim for direct (but not consequential) damages suffered by the Borrower or such Lender to the extent, but only to the extent, caused by (i) the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the LC Issuer in determining whether a request presented under any Facility LC issued by it complied with the terms of such Facility LC or (ii) the LC Issuer’s failure to pay under any Facility LC issued by it after the presentation to it of a request strictly complying with the terms and conditions of such Facility LC. All such amounts paid by the LC Issuer and remaining unpaid by the Borrower shall bear interest, payable on demand, for each day until paid at a rate per annum equal to (x) the rate applicable to Floating Rate Advances for such day if such day falls on or before the applicable LC Payment Date and (y) the sum of 2% plus the rate applicable to Floating Rate Advances for such day if such day falls after such LC Payment Date. The LC Issuer will pay to each Lender ratably in accordance with its Pro Rata Share all amounts received by it from the

 


 

Borrower for application in payment, in whole or in part, of the Reimbursement Obligation in respect of any Facility LC issued by the LC Issuer, but only to the extent such Lender has made payment to the LC Issuer in respect of such Facility LC pursuant to Section 2.21.5. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including without limitation the submission of a Borrowing Notice in compliance with Section 2.9 and the satisfaction of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Article IV), the Borrower may request an Advance hereunder for the purpose of satisfying any Reimbursement Obligation.
          2.21.7. Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligations under this Section 2.21 shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances and irrespective of any setoff, counterclaim or defense to payment that the Borrower may have or have had against the LC Issuer, any Lender or any beneficiary of a Facility LC. The Borrower further agrees with the LC Issuer and the Lenders that the LC Issuer and the Lenders shall not be responsible for, and the Borrower’s Reimbursement Obligation in respect of any Facility LC shall not be affected by, among other things, the validity or genuineness of documents or of any endorsements thereon, even if such documents should in fact prove to be in any or all respects invalid, fraudulent or forged, or any dispute between or among the Borrower, any of its Affiliates, the beneficiary of any Facility LC or any financing institution or other party to whom any Facility LC may be transferred or any claims or defenses whatsoever of the Borrower or of any of its Affiliates against the beneficiary of any Facility LC or any such Transferee. The LC Issuer shall not be liable for any error, omission, interruption or delay in transmission, dispatch or delivery of any message or advice, however transmitted, in connection with any Facility LC. The Borrower agrees that any action taken or omitted by the LC Issuer or any Lender under or in connection with each Facility LC and the related drafts and documents, if done without gross negligence or willful misconduct, shall be binding upon the Borrower and shall not put the LC Issuer or any Lender under any liability to the Borrower. Nothing in this Section 2.21.7 is intended to limit the right of the Borrower to make a claim against the LC Issuer for damages as contemplated by the proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.21.6.
          2.21.8. Actions of LC Issuer. The LC Issuer shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any Facility LC, draft, writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, cablegram, telegram, telecopy, telex or teletype message, statement, order or other document believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements of legal counsel, independent accountants and other experts selected by the LC Issuer. The LC Issuer shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under this Agreement unless it shall first have received such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders as it reasonably deems appropriate or it shall first be indemnified to its reasonable satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability and expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.21, the LC Issuer shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement in accordance with a request of the Required Lenders, and such request and any

 


 

action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon the Lenders and any future holders of a participation in any Facility LC.
          2.21.9. Indemnification. The Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Lender, the LC Issuer and the Agent, and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees from and against any and all claims and damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses which such Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent may incur (or which may be claimed against such Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent by any Person whatsoever) by reason of or in connection with the issuance, execution and delivery or transfer of or payment or failure to pay under any Facility LC or any actual or proposed use of any Facility LC, including, without limitation, any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses which the LC Issuer may incur by reason of or in connection with (i) the failure of any other Lender to fulfill or comply with its obligations to the LC Issuer hereunder (but nothing herein contained shall affect any rights the Borrower may have against any defaulting Lender) or (ii) by reason of or on account of the LC Issuer issuing any Facility LC which specifies that the term “Beneficiary” included therein includes any successor by operation of law of the named Beneficiary, but which Facility LC does not require that any drawing by any such successor Beneficiary be accompanied by a copy of a legal document, satisfactory to the LC Issuer, evidencing the appointment of such successor Beneficiary; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to indemnify any Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent for any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses to the extent, but only to the extent, caused by (x) the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the LC Issuer in determining whether a request presented under any Facility LC complied with the terms of such Facility LC or (y) the LC Issuer’s failure to pay under any Facility LC after the presentation to it of a request strictly complying with the terms and conditions of such Facility LC. Nothing in this Section 2.21.9 is intended to limit the obligations of the Borrower under any other provision of this Agreement.
          2.21.10. Lenders’ Indemnification. Each Lender shall, ratably in accordance with its Pro Rata Share, indemnify the LC Issuer, its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower) against any cost, expense (including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements), claim, demand, action, loss or liability (except such as result from such indemnitees’ gross negligence or willful misconduct or the LC Issuer’s failure to pay under any Facility LC after the presentation to it of a request strictly complying with the terms and conditions of the Facility LC) that such indemnitees may suffer or incur in connection with this Section 2.21 or any action taken or omitted by such indemnitees hereunder.
          2.21.11. Rights as a Lender. In its capacity as a Lender, the LC Issuer shall have the same rights and obligations as any other Lender.
     2.22. Collateral

 


 

          2.22.1 First Lien. The full and complete payment and performance of the Obligations shall be secured under the Collateral Documents by (i) first and prior Lender Liens in, to and on at least ninety percent (90%) of the PDP Present Value of Oil and Gas Properties located in the United States or its offshore waters and at least eighty percent (80%) of the aggregate Proved Reserves of Oil and Gas Properties located in the United States or its offshore waters, in each case, now owned or hereafter acquired by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and (ii) the Pledge Agreements.
          2.22.2 Lender Liens. The Lender Liens in the Collateral shall be further evidenced and governed by the Collateral Documents.
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ARTICLE III
YIELD PROTECTION; TAXES
     3.1. Yield Protection. If, on or after the date of this Agreement, the adoption of any Law or any governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of Law), or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any governmental or quasi-governmental authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the interpretation or administration thereof, or compliance by any Lender or applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer with any request or directive (whether or not having the force of Law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable agency:
  (i)   subjects any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer to any Taxes, or changes the basis of taxation of payments (other than with respect to Excluded Taxes) to any Lender or the LC Issuer in respect of its Eurodollar Loans or Facility LCs or participations therein, or
 
  (ii)   imposes or increases or deems applicable any reserve, assessment, insurance charge, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer (other than reserves and assessments taken into account in determining the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Advances), or
 
  (iii)   imposes any other condition the result of which is to increase the cost to any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer of making, funding or maintaining its Eurodollar Loans or issuing or participating in Facility LCs, or reduces any amount receivable by any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer in connection with its Eurodollar Loans or Facility LCs or participations therein, or requires any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer to make any payment calculated by reference to the amount of Eurodollar Loans held or interest or LC Fees received by it, by an amount deemed material by such Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be,
and the result of any of the foregoing is to increase the cost to such Lender or applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, of making or maintaining its Eurodollar Loans or Commitment or issuing or participating in Facility LCs, or to reduce the return received by such Lender or applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, in connection with such Eurodollar Loans or Commitment or Facility LCs or participations therein, then, within 15 days of demand by such Lender or the LC Issuer, the Borrower shall pay such Lender or the LC Issuer such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the LC Issuer for such increased cost or reduction in amount received.

 


 

     3.2. Changes in Capital Adequacy Regulations. If a Lender or the LC Issuer determines the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or the LC Issuer, any Lending Installation of such Lender or the LC Issuer, or any corporation controlling such Lender or the LC Issuer is increased as a result of a Change, then, within 30 days of demand by such Lender or the LC Issuer, the Borrower shall pay such Lender or the LC Issuer the amount necessary to compensate for any shortfall in the rate of return on the portion of such increased capital which such Lender or the LC Issuer determines is attributable to this Agreement, its Outstanding Credit Exposure, or its Commitment to make Loans and issue or participate in Facility LCs, as the case may be, hereunder (after taking into account such Lender’s or the LC Issuer’s policies as to capital adequacy). “Change” means (i) any change after the date of this Agreement in the Risk-Based Capital Guidelines or (ii) any adoption of or change in any other Law, governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline, interpretation, or directive (whether or not having the force of Law) after the date of this Agreement which affects the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by any Lender, the LC Issuer or any Lending Installation or any corporation controlling any Lender or the LC Issuer. “Risk-Based Capital Guidelines” means (i) the risk-based capital guidelines in effect in the United States on the date of this Agreement, including transition rules, and (ii) the corresponding capital regulations promulgated by regulatory authorities outside the United States implementing the July 1988 report of the Basle Committee on Banking Regulation and Supervisory Practices Entitled “International Convergence of Capital Measurements and Capital Standards,” including transition rules, and any amendments to such regulations adopted prior to the date of this Agreement.
     3.3. Availability of Types of Advances. If any Lender determines that maintenance of its Eurodollar Loans at a suitable Lending Installation would violate any applicable Law, rule, regulation, or directive, whether or not having the force of Law, or if the Required Lenders determine that (i) deposits of a type and maturity appropriate to match fund Eurodollar Advances are not available or (ii) the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Advances does not accurately reflect the cost of making or maintaining Eurodollar Advances, then the Agent shall suspend the availability of Eurodollar Advances and require any affected Eurodollar Advances to be repaid or converted to Floating Rate Advances, subject to the payment of any funding indemnification amounts required by Section 3.4.
     3.4. Funding Indemnification. If any payment of a Eurodollar Advance occurs on a date which is not the last day of the applicable Interest Period, whether because of acceleration, prepayment or otherwise, or a Eurodollar Advance is not made on the date specified by the Borrower for any reason other than default by the Lenders, the Borrower will indemnify each Lender for any loss or cost incurred by it resulting therefrom, including, without limitation, any loss or cost in liquidating or employing deposits acquired to fund or maintain such Eurodollar Advance.

 


 

     3.5. Taxes.
          3.5.1 All payments by the Borrower to or for the account of any Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent hereunder or under any Note or Facility LC Application shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any and all Taxes. If the Borrower shall be required by Law to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable hereunder to any Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent, (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.5) such Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions, (iii) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant authority in accordance with applicable Law and (iv) the Borrower shall furnish to the Agent the original copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof within 30 days after such payment is made.
          3.5.2 In addition, the Borrower hereby agrees to pay any present or future stamp or documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made hereunder or under any Note or Facility LC Application or from the execution or delivery of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any Note or Facility LC Application (“Other Taxes”).
          3.5.3 The Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify the Agent, the LC Issuer and each Lender for the full amount of Taxes or Other Taxes (including, without limitation, any Taxes or Other Taxes imposed on amounts payable under this Section 3.5) paid by the Agent, the LC Issuer or such Lender and any liability (including penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto. Payments due under this indemnification shall be made within 30 days of the date the Agent, the LC Issuer or such Lender makes demand therefor pursuant to Section 3.6.
          3.5.4 Each Lender that is not incorporated under the Laws of the United States of America or a state thereof (each a “Non-U.S. Lender”) agrees that it will, not less than ten Business Days after the date of this Agreement, (i) deliver to each of the Borrower and the Agent two duly completed copies of United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI, certifying in either case that such Lender is entitled to receive payments under this Agreement without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes, and (ii) deliver to each of the Borrower and the Agent a United States Internal Revenue Form W-8 or W-9, as the case may be, and certify that it is entitled to an exemption from United States backup withholding tax. Each Non-U.S. Lender further undertakes to deliver to each of the Borrower and the Agent (x) renewals or additional copies of such form (or any successor form) on or before the date that such form expires or becomes obsolete, and (y) after the occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most recent forms so delivered by it, such additional forms or amendments thereto as may be reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent. All forms or amendments described in the preceding sentence shall certify that such Lender is entitled to

 


 

receive payments under this Agreement without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes, unless an event (including without limitation any change in treaty, Law or regulation) has occurred prior to the date on which any such delivery would otherwise be required which renders all such forms inapplicable or which would prevent such Lender from duly completing and delivering any such form or amendment with respect to it and such Lender advises the Borrower and the Agent that it is not capable of receiving payments without any deduction or withholding of United States federal income tax.
          3.5.5 For any period during which a Non-U.S. Lender has failed to provide the Borrower with an appropriate form pursuant to Section 3.5.4 above (unless such failure is due to a change in treaty, Law or regulation, or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any governmental authority, occurring subsequent to the date on which a form originally was required to be provided), such Non-U.S. Lender shall not be entitled to indemnification under this Section 3.5 with respect to Taxes imposed by the United States; provided that, should a Non-U.S. Lender which is otherwise exempt from or subject to a reduced rate of withholding tax become subject to Taxes because of its failure to deliver a form required under Section 3.5.4, the Borrower shall take such steps as such Non-U.S. Lender shall reasonably request to assist such Non-U.S. Lender to recover such Taxes.
          3.5.6 Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments under this Agreement or any Note pursuant to the Law of any relevant jurisdiction or any treaty shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable Law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable Law as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.
          3.5.7 If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or any other governmental authority of the United States or any other country or any political subdivision thereof asserts a claim that the Agent did not properly withhold tax from amounts paid to or for the account of any Lender (because the appropriate form was not delivered or properly completed, because such Lender failed to notify the Agent of a change in circumstances which rendered its exemption from withholding ineffective, or for any other reason), such Lender shall indemnify the Agent fully for all amounts paid, directly or indirectly, by the Agent as tax, withholding therefor, or otherwise, including penalties and interest, and including taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on amounts payable to the Agent, under this Section 3.5.7, together with all costs and expenses related thereto (including attorneys’ fees and time charges of attorneys for the Agent, which attorneys may be employees of the Agent). The obligations of the Lenders under this Section 3.5.7 shall survive the payment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.
          3.6. Lender Statements; Survival of Indemnity. To the extent reasonably possible, each Lender shall designate an alternate Lending Installation with respect to its Eurodollar Loans to reduce any liability of the Borrower to such Lender under Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.5 or to avoid the unavailability of Eurodollar Advances under Section 3.3, so long as such

