Credit Agreement










$30,000,000 SECURED REDUCING 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of March 11, 2005

 

among

 

GULFPORT ENERGY CORPORATION,

 

as Borrower,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

 

 

as Administrative Agent

 

and

 

The Other Lenders Party Hereto

 





	 
	 	 	 
	





	 





	
Section
	
 
	
Page

	
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
	1
	
    1.01
	
Defined Terms
	
1

	
    1.02
	
Other Interpretive Provisions
	
14

	
    1.03
	
Accounting Terms.
	
15

	
    1.04
	
Rounding
	
15

	
    1.05
	
References to Agreements and Laws
	
15

	
    1.06
	
Letter of Credit Amounts
	
15

	
ARTICLE II THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS.
	
16 

	
    2.01
	
Revolving Loans
	
16

	
    2.02
	
Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Revolving Loans.
	
16

	
    2.03
	
Letters of Credit.
	
17

	
    2.04
	
Borrowing Base Determination.
	
23

	
    2.05
	
Prepayments.
	
25

	
    2.06
	
Repayment of Loans
	
26

	
    2.07
	
Interest.
	
26

	
    2.08
	
Fees
	
27

	
    2.09
	
Computation of Interest and Fees
	
27

	
    2.10
	
Evidence of Debt
	
27

	
    2.11
	
Payments Generally
	
27

	
    2.12
	
Sharing of Payments
	
29

	
ARTICLE III TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
	30
	
    3.01
	
Taxes
	
30

	
    3.02
	
Illegality
	
30

	
    3.03
	
Inability to Determine Rates
	
31

	
    3.04
	
Increased Cost and Reduced Return; Capital Adequacy; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans.
	
31

	
    3.05
	
Funding Losses
	
32

	
    3.06
	
Matters Applicable to all Requests for Compensation
	
32

	
    3.07
	
Survival
	
32

	
ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
	32
	
    4.01
	
Conditions of Initial Credit Extension
	
32

	
    4.02
	
Conditions to all Credit Extensions and Conversions and Continuations
	
34

	
    4.03
	
Conditions to Credit Extensions Relating to Additional Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties
	
35

	
ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
	35
	
    5.01
	
Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws
	
35

	
    5.02
	
Authorization; No Contravention
	
35

	
    5.03
	
Governmental Authorization
	
35

	
    5.04
	
Binding Effect
	
35

	
    5.05
	
Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect
	
36

	
    5.06
	
Litigation
	
36



 



	 
	 	i 	 
	





	 




    
	
    5.07
	
No Default
	
36

	
    5.08
	
Title; Liens; Priority of Liens
	
36

	
    5.09
	
Environmental Compliance
	
37

	
    5.10
	
Insurance
	
37

	
    5.11
	
Taxes
	
37

	
    5.12
	
ERISA Compliance
	
37

	
    5.13
	
Subsidiaries
	
38

	
    5.14
	
Disclosure
	
38

	
    5.15
	
Compliance with Laws
	
38

	
    5.16
	
Investment Company Act; Public Utility Holding Company Act
	
38

	
    5.17
	
Tax Shelter Regulations
	
38

	
    5.18
	
Rights in Collateral; Priority of Liens
	
38

	
    5.19
	
Oil and Gas Leases
	
39

	
    5.20
	
Oil and Gas Contracts
	
39

	
    5.21
	
Producing Wells
	
39

	
    5.22
	
Purchasers of Production
	
39

	
ARTICLE VI AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
	39
	
    6.01
	
Financial Statements
	
40

	
    6.02
	
Certificates; Other Information
	
40

	
    6.03
	
Notices
	
41

	
    6.04
	
Payment of Obligations
	
41

	
    6.05
	
Preservation of Existence, Etc.
	
41

	
    6.06
	
Maintenance of Properties
	
42

	
    6.07
	
Maintenance of Insurance
	
42

	
    6.08
	
Compliance with Laws
	
42

	
    6.09
	
Books and Records
	
42

	
    6.10
	
Inspection Rights
	
42

	
    6.11
	
Use of Proceeds
	
43

	
    6.12
	
Accounts
	
43

	
    6.13
	
Additional Guarantors
	
43

	
    6.14
	
Collateral Records
	
43

	
    6.15
	
Security Interests
	
43

	
    6.16
	
Title Defects
	
43

	
    6.17
	
Maintenance of Tangible Property
	
44

	
    6.18
	
Inspection of Tangible Assets/Right of Audit
	
44

	
    6.19
	
Leases
	
44

	
    6.20
	
Operation of Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties
	
44

	
    6.21
	
Change of Purchasers of Production
	
44

	
    6.22
	
Escrow Agreement
	
44

	
ARTICLE VII NEGATIVE COVENANTS
	
45 

	
    7.01
	
Liens
	
45

	
    7.02
	
Hedging
	
46

	
    7.03
	
Indebtedness
	
46

	
    7.04
	
Fundamental Changes
	
47

	
    7.05
	
Dispositions
	
47

	
    7.06
	
Restricted Payments
	
47

	
    7.07
	
Change in Nature of Business
	
47

	
    7.08
	
Transactions with Affiliates
	
48



 



	 
	 	 ii	 
	





	 





	
    7.09
	
Margin Regulations
	
48

	
    7.10
	
Pooling or Unitization
	
48

	
    7.11
	
Financial Covenants
	
48

	
    7.12
	
Texaco Lien and Escrow Agreement
	
48

	
ARTICLE VIII EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
	48
	
    8.01
	
Events of Default
	
48

	
    8.02
	
Remedies Upon Event of Default
	
50

	
    8.03
	
Application of Funds
	
51

	
ARTICLE IX AGENT
	51
	
    9.01
	
Appointment and Authorization of Agent
	
51

	
    9.02
	
Delegation of Duties
	
52

	
    9.03
	
Liability of Agent
	
52

	
    9.04
	
Reliance by Agent
	
52

	
    9.05
	
Notice of Default
	
53

	
    9.06
	
Credit Decision; Disclosure of Information by Agent
	
53

	
    9.07
	
Indemnification of Agent
	
53

	
    9.08
	
Agent in its Individual Capacity
	
54

	
    9.09
	
Successor Agent
	
54

	
    9.10
	
Agent May File Proofs of Claim
	
55

	
    9.11
	
Guaranty Matters
	
55

	
    9.12
	
Collateral Matters
	
55

	
ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS
	
57 

	
    10.01
	
Amendments, Etc
	
57

	
    10.02
	
Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies
	
58

	
    10.03
	
No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies
	
59

	
    10.04
	
Attorney Costs, Expenses and
	
59

	
    10.05
	
Indemnification by Borrower
	
59

	
    10.06
	
Payments Set Aside
	
60

	
    10.07
	
Successors and Assigns
	
60

	
    10.08
	
Confidentiality
	
62

	
    10.09
	
Set-off
	
63

	
    10.10
	
Interest Rate Limitation
	
63

	
    10.11
	
Counterparts
	
64

	
    10.12
	
Integration
	
64

	
    10.13
	
Survival of Representations and Warranties
	
64

	
    10.14
	
Severability
	
64

	
    10.15
	
Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction
	
64

	
    10.16
	
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
	
65

	
    10.17
	
Time of the Essence
	
65










	 
	 	 iii	 
	





	 


 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of March 11, 2005 among GULFPORT ENERGY CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (“Borrower”), each lender from time to time party hereto (collectively, the “Lenders” and individually, a “Lender”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Agent.

 

Borrower has requested that Lenders provide a revolving credit facility, and Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set out herein.

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

1.01    Defined Terms. 

 

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set out below:

 

“Administrative Agent” or “Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as (a) Administrative Agent under any of the Loan Documents, and/or (b) issuer of Letters of Credit under this Agreement, as the context requires, or any successor Agent.

 

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls, or is Controlled by or is under common Control with, the Person specified. “Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Person shall be deemed to be Controlled by another Person if such other Person possesses, directly or indirectly, power to vote 50% or more of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors, managing general partners or equivalent governing body of such Person.

 

“Agent Fee Letter” means that certain letter agreement dated of even date as this Agreement between Agent and Borrower.

 

“Agent’s Office” means Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set out on Schedule 10.02, or such other address or account as Agent may from time to time notify Borrower and Lenders.

 

“Agent-Related Persons” means Agent, together with its Affiliates, and the officers, directors, employees, agents and attorneys-in-fact of such Persons and Affiliates.

 

“Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all Lenders.

 

“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

 

“Applicable Rate” means the following percentages per annum, based upon the Utilization Percentage:

 



	 
	 	1	 
	





	 





	
Applicable Rate
	 
	
Pricing  Level 
	 	
Utilization Percentage
	 	
Letters of

   Credit   
	 	
Eurodollar     Rate +    
	 	
Base Rate +
	 	
Commitment         Fee        
	 
	
1
	 	 	
>75%
	
 
	 	
2.75%
	
 
	 	
2.75%
	
 
	 	
0.50%
	
 
	 	
0.25%
	
 

	
2
	 	 	
>50 but<75%
	
 
	 	
2.50%
	
 
	 	
2.505
	
 
	 	
0.505
	
 
	 	
0.25%
	
 

	
3
	 	 	
>25 but<50%
	
 
	 	
2.25%
	
 
	 	
2.255
	
 
	 	
0.25%
	
 
	 	
0.155
	
 

	
4
	 	 	
<25%
	
 
	 	
2.00%
	
 
	 	
2.005
	
 
	 	
0.255
	
 
	 	
0.155
	
 




 

Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in the Utilization Percentage shall become effective on the date such change occurs. 

 

“Assignment and Assumption Agreement” means an Assignment and Assumption Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit F.

 

“Attorney Costs” means and includes all reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of any law firm or other external counsel.

 

“Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any capital lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a capital lease.

 

“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, and (b) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of Agent to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.

 

“Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.

 

“Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate.” The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.

 

“Borrower” has the meaning specified in the preamble.

 

“Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Revolving Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

“Borrowing Base” means the maximum loan amount that may be supported by the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, as determined by the Administrative Agent and approved by the Required Lenders from time to time in accordance with Section 2.04 of this Agreement.

 



	 
	 	2	 
	





	 




“Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties” means those Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower that are subject to the liens created by the Collateral Documents, together with the additional Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties that are described in Exhibit B attached hereto and made a part hereof, as such Exhibit B may be amended from time to time.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

“Cash Collateralize” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(g).

 

“Capitalization” means Stockholder’s Equity plus Subordinated Liabilities.

 




“Change of Control” means, with respect to any Person, an event or series of events by which the holders of the capital ownership of such Person as of the date hereof cease to own and control, directly and indirectly, at least fifty-one percent (51%) of such Person’s capital ownership.

 

“Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 10.01 (or, in the case of Section 4.01(b), waived by the Person entitled to receive the applicable payment).

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

“Collateral” shall mean any and all assets and rights and interests in or to property of Borrower and each of the other Loan Parties, whether real or personal, tangible or intangible, in which a Lien is granted or purported to be granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents.

 

“Collateral Documents” means all agreements, instruments and documents now or hereafter executed and delivered in connection with this Agreement pursuant to which Liens are granted or purported to be granted to Agent in Collateral securing all or part of the Obligations each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and, including without limitation, those documents described on the attached Exhibit E.

 

“Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Revolving Loans to Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01, and (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the lesser of (i) the amount set out opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement and (ii) such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Borrowing Base then in effect.

 

“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D.

 

“Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.

 

“Control” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Affiliate.”

 

“Credit Extension” means a Borrowing or an L/C Credit Extension.

 



	 
	 	3	 
	





	 




“Current Financial Statements” means the most recent financial statements delivered under Sections 6.01(a) or 6.01(b).

 

“Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

“Default” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.

 

“Default Rate” means an interest rate equal to (a) the Base Rate plus (b) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (c) 2.0% per annum; provided that, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2.0% per annum, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed to fund any portion of the Revolving Loans or participations in L/C Obligations required to be funded by it under this Agreement within one Business Day of the date required to be funded by it under this Agreement, (b) has otherwise failed to pay over to Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it under this Agreement within one Business Day of the date when due, unless the subject of a good faith dispute, or (c) has been deemed insolvent or become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.

 

“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person, including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.

 

“Dollar” and “$” mean lawful money of the United States.

 

“EBITDAX” means, for any reporting period, net income on a consolidated basis before deductions for taxes (excluding unrealized gains and losses related to trading securities and commodity hedges) plus depreciation, depletion, amortization and interest expense, plus exploration costs deducted in determining net income under full cost accounting.

 

“Eligible Assignee” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(h).

 

“Environmental Laws” means any and all federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.

 

“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

 



	 
	 	4	 
	





	 




“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).

 

“ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Sections 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which might reasonably be expected to constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (f) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

“Escrow Agreement” means that certain Escrow Agreement dated March 11, 1997 among Borrower (as successor to DLB Oil & Gas, Inc.), Texaco Exploration and Production Inc. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank).

 

“Eurodollar Rate” means for any Interest Period with respect to any Eurodollar Rate Loan:

 

(a)    the rate per annum equal to the rate determined by the Agent to be the offered rate (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/10,000 of 1%) that appears on the page of the Dow Jones Market Service (formerly known as the Telerate screen) (or any successor thereto) that displays an average British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in Dollars (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, or

 

(b)    if the rate referenced in the preceding clause (a) does not appear on such page or service or such page or service shall not be available, the rate per annum equal to the rate determined by the Agent to be the offered rate on such other page or other service that displays an average British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in Dollars (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, or

 

(c)    if the rates referenced in the preceding clauses (a) and (b) are not available, the rate per annum determined by the Agent as the rate of interest at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loan being made, continued or converted by Bank of America and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch to major banks in the London interbank eurodollar market at their request at approximately 4:00 p.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period.

