exv10w20






Exhibit 10.20




NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY




TSR



RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT



	 	 	 
	 
	 	 
	

 




	 	Awardee
	 
	 	 
	Date of Award:

	 	February 4, 2010
	 
	 	 
	Number of Restricted Stock Units:

	 	

 










AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS




     The Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of
Directors of Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the
Newfield Exploration Company 2009 Omnibus Stock Plan (the “Plan”), hereby awards to you, the
above-named awardee, effective as of the Date of Award set forth above (the “Date of Award”), that
number of restricted stock units set forth above (the “Restricted Stock Units”), on the following
terms and conditions:



     The Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the prohibitions and restrictions set forth
herein with respect to the sale or other disposition of such Restricted Stock Units and the
obligation to forfeit and surrender such Restricted Stock Units to the Company (the “Forfeiture
Restrictions”). The Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse at the time and in the manner described in
the attached Terms and Conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”).



     Upon the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to a Restricted Stock Unit, the
Company shall issue to you one share of the Company’s Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the
“Common Stock”), in exchange for such Restricted Stock Unit and thereafter you shall have no
further rights with respect to such Restricted Stock Unit and such share of the Common Stock shall
be transferable by you (except to the extent that any proposed transfer would, in the opinion of
counsel satisfactory to the Company, constitute a violation of applicable federal or state
securities law).



     If during the period in which you hold the Restricted Stock Units the Company pays a dividend
in shares of the Common Stock with respect to the outstanding shares of the Common Stock, then the
Company will increase the Restricted Stock Units that have not then been exchanged by the Company
for shares of the Common Stock by an amount equal to the product of (a) the Restricted Stock Units
that have not been forfeited to the Company or exchanged by the Company for shares of the Common
Stock and (b) the number of shares of the Common Stock paid by the Company per share of the Common
Stock (collectively, the “Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Units”). Each Stock Dividend Restricted
Stock Unit will be subject to same Forfeiture Restrictions and other restrictions, limitations and
conditions applicable to the Restricted Stock Unit for which such Stock Dividend Restricted Stock
Unit was awarded and will be exchanged for shares of the Common Stock at the same time and on the
same basis as such Restricted Stock Unit.



 









 





     Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan, shares of Common Stock shall be transferred at the
time(s) specified in this Agreement and the Terms and Conditions.



     The Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated or
otherwise transferred, encumbered or disposed of (other than by will or the applicable laws of
descent and distribution). Any such attempted sale, assignment, pledge, exchange, hypothecation,
transfer, encumbrance or disposition in violation of this Agreement shall be void and the Company
shall not be bound thereby. Any shares of Common Stock issued to you in exchange for the
Restricted Stock Units may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute
a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws. You also agree that (a) the
Company may refuse to cause the transfer of any such shares of the Common Stock to be registered on
the stock register of the Company if such proposed transfer would in the opinion of counsel
satisfactory to the Company constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities
law and (b) the Company may give related instructions to the transfer agent, if any, to stop
registration of the transfer of such shares of the Common Stock.



     The shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan are registered with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under a Registration Statement on Form S-8.



     Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in
the Plan or the Terms and Conditions.



     In accepting the award of the Restricted Stock Units you accept and agree to be bound by all
the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Agreement and the Terms and Conditions.



NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY




 









 





NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY




TERMS AND CONDITIONS




	1.	 	FORFEITURE RESTRICTIONS. If, prior to April 15, 2015, your employment with the Company and
all direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company Group”) is
terminated for any reason (including as described in the last sentence of Paragraph XII(b) of
the Plan) other than by reason of your (A) death or Disability or (B) Qualified Retirement,
you shall, for no consideration, forfeit to the Company all Restricted Stock Units to the
extent then subject to Forfeiture Restrictions.
	 
	2.	 	LAPSE OF FORFEITURE RESTRICTIONS. If not previously forfeited, the Forfeiture Restrictions
shall lapse as to the Restricted Stock Units as of the 15th day of the month
following each Determination Month with respect to that number of Restricted Stock Units that
is equal to the total number of Restricted Stock Units multiplied by a fraction, the numerator
of which is (a) the number twenty (20) minus (b) the number which is the TSR Rank, and the
denominator is the number 20; provided however that if such fraction is greater than or equal
to 3/4, it shall be deemed to be one (1.0) and if such fraction is less than 1/4, it shall be
deemed to be zero (0), less that number of Restricted Stock Units for which Forfeiture
Restrictions shall have previously lapsed, all as determined by the Committee.
	 
	3.	 	DEFINITIONS. The following terms shall have the indicated meanings:






     (a) “Company Group” shall have the meaning assigned to that term in Section 1 of these
Terms and Conditions.