 


 

designation is not, in the judgment of such Lender, disadvantageous to such Lender. Each Lender shall deliver a written statement of such Lender to the Borrower (with a copy to the Agent) as to the amount due, if any, under Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.5. Such written statement shall set forth in reasonable detail the calculations upon which such Lender determined such amount and shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Borrower in the absence of manifest error. Determination of amounts payable under such Sections in connection with a Eurodollar Loan shall be calculated as though each Lender funded its Eurodollar Loan through the purchase of a deposit of the type and maturity corresponding to the deposit used as a reference in determining the Eurodollar Rate applicable to such Loan, whether in fact that is the case or not. Unless otherwise provided herein, the amount specified in the written statement of any Lender shall be payable on demand after receipt by the Borrower of such written statement. The obligations of the Borrower under Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 and 3.5 shall survive payment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.
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ARTICLE IV
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
     4.1. Initial Credit Extension.
          4.1.1 The Lenders shall not be required to make the initial Credit Extension hereunder unless the Borrower has furnished the following to the Agent with sufficient copies for the Lenders:
  (i)   this Agreement;
 
  (ii)   copies of the certificate of formation or other applicable document of the Borrower, together with all amendments thereto, and certificates of good standing, each certified by the appropriate governmental officer in Louisiana and certificates of good standing from each other jurisdiction where the Borrower is qualified to transact business;
 
  (iii)   copies of the articles or certificate of incorporation of the Parent together with all amendments thereto, and a certificate of good standing, each certified by the appropriate governmental officer in Delaware and certificates of good standing from each other jurisdiction where the Parent is qualified to transact business;
 
  (iv)   copies of the certificate of formation, organization, incorporation or other applicable document of each direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower, together with all amendments thereto, and certificates of good standing, each certified by the appropriate governmental officer and certificates of good standing from each other jurisdiction where any such Subsidiary is qualified to transact business
 
  (v)   copies certified by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Borrower of (i) its limited liability company agreement, and (ii) resolutions from its managers authorizing the execution of the Loan Documents to which it is a party;
 
  (vi)   copies certified by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Parent of (i) its by-laws and (ii) resolutions of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of the Loan Documents to which it is a party;
 
  (vii)   copies certified by the Authorized Officer of each Subsidiary of (i) its by-laws, limited liability company agreement or other similar document and (ii) resolutions of each such Subsidiary’s Managers, Members, or Board of

 


 

      Directors, as applicable, authorizing the execution of the Loan Documents to which it is a party;
 
  (viii)   incumbency certificates, executed by the respective Secretary, Assistant Secretary or other Authorized Officer of the Borrower, the Parent and each Subsidiary which shall identify by name and title and bear the signatures of the Authorized Officers and any other officers authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which the Borrower, the Parent and such Subsidiary, respectively is a party, upon which certificate the Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely until informed of any change in writing by the Borrower;
 
  (ix)   a certificate, signed by the chief financial officer of the Borrower, stating that on the initial Credit Extension Date no Default or Unmatured Default has occurred and is continuing;
  (x)   written opinions of counsel to the Borrower and the Guarantors addressed to the Agent and Lenders and their counsel in substantially the form of Exhibit D;
 
  (xi)   the Notes issued pursuant to Section 2.14 payable to the order of each Lender, and, if the initial Credit Extension will be the issuance of a Facility LC, a properly completed Facility LC Application;
 
  (xii)   the Deeds of Trust, executed by the Borrower or the Guarantors, as applicable, in a form satisfactory to the Agent, the Lenders and their counsel with respect to the Properties therein described, which are part of the Collateral, and such other agreements, documents and instruments as may be necessary and appropriate, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and the Lenders, executed and delivered by Borrower or the Guarantors, as applicable, , as mortgagor or assignor, in favor of the Agent, ratably for the benefit of the Lenders, in order to create and perfect the Lender Liens in and to all Collateral described therein;
 
  (xiii)   the Pledge Agreements, executed by the Parent, the Borrower and TDC Energy, in a form satisfactory to the Agent, the Lenders and their counsel with respect to the Properties therein described, which are a part of the Collateral;
 
  (xiv)   the Guaranties, executed by each Guarantor, in a form satisfactory to the Agent, the Lenders, and their counsel;

 


 

  (xv)   written money transfer instructions, in substantially the form of Exhibit E, addressed to the Agent and signed by an Authorized Officer of the Borrower, on behalf of the Borrower, together with such other related money transfer authorizations as the Agent may have reasonably requested;
 
  (xvi)   title opinions from counsel acceptable to the Agent, or title reviews satisfactory to the Agent, with respect to the Oil and Gas Properties included in the Collateral and in a form acceptable to the Agent and the Lenders, covering at least eighty percent (80%) of the aggregate PDP Reserves of such Oil and Gas Properties and seventy percent (70%) of the aggregate present worth of the aggregate Proved Reserves;
 
  (xvii)   the Initial Reserve Report upon which the initial Borrowing Base has been determined acceptable to all the Lenders;
 
  (xviii)   copies of any environmental reports regarding any environmental assessment of the Oil and Gas Properties included in the Collateral, which shall be acceptable to all Lenders;
 
  (xix)   the insurance certificate(s) described in Section 5.20;
 
  (xx)   detailed monthly projections (including balance sheets, income and cash flow statements) for the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as of and for the period ending December 31, 2005, which projections shall be acceptable to the Lenders in their sole discretion;
 
  (xxi)   the Financial Statements described in Section 5.4;
 
  (xxii)   an Assignment of Notes, Liens and Security Interests in form an substance satisfactory to the Agent in its sole discretion, executed by each of the lenders currently party to the Prior Credit Agreement and
 
  (xxiii)   such other documents as any Lender or its counsel may have reasonably requested.
          4.1.2 The Lenders shall not be required to make the initial Credit Extension hereunder unless the following conditions precedent are satisfied, to the satisfaction of the Agent and the Lenders:

 


 

  (i)   the Agent and the Lenders shall have satisfactorily completed their normal and customary due diligence in connection with loans of the type contemplated by this Agreement;
 
  (ii)   this Agreement and any Lender Rate Management Transactions (including, without limitation, any Existing Rate Management Transactions) shall each be (or upon the execution, delivery and filing of the Loan Documents creating the Lenders’ Liens each shall be) secured by the Lender Liens;
 
  (iii)   the Agent and the Lenders shall have reviewed and become satisfied with any changes in the composition of the Borrower’s Board of Directors and executive management occurring prior to the date of the initial Credit Extension;
 
  (iv)   there shall not have been any Material Adverse Effect on the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries since September 30, 2005; and
 
  (v)   payment of all facility and administrative fees required to be paid pursuant to any Loan Document and the Fee Letter and legal fees and disbursements of Agent’s counsel.
4.2.   Each Credit Extension. The Lenders shall not be required to make any subsequent Credit Extension unless the following conditions precedent are satisfied, to the satisfaction of the Agent and the Lenders, as of the applicable Credit Extension Date;
  (i)   There exists no Default or Unmatured Default.
 
  (ii)   The representations and warranties contained in Article V are true and correct as of such Credit Extension Date except to the extent any such representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct on and as of such earlier date.
 
  (iii)   There exists no litigation, arbitration, governmental investigation, proceeding or inquiry pending or threatened against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
  (iv)   All legal matters incident to the making of such Credit Extension shall be satisfactory to the Lenders and their counsel.

 


 

  (v)   There shall not have been, in the sole judgment of the Lenders, any change from the Parent’s financial condition as reflected in the Parent’s consolidated financial statements dated September 30, 2005, that would have a Material Adverse Effect on the financial condition, business or operations of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
     Each Borrowing Notice or request for issuance of a Facility LC with respect to each such Credit Extension shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower that the conditions contained in Sections 4.2(i), (ii) and (iii) have been satisfied. Any Lender may require a duly completed compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit F as a condition to making a Credit Extension.
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ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
     The Parent and the Borrower, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to the Lenders that:
     5.1. Existence and Standing. The Borrower is a limited liability company duly formed and organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of Louisiana. The Parent is a corporation duly organized validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of Delaware. Each of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company duly and properly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing under the Laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization. Each of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries has all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted. Except as set forth in Schedule 5.1, neither the Parent, the Borrower nor any of their Subsidiaries has used or transacted business under any other name in the five (5) year period preceding the date hereof. The Borrower is a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Parent.
     5.2. Authorization and Validity. The Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries have the power and authority and legal right to execute and deliver the Loan Documents to which they respectively are a party and to perform their respective obligations thereunder. The execution and delivery by the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries of the Loan Documents to which they respectively are a party and the performance of their respective obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by proper corporate, partnership or limited liability company proceedings, and the Loan Documents to which they respectively are a party constitute their legal, valid and binding obligations enforceable against them in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.
     5.3. No Conflict; Government Consent. Neither the execution and delivery by the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries of the Loan Documents to which they respectively are a party, nor the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, nor compliance with the provisions thereof will violate (i) any Law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award binding on them or (ii) the Parent’s, the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s articles or certificate of incorporation, partnership agreement, certificate of partnership, articles or certificate of organization, by-laws, or operating or other management agreement, as the case may be, or (iii) the provisions of any indenture, instrument or agreement to which the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries is a party or is subject, or by which it, or its Property, is bound, or conflict with or constitute a default thereunder, or result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Parent, the Borrower or a Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any such indenture, instrument or agreement.

 


 

No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license, authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or exemption by, or other action in respect of any governmental or public body or authority, or any subdivision thereof, which has not been obtained by the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries, is required to be obtained by the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents, the borrowings under this Agreement, the payment and performance by the Borrower of the Obligations or the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents.
     5.4. Financial Statements. The September 30, 2005 consolidated financial statements of the Parent, and its consolidated subsidiaries heretofore delivered to the Agent were prepared in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles in effect on the date such statements were prepared and fairly present the consolidated financial condition and operations of the Parent and its consolidated subsidiaries at such date and the consolidated results of their operations for the period then ended.
     5.5. Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of the financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.4, there has been no change in the business, Property, prospects, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     5.6. Taxes. The Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries have filed all United States federal tax returns and all other tax returns which are required to be filed and have paid all Taxes due pursuant to said returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries, except such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles and as to which no Lien exists. The United States income tax returns of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries have not been audited by the Internal Revenue Service during the time period between September, 2000 and the date of this Agreement. No tax liens have been filed and no claims are being asserted with respect to any such Taxes. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries in respect of any taxes or other governmental charges are adequate.
     5.7. Litigation and Contingent Obligations. Except as set forth on Schedule 5.7, there is no litigation, arbitration, governmental investigation, proceeding or inquiry pending or, to the knowledge of any of their officers, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or which seeks to prevent, enjoin or delay the making of any Credit Extension. Other than any liability incident to any litigation, arbitration or proceeding which (i) could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) is set forth on Schedule 5.7, the Borrower has no material contingent obligations not provided for or disclosed in the financial statements referred to in Section 5.4.

 


 

     5.8. Subsidiaries. Schedule 5.8 contains an accurate list of all direct or indirect Subsidiaries of the Borrower as of the date of this Agreement, setting forth their respective jurisdictions of organization, the percentage of their respective capital stock or other ownership interests owned by the Borrower or other Subsidiaries, their taxpayer identification number and organizational number, if any. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of such Subsidiaries have been (to the extent such concepts are relevant with respect to such ownership interests) duly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
     5.9. ERISA. The Unfunded Liabilities of all Single Employer Plans do not in the aggregate exceed $ 100,000. Neither the Borrower nor any other member of the Controlled Group has incurred, or is reasonably expected to incur, any withdrawal liability to Multiemployer Plans in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate. Each Plan complies in all material respects with all applicable requirements of Law and regulations, no Reportable Event has occurred with respect to any Plan, neither the Borrower nor any other member of the Controlled Group has withdrawn from any Plan or initiated steps to do so, and no steps have been taken to reorganize or terminate any Plan.
     5.10. Accuracy of Information. Neither the Loan Documents nor any other agreement, document, certificate, statement, information, exhibit or report (other than projections and review reports) furnished to the Agent or any Lender by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with the transactions contemplated in any of the Loan Documents contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained herein or therein not misleading. All writings heretofore or hereafter exhibited or delivered to the Agent or any Lender by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary are and will be genuine and in all respects what they purport to be.
     5.11. Regulation U. Margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) constitutes less than 25% of the value of those assets of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries which are subject to any limitation on sale, pledge, or other restriction hereunder.
     5.12. Material Agreements. Neither the Parent, the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a party to any agreement or instrument or subject to any charter or other corporate restriction which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Parent, the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in (i) any agreement to which it is a party, which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) any agreement or instrument evidencing or governing Indebtedness.
     5.13. Compliance With Laws.
          5.13.1. The Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations, orders and restrictions of any domestic or foreign

 