 



	 
	 	5	 
	





	 




“Eurodollar Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Eurodollar Rate.

 

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.

 

“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the 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 by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by Agent.

 

“Funded Debt” means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments, (b) all purchase money Indebtedness, (c) all direct obligations arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments, (d) all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business), (e) Indebtedness in respect of capital leases, (f) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified in clauses (a) through (e) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (g) all Indebtedness of the types referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary.

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set out in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.

 

“Governmental Authority” means any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, administrative tribunal, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.

 

“Guarantor” means each Subsidiary of Borrower, now or hereafter in existence.

 

“Guaranty” means the Guaranty made by any Guarantor in favor of Agent on behalf of Lenders, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent.

 



	 
	 	6	 
	





	 




“Guarantee” means, as to any Person, any (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person. The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

 

“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

 

“Hydrocarbons” means crude oil, condensate, natural gas, natural gas liquids and other hydrocarbons.

 

“Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, all obligations required by GAAP to be classified upon such Persons balance sheet as liabilities, including all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:

 

(a)    all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;

 

(b)    all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;

 

(c)    net obligations of such Person under any Swap Contract;

 

(d)    all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business);

 

(e)    indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse;

 

(f)    capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations; and

 

(g)    all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.

 

For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease or Synthetic Lease Obligation as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.

 



	 
	 	7	 
	





	 




“Indemnified Liabilities” has the meaning specified in Section 10.05.

 

“Indemnitees” has the meaning specified in Section 10.05.

 

“Information” has the meaning specified in Section 10.08.

 

“Initial Financial Statements” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended [September 30, 2003], and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.

 

“Initial Period” means the period commencing with the Closing Date and ending on the date immediately prior to the date of redetermination of the Borrowing Base attributable to Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction as provided in Section 2.04.

 

“Interest Expense” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, and (b) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period under capital leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Interest Payment Date” means, (a) as to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date; provided that, that if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan, the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date.

 

“Interest Period” means as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter (subject to availability), as selected by Borrower in its Revolving Loan Notice; provided that:

 

(a)    any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;

 

(b)    any Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and

 

(c)    no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.

 

“Investment” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other acquisition of capital stock or other securities of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or interest in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture interest in such other Person, or (c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of another Person that constitute a business unit. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such Investment.

 



	 
	 	8	 
	





	 




“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

“Laws” means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

 

“L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Pro Rata Share.

 

“L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Borrowing.

 

“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the renewal or increase of the amount thereof.

 

“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate undrawn face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings.

 

“Leases” means oil and gas leases and all oil, gas and mineral leases constituting any part of the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties.

 

“Lender” has the meaning specified in the preamble and, as the context requires, includes Agent in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit.

 

“Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such on Schedule 10.02, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify Borrower and Agent.

 

“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued under this Agreement. A Letter of Credit may be a commercial letter of credit or a standby letter of credit, whether irrevocable or otherwise.

 

“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by Agent.

 

“Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is thirty days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).

 

“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $1,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 



	 
	 	9	 
	





	 




“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing.

 

“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to Borrower under Article II in the form of a Revolving Loan.

 

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Swap Contract, each Collateral Document, and each Guaranty and all other agreements, certificates, documents, instruments and writings at any time delivered in connection herewith or therewith.

 

“Loan Parties” means, collectively, Borrower and each Person (other than Agent or any Lender) executing a Loan Document including, without limitation, each Guarantor and each Person executing a Collateral Document.

 

“Marketable Title” means good and indefeasible title, free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual and contingent), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of Borrower or Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under any Loan Document to which it is a party; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party; or (d) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, any Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Property or any other Collateral.

 

“Maturity Date” means March 11, 2008.

 

“Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction” means the amount by which the Borrowing Base shall be reduced as of the first day of each calendar month pursuant to Section 2.04.

 

“Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.

 

“Note” means a promissory note made by Borrower in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit C.

 

“Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document (including any Swap Contract) or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding.

 

“Oil and Gas Properties” means fee, leasehold or other interests in or under mineral estates or oil, gas and other liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon leases with respect to properties situated in the United States, including, overriding royalty and royalty interests, leasehold estate interests, net profits interests, production payment interests and mineral fee interests, together with contracts executed in connection therewith and all tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and properties, real or personal, appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental thereto.

 



	 
	 	10	 
	





	 




“Organization Documents” means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation and operating agreement; and (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or organization of such entity.

 

“Outstanding Amount” means (a) with respect to Revolving Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Revolving Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (b) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements of outstanding unpaid drawings under any Letters of Credit or any reductions in the maximum amount available for drawing under Letters of Credit taking effect on such date.

 

“Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(d).

 

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

 

“Pension Plan” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is sponsored or maintained by Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or to which Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five plan years.

 

“Permitted Liens” means Liens permitted under Section 7.01.

 

“Person” means any individual, trustee, corporation, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, bank, business association, firm, joint venture or Governmental Authority. 

 

“Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by Borrower or, with respect to any such plan that is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, any ERISA Affiliate.

 

“Pro Rata Share” means, with respect to each Lender, at any time, a fraction (expressed as a percentage, carried out to the ninth decimal place), the numerator of which is the amount of the Commitment of such Lender at such time and the denominator of which is the amount of the Aggregate Commitments at such time; provided that if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of Agent to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, then the Pro Rata Share of each Lender shall be determined based on the Pro Rata Share of such Lender immediately prior to such termination and after giving effect to any subsequent assignments made pursuant to Section 10.07. The initial Pro Rata Share of each Lender is set out opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

 



	 
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“Proved Developed Producing Reserves” means Proved Reserves which are categorized as both “Developed” and “Producing” in the Definitions for Oil and Gas reserves promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (or any generally recognized successor) as in effect at the time in question.

 

“Proved Reserves” means Proved Reserves as defined in the Definitions for Oil and Gas reserves promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (or any generally recognized successor) as in effect at the time in question.

 

“PW9” means the present worth of future net income, discounted to present value at the simple interest rate of nine percent (9%) per year.

 

“Register” has the meaning set out in Section 10.07(c).

 

“Reportable Event” means any of the events set out in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30-day notice period has been waived.

 

“Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Revolving Loans, a Revolving Loan Notice, and (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application.

 

“Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders having more than 51% of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of Agent to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 51% of the Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations being deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time there are fewer than three Lenders which are parties to this Agreement, “Required Lenders” shall mean all Lenders.

 

“Reserve Report” means a report prepared by a company engineer or an independent petroleum engineer or firm of engineers that is reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent regarding the Proved Reserves attributable to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, using the criteria and parameters required by and acceptable to the Securities and Exchange Commission, and incorporating the present cost of appropriate plugging and abandonment obligations to be incurred in the future, taking into account any plugging and abandonment fund required to be accrued or established by Borrower out of cash flow from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties covered by such report with respect to such future obligations. Unless Administrative Agent notifies Borrower to the contrary, Ryder Scott Company is deemed a satisfactory firm of engineers.

 

“Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer or assistant treasurer of a Loan Party. Any document delivered under this Agreement that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.

 

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any capital stock or other equity interest of Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other equity interest or of any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such capital stock or other equity interest, except for any distributions in kind made in accordance with any preferred stock requirements, existing or future stock options, warrant or similar plans in existence as of the date of this Agreement.

 



	 
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“Revolving Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

 

“Revolving Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Revolving Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

 

“Stockholder’s Equity” means, at any time, the sum of the following accounts set forth on the consolidated Financial Statements of Borrower, prepared in accordance with GAAP: (A) the par or stated value of all outstanding capital stock (common and preferred); (B) capital surplus including paid in capital; and (C) retained earnings.

 

“Subordinated Liabilities” means all other liabilities subordinated to the Obligations in a manner acceptable to Agent its sole discretion.

 

“Subsidiary” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other governing body (other than securities or interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of Borrower.

 

“Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

 

“Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

 



	 
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“Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so-called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).

 

“Taxes” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01(a).

 

“Texaco Lien” means that certain security interest and Lien granted to Texaco Exploration and Production, Inc., a Delaware corporation, by DLB Oil & Gas, Inc. an Oklahoma corporation and predecessor in interest to Borrower, pursuant to that certain Security Agreement and Assignment of Production Proceeds dated March 11, 1997, as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or modified from time to time, subject to the terms hereof.

 

“Total Liabilities” means the sum of current liabilities plus long term liabilities.

 

“Total Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans and all L/C Obligations.

 

“Transfer Order Letters” means the letters in lieu of division or transfer orders, in form acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

 

“Type” means with respect to any Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.

 

“Unfunded Pension Liability” means the excess of a Pension Plan’s benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, determined in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Pension Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable plan year.

 

“United States,” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.

 

“Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning set out in Section 2.03(c)(i).

 

“Utilization Percentage” means, on any day, the ratio, stated as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Total Outstandings to the Aggregate Commitments.

 

1.02    Other Interpretive Provisions. 

 

With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

 

(a)    The meanings of defined terms are equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the defined terms.

 

(b)    (i) The words “herein”, “hereto”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document shall refer to such Loan Document as a whole and not to any particular provision thereof; (ii) Article, Section, Exhibit and Schedule references are to the Loan Document in which such reference appears; (iii) the term “including” is by way of example and not limitation; and (iv) the term “documents” includes any and all instruments, documents, agreements, certificates, notices, reports, financial statements and other writings, however evidenced, whether in physical or electronic form.

 



	 
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(c)    In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”

 

(d)    Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

1.03    Accounting Terms.

 

(a)    All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Initial Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein. All financial ratios contemplated by this Agreement shall be calculated on a consolidated basis for Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

(b)    If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set out in any Loan Document, and either Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, Agent, Lenders and Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) Borrower shall provide to Agent and Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested under this Agreement setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

 

1.04    Rounding

 

. Any financial ratios required to be maintained by any Loan Party pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).

 

1.05    References to Agreements and Laws

 

. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, (a) references to Organization Documents, agreements (including the Loan Documents) and other contractual instruments shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments, restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications thereto, but only to the extent that such amendments, restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications are not prohibited by any Loan Document; and (b) references to any Law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such Law.

 

1.06    Letter of Credit Amounts

 

. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to mean the maximum face amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all increases thereof contemplated by such Letter of Credit or the Letter of Credit Application therefor, whether or not such maximum face amount is in effect at such time.

 



	 
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ARTICLE II

 

THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS.

 

2.01    Revolving Loans

 

. Subject to the terms and conditions set out herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Revolving Loan”) to Borrower from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Commitment as set forth on Schedule 2.01; provided that, that after giving effect to any Borrowing, (a) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the lower of (i) Aggregate Commitments and (ii) the Borrowing Base, and (b) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment. Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.01. Revolving Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided herein.

 

2.02    Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Revolving Loans.

 

(a)    Each Borrowing, each conversion of Revolving Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon Borrower’s irrevocable notice to Agent, which may be given by telephone, provided that such notice is promptly followed by facsimile notice. Each such notice must be received by Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Central Time, (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans. Each telephonic notice by Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to Agent of a written Revolving Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a greater integral multiple of $100,000. Each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $100,000 or a greater integral multiple of $100,000. Each Revolving Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether Borrower is requesting a Borrowing, a conversion of Revolving Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Revolving Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Revolving Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Revolving Loans are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto. If Borrower fails to specify a Type of Revolving Loan in a Revolving Loan Notice or if Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Revolving Loans shall be made, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans. If Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Revolving Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month.

 

(b)    Following receipt of a Revolving Loan Notice, Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Pro Rata Share of the applicable Revolving Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by Borrower, Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in the preceding subsection. In the case of a Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Revolving Loan available to Agent in immediately available funds at Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m., Central Time, on the Business Day specified in the applicable Revolving Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set out in Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.01), Agent shall make all funds so received available to Borrower in like funds as received by Agent either by (i) crediting the account of Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) Agent by Borrower; provided that, that if, on the date of the Revolving Loan Notice with respect to such Borrowing is given by Borrower there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such Borrowing shall be applied, first, to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and second, to Borrower as provided above.

 



	 
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(c)    Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurodollar Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders, and the Required Lenders may demand that any or all of the then outstanding Eurodollar Rate Loans be converted immediately to Base Rate Loans and Borrower agrees to pay all amounts due under Section 3.05 in accordance with the terms thereof due to any such conversion.

 

(d)    Agent shall promptly notify Borrower and Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. The determination of the Eurodollar Rate by Agent shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.

 

(e)    After giving effect to all Borrowings, all conversions of Revolving Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Revolving Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than six (6) Interest Periods in effect with respect to Revolving Loans.

 

2.03    Letters of Credit.

 

(a)    The Letter of Credit Commitment.

 

(i)    Subject to the terms and conditions set out herein, (A) Agent agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set out in this Section 2.03: (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit for the account of Borrower, and to amend or renew Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drafts under the Letters of Credit; and (B) Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of Credit issued for the account of Borrower; provided that Agent shall not be obligated to make any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit, and no Lender shall be obligated to participate in, any Letter of Credit if as of the date of such L/C Credit Extension, (x) the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (y) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, would exceed such Lender’s Commitment, or (z) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations would exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly Borrower may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and reimbursed.

 



	 
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(ii)    Agent shall be under no obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:

 

(A)    any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain Agent from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to Agent or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over Agent shall prohibit, or request that Agent refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon Agent with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which Agent is not otherwise compensated under this Agreement) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon Agent any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which Agent in good faith deems material to it;

 

(B)    the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of issuance or last renewal, (provided that such Letter of Credit may include provisions for automatic renewal), unless the Required Lenders have approved such expiry date;

 

(C)    the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all Lenders have approved such expiry date;

 

(D)    the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of Agent; or

 

(E)    such Letter of Credit is in an initial amount less than $100,000, in the case of a commercial Letter of Credit, or $500,000, in the case of a standby Letter of Credit, or is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars.