     (b) “Determination Month” means each calendar month between March 2013 and March 2015,
inclusive.




     (c) “Disability” shall have the meaning ascribed to that term under Section 409A.




     (d) “Peer Group” means the following companies (or their successors): Berry Petroleum
Company, Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Cimarex Energy Co.,
Comstock Resources, Inc., Denbury Resources Inc., EXCO Resources Inc., Forest Oil
Corporation, Noble Energy, Inc., Petrohawk Energy Corporation, Pioneer Natural Resources,
Plains Exploration & Production Company, Range Resources Corporation, SandRidge Energy,
Southwestern Energy Company, Ultra Petroleum Corp. and Whiting Petroleum Corporation.




     (e) “Prohibited Activity” shall have the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 4 of
these Terms and Conditions.




     (f) “Qualified Peer Group” means (i) the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index, (ii) the
S&P 500 Index and (iii) each company included in the Peer Group that has had its primary
common equity security listed or traded on a national securities exchange



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or the Nasdaq National Market (or any successor thereto) throughout the relevant
Determination Month.




     (g) “Qualified Retirement” means you (i) either are (A) at least age 60 and sign a
non-compete agreement (the form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A) that is effective
until reaching age 62 or (B) at least age 62, (ii) have at least 10 years of Qualified
Service and (iii) provide the Requisite Notice.




     (h) “Qualified Service” means (i) your continuous employment with (A) the Company or
(B) a subsidiary of the Company during the time that such subsidiary is, directly or
indirectly, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company plus (b) any additional service credit
granted to you (or a group of employees of which you are a member) by the Board.




     (i) “Requisite Notice” means (a) if you are an officer of the Company, at least six
months prior written notice to the Board or (b) otherwise, at least three months prior
written notice to the chief executive officer of the Company.




     (j) “Section 409A” means section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
and the final Department of Treasury regulations issued thereunder.




     (k) “TSR Rank” means the Company’s rank from one to one plus the total number of
companies and indices comprising the Qualified Peer Group for the relevant Determination
Month with the Company, each such other company and each such index together ranked from
best to worst based on the Total Stockholder Return of the Company, each such other company
and each such index for such Determination Month.




     (l) “Total Stockholder Return” for a particular Determination Month means the rate of
return (expressed as a percentage) achieved with respect to the Common Stock of the Company,
the primary common equity security of each company in the Qualified Peer Group and each
index included in the Qualified Peer Group if (i) $100 was invested in each such security or
index on the last day of March 2010 assuming a purchase price equal to the average closing
price of each such security or index for all of the trading days in March of 2010, (ii) if
the record date for any dividend to be paid with respect to a particular security occurs
during the period beginning on March 31, 2010 and ending on the last day of the
Determination Month, such dividend was reinvested in such security as of the record date for
such dividend (using the closing price of such security on such record date) and (iii) the
valuation of such security or such index at the end of the Determination Month is based on
the average closing price for all of the trading days in such Determination Month.




     (m) The terms “you” and “your” refer to the Awardee named in the Agreement.




	4.	 	PROHIBITED ACTIVITY. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or
the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (the “Agreement”), if you engage in a “Prohibited
Activity,” as described below, while employed by one or more members of




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	 	 	the Company Group or within two years after the date your employment with the Company Group
terminates, then your right to receive the shares of the Common Stock, to the extent still
outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. A “Prohibited Activity” shall be
deemed to have occurred, as determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion,
if you divulge any non-public, confidential or proprietary information of the Company Group,
but excluding information that (a) becomes generally available to the public other than as a
result of your public use, disclosure, or fault, or (b) becomes available to you on a
non-confidential basis after your employment termination date from a source other than a
member of the Company Group prior to the public use or disclosure by you, provided that such
source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting
the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.
	 
	5.	 	TAX WITHHOLDING. To the extent that the receipt of the Restricted Stock Units or the lapse
of any forfeiture restrictions results in income, wages or other compensation to you for any
income, employment or other tax purposes with respect to which the Company has a withholding
obligation, you shall deliver to the Company at the time of such receipt or lapse, as the case
may be, such amount of money as the Company may require to meet its obligation under
applicable tax laws or regulations, and, if you fail to do so, the Company is authorized to
withhold from any shares of Common Stock issued under the Agreement or from any cash or stock
remuneration or other payment then or thereafter payable to you any tax required to be
withheld by reason of such taxable income, wages or compensation including (without
limitation) shares of the Common Stock sufficient to satisfy the
withholding obligation. No shares of Common Stock shall be withheld from the shares issued under the Agreement in excess
of the Company’s minimum statutory withholding obligations (determined using the minimum
statutory withholding rates required by the relevant tax authorities, including your share of
payroll taxes that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income.)
	 