 

government or any instrumentality or agency thereof having jurisdiction over the conduct of their respective businesses or the ownership of their respective Property except for any failure to comply with any of the foregoing which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
          5.13.2. The Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries have all material licenses, permits, franchises, or other governmental authorizations necessary for the ownership and, if it is the operator, operation of their Oil and Gas Properties and the conduct of their respective businesses, and are in compliance in all material respects with the terms and conditions of all such licenses, permits, franchises, or other governmental authorizations. Their Oil and Gas Properties (and properties unitized therewith) operated by Borrower or its Subsidiaries have been maintained, operated and developed in a good and workman like manner and in conformity with all applicable Laws and all rules, regulations and orders of all duly constituted Tribunals having jurisdiction and in conformity with the provisions of all leases, subleases or other contracts comprising a part of the Hydrocarbon Interests and other contracts and agreements forming a part of the Oil and Gas Properties; specifically in this connection, (i) after the date of this Agreement, no Oil and Gas Property is subject to having allowable production reduced below the full and regular allowable (including the maximum permissible tolerance) because of any overproduction (whether or not the same was permissible at the time) prior to the date of this Agreement; and (ii) none of the wells comprising a part of the Oil and Gas Properties (or properties unitized therewith) are deviated from the vertical more than the maximum permitted by applicable Laws and regulations, rules and orders of any Tribunal having appropriate jurisdiction, and such wells are, in fact, bottomed under and are producing from, and the wellbores are wholly within, the Oil and Gas Properties (or in the case of wells located on properties unitized therewith, such unitized properties).
     5.14. Ownership/Title to the Properties; Licenses; Liens.
          5.14.1. Except as set forth on Schedule 5.14, on the date of this Agreement, the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries will have good and defensible title, free of all Liens other than those permitted by Section 6.15 or contemplated otherwise in this Agreement, all of the Collateral (including but not limited to their respective material Oil and Gas Properties).
          5.14.2. After giving full effect to the Liens permitted under Section 6.15, except as set out in Schedule 5.14, the Parent, the Borrower or their Subsidiaries own the net interests in production attributable to the wells and units evaluated in the Initial Reserve Report or the most recent Reserve Report furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Sections 6.1(x) or (xi). The ownership of the Oil and Gas Properties shall not in any material respect obligate the Borrower or any Subsidiary to bear the costs and expenses relating to the maintenance, development and operations of each such Oil and Gas Property in any amount in excess of the working interest of each Oil and Gas Property set forth in the Initial Reserve Report or the most recent Reserve Report furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Sections 6.1(x) or (xi). The Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries shall have paid all royalties payable under the oil and gas leases to which

 


 

they are operator, except those not yet due or contested in accordance with the terms of the applicable joint operating agreement or otherwise contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or temporarily suspended in the ordinary course of business pending determination of title ownership. Upon the delivery of each Reserve Report furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Sections 6.1(x) or (xi), the statements made in the preceding sentences of this section shall be true with respect to such Reserve Reports.
          5.14.3 The Borrower and each Subsidiary possesses all material licenses, permits, franchises, patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade names, and other intellectual property (or otherwise possess the right to use such intellectual property without violation of the rights of any other Person) which are necessary to carry out their respective business as presently conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted hereafter, and neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in violation in any material respect of the terms under which it possesses such intellectual property or the right to use such intellectual property.
          5.14.4 Upon filing of the Deeds of Trust with the Clerk of the County or Parish where the Property thereby covered is located and the financing statements with the appropriate governmental entity, and upon filing financing statements relating to the other Collateral Documents with the appropriate governmental entity, the Collateral Documents will constitute legal, valid and continuing perfected first liens on the Collateral as security for the Obligations, free and clear of all other Liens, except for the Liens permitted by Section 6.15.
     5.15. Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions. The Borrower is not an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101 of an employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which is subject to Title I of ERISA or any plan (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code), and neither the execution of this Agreement nor the making of Loans hereunder gives rise to a prohibited transaction within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
     5.16. Environmental Matters.
          Schedule 5.16 identifies: (a) all environmental audits, analyses, assessments, or occupational health studies (whether routine or special) with regard to any Property ordered or undertaken by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or under the direction, suggestion of or by any Tribunal, lender or other Person with an interest in such Property, any insurer or any predecessor landowner or lessee of such Property or any predecessor in interest and, in each case, now within the possession of the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries; (b) the results of any and all tests or analyses of water, soil, air, buildings on or near any Property, whether or not compliance was questioned or indicated which have been taken or made in the period five (5) years prior to the date hereof, whether conducted by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any predecessor landowner or lessee of the Property, any Tribunal or any other Person; (c) the results of and circumstances surrounding any Tribunal inspection or audit of any Property or each operating entity of the Parent, the Borrower and any Subsidiary whether routine or relating

 


 

directly or indirectly to contamination or non-compliance with the Applicable Environmental Laws; or (d) any claim or complaint concerning the Applicable Environmental Laws relative to the Borrower or any Subsidiary. Except as set forth in Schedule 5.16, or except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect:
  (i)   The Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries and their Properties are not in violation of Applicable Environmental Laws, or subject to any existing, pending or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened investigation or inquiry by any Tribunal or any other Person under or with respect to Applicable Environmental Laws, or subject to any remedial obligations under Applicable Environmental Laws, and are in compliance with all permits and licenses required under Applicable Environmental Laws, and this representation will continue to be true and correct following disclosure to the applicable Tribunal of all relevant facts, conditions and circumstances, if any, pertaining to the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries and their Properties.
 
  (ii)   The Borrower undertook, at the time of acquisition of such Properties, all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of such Properties consistent with good commercial or customary practice. The Borrower has taken all steps necessary to determine and has determined that no Hazardous Substances or Solid Wastes have been Disposed of or otherwise Released at, into, upon or under such Properties. The use which the Borrower makes and intends to make of such Properties will not result in the use, treatment, storage or Disposal or other Release of any Hazardous Substance or Solid Waste at, into, upon or under such Properties, except such usage, and temporary storage in anticipation of usage, as is in the ordinary course of business and in compliance with Applicable Environmental Laws.
 
  (iii)   No notice, notification, demand, request for information, citation, summons, or order has been received, no review is pending, no penalty has been assessed and, to the best knowledge of Borrower, no complaint has been filed, no penalty has been assessed, and no investigation is threatened by any Tribunal or any other Person with respect to (a) any alleged generation, treatment, storage, recycling, transportation, Disposal, or Release of any Hazardous Substances by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or on any Property owned by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (b) any material remedial action which might be needed to respond to any such alleged generation, treatment, storage, recycling, transportation, Disposal, or Release, or (c) any alleged failure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to have any permit, license, or authorization required in connection with the conduct of their business or with respect to any such generation, treatment, storage, recycling, transportation, Disposal, or Release.

 


 

  (iv)   There are no Liens arising under or pursuant to any Applicable Environmental Laws on any of the Properties owned or leased by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and no government actions have been taken or are in process which could subject any of such Properties to such Liens; nor would the Borrower or any Subsidiary be required to place any notice or restrictions relating to the presence of Hazardous Substances at any Properties owned by it in any deed to such Properties.
     5.17. Investment Company Act. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
     5.18. Public Utility Holding Company Act. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a “holding company” or a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company”, or an “affiliate” of a “holding company” or of a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company”, within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended, or subject to the Federal Power Act, and neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is subject to any other Law regulating them as a common carrier or a contract carrier in the rendering of electricity, gas, steam, water, or other similar service as a regulated public utility.
     5.19. Insurance. The Certificates signed by the applicable insurers that attest to the existence of, and summarizes, the property and casualty insurance program carried by the Borrower with respect to itself and its Subsidiaries and that has been furnished by the Borrower to the Agent and the Lenders, is complete and accurate. This summary includes the insurer’s or insurers’ name(s), policy number(s), expiration date(s), amount(s) of coverage, type(s) of coverage, exclusion(s), and deductibles. This summary also includes similar information, and describes any reserves, relating to any self-insurance program that is in effect.
     5.20. Solvency.
          5.20.1. Immediately after the consummation of the transactions to occur on the date the initial Credit Extension is to be made hereunder and immediately following the making of each Credit Extension, if any, made on such date hereof and after giving effect to the application of the proceeds of such Credit Extension, (a) the fair value of the assets of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, at a fair valuation, will exceed the debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; (b) the present fair saleable value of the Property of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis on their debts and other liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute and matured; (c) the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be able to pay their debts and liabilities,

 


 

subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (d) the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged as such businesses are now conducted and are proposed to be conducted after the date hereof.
     5.20.2. The Borrower does not intend to, or to permit any of its Subsidiaries to, and does not believe that it or any of its Subsidiaries will, incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, taking into account the timing of and amounts of cash to be received by it or any such Subsidiary and the timing of the amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its Indebtedness or the Indebtedness of any such Subsidiary.
     5.21. Burdensome Provisions. Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a party to any agreement or instrument containing any burdensome or uncustomary provisions, or subject to any charter or other corporate restrictions or to any judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree, award, rule or regulation, which will or could cause a Material Adverse Effect.
     5.22. Relationship with the Lenders. Neither Borrower nor any Person having “control” (as that term is defined in 12 U.S.C. § 375b(9) or in regulations promulgated pursuant thereto) of the Borrower is an “executive officer”, “director” or “principal shareholder” (as those terms are defined in 12 U.S.C. § 375b(8) or (9) or in regulations promulgated pursuant thereto) of any Lender, or a bank holding company of which any Lender is a Subsidiary or of any Subsidiary of a bank holding company of which any Lender is a Subsidiary.
     5.23. Jurisdiction of Organization. The Borrower’s and each Subsidiary’s jurisdiction of organization and organizational identification number and taxpayer identification number are as set forth on Schedule 5.23.
     5.24. Full Disclosure. There are no significant material facts or conditions relating to the making of Credit Extensions, any of the Collateral and/or the financial condition and business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary which could, collectively or individually, cause a Material Adverse Effect, and which have not been fully disclosed, in writing, to the Lenders. There are no statements or conclusions in any Reserve Report which are based upon or include materially misleading information or fail to take into account material information regarding the matter reported therein, except as to projections as to the results of future operations and estimated quantities of reserves furnished to the Lenders, as to which the Borrower represents that such projections were made based on assumptions believed by the Borrower to be reasonable at the time made. The Borrower has heretofore delivered to each Lender true, correct and complete copies of the Initial Reserve Report.
     5.25. Gas Imbalances. Except as set forth on Schedule 5.25, as of October 31, 2005, on a net basis there are no gas imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments with respect to the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties which would require the Borrower or a

 


 

Subsidiary to deliver Hydrocarbons produced from the Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Properties at some future time without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor.
     5.26 No Default. No event has occurred and is continuing which constitutes a Default or an Unmatured Default.
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ARTICLE VI
COVENANTS
     During the term of this Agreement, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise consent in writing:
     6.1. Financial Reporting. The Parent will maintain, for itself and each Subsidiary, a system of accounting established and administered in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles, and furnish to the Lenders:
  (i)   within ninety (90) days after the close of each of its fiscal years, unqualified audited financial statements prepared by independent certified public accountants acceptable to the Lenders, prepared in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles on a consolidated and consolidating basis for itself and its subsidiaries, including balance sheets as of the end of such period, related profit and loss and reconciliation of surplus statements, and a statement of cash flows, accompanied by any management letter prepared by said accountant in connection with the annual audited financial statements;
 
  (ii)   within forty-five (45) days after the close of the first three quarterly periods of each of its fiscal years, for itself and its Subsidiaries, consolidated and consolidating unaudited balance sheets as at the close of each such period and consolidated and consolidating profit and loss and reconciliation of surplus statements and a statement of cash flows for the period from the beginning of such fiscal year to the end of such quarter, all certified by its chief financial officer;
 
  (iii)   together with the financial statements required under Sections 6.1(i) and (ii), a compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit F signed by its chief financial officer showing the calculations necessary to determine compliance with this Agreement and stating that no Default or Unmatured Default exists, or if any Default or Unmatured Default exists, stating the nature and status thereof;
 
  (iv)   within two hundred seventy (270) days after the close of each fiscal year, a statement of the Unfunded Liabilities of each Single Employer Plan, certified as correct by an actuary enrolled under ERISA;
 
  (v)   as soon as possible and in any event within ten (10) days after the Parent knows that any Reportable Event has occurred with respect to any Plan, a statement, signed by the chief financial officer of the Parent, describing said Reportable Event and the action which the Parent proposes to take with respect thereto;

 


 

  (vi)   as soon as possible and in any event within ten (10) days after receipt by the Borrower, a copy of (a) any notice or claim to the effect that the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is or may be liable to any Person as a result of the Release by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, or any other Person of any Hazardous Substance into the environment, and (b) any notice alleging any violation of any Applicable Environmental Law by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
 
  (vii)   promptly upon the furnishing thereof to the shareholders of the Parent, copies of all financial statements, reports and proxy statements so furnished;
 
  (viii)   promptly upon the filing thereof, copies of all registration statements and annual, quarterly, monthly or other regular reports which the Parent files with the Securities and Exchange Commission;
 
  (ix)   by March 1st of each year, a Reserve Report prepared by an independent petroleum engineer chosen by the Borrower and acceptable to the Required Lenders (the “Independent Engineer”), which report shall be dated as of January 1 of such year, concerning the Oil and Gas Properties and interests owned by the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries which are located in or offshore of the United States of America and which have attributable to them Proved Reserves. This report shall be in form satisfactory to Agent and shall include such reasonable assumptions as the Agent shall specify (including discount rates and projected Hydrocarbon price assumptions), shall contain sufficient information to enable the Borrower to meet the reporting requirements concerning oil and gas reserves contained in Regulations S-K and S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, shall take into account any material “over-produced” and “under produced” status under gas balancing arrangements, and shall contain information and analysis comparable in scope to that contained in the Initial Reserve Report, including the proven oil and gas reserves of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries as of the date of such report, and the discounted net present value (at a rate acceptable to the Lenders). Together with such report, the Borrower shall furnish to the Lenders any updated production history of the proven oil and gas reserves of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries as of such date, the lease operating expenses attributable to the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ Oil and Gas Properties for the prior twelve month period, together with any other information as to the operations of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries as reasonably requested by the Lenders. Together with such report, the Borrower shall furnish to the Lenders such additional data and information concerning pricing, quantities, or volume of production from or attributable to the Oil and Gas Properties with respect thereto as the Lenders may reasonably request. This report shall distinguish (or shall be delivered together with a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Borrower which distinguishes)

 


 

      those properties treated in the report which are Collateral from those properties treated in the report which are not Collateral;
 
  (x)   by September 1st of each year and promptly following notice of an additional Borrowing Base redetermination under Section 2.2.3 above, a Reserve Report prepared as of July 1 of such year by petroleum engineers who are employees of the Borrower, together with an accompanying report on Oil and Gas Property sales, Oil and Gas Property purchases and changes in categories, both in the same form and scope as the reports in clause (x) above. The Reserve Report shall be prepared by or at the direction of the Borrower and shall be certified by the senior petroleum engineer of the Borrower as to the truth and accuracy of the information utilized to prepare the Reserve Report and the estimates included therein;
 