 

(iii)    Agent shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) Agent would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to such Letter of Credit.

 

(b)    Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit.

 

(i)    Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of Borrower delivered to Agent in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Central Time, at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as Agent may agree in a particular instance in its sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be.

 

(ii)    Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application by Agent at the address set out in Schedule 10.02 for receiving Letter of Credit Applications and related correspondence, if the requested issuance or amendment is permitted in accordance with the terms hereof, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, Agent shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of Borrower or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with Agent’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from Agent a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share times the amount of such Letter of Credit.

 



	 
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(iii)    Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, Agent will also deliver to Borrower a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.

 

(iv)    If Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, Agent may, in it sole and absolute discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic renewal provisions (each, an “Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit must permit Agent to prevent any such renewal at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Nonrenewal Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by Agent, Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to Agent for any such renewal. Once an Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit has been issued, Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) Agent to permit the renewal of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date; provided that, Agent shall not permit any such renewal if (A) Agent has determined that it would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its renewed form under the terms hereof (by reason of Section 2.03(a)(ii) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) at least two Business Days before the Nonrenewal Notice Date (1) from the Required Lenders that they have elected not to permit such renewal or (2) from any Lender or Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Agent shall have no obligation to permit the renewal of any Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit at any time.

 

(c)    Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.

 

(i)    Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of drawing under such Letter of Credit, Agent shall notify Borrower thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m., Central Time, on the date of any payment by Agent under a Letter of Credit (each such date, an “Honor Date”), Borrower shall reimburse Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing. If Borrower fails to so reimburse Agent by such time, Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the “Unreimbursed Amount”), and the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share thereof. In such event, Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set out in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Revolving Loan Notice). Any notice given by Agent pursuant to this Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.

 



	 
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(ii)    Each Lender (including Agent in its capacity as a Lender) shall upon any notice pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) make funds available to Agent at Agent’s Office in an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m., Central Time, on the Business Day specified in such notice by Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions of Section 2.03(c)(iii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Loan to Borrower in such amount.

 

(iii)    With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the conditions set out in Section 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other reason, Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from Agent an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In such event, each Lender’s payment to Agent pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its participation obligation under this Section 2.03.

 

(iv)    Until each Lender funds its Revolving Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this Section 2.03(c) to reimburse Agent for any amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such amount shall be solely for the account of Agent.

 

(v)    Each Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse Agent for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as contemplated by this Section 2.03(c), shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against Agent, Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default; or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing. No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of Borrower to reimburse Agent for the amount of any payment made by Agent under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.

 

(vi)    If any Lender fails to make available to Agent any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by the time specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii), Agent shall be entitled to recover from such Lender, on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to Agent at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. A certificate of Agent submitted to any Lender with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(d)    Repayment of Participations.

 

(i)    At any time after Agent has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect of such payment in accordance with Section 2.03(c), if Agent receives any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether directly from Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by Agent), Agent will distribute to such Lender its Pro Rata Share thereof (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s L/C Advance was outstanding) in the same funds as those received by Agent.

 



	 
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(ii)    If any payment received by Agent pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.06 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by Agent in its discretion, each Lender shall pay to Agent its Pro Rata Share thereof on demand of Agent) plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.

 

(e)    Obligations Absolute. The obligation of Borrower to reimburse Agent for each drawing under each Letter of Credit, and to repay each L/C Borrowing, shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the following:

 

(i)    any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement, or any other agreement or instrument relating thereto;

 

(ii)    the existence of any claim, counterclaim, set-off, defense or other right that Borrower may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), Agent or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;

 

(iii)    any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;

 

(iv)    any payment by Agent under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by Agent under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law; or

 

(v)    any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, Borrower.

 

Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with Borrower’s instructions or other irregularity, Borrower will immediately notify Agent. Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against Agent and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.

 



	 
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(f)    Role of Agent. Each Lender and Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, Agent shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of Agent, any Agent-Related Person nor any of the respective correspondents, participants or assignees of Agent shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Letter of Credit Application. Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided that, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of Agent, any Agent-Related Person, nor any of the respective correspondents, participants or assignees of Agent, shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.03(e); provided that, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, Borrower may have a claim against Agent, and Agent may be liable to Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by Borrower which Borrower proves were caused by Agent’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or Agent’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit.  In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, Agent may accept documents that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and Agent shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason.

 

(g)    Cash Collateral. Upon the request of Agent, (i) if Agent has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, or (ii) if, as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any Letter of Credit may for any reason remain outstanding and partially or wholly undrawn, Borrower shall immediately Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to such Outstanding Amount determined as of the date of such L/C Borrowing or the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, as the case may be). For purposes hereof, “Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to Agent, for the benefit of Agent, as issuer of Letters of Credit and Lenders, as collateral for the L/C Obligations, cash or deposit account balances pursuant to documentation in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent (which documents are hereby consented to by Lenders). Derivatives of such term have corresponding meanings. Borrower hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of Agent, as issuer of Letters of Credit and Lenders, a security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein and all proceeds of the foregoing. Cash collateral shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America.

 

(h)    Applicability of ISP98 and UCP. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by Agent and Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any such agreement applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit), (i) the rules of the “International Standby Practices 1998” published by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance) shall apply to each standby Letter of Credit, and (ii) the rules of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, as most recently published by the International Chamber of Commerce (the “ICC”) at the time of issuance (including the ICC decision published by the Commission on Banking Technique and Practice on April 6, 1998 regarding the European single currency (euro)) shall apply to each commercial Letter of Credit.

 



	 
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(i)    Letter of Credit Fees. Borrower shall pay to Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Pro Rata Share (i) a Letter of Credit fee for each commercial Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily maximum amount available to be drawn under such letter of credit (whether or not such maximum amount is then in effect under such Letter of Credit), and (ii) a letter of credit fee for each standby Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily maximum amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit (whether or not such maximum amount is then in effect under such Letter of Credit). Such letter of credit fees shall be computed on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such letter of credit fees shall be due and payable on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount of each standby Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.

 

(j)    Conflict with Letter of Credit Application. In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Letter of Credit Application, the terms hereof shall control.

 

2.04    Borrowing Base Determination.

 

(a)    Subject to the applicable provisions of Article IV, the Borrowing Base in effect during the Initial Period is equal to $18,000,000 and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction is equal to $0.00. The Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction for all periods subsequent to the Initial Period will be based upon the Reserve Reports provided by the Borrower relative to the Proved Reserves attributable to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties described on Exhibit B, which will be provided to Administrative Agent from time to time. The Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction shall be re-determined from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Section. The Borrowing Base in effect subsequent to the Initial Period shall automatically be reduced on the first day of each month by the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction.

 

(b)    On or before each April 1 and October 1 commencing April 1, 2005, until the Maturity Date, the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent a Reserve Report, which shall set out, as of each preceding January 1 or July 1, as applicable, the Proved Reserves attributable to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties. Each October Reserve Report may be prepared by the Borrower’s own engineers and shall be certified by the President or other Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each April Reserve Report shall be a complete report prepared by independent reservoir engineers acceptable to Administrative Agent relating to the Proved Reserves attributable to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties. Upon receipt of each such Reserve Report, the Administrative Agent shall make a determination of the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction which shall become effective upon approval by the Required Lenders and subsequent written notification from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, and which, subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, shall be the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction until the effective date of the next redetermination of the Borrowing Base as set out in this Section 2.04. For any Oil and Gas Properties which are being acquired by Borrower to be included as Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, Administrative Agent shall be satisfied in its sole discretion that Borrower is acquiring Marketable Title in addition to satisfying all other conditions relating to ownership and transfer of Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties. The Administrative Agent may, subject to approval of the Required Lenders, and must, upon the request of the Required Lenders, redetermine the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction at any time, and from time to time, which redetermination shall become effective upon approval by the Required Lenders and subsequent written notification from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower and which, subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, shall be the basis on which the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction shall thereafter be calculated until the effective date of the next redetermination of the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction, as set out in this Section; provided that, that the Required Lenders shall not request more than one (1) unscheduled Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction redetermination for every scheduled redetermination.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(c)    The Administrative Agent shall have the right to initiate no more than one (1) unscheduled redeterminations of the Borrowing Base between the scheduled redetermination dates described in Section 2.04(b) by requesting in writing that the Borrower provide an unscheduled Reserve Report regarding the Proved Reserves attributable to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties with an effective date not more than ninety days prior to Borrower’s delivery of such Reserve Report to Administrative Agent, and such Reserve Report shall be delivered to Administrative Agent within thirty days after Borrower’s receipt of such written request during the term of this Agreement. The Borrower shall have the right to request, by written notice to Administrative Agent, one unscheduled redetermination of the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction during any twelve-month consecutive period, subject to contemporaneously providing to Administrative Agent a Reserve Report with an effective date not more than ninety days prior to the date of such notice.

 

(d)    If at any time the Required Lenders cannot otherwise agree on a redetermination of the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction, then the Borrowing Base, shall be set on the basis of the Administrative Agent’s calculation of the “weighted arithmetic average” (as hereinafter calculated) of the Borrowing Base and the Monthly Borrowing Base Reduction, as determined by each individual Lender and communicated to Administrative Agent in writing. However, the amount of the Borrowing Base shall never be increased at any time without the unanimous consent of all the Lenders, notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary. For purposes of this paragraph, the “weighted arithmetic average” of the Borrowing Base shall be determined by first multiplying the Borrowing Base proposed in writing to Administrative Agent by each Lender by such Lender’s Pro Rata Share, and then adding the results of each such calculation, with the resultant sum being the Borrowing Base.

 

(e)    The Borrowing Base shall represent the Required Lenders’ approval (except where unanimous consent is required) of the Administrative Agent’s determination, in accordance with their customary lending practices, of the maximum loan amount that may be supported by the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties and the Borrower acknowledges, for purposes of this Agreement, such determination by the Administrative Agent as being the maximum loan amount that may be supported by the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties. In making any redetermination of the Borrowing Base, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall apply the parameters and other credit factors consistently applied then generally being utilized by the Administrative Agent and each such Lender, respectively, for Borrowing Base redeterminations for other similarly situated borrowers. The Borrower, Lenders and the Administrative Agent acknowledge that (i) due to the uncertainties of the oil and gas extraction process, the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties are not subject to evaluation with a high degree of accuracy and are subject to potential rapid deterioration in value, and (ii) for this reason and the difficulties and expenses involved in liquidating and collecting against the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, the Administrative Agent’s determination of the maximum loan amount with respect to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties contains an equity cushion, which equity cushion is acknowledged by the Borrower as essential for the adequate protection of the Lenders.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(f)    The Borrower may, from time to time upon written notice to the Administrative Agent, propose to add Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties. Any such proposal to add Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties shall be accompanied by a Reserve Report applicable to such properties that conforms to the requirements of Section 2.04, and evidence sufficient to establish that the Borrower has Marketable Title to such Oil and Gas Properties, and any such addition shall become effective at such time as: (a) the Administrative Agent, with the approval of the Lenders, has made a determination of the amount by which the Borrowing Base would be increased as the result of such addition and (b) the conditions set out in Article IV hereof, to the extent they are applicable to such additional Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower, have been satisfied. In determining the increase in the Borrowing Base pursuant to this Section, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall apply the parameters and other credit factors set out in Section 2.04, above. Agent and Lenders hereby acknowledge and agree that the title is sufficient for the current Leases that have been subject to review by Agent or its counsel and no updated or endorsement will be required at any time for any production under the such Leases, unless Agent receives notice, or otherwise becomes aware of, any circumstances that would affect Borrower’s representations and warranties with regard to title to any such Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Borrower hereby agrees to provide Agent, within 60 days of this Agreement, an updated title opinion of that certain Title Opinion dated January 27, 1997 prepared by Ottinger, Herbert & Sikes, LLP, as supplemented by that certain Supplemental Title Opinion dated January June 2, 1998 also prepared by Ottinger, Herbert & Sikes, LLP, each of which cover State Lease 340, West Cote Blanche Bay Fielding, with such update confirming Marketable Title of such property in the name of Borrower.

 

(g)    At any time that Borrower proposes to increase the Borrowing Base by adding additional Oil and Gas Properties to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties pursuant to Section 2.04(f), Borrower may also request that Lenders increase the amount of the Aggregate Commitments stated on Schedule 2.01. At any time that Borrower makes such a request it shall promptly provide Administrative Agent with such financial information as Administrative Agent may request to assist the Administrative Agent in evaluating such request. Following the receipt of such information from Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall, with the unanimous approval of the Lenders, subject to all internal approvals of each Lender, and in the normal course of its business, make a redetermination of the Aggregate Commitments, which shall become effective upon written notification from the Administrative Agent to Borrower of the new Aggregate Commitments based on the parameters and other credit factors set out in Section 2.04(e), above.

 

2.05    Prepayments.

 

(a)    Borrower may, upon notice to Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Revolving Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Central Time, (A) five Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans, and (B) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a greater integral multiple of $100,000; and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $100,000 or a greater integral multiple of $100,000, or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Revolving Loans to be prepaid. Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such prepayment. If such notice is given by Borrower, Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest thereon, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. Each such prepayment shall be applied to the Revolving Loans of Lenders in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(b)    If for any reason (including a redetermination of the Borrowing Base) the Total Outstandings at any time exceed the lesser of Aggregate Commitments then in effect and the Borrowing Base then in effect, Borrower shall immediately (and in any event within three (3) Business Days) (i) prepay Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to such excess or (ii) add to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties additional Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower sufficient in value, as determined pursuant to Section 2.04, to increase the Borrowing Base to equal or exceed the Total Outstandings.