	6.	 	NONTRANSFERABILITY. The Agreement is not transferable by you otherwise than by will or by the
laws of descent and distribution.
	 
	7.	 	CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REORGANIZATIONS. The existence of the Restricted Stock Units shall
not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or any company the stock of which is
awarded pursuant to the Agreement to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization,
reorganization or other change in its capital structure or its business, engage in any merger
or consolidation, issue any debt or equity securities, dissolve or liquidate, or sell, lease,
exchange or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its assets or business, or engage in any
other corporate act or proceeding.
	 
	8.	 	RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS DO NOT AWARD ANY RIGHTS OF A STOCKHOLDER. You shall not have the
voting rights or any of the other rights, powers or privileges of a holder of the Common Stock
with respect to the Restricted Stock Units that are awarded hereby. Only after a share of the
Common Stock is issued in exchange for a Restricted Stock Unit will you have all of the rights
of a stockholder with respect to such share of Common Stock issued in exchange for a
Restricted Stock Unit.




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	9.	 	EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. For purposes of the Agreement, you shall be considered to be in the
employment of the Company Group as long as you have an employment relationship with the
Company Group. The Committee shall determine any questions as to whether and when there has
been a termination of such employment relationship, and the cause of such termination, under
the Plan and the Committee’s determination shall be final and binding on all persons.
	 
	10.	 	NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT. The Agreement is not an employment agreement, and no provision
of the Agreement shall be construed or interpreted to create an employment relationship
between you and any member of the Company Group or guarantee the right to remain employed by
any member of the Company Group for any specified term.
	 
	11.	 	SECURITIES ACT LEGEND. If you are an officer or affiliate of the Company under the
Securities Act of 1933, you consent to the placing on any certificate for the shares of the
Common Stock issued under the Agreement an appropriate legend restricting resale or other
transfer of such shares except in accordance with such Act and all applicable rules
thereunder.
	 
	12.	 	LIMIT OF LIABILITY. Under no circumstances will any member of the Company Group be liable
for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost profits) of any
form incurred by any person, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the form of the act
in which such a claim may be brought, with respect to the Plan.
	 
	13.	 	FUNDING. You shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any assets of the
Company or any investments which the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations
under this Agreement. Your right to receive payments under this Agreement shall be no greater
than the right to an unsecured general creditor of the Company.
	 
	14.	 	MISCELLANEOUS. The Agreement is awarded pursuant to and is subject to all of the provisions
of the Plan, including amendments to the Plan, if any. In the event of a conflict between
these Terms and Conditions and the Plan provisions, the Plan provisions will control.
Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms
in the Plan or the Agreement.





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EXHIBIT A




NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT




     THIS NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of [date of Qualified
Retirement] and is by and between Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”) and                     , a retiring employee of the Company (“Retiring Employee”).



RECITALS:




     WHEREAS, Retiring Employee has been granted the awards set forth on Annex A hereto (the
“Awards”) by the Company;



     WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the agreements governing the Awards (the “Award
Agreements”), Retiring Employee is entitled to certain benefits (the “Retirement Benefits”) if
Retiring Employee’s termination of employment with the Company is by reason of a “Qualified
Retirement” (as defined in each of the Award Agreements); and



     WHEREAS, it is a condition to Retiring Employee being entitled to the Retirement Benefits that
Retiring Employee enter into a Non-Compete Agreement substantially in the form of this Agreement;



     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, the Retirement Benefits to be provided to
Retiring Employee and the other covenants and agreements herein contained, and other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto hereby agree as follows:



     1. Definitions; Rules of Construction.



     (a) Definitions. The following capitalized terms shall have the meaning given to it below:



     “Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or
indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common
control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the
immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by”
and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more
Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting
securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise,
including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority
of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.



     “Competing Business” means any business involved in the acquisition or development of, or
exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in or with respect crude oil or natural gas
within the Covered Area; provided, however, that “Competing Business” shall not include



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any business that provides services solely to assist other Persons in the acquisition or
development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in or with respect to
crude oil or natural gas but does not itself acquire or develop, or explore for, crude oil or
natural gas or any rights in or with respect to crude oil or natural gas within the Covered Area.




     “Covered Area” means (a) the United States of America and (b) any foreign jurisdiction (i) in
which the Company is operating or (ii) with respect to which the Company is actively considering
for operations, in the case of clause (b) only, as of the date hereof.



     “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust,
incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.