  (xi)   as soon as available, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each fiscal quarter, a report setting forth volumes, prices and margins for all marketing activities of the Borrower and Subsidiaries during such fiscal quarter; and
 
  (xii)   such other information (including reserve, engineering, geological, and title information) as the Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request;
     6.2. Use of Proceeds. The Borrower will, and will cause the Parent and each of their Subsidiaries to, use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions (x) for the acquisition, development and exploration of Oil & Gas Properties; (y) for working capital requirements, capital expenditures, permitted acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; and (z) Letters of Credit. The Borrower will not use any of the proceeds of the Credit Extensions to purchase or carry any “margin stock” (as defined in Regulation U) or extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or repurchasing or carrying margin stock.
     6.3. Notice of Default. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, give prompt notice in writing to the Lenders of the occurrence of any Default or Unmatured Default and of any other development, financial or otherwise, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Furthermore the Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, give prompt notice in writing to the Lenders of the occurrence of any “Default” or “Event of Default” as defined in the Senior Notes Indenture.
     6.4. Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, carry on and conduct its business in substantially the same manner and in substantially the same fields of enterprise as it is presently conducted and do all things necessary to remain duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing as a domestic corporation, partnership or limited liability company in its jurisdiction of

 


 

incorporation or organization, as the case may be, and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted.
     6.5. Taxes. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, timely file complete and correct United States federal and applicable foreign, state and local tax returns required by Law and pay when due all Taxes, assessments and governmental charges and levies upon it or its income, profits or Property, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles.
     6.6. Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all their Property in such amounts and covering such risks as is consistent with sound business practice, and the Borrower will furnish to any Lender upon request full information as to the insurance carried.
     6.7. Compliance with Laws. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, comply with all Laws, rules, regulations, orders, writs, judgments, injunctions, decrees or awards to which it may be subject including, without limitation, all Environmental and ERISA Laws.
     6.8. Maintenance of Properties. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, do all things necessary to, or in respect of non-operated properties cause the operator to, maintain, preserve, protect and keep in good repair, working order and condition (ordinary wear and tear excepted) in accordance with good industry practices all of the Oil and Gas Properties owned by it including, without limitation, all equipment, machinery and facilities, and will make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals and replacements so that its business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times. The state and condition of the Collateral and the Oil and Gas Properties owned by the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries will be preserved and maintained in accordance with the foregoing standards, except to the extent a portion of such Oil and Gas Properties is no longer capable of producing Hydrocarbons in economically reasonable amounts. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, or in respect of non-operated properties cause the operator to, promptly pay and discharge or cause to be paid and discharged all delay rentals, royalties, expenses and debt accruing under, and perform or cause to be performed each and every act, matter or thing required by, each and all of the assignments, deeds, leases, sub-leases, contracts and agreements affecting the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s interests in its Oil and Gas Properties and will do all other things necessary to keep unimpaired their respective rights with respect thereto and prevent any forfeiture thereof or a default thereunder, except to the extent a portion of the Oil and Gas Properties is no longer capable of producing Hydrocarbons in economically reasonable amounts or without potential for commercial development. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, or in respect of non-operated properties cause the operator to, operate its Oil and Gas Properties (or cause its owned but non-operated Oil and Gas Properties to be operated) in a careful and efficient manner in accordance with the practices of the industry and in compliance

 


 

with all applicable contracts and agreements and in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws.
     6.9. Inspection. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, keep accurate books and financial records and to permit the Agent and the Lenders, by their respective representatives and agents, to inspect any of the Property, books and financial records of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, to examine and make copies of the books of accounts and other financial records of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower and each Subsidiary with, and to be advised as to the same by, their respective officers at such reasonable times and intervals as the Agent or any Lender may designate.
     6.10. Dividends; Repurchase of Capital Stock; etc.. Neither the Parent nor the Borrower will, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to, declare or pay any dividends or make any distributions on its capital stock or membership interests (other than dividends payable in its own capital stock or membership interests, as applicable) or redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any of its capital stock or membership interests at any time outstanding, except (i) that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may declare and pay dividends or make distributions to its members or shareholders on a pro rata basis; (ii) the Parent may repurchase, repay, defease, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire any capital stock with the proceeds of the contemporaneous issuance of the capital stock of the Parent and (iii) with the prior approval of the Required Lenders, the Parent may repurchase its capital stock upon the termination of employment of any officer or employee of the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries or upon the termination of the services of any director of such Persons; provided further that, the Parent may repurchase up to $1,000,000 of capital stock in the aggregate from one or more officers or employees of such Persons upon the termination of the employment of such officers or employees.
     6.11. Indebtedness. Neither the Borrower nor the Parent will, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:
  (i)   the Credit Extensions;
 
  (ii)   Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and described in Schedule 6.11;
 
  (iii)   Indebtedness arising under Rate Management Transactions permitted under Section 6.23;
 
  (iv)   Indebtedness among the Parent, the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries;
 
  (v)   Indebtedness associated with bonds or surety obligations required by any governmental or regulatory authority or prior owner in connection with owning or operating its Oil and Gas Properties in the ordinary course of business;

 


 

  (vi)   unsecured accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business which remain unpaid after the expiration of ninety (90) days beyond invoice date or are being contested in good faith and as to which such reserve as is required by Agreement Accounting Principles has been made;
 
  (vii)   Indebtedness not to exceed $2,000,000 at any one time outstanding related to purchase money financing;
 
  (viii)   Indebtedness relating to Capitalized Lease Obligations not to exceed $2,000,000 at any one time outstanding;
 
  (ix)   Indebtedness relating to net production imbalances not to exceed $2,000,000 at any one time outstanding;
 
  (x)   Indebtedness relating to royalties, overriding royalties and other interests carved out of production incurred in the ordinary course of oil and gas exploration and development projects;
 
  (xi)   Indebtedness associated with the financing of premiums for business insurance of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries;
 
  (xii)   Contingent Obligations of the Parent in connection with guarantees of the obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with owning and operating Oil and Gas Properties in the ordinary course of business.
 
  (xiii)   Non-Recourse Indebtedness not to exceed $25,000,000 at any one time outstanding; and
 
  (xiv)   Indebtedness under the Senior Notes;
 
  (xv)   Indebtedness consisting of a guaranty of any Indebtedness which is otherwise permitted;
 
  (xvi)   any renewal, extension, rearrangement or refinancing (but not increases in) any of the Indebtedness permitted by clauses (ii) and (xiv) of this Section 6.11; and
 
  (xvii)   in addition to any of the exceptions listed above, any Indebtedness of the Parent, the Borrower or their Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed $5,000,000.
     6.12. Acquisitions and Merger. Except as provided below, neither the Parent, the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will, directly or indirectly, acquire all or any Substantial Portion of

 


 

the property, assets or stock of, or interest in, any Person, or merge or consolidate with or into any other Person, except that a Subsidiary may merge into another Subsidiary or into the Parent or the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary may acquire by purchase, merger or otherwise, additional Oil and Gas Properties or the capital stock or interests of any Person whose business is primarily the ownership and operation of Oil & Gas Properties.
     6.13. Sale of Assets. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, lease, sell or otherwise dispose of its Property to any other Person, except:
  (i)   the sales of Hydrocarbons in the ordinary course of business.
 
  (ii)   transfers of interests in Oil and Gas Properties in the ordinary course of the joint development of Oil and Gas Properties with others, including without limitation transfers to other parties to joint development agreements, participation agreements, farmout agreements, farmin agreements, exploration agreements, operating agreements and unit agreements;
 
  (iii)   the sale or transfer of equipment that is obsolete, worn-out, depleted or no longer necessary for their business or is replaced by equipment of at least comparable value and use;
 
  (iv)   during any consecutive twelve month period, sales of Oil and Gas Properties in the ordinary course that will not exceed, in the aggregate, five percent (5%) of the Borrowing Base then in effect, and that will not materially impair or diminish the value of the Collateral or the Borrower’s financial condition; and
 
  (v)   leases, sales or other dispositions of Oil and Gas Properties, other than those permitted in subsections (i) through (iv) above, that, during any consecutive twelve-month period, do not constitute a Substantial Portion of the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
Upon the written request of the Borrower setting forth in reasonable detail the transfer, sale or conveyance of assets in a transaction which may be permitted above, the Agent will execute and deliver to the Borrower such documentation as is reasonably necessary in the opinion of the Agent and its counsel to release the Lender Liens on assets so transferred, sold or conveyed.
     6.14. Investments and Acquisitions. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, make or suffer to exist any Investments or commitments therefore, or to create any Subsidiary or to become or remain a partner in any partnership or joint venture except:
  (i)   Cash Equivalent Investments;

 


 

  (ii)   existing Investments in Subsidiaries and other Investments in existence on the date hereof and described in Schedule 6.14;
 
  (iii)   acquisition of interests in Oil and Gas Properties and related assets in the ordinary course of the conduct of the exploration, development and production business of the Borrower and Parent;
 
  (iv)   Investments made in the ordinary course of acquiring, exploring, developing and producing Oil and Gas Properties and marketing, transporting, processing and treating production therefrom;
 
  (v)   loans and advances and other Investments among the Parent, the Borrower and any of their Subsidiaries;
 
  (vi)   any Subsidiary may be created or acquired if within two Business Days of its creation or acquisition it becomes a Guarantor by executing a Guaranty substantially similar to the Guaranty;
 
  (vii)   any acquisition or merger as permitted in Section 6.12;
 
  (viii)   Investments made with respect to Rate Management Transactions permitted by Section 6.23; and
 
  (xi)   Investments (including Indebtedness and other obligations) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of suppliers, customers and joint owners of Oil and Gas Properties and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with such Persons, in the ordinary course of business not to exceed $2,000,000.
     6.15. Liens. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, or suffer to exist any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except:
  (i)   Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on its Property if the same shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without penalty, or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles shall have been set aside on its books;
 
  (ii)   Liens imposed by Law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ liens and other similar liens arising in the ordinary course of business which secure payment of obligations not more than 60 days past due, or are being contested in

 


 

      good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles shall have been set aside on its books;
 
  (iii)   Liens arising out of pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation Laws, unemployment insurance, old age pensions, or other social security or retirement benefits, or similar legislation;
 
  (iv)   utility easements, building restrictions and such other encumbrances or charges against real property as are of a nature generally existing with respect to properties of a similar character and which do not in any material way affect the marketability of the same or interfere with the use thereof in the business of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries;
 
  (v)   Liens existing from time to time hereof in favor of the Minerals Management Service;
 
  (vi)   Liens in favor of the Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, granted pursuant to any Collateral Document and other Liens expressly permitted under the Collateral Documents;
 
  (vii)   Liens in favor of operators and non-operators under joint operating agreements or similar contractual arrangements arising in the ordinary course of the business of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries to secure amounts owing, which amounts are not more than sixty (60) days past due or are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, if such reserve as may be required by Agreement Accounting Principles shall have been made therefor;
 
  (viii)   Liens under production sales agreements, division orders, operating agreements, and other agreements customary in the oil and gas business for processing, producing, and selling Hydrocarbons securing obligations not constituting Indebtedness and provided that such Liens do not secure obligations to deliver Hydrocarbons at some future date without receiving full payment therefor within ninety (90) days of delivery;
 
  (ix)   Liens in connection with Rate Management Transactions permitted under Section 6.23; and
 
  (x)   Liens or any insurance policy or on any prepaid premiums on any such policy securing Indebtedness related to the payment of insurance premiums with respect to such policy which Indebtedness is permitted under Section 6.11(xi).

 


 

     6.16. Operating Leases. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will enter into or remain liable upon any Operating Lease, except for Operating Leases which have Operating Lease Obligations of not more than $2,000,000 per annum.
     6.17. Trade Liabilities. The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries will timely pay all liabilities owed by it on ordinary trade terms to vendors, suppliers, and other Persons providing goods and services used by it in the ordinary course of its business, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles.
     6.18. Affiliates. The Parent shall not permit the assets of PetroQuest Oil & Gas to ever be anything other than the legal interests in Oil and Gas Properties, the beneficial interests of which is owned by Persons other than the Borrower and/or the Parent. The Parent will not permit any other Person to become a member of PetroQuest Oil & Gas. The Parent will not nor will it permit the Borrower or any other Subsidiary to transfer assets of the Parent, the Borrower, or any Subsidiary to or assume or discharge the liabilities of PetroQuest Oil & Gas. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase or sale of any Property or service) with, or make any payment or transfer to, any Affiliate except in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than the Borrower or such Subsidiary would obtain in a comparable arms-length transaction. Except as permitted below, Parent will not nor will it permit the Borrower or any other Subsidiary to transfer assets of Parent, the Borrower or any other Subsidiary to any Excluded Subsidiary, provide, however, Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary may fund working capital to CSP Pipeline in an amount not to exceed $250,000 in any calendar year.
     6.19. Agreement to Deliver Collateral Documents. The Borrower agrees to deliver, and to cause each Subsidiary to deliver, to further secure the Obligations whenever requested by the Agent in its sole and absolute discretion, Deeds of Trust, mortgages, chattel mortgages, security agreements, financing statements and other Collateral Documents in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent for the purpose of granting, confirming, and perfecting first and prior liens or security interests in any real or personal Property now owned or hereafter acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, so as to maintain at all times such liens and security interests in, to and on at least ninety percent (90%) of the PDP Present Value of Oil and Gas Properties owned by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and located in the United States or it s offshore waters and at least eighty percent (80%) of the aggregate Proved Reserves of Oil and Gas Properties located in the United States or its offshore waters owned by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries. The Borrower also agrees to deliver, and to cause each Subsidiary to deliver, whenever requested by the Agent in its sole and absolute discretion, favorable title opinions from legal counsel acceptable to the Agent with respect to any of the Oil and Gas Properties designated by the Agent, based upon abstract or record examinations to dates acceptable to the Agent and (i) stating that such Person has good and defensible title to such properties and

 