 

(c)    On each date on which Borrower sells any of its Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, the Borrowing Base shall be automatically reduced to the loan value (determined in accordance with the procedures for determining the Borrowing Base) of the remaining Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, and the Borrower shall be required immediately to make the prepayment, if any, required pursuant to Section 2.05(b).

 

2.06    Repayment of Loans.

 

Borrower shall repay to Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of Revolving Loans outstanding on such date, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and fees.

 

2.07    Interest.

 

(a)    Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate; (ii) each Base Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

 

(b)    If any amount payable by Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due and is not cured within any applicable cure period, whether at stated maturity by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws. Furthermore, while any Event of Default exists (or after acceleration), Borrower shall pay interest on the principal amount of all outstanding Obligations at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws. Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

 

(c)    Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




2.08    Fees.

 

In addition to certain fees described in subsection (i) of Section 2.03, Borrower shall pay to Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Pro Rata Share, a commitment fee equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by which the applicable Borrowing Base exceeds the sum of (a) the Outstanding Amount of Revolving Loans and (b) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations. The commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the Maturity Date. The commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Borrower acknowledges that other loans outstanding with the Agent from time to time and not subject to this Agreement are not considered Revolving Loans in calculating the commitment fee.

 

2.09    Computation of Interest and Fees.

 

All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans when the Base Rate is determined by Bank of America’s prime rate shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be and the actual number of days elapsed. All other computations of interest and all fees shall be made on the basis of a year of 360 days and the actual number of days elapsed, (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365 day year). Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.11(a), bear interest for one day.

 

2.10    Evidence of Debt.

 

 

(a)    The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by Agent in the ordinary course of business. The accounts or records maintained by Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by Lenders to Borrower and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through Agent, Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through Agent) a Note, which shall evidence, such Lender’s Loans, in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of the applicable Loans and payments with respect thereto.

 

(b)    In addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a), each Lender and Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.

 

2.11    Payments Generally.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




 

(a)    (i) All payments to be made by Borrower shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by Borrower hereunder shall be made to Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 12:00 noon, Central Time, on the date specified herein. Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Pro Rata Share (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by Agent after 12:00 noon, Central Time, shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. 

 





(ii)  On each date when the payment of any principal, interest or fees are due hereunder or under any Note, Borrower agrees to maintain on deposit in an ordinary checking account maintained by Borrower with Agent (as such account shall be designated by Borrower in a written notice to Agent from time to time, the “Borrower Account”) an amount sufficient to pay such principal, interest or fees in full on such date. Borrower hereby authorizes Agent, upon notice to Borrower (which notice may be by telephone) (A) to deduct automatically all principal, interest or fees when due hereunder or under any Note from Borrower Account, and (B) if and to the extent any payment of principal, interest or fees under this Agreement or any Note is not made when due to automatically deduct any such amount from any or all of the accounts of Borrower maintained at Agent. Agent agrees to provide written notice to Borrower of any automatic deduction made pursuant to this Section 2.11(a)(ii) showing in reasonable detail the amounts of such deduction. Lenders agree to reimburse Borrower based on their Pro Rata Share for any amounts deducted from such accounts in excess of amounts due hereunder and under any other Loan Documents.

 

(b)    If any payment to be made by Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

(c)    Unless Borrower or any Lender has notified Agent, prior to the date any payment is required to be made by it to Agent hereunder, that Borrower or such Lender, as the case may be, will not make such payment, Agent may assume that Borrower or such Lender, as the case may be, has timely made such payment and may (but shall not be so required to), in reliance thereon, make available a corresponding amount to the Person entitled thereto. If and to the extent that such payment was not in fact made to Agent in immediately available funds, then:

 

(i)    if Borrower failed to make such payment, each Lender shall forthwith on demand repay to Agent the portion of such assumed payment that was made available to such Lender in immediately available funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such amount was made available by Agent to such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to Agent in immediately available funds, at the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect; and

 

(ii)    if any Lender failed to make such payment, such Lender shall forthwith on demand pay to Agent the amount thereof in immediately available funds, together with interest thereon for the period from the date such amount was made available by Agent to Borrower to the date such amount is recovered by Agent (the “Compensation Period”) at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. If such Lender pays such amount to Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Revolving Loan included in the applicable Borrowing. If such Lender does not pay such amount forthwith upon Agent’s demand therefor, Agent may make a demand therefor upon Borrower, and Borrower shall pay such amount to Agent, together with interest thereon for the Compensation Period at a rate per annum equal to the rate of interest applicable to the applicable Borrowing. Nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve any Lender from its obligation to fulfill its Commitment or to prejudice any rights which Agent or Borrower may have against any Lender as a result of any default by such Lender hereunder.

 





	 
	 	 	 
	







	 



 



A notice of Agent to any Lender or Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (c) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.


 

(d)    If any Lender makes available to Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to Borrower by Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set out in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

 

(e)    The obligations of Lenders hereunder to make Revolving Loans and to fund participations in Letters of Credit are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Revolving Loan or to fund any such participation on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Revolving Loan or purchase its participation. 

 

(f)    Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.

 

2.12    Sharing of Payments.

 

If, other than as expressly provided elsewhere herein, any Lender shall obtain on account of Revolving Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations held by it, any payment (whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of set-off, or otherwise) in excess of its ratable share (or other share contemplated hereunder) thereof, such Lender shall immediately (a) notify Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase from the other Lenders such participations in the Revolving Loans made by them and/or such subparticipations in the participations in L/C Obligations held by them, as the case may be, as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment in respect of such Revolving Loans or such participations, as the case may be, pro rata with each of them; provided that if all or any portion of such excess payment is thereafter recovered from the purchasing Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.06 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the purchasing Lender in its discretion), such purchase shall to that extent be rescinded and each other Lender shall repay to the purchasing Lender the purchase price paid therefor, together with an amount equal to such paying Lender’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the amount of such paying Lender’s required repayment to (ii) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Lender) of any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Lender in respect of the total amount so recovered, without further interest thereon. Borrower agrees that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including the right of set-off, but subject to Section 10.09) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the direct creditor of Borrower in the amount of such participation. Agent will keep records (which shall be conclusive and binding in the absence of manifest error) of participations purchased under this Section and will in each case notify Lenders following any such purchases or repayments. Each Lender that purchases a participation pursuant to this Section shall from and after such purchase have the right to give all notices, requests, demands, directions and other communications under this Agreement with respect to the portion of the Obligations purchased to the same extent as though the purchasing Lender were the original owner of the Obligations purchased.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




ARTICLE III 

 

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

3.01    Taxes.

 

 

(a)    Any and all payments by Borrower to or for the account of Agent or any Lender under any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, assessments, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and all liabilities with respect thereto, excluding, in the case of Agent and each Lender, taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, is organized or maintains a lending office (all such non-excluded taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, assessments, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and liabilities being hereinafter referred to as “Taxes”). If Borrower shall be required by any Laws to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to Agent or any Lender, (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), each of Agent and such Lender receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) Borrower shall make such deductions, (iii) Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxation authority or other authority in accordance with applicable Laws, and (iv) within thirty days after the date of such payment, Borrower shall furnish to Agent (which shall forward the same to such Lender) the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof.

 

(b)    In addition, Borrower agrees to pay, subject to applicable laws, any and all present or future stamp, court or documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes or charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document (hereinafter referred to as “Other Taxes”).

 

(c)    If Borrower shall be required to deduct or pay any Taxes or Other Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to Agent or any Lender, Borrower shall also pay to Agent or to such Lender, at the time interest is paid, such additional amount that Agent or such Lender specifies is necessary to preserve the after-tax yield (after factoring in all taxes, including taxes imposed on or measured by net income) that Agent or such Lender would have received if such Taxes or Other Taxes had not been imposed.

 

(d)    Borrower agrees to indemnify Agent and each Lender for (i) the full amount of Taxes and Other Taxes (including any Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted by any jurisdiction on amounts payable under this Section) paid by Agent and such Lender, (ii) amounts payable under Section 3.01(c) and (iii) any liability (including additions to tax, penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto, in each case whether or not such Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. Payment under this subsection (d) shall be made within thirty days after the date Lender or Agent makes a demand therefor.

 

3.02    Illegality.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Eurodollar Rate Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to Borrower through Agent, any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until such Lender notifies Agent and Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted and all amounts due under Section 3.05 in accordance with the terms thereof due to such prepayment or conversion. Each Lender agrees to designate a different Lending Office if such designation will avoid the need for such notice and will not, in the good faith judgment of such Lender, otherwise be materially disadvantageous to such Lender.

 

3.03    Inability to Determine Rates.

 

If Agent determines in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof for any reason that (a) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank eurodollar market for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan, or (c) the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to Lenders of funding such Eurodollar Rate Loan, Agent will promptly so notify Borrower and all Lenders. Thereafter, the obligation of Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until Agent revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

 

3.04    Increased Cost and Reduced Return; Capital Adequacy; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans. 

 

(a)    If any Lender determines that as a result of the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any Law, or such Lender’s compliance therewith, there shall be any increase in the cost to such Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining Eurodollar Rate Loans or (as the case may be) issuing or participating in Letters of Credit, or a reduction in the amount received or receivable by such Lender in connection with any of the foregoing (excluding for purposes of this subsection (a) any such increased costs or reduction in amount resulting from (i) Taxes or Other Taxes (as to which Section 3.01 shall govern), (ii) changes in the basis of taxation of overall net income or overall gross income by the United States or any foreign jurisdiction or any political subdivision of either thereof under the Laws of which such Lender is organized or has its Lending Office, and (iii) reserve requirements utilized, as to Eurodollar Rate Loans, in the determination of the Eurodollar Rate), then from time to time upon demand of such Lender (with a copy of such demand to Agent), Borrower shall pay to such Lender such additional amounts as will compensate such Lender for such increased cost or reduction.

 

(b)    If any Lender determines that the introduction of any Law regarding capital adequacy or any change therein or in the interpretation thereof, or compliance by such Lender (or its Lending Office) therewith, has the effect of reducing the rate of return on the capital of such Lender or any corporation controlling such Lender as a consequence of such Lender’s obligations hereunder (taking into consideration its policies with respect to capital adequacy and such Lender’s desired return on capital), then from time to time upon demand of such Lender (with a copy of such demand to Agent), Borrower shall pay to such Lender such additional amounts as will compensate such Lender for such reduction.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




3.05    Funding Losses.

 

Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to Agent) from time to time, Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

 

(a)    any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise); or

 

(b)    any failure by Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by Borrower; 

 

including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.

 

For purposes of calculating amounts payable by Borrower to Lenders under this Section 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Base Rate used in determining the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurodollar Rate Revolving Loan was in fact so funded.

 

3.06    Matters Applicable to all Requests for Compensation.

 

A certificate of Agent or any Lender claiming compensation under this Article III and setting forth the calculation of the additional amount or amounts to be paid to it hereunder shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error. In determining such amount, Agent or such Lender may use any reasonable averaging and attribution methods.

 

3.07    Survival.

 

All of Borrower’s obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments and repayment of all other Obligations hereunder.

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

4.01    Conditions of Initial Credit Extension.

 

The obligation of each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)    Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or facsimiles (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party, each dated the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and its legal counsel:

 

(i)    executed counterparts of this Agreement, the Guaranty and all Collateral Documents covering all assets of Borrower, sufficient in number for distribution to Agent, each Lender and Borrower; 

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(ii)    a Note executed by Borrower in favor of each Lender requesting a Note;

 

(iii)    such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan Party as Agent may require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party;

 

(iv)    such documents and certificates as Agent may reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is duly organized or formed and that Borrower is, validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(v)    a favorable opinion of counsel to the Loan Parties acceptable to Agent, addressed to Agent and each Lender, as to such matters concerning the Loan Parties and the Loan Documents;

 

(vi)    a certificate of a Responsible Officer of each Loan Party either (A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by such Loan Party and the validity against such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or approvals are so required;

 

(vii)    a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower certifying (A) that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied, and (B) that there has been no event or circumstance since the date of the Initial Financial Statements that had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; 

 

(b)    Agent shall have received evidence that all insurance required to be maintained pursuant to the Loan Documents has been obtained and is in effect;

 

(c)    Agent shall have received evidence, satisfactory to Agent in its sole discretion, that as of the execution, delivery, filing and recording of the Collateral Documents, Agent shall hold a perfected, first priority Lien in all Collateral for the Loan, except to the Collateral subject to the Texaco Lien which will be in an inferior and subordinate position to such Lien;

 

(d)    Agent shall have received the results of a Uniform Commercial Code search showing all financing statements and other documents or instruments on file against the Borrower in the Offices of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, such search to be as of a date no more than ten days prior to the date of Closing; and

 

(e)    The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have been, and shall continue to be, satisfied, in their good faith discretion, that the Borrower holds Marketable Title to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, and that such ownership includes record title to an undivided net revenue interest in the production from each such Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Property that is not less than, as well as an undivided working interest in each Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Property that is not greater than (unless there is a corresponding increase in the net revenue interest attributed to such party therein), the net revenue interest therein and the working interest therein, respectively, attributed to the Borrower on Exhibit B, subject to the limitations and qualifications on such exhibit (or attributed to Borrower in any Collateral Document applicable to any Oil and Gas Property that is added to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties in connection with any subsequent funding after the Closing Date); provided that, for purposes of closing, Administrative Agent and Lenders intend to have confirmed, to their satisfaction, the status of Borrower’s title to Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties comprising a minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of the PW9 (based on the most recent Borrowing Base evaluation by the Administrative Agent) of the Proved Reserves that are attributable to those Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties; such determination by Administrative Agent and the Lenders, however, shall not relieve Borrower from the ongoing obligation to comply with all of its representations, warranties and covenants herein and in the Collateral Documents regarding Borrower’s title to all Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(f)    Any fees required to be paid on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid.