     “Term” means the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the date on which Retiring
Employee attains the age of 62.



     (b) Rules of Construction. For purposes of this Agreement (i) unless the context otherwise
requires, (A) “or” is not exclusive; (B) words applicable to one gender shall be construed to apply
to each gender; (C) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereto” and derivative or similar
words refer to this entire Agreement and (D) the term “Section” refers to the specified Section of
this Agreement, (ii) the Section and other headings and titles contained in this Agreement are for
reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement, (iii) a reference to any Person includes such Person’s successors and assigns.



     2. Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation. During the Term, Retiring Employee covenants
and agrees with the Company that Retiring Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, individually,
through an Affiliate or otherwise (including as an officer, director, employee or consultant) own
an interest or engage in, participate with or provide any financial or other support, assistance or
advice to any Competing Business; provided, however, that Retiring Employee may (i) when taken
together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of his Affiliates, own, solely as an
investment, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any
national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market so long as Retiring Employee is
not a director, officer, employee of, or analogously employed or engaged by, such Person or any of
such Person’s Affiliates or (ii) own securities issued by the Company. In addition, Retiring
Employee agrees that during the Term he shall not, directly or indirectly: (1) interfere with the
relationship of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, or endeavor to entice away from the
Company or any Affiliate of the Company, any individual or entity who was or is a material customer
or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, the Company
or its Affiliates, (2) establish (or take preliminary steps to establish) a business with, or cause
or attempt to cause others to establish (or take preliminary steps to establish) a business with,
any employee or agent of the Company or any of its Affiliates, if such business competes with or
will compete with the Company or any of its Affiliates, or (3) employ, engage as a consultant or
adviser, or solicit employment, engagement as a consultant or adviser, of any employee or agent of
the Company or any of its Affiliates, or cause or attempt to cause any individual or entity to do
any of the foregoing. Retiring Employee agrees that the restrictions contained in this Section 2
are necessary to protect confidential information the Company has provided to Retiring Employee.



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     3. Specific Performance; Injunctive Relief. Retiring Employee specifically
acknowledges and agrees that the Company, in providing the Retirement Benefits, has relied on the
agreements and covenants of Retiring Employee contained in this Agreement and that the terms of
this Agreement are reasonable and necessary for the protection of the Company. Retiring Employee
specifically acknowledges and agrees that any breach or threatened breach by Retiring Employee of
his or her agreements and covenants contained herein would cause the Company irreparable harm not
compensable solely in damages. Retiring Employee further acknowledges and agrees that it is
essential to the effective enforcement of this Agreement that Company be entitled to the remedies
of specific performance, injunctive relief and similar remedies and Retiring Employee agrees to the
granting of any such remedies upon a breach or threatened breach by Retiring Employee of any of the
terms hereof. The Company also shall be entitled to pursue any other remedies (at law or in
equity) available to it for any breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, including the
recovery of money damages.



     4. Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal
or incapable of being enforced by any rule of law or public policy, all other conditions and
provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect. The parties agree
to cooperate in any revision of this Agreement that may be necessary to meet the requirements of
law.



     5. Amendment; Modification; Waiver. No amendment or modification of the terms or
provisions of this Agreement shall be binding unless the same shall be in writing and duly executed
by the Company and Retiring Employee, except that any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement
may be waived in writing at any time by the party that is entitled to the benefits of such waived
terms or provisions. No single waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed
to or shall constitute, absent an express statement otherwise, a continuous waiver of such
provision or a waiver of any other provision hereof (whether or not similar).



     6. Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver; Remedies Cumulative. No failure or delay on the
part of any party hereto in the exercise of any right hereunder shall impair such right or be
construed to be a waiver of, or acquiescence in, any breach of any covenant or agreement herein,
nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right preclude other or further exercise
thereof or of any other right. All rights and remedies existing under this Agreement are
cumulative with, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies otherwise available.



     7. No Effect on Retiring Employee’s Obligations. This Agreement shall in no way
affect any other duties or obligations Retiring Employee owes to the Company by contract, law or
otherwise.



     8. Legal Fees. If either party hereto institutes any legal proceedings against the
other for breach of any provision hereof, the losing party shall be liable for the costs and
expenses of the prevailing party, including without limitation its reasonable attorneys’ fees.



     9. 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.



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     10. Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Texas applicable to agreements made and to
be performed wholly within that jurisdiction.



[Signature page follows.]






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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be duly executed by an authorized
officer and Retiring Employee has executed this Agreement, in each case, as of the day and year
first above written.



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	RETIRING EMPLOYEE
 	 
	 
	 	 	 
	 	[Retiring Employee]	 
	 




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