 

interests, free and clear of all Liens other than Liens permitted under Section 6.15, (ii) confirming that such Oil and Gas Properties and interests therein are subject to Collateral Documents securing the Obligations that constitute and create legal, valid and duly perfected first deed of trust or mortgage liens in such properties and interests and first priority assignments of and security interests in the Hydrocarbons attributable to such properties and interests and the proceeds thereof, and (iii) covering such other matters as the Agent may request.
     6.20. Maintenance of Liens. The Borrower will perform, and will cause each Subsidiary to perform, such acts and duly authorize, execute, acknowledge, deliver, file and record such additional assignments, security agreements, deeds of trust, mortgages and other agreements, documents, instruments and certificates as the Lenders may reasonably deem necessary or appropriate in order to perfect and maintain the Liens in favor of the Lenders and preserve and protect the Rights of the Lenders.
     6.21. Title Information. By March 1st and September 1st of each year, the Borrower will deliver any acquisition summaries, title opinions and due diligence reports prepared in connection with the acquisition and the financing of the acquisition of such Oil and Gas Properties prepared for the Borrower or the Person financing such acquisition and such additional title information in form and substance acceptable to the Lenders as is requested so that the Lenders shall have received, together with the title information previously received by the Lenders, satisfactory title information covering Oil and Gas Properties representing ninety percent (90%) of the value of such Oil and Gas Properties as set forth in such Reserve Report, as such value is set forth therein. From time to time upon written request of the Agent, the Borrower shall cause to be delivered and addressed to the Agent and the Lenders the written opinions of counsel of the Borrower and any Guarantor to the effect that the Deeds of Trust constitute first, prior perfected Liens on the Oil and Gas Properties the States of Texas and Louisiana, in substantially the form of Exhibit G.
     6.22. Deposit of Production Proceeds. Notwithstanding that, by the terms of the various Loan Documents, the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries are and will be assigning to the Agent and the Lenders all of the “Production Proceeds” (as defined therein) accruing to the Property covered thereby, so long as no Default has occurred the Borrower and each Subsidiary may continue to receive from the purchasers of production all such Production Proceeds, subject, however, to the Liens created under the Loan Documents, which Liens are hereby affirmed and ratified and provided that to further secure the Agent’s and Lenders’ Liens upon such Production Proceeds, the Borrower and each Subsidiary agree to maintain their operating accounts with the Agent and not to redirect the payment of Production Proceeds from such operating accounts without the written consent of the Agent. Upon the occurrence of a Default, the Agent and the Lenders may exercise all rights and remedies granted under the Loan Documents, including the right to obtain possession of all Production Proceeds then held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or to receive directly from the purchasers of production all Production Proceeds. In no case shall any failure, whether purposed or inadvertent, by the Agent or the Lenders to collect directly any such Production Proceeds constitute in any way a waiver,

 


 

remission or release of any of their rights under the Loan Documents, nor shall any release of any Production Proceeds by the Agent or the Lenders to the Borrower or any Subsidiary constitute a waiver, remission, or release of any other Production Proceeds or of any rights of the Agent or the Lenders to collect other Production Proceeds thereafter.
     6.23. Rate Management Transactions. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will be a party to or in any manner be liable on any Rate Management Transactions except:
  (i)   contracts entered into with the purpose of fixing prices on oil or gas expected to be produced by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries, provided that at all times: (a) no such contract fixes a price for a term of more than thirty-six (36) months; (b) the aggregate monthly production covered by all such contracts (determined, in the case of contracts that are not settled on a monthly basis, by a monthly pro-ration acceptable to the Agent) for any single month does not in the aggregate exceed (x) eighty-five percent (85%) during the first thirty-six (36) months after the date hereof and fifty percent (50%) during the twelve (12) month period thereafter through and including the Facility Termination Date of the aggregate Projected Oil Production of the Borrower, Parent and their Subsidiaries anticipated to be sold in the ordinary course of such Person’s business for such month and (y) eighty-five percent (85%) during the first thirty-six (36) months after the date hereof and fifty percent (50%) during the twelve (12) month period thereafter through and including the Facility Termination Date of the aggregate Projected Gas Production of the Borrower, Parent and their Subsidiaries anticipated to be sold in the ordinary course of such Person’s business for such month; (c) each such contract is with a counterparty or has a guarantor of the obligation of the counterparty who (unless such counterparty is a Lender or one of its Affiliates) at the time such contract is made has (or whose holding company has) long-term obligations rated BBB or better by S&P or Baa2 or better by Moody’s or is an investment grade-rated industry participant. As used in this subsection, the term “Projected Oil Production” and “Projected Gas Production” means, in the case of each such commodity, the projected production of oil or gas, as the case may be, (measured by volume unit or BTU equivalent, not sales price) for the term of the contracts or a particular month, as applicable, from Oil and Gas Properties and interests owned by the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries which are located in or offshore of the United States of America and which have attributable to them Proved Reserves, as such production is determined by the Agent using the most recent Reserve Report delivered pursuant to Section 6.1, after deducting projected production from any properties or interests sold or under contract for sale that had been included in such report and after adding projected production from any properties or interests that had not been reflected in such report but that are reflected in a separate or supplemental reports meeting the requirements of Section 6.1 above and otherwise are satisfactory to the Agent; and

 


 

  (ii)   contracts entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the purpose and effect of fixing interest rates on a principal amount of indebtedness of such Person that is accruing interest at a variable rate, provided that (a) the aggregate notional amount of such contracts never exceeds eighty-five percent (85%) of the anticipated outstanding principal balance of the Indebtedness to be hedged by such contracts or an average of such principal balances calculated using a generally accepted method of matching interest swap contracts to declining principal balances, (b) the floating rate index of each such contract generally matches the index used to determine the floating rates of interest on the corresponding indebtedness to be hedged by such contract, and (c) each such contract is with a counterparty or has a guarantor of the obligation of the counterparty who (unless such counterparty is a Lender or one of its Affiliates) at the time the contract is made has (or whose company has) long-term obligations rated AA or AA2 or better, respectively, by either S&P or Moody’s or is an investment grade-rated industry participant.
     6.24. Sale of Accounts. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will sell or otherwise dispose of any notes receivable or accounts receivable, with or without recourse.
     6.25. Sale and Leaseback Transactions and Other Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will enter into or suffer to exist any (i) Sale and Leaseback Transaction or (ii) any other transaction pursuant to which it incurs or has incurred Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities, except for (i) Non-Recourse Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under the terms of Section 6.11; and (ii) Rate Management Transactions permitted to be incurred under the terms of Section 6.23.
     6.26. Contingent Obligations. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will make or suffer to exist any Contingent Obligation (including, without limitation, any Contingent Obligation with respect to the obligations of a Subsidiary), other than those in connection with guarantees of the obligations of Subsidiaries in connection with owning and operating Oil and Gas Properties in the ordinary course of business, except (i) by endorsement of instruments for deposit or collection in the ordinary course of business, (ii) the Reimbursement Obligations, and (iii) that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may incur Contingent Obligations with respect to Obligations permitted hereunder.
     6.27. Financial Contracts. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary will enter into or remain liable upon any Financial Contract, except for Rate Management Transactions required or permitted under Section 6.25.
     6.28. Financial Covenants.
          6.28.1 Debt Coverage Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the ratio of (A) Consolidated Indebtedness to (B) annualized Consolidated EBITDDA, determined on a

 


 

rolling four quarter basis (and taking into account, on a proforma basis, the revenues and expenses attributable to any Oil and Gas Properties acquired during the rolling four quarter period and deducting any revenues and expenses attributable to Oil & Gas Properties disposed of during such period) to be greater than 2.50 to 1.00.
     6.28.2 Current Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the ratio of Consolidated Current Assets to Consolidated Current Liabilities, excluding current maturities of long term debt and current payables resulting from any Rate Management Transaction, to be less than 1.0 to 1.0 at any time.
     6.30. Senior Notes. The Senior Notes will be unsecured obligations of Parent and the Borrower, as co-issuers, guarantied by the unsecured guaranties of the Subsidiary Guarantors (as such term is described in the Senior Notes Indenture). If not previously provided pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the Borrower will promptly provide the Agent with copies of all documentation, notices and reports provided by or on behalf of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Subsidiary to the holders of the Senior Notes. On or before the date the financial statements are due pursuant to Sections 6.1(i) and (ii) hereof, the Borrower shall deliver to the Agent a certificate, executed by an Authorized Officer of the Borrower, setting forth the outstanding principal balance of the Senior Notes as of the last day of the preceding month. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Guarantor or any Subsidiary to, make any (i) amendment or modification to the Senior Notes or the Senior Notes Indenture (other than supplemental indentures to add subsidiary guarantors as contemplated by the Senior Notes Indenture or, in the event of any discrepancy, to conform the Senior Notes Indenture to the terms in the Senior Notes Indenture) which would be materially adverse to the Lenders without the prior written consent of the Required Lenders; or (ii) directly or indirectly voluntarily prepay, defease or in substance defease, purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire, any portion of the Senior Notes without the prior written consent of the Required Lenders; provided that (I) Parent may redeem Senior Notes out of the net cash proceeds of Equity Offerings (as that term is defined in the Senior Notes Indenture) to the extent described in the Senior Notes; and (II) the Borrower and Parent may comply with their obligations with respect to the purchase of Senior Notes upon (x) an Asset Disposition (as that term is defined in the Senior Notes Indenture) to the extent set forth in the Senior Notes Indenture so long as, prior to such purchase, the Borrower shall have offered to prepay the Obligations to the Lenders by a like amount and the Lenders shall have declined that offer or (y) a Change of Control (as that term is defined in the Senior Notes Indenture) to the extent set forth in the Senior Notes Indenture so long as, if such Change of Control constitutes an Unmatured Default or an Event of Default, the Obligations to the Lender shall have been paid in full prior to such purchase.
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ARTICLE VII
DEFAULTS
     The occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall constitute a Default:
     7.1. Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Lenders or the Agent under or in connection with this Agreement, any Credit Extension, or any certificate or information delivered in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall prove to have been materially false on the date as of which made.
     7.2. Nonpayment of principal of any Loan when due, nonpayment of any Reimbursement Obligation within three Business Days after the same becomes due, or nonpayment of interest upon any Loan or of any commitment fee, LC Fee or other obligations under any of the Loan Documents within five days after the same becomes due.
     7.3. The material breach by the Borrower of any of the terms or provisions of Sections 6.2, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19, 6.23, 6.24, 6.25, 6.26, 6.27, 6.28, or 6.29.
     7.4. The material breach by the Borrower (other than a breach which constitutes a Default under another Section of this Article VII) of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement which is not remedied within thirty days after written notice from the Agent or any Lender.
     7.5. Failure of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to pay when due any Indebtedness (other than the Obligations) aggregating in excess of $1,000,000 (“Material Indebtedness”); or the default by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the performance (beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) of any term, provision or condition contained in any agreement under which any such Material Indebtedness was created or is governed, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default or event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Material Indebtedness to cause, such Material Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity; or any Material Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall be declared to be due and payable or required to be prepaid or repurchased (other than by a regularly scheduled payment) prior to the stated maturity thereof; or the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall not pay, or admit in writing its inability to pay, its debts generally as they become due.
     7.6. The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) have an order for relief entered with respect to it under the federal bankruptcy Laws as now or hereafter in effect, (ii) make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) apply for, seek, consent to, or acquiesce in, the

 


 

appointment of a receiver, custodian, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official for it or any Substantial Portion of its Property, (iv) institute any proceeding seeking an order for relief under the federal bankruptcy Laws as now or hereafter in effect or seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking dissolution, winding up, liquidation, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of it or its debts under any Law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or fail to file an answer or other pleading denying the material allegations of any such proceeding filed against it, (v) take any corporate, limited liability company or partnership action to authorize or effect any of the foregoing actions set forth in this Section 7.6 or (vi) fail to contest in good faith any appointment or proceeding described in Section 7.7.
     7.7. Without the application, approval or consent of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, a receiver, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official shall be appointed for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any Substantial Portion of its Property, or a proceeding described in Section 7.6(iv) shall be instituted against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and such appointment continues undischarged or such proceeding continues undismissed or unstayed for a period of 30 consecutive days.
     7.8. Any court, government or governmental agency shall condemn, seize or otherwise appropriate, or take custody or control of, all or any portion of the Property of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries which, when taken together with all other Property of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries so condemned, seized, appropriated, or taken custody or control of, during the twelve-month period ending with the month in which any such action occurs, constitutes a Substantial Portion unless Outstanding Credit Exposure is contemporaneously reduced by the Release Price determined in connection therewith by the Required Lenders.
     7.9. The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail within 30 days to pay, bond or otherwise discharge one or more (i) judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $2,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in currencies other than U.S. Dollars) in the aggregate, or (ii) nonmonetary judgments or orders which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, which judgment(s), in any such case, is/are not stayed on appeal or otherwise being appropriately contested in good faith.
     7.10. The Unfunded Liabilities of all Single Employer Plans shall exceed in the aggregate $100,000 or any Reportable Event shall occur in connection with any Plan.
     7.11. The Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group shall have been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan, if any, that it has incurred withdrawal liability to such Multiemployer Plan in an amount which, when aggregated with all other amounts required to be paid to Multiemployer Plans by the Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group as withdrawal liability (determined as of the date of such notification), exceeds $1,000,000 or requires payments exceeding $1,000,000 per annum.