 

(g)    Borrower shall have paid all Attorney Costs of Agent to the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional amounts of Attorney Costs as shall constitute its reasonable estimate of Attorney Costs incurred or to be incurred by it through the closing proceedings (provided that such estimate shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between Borrower and Agent).

 

(h)    Agent shall have received, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to it, such other assurances, certificates, documents or consents related to the foregoing as Agent or the Required Lenders reasonably may require.

 

(i)    The Closing Date shall have occurred on or before March 18, 2005.

 

(j)    Agent shall have received such other assurances, certificates, documents, consents, evidence of perfection of all Liens securing the Obligations or opinions as Agent or the Required Lenders reasonably may require.

 

4.02    Conditions to all Credit Extensions and Conversions and Continuations.

 

The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension is subject to the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)    The representations and warranties of Borrower and each other Loan Party contained in Article V or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, conversion or continuation, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01.

 

(b)    No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension, conversion or continuation.

 

(c)    Agent shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




Each Request for Credit Extension submitted by Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.

 

4.03    Conditions to Credit Extensions Relating to Additional Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties.

 

The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension that would be secured by Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties added subsequent to the Closing Date is subject to the following conditions precedent: As of the time of funding any additional advances to Borrower that have been approved by the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01 and are made in conjunction with the addition of Oil and Gas Properties owned by the Borrower to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, the Borrower shall have duly delivered to the Agent: (i) the Collateral Documents that are necessary or appropriate, in the reasonable opinion of the Agent, relating to such additional Oil and Properties, (ii) Transfer Order Letters applicable to the production of oil and gas from the such additional Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties and (iii) evidence, reasonably satisfactory to Agent in its sole discretion, that Borrower and the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties will be in material compliance with all Environmental Laws. Furthermore, Agent shall have completed its title due diligence confirming that Borrower has satisfactory title to Leases representing seventy-five percent (75%) of the PW9 of Borrower’s Proved Reserves.

 

ARTICLE V

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Borrower represents and warrants to Agent and Lenders that: 

 

5.01    Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws.

 

Each Loan Party (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or licenses, except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i) or (c), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 

5.02    Authorization; No Contravention.

 

The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is party, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, (i) any Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject; or (c) violate any Law.

 

5.03    Governmental Authorization.

 

No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

5.04    Binding Effect.

 

This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against each Loan Party that is party thereto in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency and general principles of equity.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




5.05    Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.

 

(a)    The Initial Financial Statements and the audited Current Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

 

(b)    The unaudited Current Financial Statements of Borrower and its Subsidiaries (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, and (ii) fairly present the financial condition of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby, subject in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit adjustments.

 

(c)    Since the date of the Initial Financial Statements, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 

5.06    Litigation.

 

Except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.06 hereto, there are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of Borrower investigation, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, or (b) either individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.07    No Default.

 

Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation that could either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

5.08    Title; Liens; Priority of Liens.

 

Each of Borrower, each Loan Party, and each other Subsidiary (a) has good record and Marketable Title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its business, except for such defects in title as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (b) own the personal property granted by it as Collateral under the Collateral Documents, free and clear of any and all Liens in favor of third parties other than those permitted under Section 7.01, and (c) have Marketable Title to the working and net revenue interests in the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties as set out on Exhibit B. Except as set out in the instruments and agreements, if any, more particularly described in Exhibit B hereto, all such shares of production which the Borrower is entitled to receive, and shares of expenses which the Borrower is obligated to bear, are not subject to change, except for changes attributable to future elections by the Borrower not to participate in operations proposed pursuant to customary forms of applicable joint operating agreements, and except for changes attributable to changes in participating areas under any federal units wherein participating areas may be formed, enlarged or contracted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the applicable Governmental Authority. Upon the proper filing of UCC financing statements in the proper locations, the proper recording of mortgages in the proper office, and the taking of the other actions required by the Required Lenders, the Liens granted in property pursuant to the Collateral Documents will constitute valid and enforceable first, prior and perfected Liens on the Collateral in favor of Agent, for the ratable benefit of Agent and Lenders, except to the Collateral subject to the Texaco Lien which will be in an inferior and subordinate position to such Lien. The property of Borrower and its Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than Permitted Liens. All such shares of production which the Borrower is entitled to receive, and shares of expenses which the Borrower is obligated to bear, are not subject to change, except for changes attributable to future elections by the Borrower not to participate in operations proposed pursuant to customary forms of applicable joint operating agreements, and except for changes attributable to changes in participating areas under any federal units wherein participating areas may be formed, enlarged or contracted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the applicable governmental authority.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




5.09    Environmental Compliance.

 

Borrower and its Subsidiaries conduct in the ordinary course of business a review of the effect of existing Environmental Laws and claims alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of any Environmental Law on their respective businesses, operations and properties, and as a result thereof Borrower has reasonably concluded that, except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.09 hereto, such Environmental Laws and claims could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.10    Insurance.

 

The properties of Borrower and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of Borrower, in such amounts, after giving effect to any self-insurance compatible with the following standards, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary operates.

 

5.11    Taxes.

 

Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all federal, state and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.12    ERISA Compliance.

 

(a)    Each Plan is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other federal or state Laws. Each Plan that is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS or an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS with respect thereto and, to the best knowledge of Borrower, nothing has occurred which would prevent, or cause the loss of, such qualification. Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate have made all required contributions to each Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, and no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period pursuant to Section 412 of the Code has been made with respect to any Plan.

 

(b)    There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of Borrower, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(c)    (i) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (ii) no Pension Plan has any Unfunded Pension Liability; (iii) neither Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan (other than premiums due and not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA); (iv) neither Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability (and no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in such liability) under Sections 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multiemployer Plan; and (v) neither Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Sections 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.

 

5.13    Subsidiaries.

 

As of the Closing Date, Borrower has no Subsidiaries other than those specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.13. 

 

5.14    Disclosure.

 

Borrower has disclosed to Agent and Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of any Loan Party in connection with any Loan Document to Agent or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

5.15    Compliance with Laws.

 

Borrower, each Subsidiary and each other Loan Party is in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.16    Investment Company Act; Public Utility Holding Company Act.

 

None of Borrower, any Person Controlling Borrower, or any Subsidiary (a) 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, or (b) is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

5.17    Tax Shelter Regulations.

 

Borrower does not intend to treat the Loans and/or Letters of Credit and related transactions as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4). In the event Borrower determines to take any action inconsistent with such intention, it will promptly notify Agent thereof. Accordingly, if Borrower so notifies Agent, Borrower acknowledges that one or more of the Lenders may treat its Revolving Loans and/or Letters of Credit as part of a transaction that is subject to Treasury Regulation Section 301.6112-1, and such Lender or Lenders, as applicable, will maintain the lists and other records required by such Treasury Regulation.

 

5.18         Rights in Collateral; Priority of Liens

 

Borrower and each other Loan Party own the property granted by it as Collateral under the Collateral Documents, free and clear of any and all Liens in favor of third parties, other than Permitted Liens. Upon the proper filing of UCC financing statements in the proper locations, and the taking of the other actions required by the Required Lenders, the Liens granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents will constitute valid and enforceable first, prior and perfected Liens on the Collateral in favor of Agent, for the ratable benefit of Agent and Lenders, except to the Collateral subject to the Texaco Lien which will be in an inferior and subordinate position to such Lien.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




5.19    Oil and Gas Leases.

 

The Leases which constitute any part of the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties are in full force and effect as to those portions thereof that comprise the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties.

 

5.20    Oil and Gas Contracts.

 

Except: (a) as set out on Schedule 5.20 attached hereto, and (b) as may subsequently occur and be disclosed by Borrower in the next Compliance Certificate delivered by Borrower after such occurrence, the Borrower is not obligated, by virtue of any prepayment under any contract providing for the sale by the Borrower of Hydrocarbons which contains a “take-or-pay” clause or under any similar prepayment agreement or arrangement, including, “gas balancing agreements”, to deliver a material amount of Hydrocarbons produced from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties at some future time without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor (i.e., in the case of oil, not in excess of sixty days, and in the case of gas, not in excess of ninety days). Except: (a) as set out on Schedule 5.20 attached hereto, and (b) as may subsequently occur and be disclosed by Borrower in the next Compliance Certificate delivered by Borrower after such occurrence, the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties are not subject to any contractual, or other arrangement for the sale of crude oil which cannot be canceled on ninety days’ (or less) notice, unless the price provided for therein is equal to or greater than the prevailing market price in the vicinity. To the best of the Borrower’s knowledge, the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties are not subject to any regulatory refund obligation and no facts exist which might cause the same to be imposed. 

 

5.21    Producing Wells.

 

All producing wells that constitute part of the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties: (a) have been, during all times that any such wells were operated by Borrower or its Affiliates, and (b) to the knowledge of the Borrower, have been at all other times; drilled, operated and produced in conformity with all applicable Laws, rules, regulations and orders of all regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, are subject to no penalties on account of past production, and are bottomed under and are producing from, and the well bores are wholly within, the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, or on Oil and Gas Properties which have been pooled, unitized or communitized with the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, except to the extent that any noncompliance with the representations set out in this Section would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.22    Purchasers of Production.

 

The names and business addresses of the Persons who: (a) have purchased any of the Borrower’s interests in oil and gas produced from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties during the six calendar months preceding the Closing Date, and (b) are considered by Borrower to be potential future purchasers of Borrower’s interest in oil and gas produced from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, are identified on Schedule 5.22 attached hereto.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, Borrower shall, and shall (except in the case of the covenants set out in Sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.03 and 6.11) cause each Subsidiary to:

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




6.01    Financial Statements.

 

Deliver to Agent a sufficient number of copies for delivery by Agent to each Lender, of the following, in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to Agent and the Required Lenders:

 

(a)    as soon as available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of an independent certified public accountant of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders (provided that with regard to the calendar year 2004, such financial statements need not be prepared by nationally recognized independent certified public accountants), which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit;

 

(b)    as soon as available, but in any event within 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of Borrower’s fiscal year then ended, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and certified by a Responsible Officer of Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations, shareholders equity and cash flows of Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes. 

 

6.02    Certificates; Other Information.

 

Deliver to Agent a sufficient number of copies for delivery to each Lender, of the following, in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to Agent and the Required Lenders:

 

(a)    concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.01(a), a certificate of its independent certified public accountants certifying such financial statements and stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default or, if any such Default shall exist, stating the nature and status of such event;

 

(b)    concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 6.01(a) and (b), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower; 

 

(c)    to the extent an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, promptly after any request by Agent or any Lender, copies of any audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of Borrower by independent accountants in connection with the accounts or books of Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any audit of any of them;

 

(d)    promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which Borrower may file or be required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be delivered to Agent pursuant hereto;

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(e)    Promptly after Borrower has notified Agent of any intention by Borrower to treat the Loans and/or Letters of Credit and related transactions as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4), a duly completed copy of IRS Form 8886 or any successor form; and

 

(f)    Commencing on March 31, 2005 and continuing thereafter at the end of each fiscal quarter thereafter, a report of Borrower’s commodity hedge position for such 6-month period.

 




6.03    Notices.

 

Promptly notify Agent and each Lender:

 

(a)    of the occurrence of any Default;

 

(b)    of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, including (i) breach or non-performance of, or any default under, a Contractual Obligation of Borrower or any Subsidiary; (ii) any dispute, litigation, investigation, proceeding or suspension between Borrower or any Subsidiary and any Governmental Authority; or (iii) the commencement of, or any material development in, any litigation or proceeding affecting Borrower or any Subsidiary, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws;

 

(c)    the occurrence of any ERISA Event; and 

 

(d)    of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

Each notice pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to Section 6.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.

 

6.04    Payment of Obligations.

 

Pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable, all its obligations and liabilities, including (a) all tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets, unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by Borrower or such Subsidiary; (b) all lawful claims which, if unpaid, would by law become a Lien upon its property, unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by Borrower or such Subsidiary; and (c) all Indebtedness, as and when due and payable, but subject to any subordination provisions contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing such Indebtedness.

 

6.05    Preservation of Existence, Etc.

 

(a) Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization; (b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) preserve or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




6.06    Maintenance of Properties.

 

(a) Maintain, preserve and protect all of its material properties and equipment necessary in the operation of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted; (b) make all necessary repairs thereto and renewals and replacements thereof except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (c) use the standard of care typical in the industry in the operation and maintenance of its facilities; and (d) cause its tangible property relating to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties to be maintained in good repair and condition, cause all necessary replacements thereof to be made, and cause such property to be operated in a good and workmanlike manner in accordance with standard industry practices, unless the failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

6.07    Maintenance of Insurance.

 

Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of Borrower, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types and in such amounts (after giving effect to any self-insurance compatible with the following standards) as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons and providing for not less than thirty days’ prior notice to Agent of termination, lapse or cancellation of such insurance provided that such insurance coverage shall include insurance for business interruption of Borrower with terms reasonably satisfactory to Agent.

 

6.08    Compliance with Laws.

 

Comply in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws, and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its business (including continuing its qualification with the Minerals Management Service) or property (including the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties), except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; or (b) the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 

6.09    Books and Records.

 

Maintain proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, and maintain such books of record and account in material conformity with all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory jurisdiction over Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be. Borrower shall maintain at all times books and records pertaining to the Collateral in such detail, form and scope as Agent or any Lender shall reasonably require.

 

6.10    Inspection Rights.

 

Permit representatives and independent contractors of Agent and each Lender to visit and inspect any of its properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its directors, officers, and independent public accountants, and make all financial records and other records relating to the Borrowing Base Oil & Gas Properties available for inspection, all at the expense of Agent on behalf of the Lenders (except that, during the continuance of a Event of Default, all such inspections shall be at Borrower’s expense) and at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably desired, upon reasonable advance notice to Borrower; provided that, such actions shall not unreasonably interfere with the business or operations of Borrower. When a Default exists, Agent or any Lender (or any of their respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of Borrower at any time during normal business hours and upon reasonable advance notice.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




6.11    Use of Proceeds.

 

Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions for capital expenditures, general corporate purposes not in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document, and development and exploration of Oil and Gas Properties.

 

6.12    Accounts.

 

Borrower shall maintain its primary deposit accounts, cash management and collection and lockbox services with Administrative Agent. 

 

6.13    Additional Guarantors.

 

Notify Agent at the time that any Person becomes a Subsidiary, and promptly thereafter (and in any event within thirty days), cause such Person to (a) become a Guarantor by executing and delivering Agent a counterpart of the Guaranty or such other document as Agent shall deem appropriate for such purpose, and (b) deliver to Agent documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of Section 4.01(a) and favorable opinions of counsel to such Person (which shall cover, among other things, the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the documentation referred to in clause (a)), all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to Agent.

 

6.14    Collateral Records.

 

    Borrower agrees to execute and deliver promptly, and to cause each other Loan Party to execute and deliver promptly, to Agent, from time to time, solely for Agent’s convenience in maintaining a record of the Collateral, such written statements and schedules as Agent may reasonably require designating, identifying or describing the Collateral. The failure by Borrower or any other Loan Party, however, to promptly give Agent such statements or schedules shall not affect, diminish, modify or otherwise limit the Liens on the Collateral granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents.

 

6.15    Security Interests.

 

    Borrower shall, and shall cause each other Loan Party to, defend the Collateral against all claims and demands of all Persons at any time claiming the same or any interest therein. Borrower shall, and shall cause each other Loan Party to, comply with the requirements of all state and federal laws in order to grant to Agent and Lenders valid and perfected first priority security interests in the Collateral, except to the Collateral subject to the Texaco Lien which will be in an inferior and subordinate position to such Lien, with perfection, in the case of any investment property or deposit account, being effected by giving Agent control of such investment property or deposit account, rather than by the filing of a UCC financing statement with respect to such investment property. Agent is hereby authorized by Borrower to file any UCC financing statements covering the Collateral whether or not Borrower’s signatures appear thereon. Borrower shall, and shall cause each other Loan Party, to do whatever Agent may reasonably request, from time to time, to effect the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including filing notices of liens, UCC financing statements, fixture filings and amendments, renewals and continuations thereof; cooperating with Agent’s representatives; keeping stock records; obtaining waivers from landlords and mortgagees and from warehousemen and their landlords and mortgages; and, paying claims which might, if unpaid, become a Lien on the Collateral.

 

6.16    Title Defects.

 

Cure any title defects to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties material in value, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, within ninety days after receipt of written notice thereof from Administrative Agent and, in the event any title defects are not cured in a timely manner, pay all related costs and fees reasonably incurred by the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders to do so; provided the Borrower may remove any of its Oil and Gas Properties from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties so long as the Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes is less than or equal to the Borrowing Base (determined by the Lenders in accordance with Section 2.04 exclusive of such Oil and Gas Properties). In the event that the Borrower is unable to cure a title defect, Borrower shall have the ability to substitute additional collateral (“Collateral”); provided that Borrower’s ability to substitute such Collateral is subject to the requirements described in Section 2.04. Furthermore, after identification and prior to the cure of any such title defect, the Administrative Agent may, subject to approval of the Required Lenders, and must, upon the request of the Required Lenders, redetermine the Borrowing Base to reflect the amount of such title defect.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




6.17    Maintenance of Tangible Property.

 

Maintain all of its tangible property relating to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties in good repair and condition and make all necessary replacements thereof and operate such property in a good and workmanlike manner in accordance with standard industry practices, unless the failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Borrower or the value of any Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Property.

 

6.18    Inspection of Tangible Assets/Right of Audit.

 

Permit any authorized representative of the Administrative Agent or any Lender to visit and inspect (at the risk of the Administrative Agent, such Lender and/or such representative) the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, and/or to audit the books and records of the Borrower related to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties during normal business hours, at the expense of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and during normal business hours following reasonable advance notice; provided, that any actions shall not unreasonably interfere with the business or operations of Borrower.

 

6.19    Leases.

 

Keep and continue all material Leases comprising the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties and related contracts and agreements relating thereto in full force and effect in accordance with the terms thereof and not permit the same to lapse or otherwise become impaired for failure to comply with the obligations thereof, whether express or implied; provided, however, that this provision shall not prevent the Borrower from abandoning and releasing any such Leases upon their termination as the result of cessation of production in paying quantities that did not result from the Borrower’s failure to maintain such production as a reasonably prudent operator. Subject to approval by the Administrative Agent, Borrower shall have the right to replace Leases that lapse or become impaired.

 

6.20    Operation of Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties.

 

Operate or, to the extent that the right of operation is vested in others, exercise all reasonable efforts to require the operator to operate the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties and all wells drilled thereon and that may hereafter be drilled thereon, continuously and in a prudent and workmanlike manner and in accordance with all Laws of the State in which the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties are situated and the United States of America, as well as all rules, regulations, and Laws of any governmental agency having jurisdiction to regulate the manner in which the operation of the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties shall be carried on, and comply with all terms and conditions of the Leases it now holds, and any assignment or contract obligating the Borrower in any way with respect to the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, except for any such non-compliance that would not have a Material Adverse Effect; but nothing herein shall be construed to empower the Borrower to bind the Administrative Agent or any Lender to any contract obligation, or render the Administrative Agent or any Lender in any way responsible or liable for bills or obligations incurred by the Borrower.

 

6.21    Change of Purchasers of Production.

 

Concurrently with the delivery of (and as part of) the annual Compliance Certificate, and at any other time that the Administrative Agent may reasonably request in writing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent in writing of the identity and address of each Person who: (a) has purchased any of the Borrower’s interests in oil and gas produced from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties during the six calendar months preceding such anniversary of the Closing, and (b) are considered by Borrower to be potential future purchasers of Borrower’s interest in oil and gas produced from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, shall provide the Administrative Agent with Transfer Order Letters executed by the Borrower and addressed to such purchasers of production.

 

6.22    Escrow Agreement.

 

Comply with the terms of the Escrow Agreement.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




ARTICLE VII

 

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:

 

7.01    Liens.

 

Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist, any Lien upon any of its Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, or any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than the following (“Permitted Liens”): 

 

(a)    Liens pursuant to any Loan Document;

 

(b)    Liens existing on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.01 hereto and any renewals, rearrangements, amendments, modifications and/or extensions thereof, provided that, the property covered thereby is not increased and any renewal or extension of the obligations secured or benefited thereby is permitted by Section 7.03(b);

 

(c)    Liens for taxes, assessments, or other governmental charges or levies not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;

 

(d)    operators’, vendors’, carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business or which are incident to the exploration, development, operation, and maintenance of the Borrower’s Oil and Gas Properties, not overdue for a period of more than thirty days or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;

 

(e)    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 to secure amounts owing, which amounts are not yet due or are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, if such reserve as may be required by GAAP shall have been made therefor;

 

(f)    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 90 days of delivery;

 

(g)    pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business or Liens in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA;

 

(h)    deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other than Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety bonds (other than bonds related to judgments or litigation), performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(i)    easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions, covenants, exceptions, or reservations and other similar encumbrances, defects, irregularities, and deficiencies in title affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person; 

 

(j)    Liens securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting an Event of Default under Section 8.01(h) or securing appeal or other surety bonds relating to such judgments;

 

(k)    Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.03(e); provided that, (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Indebtedness and (ii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost or fair market value, whichever is lower, of the property being acquired on the date of acquisition; and

 

(l)    the Texaco Lien.

 

7.02    Hedging.

 

    Enter into, during the term of this Agreement, any Swap Contracts, except for Swap Contracts that: (a) satisfy the requirements under Section 7.03(d) below, (b) cover monthly notional volumes of Hydrocarbons that do not exceed 75% of the Proved Developed Producing Reserves that are projected to be produced from the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties for the applicable calendar month in the most recent Reserve Report or as otherwise determined as calculated by the Agent; provided that, where only annual volumes are presented in the Reserve Report, monthly volumes will be calculated by dividing the applicable volumes by the number of months covered by the Reserve Report for the applicable year, (c) are based on fixed prices to Borrower that are equal to or greater than the prices utilized by Agent in its most recent determination of the Borrowing Base and (iv) do not include terms longer than 36 months.




7.03    Indebtedness.

 

Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:

 

(a)    Indebtedness under the Loan Documents;

 

(b)    Indebtedness committed to or outstanding on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.03 hereto and any refinancings, refundings, renewals or extensions thereof; provided that the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder;

 

(c)    Guarantees of Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder of Borrower or any Subsidiary; 

 

(d)    Obligations (contingent or otherwise) of Borrower or any Subsidiary existing or arising under any Swap Contract, provided that (i) such obligations are (or were) entered into by such Person in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with liabilities, commitments, investments, assets, or property held or reasonably anticipated by such Person, or changes in the value of securities issued by such Person and not for purposes of speculation or taking a “market view;” (ii) such Swap Contract does not contain any provision exonerating the non-defaulting party from its obligation to make payments on outstanding transactions to the defaulting party, and (iii) if the Swap Contract relates to Hydrocarbons, Borrower enters into such Swap Contract with or through a counterparty that has a credit rating of at least “A-” by Standard and Poors or “A3” by Moody’s Investment Service. 

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(e)    Indebtedness in respect of capital leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and purchase money obligations for fixed assets within the limitations set out in Section 7.01(k); provided that, the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding may not exceed $1,000,000; and

 

(f)    Indebtedness associated with bonds, surety obligations or sinking funds required by any Governmental Authority or operators in connection with the operation of Oil and Gas Properties; and

 

(g)    any Indebtedness associated or related to any preferred stock offering outstanding as of the date of this Agreement.

 

7.04    Fundamental Changes.

 

Merge, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate with or into, another Person, or Dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to or in favor of any Person; provided that, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom and so long as Borrower is the surviving entity, Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into another Person without the consent of the Agent, but with prior reasonable notice to Agent.

 

7.05    Dispositions.

 

Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except the following (provided that each such Disposition shall be for fair market value):

 

(a)    Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b)    sales, leases, assignments, transfers or disposals of, in one or any series of related transactions, any portion of the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, including transfers to Affiliates, which, in the aggregate, do not exceed $100,000 during any period beginning on the date of Administrative Agent’s written notice to Borrower pursuant to Section 2.04 of a Borrowing Base redetermination (except that the first such period shall begin on the Closing Date) and ending on the date of the next such written notice from Administrative Agent to Borrower;

 

(c)    sales of Hydrocarbons in the ordinary course of business; and

 

(d)    Dispositions of property by any Subsidiary to Borrower or to a wholly-owned Subsidiary, provided that, if the transferor of such property is a Guarantor, the transferee thereof must either be Borrower or a Guarantor; 

 

provided that any Disposition pursuant to clauses (a) through (e) shall be for fair market value.




7.06    Restricted Payments

 

(a)    Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so.

 

7.07    Change in Nature of Business.

 

Engage in any material line of business substantially different from those lines of business conducted by Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date hereof.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




7.08    Transactions with Affiliates.

 

Enter into any transaction allowed under Section 7.05 or of any kind with any Affiliate of Borrower, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, other than on fair and reasonable terms substantially as favorable to Borrower or such Subsidiary as would be obtainable by Borrower or such Subsidiary at the time in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate, provided that the foregoing restriction shall not apply to transactions between or among Borrower and any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries or between and among any wholly-owned Subsidiaries.

 

7.09    Margin Regulations.

 

Use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States) or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock or to refund indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.

 

7.10    Pooling or Unitization.

 

Voluntarily pool or unitize all or any part of the Borrowing Base Oil and Gas Properties where the pooling or unitization would result in any material diminution of the Borrower’s net revenue interest in production from the pooled or unitized lands, without the Required Lenders’ prior consent. Any unitization, pooling or communitization or other action or instrument in violation of this Section 7.10 shall be of no force or effect against any Lender.

 

7.11    Financial Covenants

 

(a)    Current Ratio. Permit, as of any date of determination, the ratio of its current assets to current liabilities to be less than 1.00:1.00.

 

(b)    Funded Debt to EBITDAX Ratio. Permit, as of any date of determination, the ratio of Funded Debt as of such date to EBITDAX for the 12-month period ending on such date to be greater than 2.00:1.00. 

 

(c)    Interest Coverage Ratio. Permit, as of any date of determination, the ratio of EBITDAX for the 12-month period ending on such date to Interest Expense for the 12-month period ending on such date to be less than 3.00:1.00.