 


 

     7.12. The Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group shall have been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that such Multiemployer Plan, if any, is in reorganization or is being terminated, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA, if as a result of such reorganization or termination the aggregate annual contributions of the Borrower and the other members of the Controlled Group (taken as a whole) to all Multiemployer Plans which are then in reorganization or being terminated have been or will be increased over the amounts contributed to such Multiemployer Plans for the respective plan years of each such Multiemployer Plan immediately preceding the plan year in which the reorganization or termination occurs by an amount exceeding $100,000.
     7.13. The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) be the subject of any proceeding or investigation pertaining to the Release by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any other Person of any Hazardous Substance into the environment, or (ii) violate any Applicable Environmental Law, which, in the case of an event described in clause (i) or clause (ii), could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     7.14. Any Change in Control shall occur.
     7.15. The occurrence of any “default”, as defined in any Loan Document (other than this Agreement) or the breach of any of the terms or provisions of any Loan Document (other than this Agreement), which default or breach continues beyond any period of grace therein provided.
     7.16. Nonpayment by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of any Rate Management Obligation when due or the material breach by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of any term, provision or condition contained in any Rate Management Transaction, in each case subject to any grace period associated therewith.
     7.17. Any Guaranty shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of any Guaranty, or any Guarantor shall fail to comply with any of the terms or provisions of any Guaranty to which it is a party and such failure could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or any Guarantor shall deny that it has any further liability under any Guaranty to which it is a party, or shall give notice to such effect.
     7.18. Any Collateral Document shall for any reason fail to create a valid and perfected first priority security interest in any material portion of the Collateral (as determined by the Agent in its reasonable judgment) purported to be covered thereby, except as permitted by the terms of any Collateral Document, or any Collateral Document shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of any Collateral Document as to any material portion of the Collateral (as determined by the

 


 

Agent in its reasonable judgment), or the Borrower shall fail to comply with any of the material terms or provisions of any Collateral Document.
     7.19. The representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.15 (Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions) shall at any time not be true and correct.
     7.20 The Borrower and/or Parent shall fail to timely pay any of its obligations to the holders of the Senior Notes or any other “Event of Default” shall occur under the Senior Notes or the Senior Notes Indenture.
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ARTICLE VIII
ACCELERATION, WAIVERS, AMENDMENTS AND REMEDIES
     8.1. Acceleration. If any Default described in Sections 7.6, 7.7 or 7.20 occurs with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder and the obligation and power of the LC Issuer to issue Facility LCs shall automatically terminate and the Obligations shall immediately become due and payable without any election or action on the part of the Agent, the LC Issuer or any Lender and the Borrower will be and become thereby unconditionally obligated, without any further notice, act or demand, to pay to the Agent an amount in immediately available funds, which funds shall be held in the Facility LC Collateral Account, equal to the excess of (x) the amount of LC Obligations at such time, over (y) the amount on deposit in the Facility LC Collateral Account at such time which is free and clear of all rights and claims of third parties and has not been applied against the Obligations (such difference, the “Collateral Shortfall Amount”). If any other Default occurs, the Required Lenders (or the Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) may (a) terminate or suspend the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder and the obligation and power of the LC Issuer to issue Facility LCs, or declare the Obligations to be due and payable, or both, whereupon the Obligations shall become immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest, notice of intent to accelerate, notice of acceleration or notice of any kind, all of which the Borrower hereby expressly waives, and (b) upon notice to the Borrower and in addition to the continuing right to demand payment of all amounts payable under this Agreement, make demand on the Borrower to pay, and the Borrower will, forthwith upon such demand and without any further notice or act, pay to the Agent the Collateral Shortfall Amount, which funds shall be deposited in the Facility LC Collateral Account.
  (i)   If at any time while any Default is continuing, the Agent determines that the Collateral Shortfall Amount is greater than zero, the Agent may make demand on the Borrower to pay, and the Borrower will, forthwith upon such demand and without any further notice or act, pay to the Agent the Collateral Shortfall Amount, which funds shall be deposited in the Facility LC Collateral Account.
 
  (ii)   The Agent may at any time or from time to time after funds are deposited in the Facility LC Collateral Account, apply such funds to the payment of the Obligations or any other amounts as shall from time to time have become due and payable by the Borrower to the Lenders or the LC Issuer under the Loan Documents.
 
  (iii)   At any time while any Default is continuing, neither the Borrower nor any Person claiming on behalf of or through the Borrower shall have any right to withdraw any of the funds held in the Facility LC Collateral Account. After all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full and the Aggregate Commitment has been terminated, any funds remaining in the Facility LC Collateral Account

 


 

      shall be returned by the Agent to the Borrower or paid to whomever may be legally entitled thereto at such time.
 
  (iv)   If, within ten (10) days after acceleration of the maturity of the Obligations or termination of the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and the obligation and power of the LC Issuer to issue Facility LCs hereunder as a result of any Default (other than any Default as described in Sections 7.6, 7.7 or 7.20 with respect to the Borrower) and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the Obligations due shall have been obtained or entered, the Required Lenders (in their sole discretion) shall so direct, the Agent shall, by notice to the Borrower, rescind and annul such acceleration and/or termination.
     8.2. Amendments. Subject to the provisions of this Article VIII, the Required Lenders (or the Agent with the consent in writing of the Required Lenders) and the Borrower may enter into agreements supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding or modifying any provisions to the Loan Documents or changing in any manner the rights of the Lenders or the Borrower hereunder or waiving any Default hereunder; provided, however, that no such supplemental agreement shall, without the consent of all of the Lenders:
  (i)   extend the final maturity of any Loan, or extend the expiry date of any Facility LC to a date after the Facility Termination Date or forgive all or any portion of the principal amount thereof or any Reimbursement Obligation related thereto, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest or fees thereon or Reimbursement Obligations related thereto;
 
  (ii)   reduce the percentage specified in the definition of Required Lenders;
 
  (iii)   extend the Facility Termination Date, or reduce the amount or extend the payment date for, the mandatory payments required under Section 2.2.7, or increase the Commitment of any Lender hereunder or the commitment to issue Facility LCs, or permit the Borrower to assign its rights under this Agreement;
 
  (iv)   amend this Section 8.2; or
 
  (v)   except as provided in the Collateral Documents, release all or substantially all of the Collateral.
No amendment of any provision of this Agreement relating to the Agent shall be effective without the written consent of the Agent, and no amendment of any provision relating to the LC Issuer shall be effective without the written consent of the LC Issuer. The Agent may waive payment of the fee required under Section 12.3.2 without obtaining the consent of any other party to this Agreement.

 


 

     8.3. Preservation of Rights. No delay or omission of the Lenders, the LC Issuer or the Agent to exercise any Right under the Loan Documents shall impair such Right or be construed to be a waiver of any Default or an acquiescence therein, and the making of a Credit Extension notwithstanding the existence of a Default or the inability of the Borrower to satisfy the conditions precedent to such Credit Extension shall not constitute any waiver or acquiescence. Any single or partial exercise of any such Right shall not preclude other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other Right, and no waiver, amendment or other variation of the terms, conditions or provisions of the Loan Documents whatsoever shall be valid unless in writing signed by the Lenders required pursuant to Section 8.2, and then only to the extent in such writing specifically set forth. All remedies contained in the Loan Documents or by Law afforded shall be cumulative and all shall be available to the Agent, the LC Issuer and the Lenders until the Obligations have been paid in full.
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ARTICLE IX
GENERAL PROVISIONS
     9.1. Survival of Representations. All representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in this Agreement shall survive the making of the Credit Extensions herein contemplated.
     9.2. Governmental Regulation. Anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, neither the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall be obligated to extend credit to the Borrower in violation of any limitation or prohibition provided by any applicable Law.
     9.3. Headings. Section headings in the Loan Documents are for convenience of reference only, and shall not govern the interpretation of any of the provisions of the Loan Documents.
     9.4. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. THE LOAN DOCUMENTS EMBODY THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE BORROWER, THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER AND THE LENDERS AND SUPERSEDE ALL PRIOR AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS AMONG THE BORROWER, THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER AND THE LENDERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT MATTER THEREOF OTHER THAN THE FEE LETTER DESCRIBED IN SECTION 10.13.
     9.5. Several Obligations; Benefits of this Agreement. The respective obligations of the Lenders hereunder are several and not joint and no Lender shall be the partner or agent of any other (except to the extent to which the Agent is authorized to act as such). The failure of any Lender to perform any of its obligations hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender from any of its obligations hereunder. This Agreement shall not be construed so as to confer any right or benefit upon any Person other than the parties to this Agreement and their respective successors and assigns, provided, however, that the parties hereto expressly agree that the Arranger shall enjoy the benefits of the provisions of Sections 9.6, 9.10 and 10.11 to the extent specifically set forth therein and shall have the right to enforce such provisions on its own behalf and in its own name to the same extent as if it were a party to this Agreement.
     9.6. Expenses; Indemnification. (i) The Borrower shall reimburse the Agent and the Arranger for any costs, internal charges and out-of-pocket expenses (including attorneys’ fees and time charges of outside attorneys for the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer and the Lenders) paid or incurred by the Agent or the Arranger in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery, syndication, review, amendment, modification, and administration of the Loan Documents. The Borrower also agrees to reimburse the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer and the Lenders for any costs, internal charges and out-of-pocket expenses (including attorneys’ fees and time charges of outside attorneys for the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer and the Lenders) paid or incurred by the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer or any Lender in connection

 


 

with the collection and enforcement of the Loan Documents. The Borrower acknowledges that from time to time JPMorgan Chase may prepare and may distribute to the Lenders (but shall have no obligation or duty to prepare or to distribute to the Lenders) certain audit reports (the “Reports”) pertaining to the Borrower’s assets for internal use by JPMorgan Chase from information furnished to it by or on behalf of the Borrower, after JPMorgan Chase has exercised its rights of inspection pursuant to this Agreement.
     (ii) The Borrower hereby further agrees to indemnify the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer, each Lender, their respective Affiliates, and each of their directors, officers and employees against all losses, claims, damages, penalties, judgments, liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, all expenses of litigation or preparation therefor whether or not the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer, any Lender or any Affiliate is a party thereto) which any of them may pay or incur arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, the transactions contemplated hereby or the direct or indirect application or proposed application of the proceeds of any Credit Extension hereunder except to the extent that they are determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party seeking indemnification. The obligations of the Borrower under this Section 9.6 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
     9.7. Numbers of Documents. All statements, notices, closing documents, and requests hereunder shall be furnished to the Agent with sufficient counterparts so that the Agent may furnish one to each of the Lenders.
     9.8. Accounting. Except as provided to the contrary herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted and all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles, except that any calculation or determination which is to be made on a consolidated basis shall be made for the Borrower and all its Subsidiaries, including those Subsidiaries, if any, which are unconsolidated on the Borrower’s audited financial statements.
     9.9. Severability of Provisions. Any provision in any Loan Document that is held to be inoperative, unenforceable, or invalid in any jurisdiction shall, as to that jurisdiction, be inoperative, unenforceable, or invalid without affecting the remaining provisions in that jurisdiction or the operation, enforceability, or validity of that provision in any other jurisdiction, and to this end the provisions of all Loan Documents are declared to be severable.
     9.10. Nonliability of Lenders. The relationship between the Borrower on the one hand and the Lenders, the LC Issuer and the Agent on the other hand shall be solely that of the Borrower and Lender. Neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall have any fiduciary responsibilities to the Borrower. Neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender undertakes any responsibility to the Borrower to review or inform the Borrower of any matter in connection with any phase of the Borrower’s business or operations. The

 


 

Borrower agrees that neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall have liability to the Borrower (whether sounding in tort, contract or otherwise) for losses suffered by the Borrower in connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to, the transactions contemplated and the relationship established by the Loan Documents, or any act, omission or event occurring in connection therewith, unless it is determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such losses resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party from which recovery is sought. Neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall have any liability with respect to, and the Borrower hereby waives, releases and agrees not to sue for, any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages suffered by the Borrower in connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to the Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby.
     9.11. Confidentiality. 9.11. Each Lender agrees to hold any confidential information which it may receive from the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement in confidence, except for disclosure (i) to its Affiliates and to other Lenders and their respective Affiliates, (ii) to legal counsel, accountants, and other professional advisors to such Lender or to a Transferee, (iii) to regulatory officials, (iv) to any Person as requested pursuant to or as required by Law, regulation, or legal process, (v) to any Person in connection with any legal proceeding to which such Lender is a party, (vi) to such Lender’s direct or indirect contractual counterparties in swap agreements or to legal counsel, accountants and other professional advisors to such counterparties, (vii) permitted by Section 12.4, and (viii) to rating agencies if requested or required by such agencies in connection with a rating relating to the Advances hereunder. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, confidential information shall not include, and each Lender (and each employee, representative or other agent of any Lender) may disclose to any and all Persons, without limitation of any kind, the “tax treatment” and “tax structure” (in each case, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4) of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are or have been provided to such Lender relating to such tax treatment or tax structure; provided that with respect to any document or similar item that in either case contains information concerning such tax treatment or tax structure of the transactions contemplated hereby as well as other information, this sentence shall only apply to such portions of the document or similar item that relate to such tax treatment or tax structure.
     9.12. Nonreliance. Each Lender hereby represents that it is not relying on or looking to any margin stock (as defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) for the repayment of the Credit Extensions provided for herein.
     9.13. Disclosure. The Borrower and each Lender hereby (i) acknowledge and agree that JPMorgan Chase and/or its Affiliates from time to time may hold investments in, make other loans to or have other relationships with the Parent, the Borrower and their Affiliates, and (ii) waive any liability of JPMorgan Chase or such Affiliate of JPMorgan Chase to the Borrower or any Lender, respectively, arising out of or resulting from such investments, loans or relationships

 