 

7.12    Texaco Lien and Escrow Agreement.

 

Amend, or agree to amend, the documents evidencing the Texaco Lien or the Escrow Agreement with the prior consent of Agent, such consent not to be unreasonable withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES 

 

8.01    Events of Default.

 

Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:

 

(a)    Non-Payment. Borrower or any other Loan Party fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan, or any L/C Obligation, or (ii) when and as required to be paid herein, any interest on any Loan or on any L/C Obligation, or any fee due hereunder, or (iii) when and as required to be paid herein, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document, which failure to pay is not cured within five (5) days of the applicable due date; or

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(b)    Negative Covenants. Borrower fails to observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Article VII or any Loan Party fails to observe any negative covenant in any other Loan Document, which failure is not cured within thirty (30) days thereafter; or

 

(c)    Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in (a) or (b) above) contained herein or in any other Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for thirty (30) days; or

 

(d)    Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made or deemed; or

 

(e)    Cross-Default. (i) Borrower or any Subsidiary (A) fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) and after any applicable grace period, in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than $50,000 or (B) fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or Guarantee or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be made prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which Borrower or any Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined) under such Swap Contract as to which Borrower or any Subsidiary is an Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by Borrower or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than $50,000, which failure or occurrence is not cured within any applicable cure period; or

 

(f)    Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. Any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person, which proceeding is not dismissed within sixty (60) days after filing; or

 

(g)    Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) Borrower or any Subsidiary becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within thirty days after its issue or levy; or

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(h)    Judgments. There is entered against Borrower or any Subsidiary (i) one or more final, non-appealable, judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount exceeding $100,000 (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage), or (ii) any one or more non-monetary final judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and, in either case, (A) enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order, or (B) there is a period of ten consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, is not in effect; or 

 

(i)    ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of $100,000, or (ii) Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of $100,000; or

 

(j)    Invalidity of Loan Documents. Any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or satisfaction in full of all the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any other Person contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind any Loan Document, or any Lien with respect to any material portion of the Collateral intended to be secured thereby ceases to be, or, subject to Section 7.01, is not, valid, perfected and prior to all other Liens or is terminated, revoked or declared void; or

 

(k)    Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control with respect to Borrower and/or any Guarantor; or

 

(l)    Material Adverse Effect. There occurs any event or circumstance that has a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8.02    Remedies Upon Event of Default.

 

If any Event of Default occurs, Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:

 

(a)    declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of Agent to make L/C Credit Extensions to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated; 

 

(b)    declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by Borrower; 

 

(c)    require that Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the then Outstanding Amount thereof); and

 

(d)    exercise on behalf of itself and Lenders all rights and remedies available to it and Lenders under the Loan Documents or applicable law;

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




provided that, upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of Agent to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of Agent or any Lender.

 

8.03    Application of Funds.

 

After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set out in the proviso to Section 8.02), any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall be applied by Agent in the following order:

 

(a)    First, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including Attorney Costs and amounts payable under Article III) payable to Agent in its capacity as such;

 

(b)    Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal and interest) payable to Lenders (including Attorney Costs and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause (b) payable to them;

 

(c)    Third, to the payments of all amounts due to any Lender or Affiliate of any Lender under any Swap Contract;

 

(d)    Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans and L/C Borrowings, ratably among Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (d) payable to them;

 

(e)    Fifth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and L/C Borrowings, ratably among Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (e) held by them;

 

(f)    Sixth, to Agent, to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit; and

 

(g)    Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.

 

Subject to Section 2.03(c), amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause (f) above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set out above.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

AGENT

 

9.01    Appointment and Authorization of Agent.

 

Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints, designates and authorizes Agent to take such action on its behalf under the provisions of this Agreement and each other Loan Document and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly delegated to it by the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere herein or in any other Loan Document, Agent shall not have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set out herein, nor shall Agent have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender or participant, and no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into this Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise exist against Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the use of the term “agent” herein and in the other Loan Documents with reference to Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law. Instead, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting parties. All benefits and immunities provided to Agent in this Article IX shall apply to Agent as issuer of Letters of Credit with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by Agent in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and the applications and agreements for letters of credit pertaining to such Letters of Credit made by Agent, and as additionally provided herein with respect to Agent as issuer of Letters of Credit.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




9.02    Delegation of Duties.

 

Agent may execute any of its duties under this Agreement or any other Loan Document by or through agents, employees or attorneys-in-fact and shall be entitled to advice of counsel and other consultants or experts concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agent or attorney-in-fact that it selects in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

 

9.03    Liability of Agent.

 

No Agent-Related Person shall (a) be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby (except for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with its duties expressly set out herein), or (b) be responsible in any manner to any Lender or Participant for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made by any Loan Party or any officer thereof, contained herein or in any other Loan Document, or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or the validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for any failure of any Loan Party or any other party to any Loan Document to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder. No Agent-Related Person shall be under any obligation to any Lender or Participant to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance or performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or to inspect the properties, books or records of any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof.

 

9.04    Reliance by Agent.

 

(a)    Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any writing, communication, signature, resolution, representation, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, facsimile, telex or telephone message, electronic mail message, statement or other document or conversation 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 (including counsel to any Loan Party), independent accountants and other experts selected by Agent. Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under any Loan Document unless it shall first receive such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders as it deems appropriate and, if it so requests, it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction by all 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. Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document in accordance with a request or consent of the Required Lenders (or such greater number of Lenders as may be expressly required by any instance), and such request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon all Lenders.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(b)    For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

9.05    Notice of Default.

 

Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default, except with respect to defaults in the payment of principal, interest and fees required to be paid to Agent for the account of Lenders, unless Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or Borrower referring to this Agreement, describing such Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default.” Agent will notify Lenders of its receipt of any such notice. Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default as may be directed by the Required Lenders in accordance with Article VIII; provided that, unless and until Agent has received any such direction, Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default as it shall deem advisable or in the best interest of Lenders.

 

9.06    Credit Decision; Disclosure of Information by Agent.

 

Each Lender acknowledges that no Agent-Related Person has made any representation or warranty to it, and that no act by Agent hereafter taken, including any consent to and acceptance of any assignment or review of the affairs of any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof, shall be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty by any Agent-Related Person to any Lender as to any matter, including whether Agent-Related Persons have disclosed material information in their possession. Each Lender represents to Agent that it has, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own appraisal of and investigation into the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries, and all applicable banks or other regulatory Laws relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, and made its own decision to enter into this Agreement and to extend credit to Borrower and the other Loan Parties hereunder. Each Lender also represents that it will, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and to make such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of Borrower and the other Loan Parties. Except for notices, reports and other documents expressly required to be furnished to Lenders by Agent herein, Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any Lender with any credit or other information concerning the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition or creditworthiness of any of the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates which may come into the possession of any Agent-Related Person.

 

9.07    Indemnification of Agent.

 

Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, Lenders shall indemnify upon demand each Agent-Related Person (to the extent not reimbursed by or on behalf of any Loan Party and without limiting the obligation of any Loan Party to do so), pro rata, and hold harmless each Agent-Related Person from and against any and all Indemnified Liabilities incurred by it; provided that no Lender shall be liable for the payment to any Agent-Related Person of any portion of such Indemnified Liabilities to the extent determined in a final, nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been caused primarily by such Agent-Related Person’s own gross negligence or willful misconduct; it being agreed by all Lenders that no action taken in accordance with the directions of the Required Lenders shall be deemed to constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct for purposes of this Section. Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender shall reimburse Agent upon demand for its ratable share of any costs or out-of-pocket expenses (including Attorney Costs and costs and expenses in connection with the use of IntraLinks, Inc. or other similar information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement) incurred by Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification, amendment or enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal advice in respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any document contemplated by or referred to herein, to the extent that Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by or on behalf of Borrower. The undertaking in this Section shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, the payment of all other Obligations and the resignation of Agent.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




9.08    Agent in its Individual Capacity.

 

Bank of America and its Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the account of, accept deposits from, acquire equity interests in and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting or other business with each of the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates as though Bank of America were not Agent hereunder and without notice to or consent of Lenders. Lenders acknowledge that, pursuant to such activities, Bank of America or its Affiliates may receive information regarding any Loan Party or its Affiliates (including information that may be subject to confidentiality obligations in favor of such Loan Party or such Affiliate) and acknowledge that Agent shall be under no obligation to provide such information to them. With respect to its Loans, Bank of America shall have the same rights and powers under this Agreement as any other Lender and may exercise such rights and powers as though it were not Agent, and the terms “Lender” and “Lenders” include Bank of America in its individual capacity.

 

9.09    Successor Agent.

 

Agent may resign as Agent upon thirty days’ written notice to Lenders and Borrower; provided that any such resignation by Bank of America shall also constitute its resignation as Agent in its capacity of issuer of Letters of Credit. If Agent resigns under this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall appoint from among Lenders a successor Agent for Lenders, which successor Agent shall be consented to by Borrower at all times other than during the existence of a Default (which consent of Borrower shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). If no successor Agent is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of Agent, Agent may appoint, after consulting with Lenders and Borrower, a successor Agent from among Lenders. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as successor Agent hereunder, the Person acting as such successor Agent shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Agent (including those in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit) and the term “Agent” shall mean such successor Agent in all such capacities and the retiring Agent’s appointment, powers and duties as Agent shall be terminated, without any other or further act or deed on the part of such retiring Agent or any other Lender, other than the obligation of the successor Agent to issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or to make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring Agent to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring Agent with respect to such Letters of Credit. After any retiring Agent’s resignation hereunder as Agent, the provisions of this Article IX and Sections 10.04 and 10.05 shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was Agent under this Agreement. If no successor Agent has accepted appointment as Agent by the date which is thirty days following a retiring Agent’s notice of resignation, the retiring Agent’s resignation shall nevertheless thereupon become effective and Lenders shall perform all of the duties of Agent hereunder until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor agent as provided for above.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




9.10    Agent May File Proofs of Claim.

 

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether Agent shall have made any demand on Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

 

(a)    to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of Lenders and Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of Lenders and Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due Lenders and Agent under Sections 2.03(i), 2.08 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

 

(b)    to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender to make such payments to Agent and, in the event that Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to Lenders, to pay to Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due Agent under Sections 2.08 and 10.04.

 

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.

 

9.11    Guaranty Matters.

 

Each Lender hereby irrevocably authorizes Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder. Upon request by Agent at any time, each Lender will confirm in writing Agent’s authority to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty pursuant to this Section 9.11.

 

9.12    Collateral Matters.

 

(a)    Each Lender hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs Agent to enter into the Collateral Documents for the benefit of such Lender. Each Lender hereby agrees, and each holder of any Note by the acceptance thereof will be deemed to agree, that, except as otherwise set out in Section 10.01, any action taken by the Required Lenders, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement or the Collateral Documents, and the exercise by the Required Lenders of the powers set out herein or therein, together with such other powers as are reasonably incidental thereto, shall be authorized and binding upon all of Lenders. Agent is hereby authorized by all Lenders on behalf of all of Lenders, without the necessity of any notice to or further consent from any Lender from time to time prior to, an Event of Default, to take any action with respect to any Collateral or Collateral Documents which may be necessary to perfect and maintain perfected the Liens upon the Collateral granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(b)    Each Lender hereby irrevocably authorizes Agent, at its option and in its discretion, 

 

(i)    to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by Agent under any Loan Document (i) upon termination of the Aggregate Commitments and payment in full of all Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations) and the expiration or termination of all Letters of Credit, (ii) that is sold or to be sold as part of or in connection with any sale permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document, (iii) subject to Section 10.01, if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by the Required Lenders, or (iv) in connection with any foreclosure sale or other disposition of Collateral after the occurrence of an Event of Default; and

 

(ii)    to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

Upon request by Agent at any time, each Lender will confirm in writing Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of Collateral pursuant to this Section 9.12.

 

(c)    Subject to (b) above, Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender, to) execute such documents as may be necessary to evidence the release or subordination of the Liens granted to Agent for the benefit of Agent and Lenders herein or pursuant hereto upon the applicable Collateral; provided that (i) Agent shall not be required to execute any such document on terms which, in Agent’s opinion, would expose Agent to or create any liability or entail any consequence other than the release or subordination of such Liens without recourse or warranty and (ii) such release or subordination shall not in any manner discharge, affect or impair the Obligations or any Liens upon (or obligations of Borrower or any other Loan Party in respect of) all interests retained by Borrower or any other Loan Party, including the proceeds of the sale, all of which shall continue to constitute part of the Collateral. In the event of any sale or transfer of Collateral, or any foreclosure with respect to any of the Collateral, Agent shall be authorized to deduct all expenses reasonably incurred by Agent from the proceeds of any such sale, transfer or foreclosure.

 

(d)    Agent shall have no obligation whatsoever to any Lender or any other Person to assure that the Collateral exists or is owned by Borrower or any other Loan Party or is cared for, protected or insured or that the Liens granted to Agent herein or in any of the Collateral Documents or pursuant hereto or thereto have been properly or sufficiently or lawfully created, perfected, protected or enforced or are entitled to any particular priority, or to exercise or to continue exercising at all or in any manner or under any duty of care, disclosure or fidelity any of the rights, authorities and powers granted or available to Agent in this Section 9.12 or in any of the Collateral Documents, it being understood and agreed that in respect of the Collateral, or any act, omission or event related thereto, Agent may act in any manner it may deem appropriate, in its sole discretion, given Agent’s own interest in the Collateral as one of Lenders and that Agent shall have no duty or liability whatsoever to Lenders.

 

(e)    Each Lender hereby appoints each other Lender as agent for the purpose of perfecting Lenders’ security interest in assets which, in accordance with Article 9 of the UCC can be perfected only by possession. Should any Lender (other than Agent) obtain possession of any such Collateral, such Lender shall notify Agent thereof, and, promptly upon Agent’s request therefor shall deliver such Collateral to Agent or in accordance with Agent’s instructions.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




 

ARTICLE X

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

10.01    Amendments, Etc.

 

No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by Borrower or any other Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and acknowledged by Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided that, no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:

 

(a)    waive any condition set out in Section 4.01(a) without the written consent of each Lender; provided that, in the sole discretion of Agent, only a waiver by Agent shall be required with respect to immaterial matters or items specified in Section 4.01(a) (iii) or (iv) with respect to which Borrower has given assurances satisfactory to Agent that such items shall be delivered promptly following the Closing Date;

 

(b)    extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender;

 

(c)    postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment (excluding mandatory prepayments) of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;

 

(d)    reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (ii) of the second proviso to this Section 10.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; provided that, only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary (i) to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of Borrower to pay interest at the Default Rate or (ii) to amend any financial covenant hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or L/C Borrowing or to reduce any fee payable hereunder;

 

(e)    change Section 2.12 or Section 8.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender; 

 

(f)    change any provision of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender; 

 

(g)    release any Guarantor or release the Liens on all or substantially all of the Collateral except in accordance with the terms of any Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender; or

 

(h)    amend the requirement that the Borrowing Base may be increased only with the consent of all Lenders;

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




and, provided further that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by Agent in addition to Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (A) as Administrative Agent or (B) as Letter of Credit issuer or under any Letter of Credit Application relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it (including any reduction in any fee, charge, expense, cost or other amount payable to Agent for its own account under this Agreement in any such capacity); and (ii) the Agent Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the respective parties thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder, except that the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender.

 

10.02    Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies.

 

(a)    General. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, all notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing (including by facsimile transmission). All such written notices shall be mailed, faxed or delivered, to the applicable address, facsimile number or (subject to subsection (c) below) electronic mail address, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, specified for such Person on Schedule 10.02 or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by such party in a notice to the other parties. All such notices and other communications shall be deemed to be given or made upon the earlier to occur of (i) actual receipt by the relevant party hereto and (ii) (A) if delivered by hand or by courier, upon delivery; (B) if delivered by mail, four Business Days after deposit in the mails, postage prepaid; (C) if delivered by facsimile, when sent and the sender has received electronic confirmation of error free receipt; and (D) if delivered by electronic mail (which form of delivery is subject to the provisions of subsection (c) below), when delivered; provided, however, that notices and other communications to Agent pursuant to Article II shall not be effective until actually received by Agent. In no event shall a voicemail message be effective as a notice, communication or confirmation hereunder.

 

(b)    Effectiveness of Facsimile Documents and Signatures. Loan Documents may be transmitted and/or signed by facsimile. The effectiveness of any such documents and signatures shall, subject to applicable Law, have the same force and effect as manually-signed originals and shall be binding on all Loan Parties, Agent and Lenders. Agent may also require that any such documents and signatures be confirmed by a manually-signed original thereof; provided, however, that the failure to request or deliver the same shall not limit the effectiveness of any facsimile document or signature.

 

(c)    Limited Use of Electronic Mail. Electronic mail and internet and intranet websites may be used only to distribute routine communications, such as financial statements, and to distribute Loan Documents for execution by the parties thereto, and may not be used for any other purpose.

 

(d)    Reliance by Agent and Lenders. Agent and Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic Revolving Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. Borrower shall indemnify each Agent-Related Person and each Lender from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of Borrower. All telephonic notices to and other communications with Agent may be recorded by Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




10.03    No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies.

 

No failure by any Lender or Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

 

10.04    Attorney Costs, Expenses and. 

 

Borrower agrees (a) to pay or reimburse Agent for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the development, preparation, negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and any amendment, waiver, consent or other modification of the provisions hereof and thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby are consummated), and the consummation and administration of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including all Attorney Costs and reasonable costs and expenses in connection with the use of IntraLinks, Inc. or other similar information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement, and (b) to pay or reimburse Agent and each Lender for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with the enforcement, attempted enforcement, or preservation of any rights or remedies under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (including all such reasonable costs and expenses incurred during any “workout” or restructuring in respect of the Obligations and during any legal proceeding, including any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law), including all Attorney Costs. The foregoing costs and expenses shall include all search, filing, recording, and fees and taxes related thereto, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Agent and the cost of independent public accountants and other outside experts retained by Agent or any Lender. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and repayment of all other Obligations.

 

10.05    Indemnification by Borrower.

 

Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, Borrower shall indemnify and hold harmless each Agent-Related Person, each Lender and their respective Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, counsel, agents and attorneys-in-fact (collectively the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, claims, demands, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses and disbursements (including Attorney Costs) of any kind or nature whatsoever which may at any time be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against any such Indemnitee in any way relating to or arising out of or in connection with (a) the execution, delivery, enforcement, performance or administration of any Loan Document or any other agreement, letter or instrument delivered in connection with the transactions contemplated thereby or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, (b) any Commitment, Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by Agent to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (c) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property currently or formerly owned or operated by Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Loan Party, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Loan Party, or (d) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory (including any investigation of, preparation for, or defense of any pending or threatened claim, investigation, litigation or proceeding) and regardless of whether Indemnitee is a party thereto (all the foregoing, collectively, the “Indemnified Liabilities”); provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, claims, demand, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. No Indemnitee shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by others of any information or other materials obtained through IntraLinks or other similar information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement, nor shall any Indemnitee have any liability for any indirect or consequential damages relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or arising out of its activities in connection herewith or therewith (whether before or after the Closing Date). The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation of Agent, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations. All amounts due under this Section 10.05 shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor. 

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




10.06    Payments Set Aside.

 

To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of Borrower is made to Agent or any Lender, or Agent or any Lender exercises its right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by Agent or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such set-off had not occurred, and (b) each Lender severally agrees to pay to Agent upon demand its applicable share of any amount so recovered from or repaid by Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.

 

10.07    Successors and Assigns.

 

(a)    The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section, or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (f) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Indemnitees) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b)    Any Lender may assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and outstanding Loans, including participations in L/C Obligations); provided that (i) each of Agent and, while no Event of Default exists, Borrower, consent to such assignment, (ii) the aggregate amount of the Commitment subject to each such assignment (including all Loans outstanding under such Commitment) shall not be less than $5,000,000 (except in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender), (iii) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not apply to rights in respect of outstanding Loans, (iv) any assignment of a Commitment must be approved by Agent, unless the Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee), and (v) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to Agent an Assignment and Assumption Agreement, together with a processing and recordation fee payable by the Eligible Assignee in the amount of $3,500. Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption Agreement, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption Agreement, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption Agreement, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption Agreement covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, 10.04 and 10.05 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the date of such assignment). Upon request, Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(c)    Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of Borrower, shall maintain at Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption Agreement delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amount of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and Borrower, Agent and Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

(d)    Any Lender may, without the consent of, or notice to, Borrower or Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person or Borrower or any of Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries (each a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) Borrower, Agent and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first provision to Section 10.01 that directly affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 10.09 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.12 as though it were a Lender.

 

(e)    A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.01 or 3.04 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with Borrower’s prior written consent.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(f)    Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

 

(g)    If the consent of Borrower to an assignment to an Eligible Assignee is required hereunder (including a consent to an assignment which does not meet the minimum assignment threshold specified in clause (i) of the proviso to the first sentence of Section 10.07(b)), Borrower shall be deemed to have given its consent ten (10) Business Days after the date notice thereof has been delivered to Borrower by the assigning Lender (through Agent) unless such consent is expressly refused by Borrower prior to such fifth Business Day.

 

(h)    As used herein, “Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Lender; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender; and (c) any other Person (other than a natural Person) approved by (i) Agent and (ii) unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Borrower (such approval referred to in (i) and (ii) not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed)); provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include Borrower or any of Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries. 

 

(i)    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, Bank of America may, upon thirty days’ notice to Borrower and Lenders, resign in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder (the “L/C Issuer”). In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer, Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among Lenders a successor L/C Issuer hereunder; provided that, no failure by Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer, as the case may be. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights and obligations of Agent as the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c)). Borrower, Lenders and Bank of America agree that they shall amend this Agreement as necessary to reflect that Bank of America remains Agent for purposes of administering this Agreement, but has resigned in its capacity as L/C Issuer and another Lender(s) shall provides such service, including the obligation of the successor to Bank of America as L/C Issuer to issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or to make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit. 

 

10.08    Confidentiality.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




Each of Agent and Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential); (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority; (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process; (d) to any other party to this Agreement; (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or under any other Loan Document; (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any Eligible Assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective Eligible Assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any direct or indirect contractual counterparty or prospective counterparty (or such contractual counterparty’s or prospective counterparty’s professional advisor) to any credit derivative transaction relating to obligations of a Loan Party; (g) with the consent of Borrower; (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than Borrower; or (i) to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any other similar organization. In addition, Agent and Lenders may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry, and service providers to Agent and Lenders in connection with the administration and management of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, the Commitments, and the Credit Extensions. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from any Loan Party relating to any Loan Party or its business, other than any such information that is available to Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by any Loan Party; provided that, in the case of information received from any Loan Party after the date hereof, such information must be in writing. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information. In addition, Agent may disclose to any agency or organization that assigns standard identification numbers to loan facilities such basic information describing the facilities provided hereunder as is necessary to assign unique identifiers (and, if requested, supply a copy of this Agreement), it being understood that the Person to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to make available to the public only such Information as such person normally makes available in the course of its business of assigning identification numbers. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, “Information” shall not include, and Agent and each Lender may disclose to any and all Persons, without limitation of any kind, any information with respect to 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 provided to Agent or such Lender relating to such tax treatment and tax structure; provided that with respect to any document or similar item that in either case contains information concerning the tax treatment or tax structure of the transaction as well as other information, this sentence shall only apply to such portions of the document or similar item that relate to the tax treatment or tax structure of the Loans, Letters of Credit and transactions contemplated hereby.

 

10.09    Set-off.

 

In addition to any rights and remedies of Lenders provided by law, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, each Lender is authorized at any time and from time to time, without prior notice to Borrower or any other Loan Party, any such notice being waived by Borrower (on its own behalf and on behalf of each Loan Party) to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held by, and other indebtedness at any time owing by, such Lender to or for the credit or the account of the respective Loan Parties against any and all Obligations owing to such Lender hereunder or under any other Loan Document, now or hereafter existing, irrespective of whether or not Agent or such Lender shall have made demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such Obligations may be contingent or unmatured or denominated in a currency different from that of the applicable deposit or Indebtedness. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify Borrower and Agent after any such set-off and application made by such Lender; provided that, the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.

 

10.10    Interest Rate Limitation.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




10.11    Counterparts.

 

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

10.12    Integration.

 

This Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, comprises the complete and integrated agreement of the parties on the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, on such subject matter. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and those of any other Loan Document, the provisions of this Agreement shall control; provided that the inclusion of supplemental rights or remedies in favor of Agent or Lenders in any other Loan Document shall not be deemed a conflict with this Agreement. Each Loan Document was drafted with the joint participation of the respective parties thereto and shall be construed neither against nor in favor of any party, but rather in accordance with the fair meaning thereof.

 

10.13    Survival of Representations and Warranties.

 

All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof; provided that no representation or warranty shall survive for any period following the satisfaction of the Obligations hereunder. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.

 

10.14    Severability.

 

If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

10.15    Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction.

 

(a)    THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE; PROVIDED THAT AGENT AND EACH LENDER SHALL RETAIN ALL RIGHTS ARISING UNDER FEDERAL LAW.

 



	 
	 	 	 
	





	 




(b)    ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT MAY BE BROUGHT IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS SITTING IN HOUSTON OR OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF SUCH STATE, AND BY EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT, BORROWER, AGENT AND EACH LENDER CONSENTS, FOR ITSELF AND IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTY, TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THOSE COURTS. BORROWER, AGENT AND EACH LENDER IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION, INCLUDING ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OR BASED ON THE GROUNDS OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE BRINGING OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH JURISDICTION IN RESPECT OF ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR OTHER DOCUMENT RELATED THERETO. BORROWER, AGENT AND EACH LENDER WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF ANY SUMMONS, COMPLAINT OR OTHER PROCESS, WHICH MAY BE MADE BY ANY OTHER MEANS PERMITTED BY THE LAW OF SUCH STATE.

 

10.16    WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL

 

(a)     THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVE ANY RIGHT THEY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY CLAIM. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION 10.16, “CLAIM” MEANS ANY CONTROVERSIES OR CLAIMS BETWEEN BORROWER, AGENT AND ANY LENDER AND ANY OTHER OBLIGOR, WHETHER ARISING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR BY STATUTE, INCLUDING CONTROVERSIES OR CLAIMS THAT ARISE OUT OF OR RELATE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO: (I) THIS AGREEMENT, OR (II) ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT. THIS PROVISION IS A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT FOR THE PARTIES ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS. 

 

10.17    Time of the Essence.

 

Time is of the essence of the Loan Documents.

 

[Signatures appear on the following page.]

 




 







	
    

	 	 	 
	







	







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


	 	 	 
	 	GULFPORT ENERGY CORPORATION
	 
 	 
 	 
 
		By:  	/s/ Michael G. Moore
	 	



	 	Vice President and Chief Financial Officer



 

 


	 	 	 
	 	BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Agent
	 
 	 
 	 
 
		By:  	/s/ Charles W. Patterson
	 	



	 	Senior Vice President



 


	 	 	 
	 	BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender
	 
 	 
 	 
 
		By:  	/s/ Charles W. Patterson
	 	



	 	Senior Vice President