 

other than liabilities arising out of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of JPMorgan Chase or its Affiliates.
     9.14 Interest. It is the intention of the Parties to comply with applicable usury Laws; accordingly, it is agreed that notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in any Loan Document, in no event shall any Loan Document permit the collection of interest in excess of the maximum amount permitted by such Laws. If any such excess of interest is contracted for, charged or received under any Loan Document or if the maturity of the Obligation is accelerated in whole or in part, or in the event that all or part of the principal or interest of the Obligation shall be prepaid, so that under any of such circumstances the amount of interest contracted for, charged or received under any Loan Document on the amount of principal actually outstanding from time to time under the Obligation shall exceed the maximum amount of interest permitted by applicable usury Laws, then in any such event: (i) the provisions of this Section 9.14 shall govern and control; (ii) no Person now or hereafter liable for the payment of the Obligation shall be obligated to pay the amount of such interest to the extent that it is in excess of the maximum amount of interest permitted to be contracted for by, charged to or received from the Person obligated thereon under the applicable usury Laws; (iii) any such excess which may have been collected shall be either applied as a credit against the then unpaid principal amount on the Obligation or refunded to the Person paying the same, at the holder’s option; and (iv) the effective rate of interest shall be automatically reduced to the maximum lawful rate of interest permitted to be contracted for by, charged to or received from the Person obligated thereon under the applicable usury Laws as now or hereafter construed by the courts having jurisdiction thereof. To the extent the Laws of the State of Texas are applicable for purposes of determining the “Highest Lawful Rate,” such term shall mean the “weekly rate ceiling” from time to time in effect under Chapter 303 of the Texas Finance Code, as amended from time to time in effect, subject to the Lender’s right subsequently to change such method in accordance with applicable Law. The provisions of Chapter 346 of Tex. Finance Code Ann. (Vernon 2002), regulating certain revolving credit accounts shall not govern or in any manner apply to the Obligation.
     9.15 NO ORAL AGREEMENTS. THIS WRITTEN LOAN AGREEMENT, THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND THE FEE LETTER REPRESENT THE FINAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR, CONTEMPORANEOUS, OR SUBSEQUENT ORAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES. THERE ARE NO UNWRITTEN ORAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
     9.16 Survival of Representations. All representations and warranties herein contained or made in writing in connection with this Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of the Loans hereunder and shall continue in full force and effect until the Obligation shall have been paid in full.
     9.17 Amendment and Restatement. The Parent and the Borrower acknowledge and agree and it is the intention of the parties hereto that this Agreement and any Note issued

 


 

hereunder (a) represents in part a renewal, modification and extension but not a novation or discharge of the indebtedness outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement and any documents executed in connection therewith; and (b) is secured by and entitled to the benefits of certain Collateral Documents (as identified and defined in the Prior Credit Agreement). Payments pursuant to this Agreement or any Note hereunder shall be made and applied as provided herein.
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ARTICLE X
THE AGENT
     10.1. Appointment; Nature of Relationship. JPMorgan Chase is hereby appointed by each of the Lenders as its contractual representative (herein referred to as the “Agent”) hereunder and under each other Loan Document, and each of the Lenders irrevocably authorizes the Agent to act as the contractual representative of such Lender with the rights and duties expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. The Agent agrees to act as such contractual representative upon the express conditions contained in this Article X. Notwithstanding the use of the defined term “Agent,” it is expressly understood and agreed that the Agent shall not have any fiduciary responsibilities to any Lender by reason of this Agreement or any other Loan Document and that the Agent is merely acting as the contractual representative of the Lenders with only those duties as are expressly set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. In its capacity as the Lenders’ contractual representative, the Agent (i) does not hereby assume any fiduciary duties to any of the Lenders and (ii) is acting as an independent contractor, the rights and duties of which are limited to those expressly set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each of the Lenders hereby agrees to assert no claim against the Agent on any agency theory or any other theory of liability for breach of fiduciary duty, all of which claims each Lender hereby waives.
     10.2. Powers. The Agent shall have and may exercise such powers under the Loan Documents as are specifically delegated to the Agent by the terms of each thereof, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The Agent shall have no implied duties to the Lenders, or any obligation to the Lenders to take any action thereunder except any action specifically provided by the Loan Documents to be taken by the Agent.
     10.3. General Immunity. Neither the Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents or employees shall be liable to the Borrower, the Lenders or any Lender for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or them hereunder or under any other Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith except to the extent such action or inaction is determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Person.
     10.4. No Responsibility for Loans, Recitals, etc. Neither the Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents or employees shall be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain, inquire into, or verify: (a) any statement, warranty or representation made in connection with any Loan Document or any borrowing hereunder; (b) the performance or observance of any of the covenants or agreements of any obligor under any Loan Document, including, without limitation, any agreement by an obligor to furnish information directly to each Lender; (c) the satisfaction of any condition specified in Article IV, except receipt of items required to be delivered solely to the Agent; (d) the existence or possible existence of any Default or Unmatured Default; (e) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness, sufficiency or genuineness of any Loan Document or any

 


 

other instrument or writing furnished in connection therewith; (f) the value, sufficiency, creation, perfection or priority of any Lender Lien in any Collateral; or (g) the financial condition of the Borrower or any Guarantor of any of the Obligations or of any of the Borrower’s or any such Guarantor’s respective Subsidiaries. The Agent shall have no duty to disclose to the Lenders information that is not required to be furnished by the Borrower to the Agent at such time, but is voluntarily furnished by the Borrower to the Agent (either in its capacity as Agent or in its individual capacity).
     10.5. Action on Instructions of Lenders. The Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, hereunder and under any other Loan Document in accordance with written instructions signed by the Required Lenders, and such instructions and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding on all of the Lenders. The Lenders hereby acknowledge that the Agent shall be under no duty to take any discretionary action permitted to be taken by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement or any other Loan Document unless it shall be requested in writing to do so by the Required Lenders. The Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action hereunder and under any other Loan Document unless it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders pro rata against any and all liability, cost and expense that it may incur by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action.
     10.6. Employment of Agents and Counsel. The Agent may execute any of its duties as Agent hereunder and under any other Loan Document by or through employees, agents, and attorneys-in-fact and shall not be answerable to the Lenders, except as to money or securities received by it or its authorized agents, for the default or misconduct of any such agents or attorneys-in-fact selected by it with reasonable care. The Agent shall be entitled to advice of counsel concerning the contractual arrangement between the Agent and the Lenders and all matters pertaining to the Agent’s duties hereunder and under any other Loan Document.
     10.7. Reliance on Documents; Counsel. The Agent shall be entitled to rely upon any Note, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, statement, paper or document believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person or Persons, and, in respect to legal matters, upon the opinion of counsel selected by the Agent, which counsel may be employees of the Agent.
     10.8. Agent’s Reimbursement and Indemnification. The Lenders agree to reimburse and indemnify the Agent ratably in proportion to their respective Commitments (or, if the Commitments have been terminated, in proportion to their Commitments immediately prior to such termination) (i) for any amounts not reimbursed by the Borrower for which the Agent is entitled to reimbursement by the Borrower under the Loan Documents, (ii) for any other expenses incurred by the Agent on behalf of the Lenders, in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration and enforcement of the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, for any expenses incurred by the Agent in connection with any dispute between the Agent and any Lender or between two or more of the Lenders) and (iii) for any liabilities,

 


 

obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind and nature whatsoever which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Agent in any way relating to or arising out of the Loan Documents or any other document delivered in connection therewith or the transactions contemplated thereby (including, without limitation, for any such amounts incurred by or asserted against the Agent in connection with any dispute between the Agent and any Lender or between two or more of the Lenders), or the enforcement of any of the terms of the Loan Documents or of any such other documents; provided that (i) no Lender shall be liable for any of the foregoing to the extent any of the foregoing is found in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Agent and (ii) any indemnification required pursuant to Section 3.5.7 shall, notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10.8, be paid by the relevant Lender in accordance with the provisions thereof. The obligations of the Lenders under this Section 10.8 shall survive payment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.
     10.9. Notice of Default. The Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default or Unmatured Default hereunder unless the Agent has received written notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring to this Agreement describing such Default or Unmatured Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default”. In the event that the Agent receives such a notice, the Agent shall give prompt notice thereof to the Lenders.
     10.10. Rights as a Lender. In the event the Agent is a Lender, the Agent shall have the same rights and powers hereunder and under any other Loan Document with respect to its Commitment and its Loans as any Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Agent, and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, at any time when the Agent is a Lender, unless the context otherwise indicates, include the Agent in its individual capacity. The Agent and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, and generally engage in any kind of trust, debt, equity, hedge, swap or other transaction, in addition to those contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document, with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in which the Borrower or such Subsidiary is not restricted hereby from engaging with any other Person.
     10.11. Lender Credit Decision. Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the Arranger or any other Lender and based on the financial statements prepared by the Borrower and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the Arranger or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
     10.12. Successor Agent. The Agent or the Syndication Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Lenders and the Borrower, such resignation to be effective upon the appointment of a successor Agent or Syndication Agent or, if no successor has been

 


 

appointed, forty-five days after the retiring Agent or Syndication Agent gives notice of its intention to resign. The Agent or the Syndication Agent may be removed at any time with or without cause by written notice received by the such Agent or Syndication Agent from the Required Lenders, such removal to be effective on the date specified by the Required Lenders. Upon any such resignation or removal, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint, on behalf of the Borrower and the Lenders, a successor Agent or Syndication agent, as the case may be . If no successor Agent or Syndication Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders within thirty days after the giving notice of its intention to resign, then the resigning Agent or Syndication Agent may appoint, on behalf of the Borrower and the Lenders, a successor Agent or Syndication Agent, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the Agent or the Syndication Agent may at any time without the consent of the Borrower or any Lender, appoint any of its Affiliates which is a commercial bank as a successor Agent or Syndication Agent hereunder. If the Agent or Syndication Agent has resigned or been removed and no successor Agent or Syndication Agent has been appointed, the Lenders may perform all the duties of the Agent or Syndication Agent hereunder and the Borrower shall make all payments in respect of the Obligations to the applicable Lender and for all other purposes shall deal directly with the Lenders. No successor Agent or Syndication Agent shall be deemed to be appointed hereunder until such successor Agent or Syndication Agent has accepted the appointment. Any such successor Agent or Syndication Agent shall be a commercial bank having capital and retained earnings of at least $1,000,000,000. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Agent or Syndication Agent hereunder by a successor Agent or Syndication Agent, such successor Agent or Syndication Agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the resigning or removed Agent or Syndication Agent as the case may be. Upon the effectiveness of the resignation or removal of the Agent or Syndication Agent, the resigning or removed Agent or Syndication Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the Loan Documents. After the effectiveness of the resignation or removal of an Agent or Syndication Agent, the provisions of this Article X shall continue in effect for the benefit of such Agent or Syndication Agent in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was acting as the Agent or Syndication Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents. In the event that there is a successor to the Agent by merger, or the Agent assigns its duties and obligations to an Affiliate pursuant to this Section 10.12, then the term “Corporate Base Rate” as used in this Agreement shall mean the prime rate, base rate or other analogous rate of the new Agent.
     10.13. Agent’s Fee. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent, for its own account, the fees agreed to by the Borrower and the Agent pursuant to the Fee Letter, or as otherwise agreed from time to time in writing.
     10.14. Delegation to Affiliates. The Borrower and the Lenders agree that the Agent may delegate any of its duties under this Agreement to any of its Affiliates. Any such Affiliate (and such Affiliate’s directors, officers, agents and employees) which performs duties in connection with this Agreement shall be entitled to the same benefits of the indemnification, waiver and other protective provisions to which the Agent is entitled under Articles IX and X.

 


 

     10.15. Execution of Collateral Documents. The Lenders hereby empower and authorize the Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower on their behalf the Collateral Documents and all related financing statements and any financing statements, agreements, documents or instruments as shall be necessary or appropriate to effect the purposes of the Collateral Documents.
     10.16. Collateral Releases. The Lenders hereby empower and authorize the Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower on their behalf any agreements, documents or instruments as shall be necessary or appropriate to effect any releases of Collateral which shall be permitted by the terms hereof or of any other Loan Document or which shall otherwise have been approved by the Required Lenders (or, if required by the terms of Section 8.2, all of the Lenders) in writing.
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ARTICLE XI
SETOFF; RATABLE PAYMENTS
     11.1. Setoff. In addition to, and without limitation of, any rights of the Lenders under applicable Law, if the Borrower becomes insolvent, however evidenced, or any Default occurs, any and all deposits (including all account balances, whether provisional or final and whether or not collected or available) and any other Indebtedness at any time held or owing by any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender to or for the credit or account of the Borrower or any Guarantor may be offset and applied toward the payment of the Obligations owing to such Lender, whether or not the Obligations, or any part thereof, shall then be due.
     11.2. Ratable Payments. If any Lender, whether by setoff or otherwise, has payment made to it upon its Outstanding Credit Exposure (other than payments received pursuant to Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.5) in a greater proportion than that received by any other Lender, such Lender agrees, promptly upon demand, to purchase a portion of the Outstanding Credit Exposure held by the other Lenders so that after such purchase each Lender will hold its Pro Rata Share of the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure. If any Lender, whether in connection with setoff or amounts which might be subject to setoff or otherwise, receives Collateral or other protection for its Obligations or such amounts which may be subject to setoff, such Lender agrees, promptly upon demand, to take such action necessary such that all Lenders share in the benefits of such Collateral ratably in proportion to their respective Pro Rata Share of the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure. In case any such payment is disturbed by legal process, or otherwise, appropriate further adjustments shall be made.
     11.3 Application of Collateral. The proceeds of the Collateral at any time received by the Agent following an Enforcement Action shall, when received by the Agent in cash or its equivalent, be applied by the Agent as follows:
     (i) first, to the payment and satisfaction of all sums paid and costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and court costs) incurred by the Agent in connection herewith or under the Collateral Documents, including such amounts paid or incurred in connection with protecting, preserving or realizing upon the Collateral or enforcing any of the terms of the Collateral Documents to the extent the Agent is not reimbursed therefor by the Borrower or any Guarantor; and
     (ii) second, to the payment of all remaining Obligations pro rata to each Lender with each Lender’s Pro Rata Share calculated based on a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount owing to such Lender in connection with any Loan Document and/or Rate Management Transaction and the denominator of which is the aggregate amount owing to all Lenders in connection with the Loan Documents and/or Rate Management Transactions.

 


 

The Borrower and Guarantors shall remain liable to the Agent and the Lenders for any deficiency. Any surplus remaining after the full, indefeasible payment and satisfaction of the foregoing shall be returned to the Borrower or to whomsoever a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine to be entitled thereto. After any Lender has been paid in full for all Obligations of the Borrower owed to it under the Loan Documents and/or Rate Management Transactions, such Lender shall hold in trust for, and immediately return to, the Agent any Collateral or proceeds thereof received or held hereunder.
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ARTICLE XII
BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS; PARTICIPATIONS
     12.1. Successors and Assigns. The terms and provisions of the Loan Documents shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Borrower and the Lenders and their respective successors and assigns, except that (i) the Borrower shall not have the right to assign its rights or obligations under the Loan Documents and (ii) any assignment by any Lender must be made in compliance with Section 12.3. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge that clause (ii) of this Section 12.1 relates only to absolute assignments and does not prohibit assignments creating security interests, including, without limitation, any pledge or assignment by any Lender of all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement and any Note to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided, however, that no such pledge or assignment creating a security interest shall release the transferor Lender from its obligations hereunder unless and until the parties thereto have complied with the provisions of Section 12.3. The Agent may treat the Person which made any Loan or which holds any Note as the owner thereof for all purposes hereof unless and until such Person complies with Section 12.3; provided, however, that the Agent may in its discretion (but shall not be required to) follow instructions from the Person which made any Loan or which holds any Note to direct payments relating to such Loan or Note to another Person. Any assignee of the rights to any Loan or any Note agrees by acceptance of such assignment to be bound by all the terms and provisions of the Loan Documents. Any request, authority or consent of any Person, who at the time of making such request or giving such authority or consent is the owner of the rights to any Loan (whether or not a Note has been issued in evidence thereof), shall be conclusive and binding on any subsequent holder or assignee of the rights to such Loan.
     12.2. Participations.
          12.2.1. Permitted Participants; Effect. Any Lender may, in the ordinary course of its business and in accordance with applicable Law, at any time sell to one or more banks or other entities (individually, a “Participant”) participating interests in any Outstanding Credit Exposure owing to such Lender, any Note held by such Lender, any Commitment of such Lender or any other interest of such Lender under the Loan Documents. In the event of any such sale by a Lender of participating interests to a Participant, such Lender’s obligations under the Loan Documents shall remain unchanged, such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations, such Lender shall remain the owner of its Outstanding Credit Exposure and the holder of any Note issued to it in evidence thereof for all purposes under the Loan Documents, all amounts payable by the Borrower under this Agreement shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participating interests, and the Borrower and the Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under the Loan Documents.
          12.2.2. Voting Rights. Each Lender shall retain the sole right to approve, without the consent of any Participant, any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of the

 


 

Loan Documents other than any amendment, modification or waiver with respect to any Credit Extension or Commitment in which such Participant has an interest which forgives principal, interest, fees or Reimbursement Obligation or reduces the interest rate or fees payable with respect to any such Credit Extension or Commitment, extends the Facility Termination Date or the expiration date for any Facility LC, postpones any date fixed for any regularly-scheduled payment of principal of or interest on any Loan in which such Participant has an interest, or any regularly-scheduled payment of fees on any such Credit Extension or Commitment, releases any Guarantor of any such Credit Extension or releases any Collateral held in the Facility LC Collateral Account (except in accordance with the terms hereof) or all or substantially all or any other Collateral, if any, securing any such Credit Extension.
          12.2.3. Benefit of Setoff. The Borrower and each Guarantor agrees that each Participant shall be deemed to have the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1 in respect of its participating interest in amounts owing under the Loan Documents to the same extent as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it as a Lender under the Loan Documents; provided that each Lender shall retain the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1 with respect to the amount of participating interests sold to each Participant. The Lenders agree to share with each Participant, and each Participant, by exercising the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1, agrees to share with each Lender, any amount received pursuant to the exercise of its right of setoff, such amounts to be shared in accordance with Section 11.2 as if each Participant were a Lender.
     12.3. Assignments.
          12.3.1. Permitted Assignments. Any Lender may, in the ordinary course of its business and in accordance with applicable Law, at any time assign to one or more banks or other entities (individually, an “Eligible Assignee”) all or any part of its rights and obligations under the Loan Documents. Such assignment shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C (the “Assignment Agreement”) or in such other form as may be agreed to by the parties thereto. The consent of the Borrower, the Agent and LC Issuer shall be required prior to an assignment becoming effective with respect to an Eligible Assignee which is not a Lender or an Affiliate thereof; provided, however, that if a Default has occurred and is continuing, the consent of the Borrower shall not be required. Such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Each such assignment with respect to an Eligible Assignee which is not a Lender or an Affiliate thereof shall (unless each of the Borrower and the Agent otherwise consents) be in an amount not less than the lesser of (i) $5,000,000 or (ii) the remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment (calculated as at the date of such assignment) or outstanding Credit Exposure (if the applicable Commitment has been terminated). Borrower shall not be required to pay any costs associated with any such assignment.
          12.3.2. Effect; Effective Date. Upon (i) delivery to the Agent of an assignment, together with any consents required by Section 12.3.1, and (ii) payment of a $3,500 fee to the Agent for processing such assignment (unless such fee is waived by the Agent), such assignment

 


 

shall become effective on the effective date specified in such assignment. The assignment shall contain a representation by the Eligible Assignee to the effect that none of the consideration used to make the purchase of the Commitment and Outstanding Credit Exposure under the applicable Assignment Agreement constitutes “plan assets” as defined under ERISA and that the rights and interests of the Eligible Assignee in and under the Loan Documents will not be “plan assets” under ERISA. On and after the effective date of such assignment, such Eligible Assignee shall for all purposes be a Lender party to this Agreement and any other Loan Document executed by or on behalf of the Lenders and shall have all the rights and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents, to the same extent as if it were an original party hereto, and no further consent or action by the Borrower, the Lenders, the LC Issuer or the Agent shall be required to release the transferor Lender with respect to the percentage of the Aggregate Commitment and Outstanding Credit Exposure assigned to such Eligible Assignee. Upon the consummation of any assignment to an Eligible Assignee pursuant to this Section 12.3.2, the transferor Lender, the Agent, the LC Issuer and the Borrower shall, if the transferor Lender or the Eligible Assignee desires that its Outstanding Credit Exposure be evidenced by Notes, make appropriate arrangements so that new Notes or, as appropriate, replacement Notes are issued to such transferor Lender and new Notes or, as appropriate, replacement Notes, are issued to such Eligible Assignee, in each case in principal amounts reflecting their respective Commitments, as adjusted pursuant to such assignment.
     12.4. Dissemination of Information. The Borrower authorizes each Lender, upon prior written notice to Borrower to disclose to any Participant or Eligible Assignee or any other Person acquiring an interest in the Loan Documents by operation of law (each a “Transferee”) and any prospective Transferee any and all information in such Lender’s possession concerning the creditworthiness of the Parent, the Borrower and their Subsidiaries, including without limitation any information contained in any Reports; provided that each Transferee and prospective Transferee agrees to be bound by Section 9.11 of this Agreement.
     12.5. Tax Treatment. If any interest in any Loan Document is transferred to any Transferee which is organized under the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States or any State thereof, the transferor Lender shall cause such Transferee, concurrently with the effectiveness of such transfer, to comply with the provisions of Section 3.5.4.
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ARTICLE XIII
NOTICES
     13.1. Notices. Except as otherwise permitted by Section 2.15 with respect to borrowing notices, all notices, requests and other communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including electronic transmission, facsimile transmission or similar writing) and shall be given to such party: (x) in the case of the Borrower, the LC Issuer or the Agent, at its address or facsimile number set forth on the signature pages hereof, (y) in the case of any Lender, at its address or facsimile number set forth below its signature hereto or set forth in any Assignment Agreement if by virtue of such Assignment Agreement the Lender became a party to this Agreement or (z) in the case of any party, at such other address or facsimile number as such party may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to the Agent and the Borrower in accordance with the provisions of this Section 13.1. Each such notice, request or other communication shall be effective (i) if given by facsimile transmission, when transmitted to the facsimile number specified in this Section and confirmation of receipt is received, (ii) if given by mail, 72 hours after such communication is deposited in the mails with first class postage prepaid, addressed as aforesaid, or (iii) if given by any other means, when delivered (or, in the case of electronic transmission, received) at the address specified in this Section; provided that notices to the Agent under Article II shall not be effective until received.
     13.2. Change of Address. The Borrower, the Agent, the LC Issuer and any Lender may each change the address for service of notice upon it by a notice in writing to the other parties hereto.
ARTICLE XIV
COUNTERPARTS
     14.1. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one agreement, and any of the parties hereto may execute this Agreement by signing any such counterpart. This Agreement shall be effective when it has been executed by the Borrower, the Agent and the Lenders and each party has notified the Agent by facsimile transmission or telephone that it has taken such action.
     14.2. Facsimile Documents and Signatures. For purposes of negotiating and finalizing this Agreement, if this document or any document executed in connection with it is transmitted by facsimile machine (“fax”), it shall be treated for all purposes as an original document. Additionally, the signature of any party on this document transmitted by way of a facsimile machine shall be considered for all purposes as an original signature. Any such faxed document shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as an original document. At the request

 


 

of any party, any faxed document shall be re-executed by each signatory party in an original form.
ARTICLE XV
CHOICE OF LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
     15.1. CHOICE OF LAW. THE LOAN DOCUMENTS (OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINING A CONTRARY EXPRESS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISION) SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT GIVING EFFECT TO FEDERAL LAWS APPLICABLE TO NATIONAL BANKS.
     15.2. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER AND EACH GUARANTOR HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANY UNITED STATES FEDERAL OR TEXAS STATE COURT SITTING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO ANY LOAN DOCUMENTS AND THE BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN ANY SUCH COURT AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE AS TO THE VENUE OF ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN SUCH A COURT OR THAT SUCH COURT IS AN INCONVENIENT FORUM. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL LIMIT THE RIGHT OF THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER OR ANY LENDER TO BRING PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE BORROWER OR ANY GUARANTOR IN THE COURTS OF ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING BY THE BORROWER OR ANY GUARANTOR AGAINST THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER OR ANY LENDER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER OR ANY LENDER INVOLVING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ANY MATTER IN ANY WAY ARISING OUT OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH ANY LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT ONLY IN A COURT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
     15.3. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THE BORROWER, EACH GUARANTOR, THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER AND EACH LENDER HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING INVOLVING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ANY MATTER (WHETHER SOUNDING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) IN ANY WAY ARISING OUT OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER.

 


 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The Borrower, the Lenders, the LC Issuer and the Agent have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.
             
BORROWER:   PETROQUEST ENERGY, L.L.C.    
 
           
    By: PetroQuest Energy, Inc., its sole member    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Michael O. Aldridge    
 
           
 
      Michael O. Aldridge, Chief Financial Officer    
     
 
  Address for Borrower:
 
   
 
  PetroQuest Energy, L.L.C.
 
  400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road
 
  Suite 6000
 
  Lafayette, Louisiana 70508
 
  Attention: Michael O. Aldridge,
 
  Chief Financial Officer
 
  Telephone: (337)  ###-###-####
 
  Fax: (337)  ###-###-####
PARENT: for the purpose of agreeing to the provisions of Article 5 and Article 6 and Sections 11.1, 12.2.3, 15.2 and 15.3.
             
    PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC.    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Michael O. Aldridge    
 
           
 
      Michael O. Aldridge, Chief Financial Officer    

 


 

             
LENDERS:   JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, NA,      
 
Commitment: $40,000,000   As a Lender and as the Agent and LC Issuer    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Jo Linda Papadakis    
 
           
 
           Jo Linda Papadakis    
 
           Vice President    
 
           
    Address:    
 
           
    JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.    
    Chase Tower    
    600 Travis Street, 20th Floor    
    Houston, Texas 77002    
    Attention: Charles Kingswell-Smith    
    Telephone: (713)  ###-###-####    
    Fax: (713)  ###-###-####    

 


 

             
LENDERS:   MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED,    
    As a Lender    
Commitment: $20,000,000
           
 
  By:    /s/ Thomas Wagenhofer    
 
         
 
  Name: Thomas Wagenhofer    
 
           
 
  Title: Associate Director     
 
           
 
           
 
  By:    /s/ Thomas Cullinan    
 
         
 
  Name: Thomas Cullinan    
 
           
 
  Title: Attorney     
 
           
 
           
    Address:    
 
           
    Macquarie Bank Limited    
    333 Clay Street, Suite 4550    
    Houston, Texas 77002    
    Attention: Stephen Shatto    
    Telephone: (713)  ###-###-####    
    Fax: (713 ###-###-####    

 


 

             
    CALYON NEW YORK BRANCH,    
    As a Lender and as Syndication Agent    
 
           
Commitment: $40,000,000
           
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Bertrand Cord’homme    
 
           
    Name: Bertrand Cord’homme    
    Title:   Director    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Michael Willis    
 
           
    Name: Michael Willis    
    Title:   Vice President    
 
           
    Address:    
 
           
    Calyon Corporate & Investment Bank    
    1301 Travis Street, Suite 2100    
    Houston, Texas 77002    
    Telephone: (713)  ###-###-####    
    Fax: (713)  ###-###-####    

 


 

PRICING SCHEDULE
                                 
    Level I   Level II   Level III   Level IV
Margin   Status   Status   Status   Status
Eurodollar Rate
    1.375 %     1.625 %     1.875 %     2.125 %
Floating Rate
    0.125 %     0.375 %     0.625 %     0.875 %
                                 
Applicable Fee   Level I   Level II   Level III   Level IV
Rate   Status   Status   Status   Status
Commitment
    0.375 %     0.375 %     0.50 %     0.50 %
     For the purposes of this Schedule, the following terms have the following meanings, subject to the final paragraph of this Schedule:
     “Level I Status” exists for any day that the Utilization Percentage is less than 50%.
     “Level II Status” exists for any day that the Utilization Percentage is greater than or equal to 50% but is less than 75%.
     “Level III Status” exists for any day that the Utilization Percentage is greater than or equal to 75% but is less than 90%.
     Level IV Status” exists any day that the Borrower does not qualify for Level I Status, Level II Status or Level III Status.
     “Status” means either Level I Status, Level II Status, Level III Status or Level IV Status.
     The Applicable Margin and Applicable Fee Rate for each day shall be determined by Agent from time to time in accordance with the foregoing table.