Document:

RegistrationRightsAgreement

FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of [●], 2014, by and among Rice Energy Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the other parties listed on the signature page hereof (collectively, the “Parties”).
WHEREAS, in connection with, and in consideration of, the transactions contemplated by the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[●]), the Holders (as defined herein) have requested, and the Company has agreed to provide, registration rights with respect to the Registrable Securities (as hereinafter defined) as set forth in this Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by each party hereto, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
1.Definitions.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other person which, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person.  For purposes of this definition, “control” of a Person means the power, direct or indirect, to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Alpha Holdings” means Foundation PA Coal Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Automatic Shelf Registration Statement” means an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405.
“Blackout Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(n).
“Board” means the board of directors of the Company. 
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which banking institutions in the State of Texas or the State of New York are authorized or required to be closed.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal agency then administering the Securities Act or Exchange Act.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company.

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“Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble. 
“Company Securities” means any equity interest of any class or series in the Company.
“Demand Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i).
“Demand Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i).
“Effective Date” means the time and date that a Registration Statement is first declared effective by the Commission or otherwise becomes effective.
“Effectiveness Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(ii).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Holder” means (i)  NGP Holdings unless and until NGP Holdings ceases to hold any Registrable Securities; (ii) Rice Holdings unless and until Rice Holdings ceases to hold any Registrable Securities; (iii) Alpha Holdings unless and until Alpha Holdings ceases to hold any Registrable Securities; (iv) Daniel J. Rice III unless and until Daniel J. Rice III ceases to hold any Registrable Securities; and (v) any holder of Registrable Securities to whom registration rights conferred by this Agreement have been transferred in compliance with Section 8(e) hereof; provided that any Person referenced in clause (v) shall be a Holder only if such Person agrees in writing to be bound by and subject to the terms set forth in this Agreement.
“Holder Indemnified Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a). 
“Initiating Holder” means the Holder delivering the Demand Notice or the Underwritten Offering Notice, as applicable.
“Losses” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).
“Material Adverse Change” means (i) any general suspension of trading in, or limitation on prices for, securities on any national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market in the United States; (ii) the declaration of a banking moratorium or any suspension of payments in respect of banks in the United States; (iii) a material outbreak or escalation of armed hostilities or other international or national calamity involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or a change in national or international financial, political or economic conditions; and (iv) any event, change, circumstance or effect that is or is reasonably likely to be materially adverse to the business, properties, assets, liabilities, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
“Minimum Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

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“NGP Holdings” means NGP Rice Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Parties” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, estate, trust, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Piggyback Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).
“Piggyback Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).
“Proceeding” means any action, claim, suit, proceeding or investigation (including a preliminary investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition) pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, to be threatened.
“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A, Rule 430B or Rule 430C promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.  
 “Registrable Securities” means the Shares; provided, however, that Registrable Securities shall not include:  (i) any Shares that have been registered under the Securities Act and disposed of pursuant to an effective Registration Statement or otherwise transferred to a Person who is not entitled to the registration and other rights hereunder; (ii) any Shares that have been sold or transferred by the Holder thereof pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act) and the transferee thereof does not receive “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144; and (iii) any Shares that cease to be outstanding (whether as a result of repurchase and cancellation, conversion or otherwise).
“Registration Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.
“Registration Statement” means a registration statement of the Company in the form required to register the resale of the Registrable Securities under the Securities Act and other applicable law, and including any Prospectus, amendments and supplements to each such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Requested Underwritten Offering” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b). 

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“Rice Holdings” means Rice Energy Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder.  
“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock held by the Holders as of the date hereof and any other equity interests of the Company or equity interests in any successor of the Company issued in respect of such shares by reason of or in connection with any stock dividend, stock split, combination, reorganization, recapitalization, conversion to another type of entity or similar event involving a change in the capital structure of the Company.
“Shelf Registration Statement” means a Registration Statement of the Company filed with the Commission on Form S-3 (or any successor form or other appropriate form under the Securities Act) for an offering to be made on a continuous or delayed basis pursuant to Rule 415 (or any similar rule that may be adopted by the Commission) covering the Registrable Securities, as applicable.
 “Suspension Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).
“Trading Market” means the principal national securities exchange on which Registrable Securities are listed.
“Underwritten Offering” means an underwritten offering of Common Stock for cash (whether a Requested Underwritten Offering or in connection with a public offering of Common Stock by the Company, a public offering of Common Stock by stockholders or both). 
“Underwritten Offering Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“VWAP”  means, as of a specified date and in respect of Registrable Securities, the volume weighted average price for such security on the Trading Market with respect to the Registrable Securities for the five (5) trading days immediately preceding, but excluding, such date.

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“WKSI” means a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined under Rule 405.
Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms; (b) references to Sections refer to Sections of this Agreement; (c) the terms “include,” “includes,” “including” and words of like import shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (d) the terms “hereof,” “herein” or “hereunder” refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (e) unless the context otherwise requires, the term “or” is not exclusive and shall have the inclusive meaning of “and/or”; (f) defined terms herein will apply equally to both the singular and plural forms and derivative forms of defined terms will have correlative meanings; (g) references to any law or statute shall include all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and references to any law or statute shall be construed as including any legal and statutory provisions consolidating, amending, succeeding or replacing the applicable law or statute; (h) references to any Person include such Person’s successors and permitted assigns; and (i) references to “days” are to calendar days unless otherwise indicated.
2.    Registration.
(a)    Demand Registration.
(i)    At any time any Holder that holds any Registrable Securities shall have the option and right, exercisable by delivering a written notice to the Company (a “Demand Notice”), to require the Company to, pursuant to the terms of and subject to the limitations contained in this Agreement, prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement registering the offering and sale of the number and type of Registrable Securities on the terms and conditions specified in the Demand Notice, which may include sales on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement (a “Demand Registration”).  The Demand Notice must set forth the number of Registrable Securities that the Initiating Holder intends to include in such Demand Registration and the intended methods of disposition thereof.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in no event shall the Company be required to effectuate a Demand Registration for Registrable Securities having an aggregate value of less than $30.0 million based on the VWAP of such Registrable Securities as of the date of the Demand Notice (the “Minimum Amount”). 

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(ii)    Within five Business Days of the receipt of the Demand Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such Demand Notice to all Holders and, within thirty days thereof (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case, within ninety days thereof), shall, subject to the limitations of this Section 2(a), file a Registration Statement in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Demand Notice, which Registration Statement shall cover all of the Registrable Securities that the Holders shall in writing request (such request to be given to the Company within ten days of receipt of notice of the Demand Notice given by the Company pursuant to this Section 2(a)(ii)) to be included in the Demand Registration.  The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become and remain effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of (A) 180 days (or two years if a Shelf Registration Statement is requested) after the Effective Date or (B) the date on which all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold (the “Effectiveness Period”); provided, however, that such period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holders refrain from selling any securities included in such Registration Statement at the request of an underwriter of the Company or the Company pursuant to this Agreement.
(iii)    Subject to the other limitations contained in this Agreement, the Company is not obligated hereunder to effect (A) a Demand Registration within 90 days of the closing of any Underwritten Offering, (B) (i) through December 31, 2016, more than a total of three Demand Registrations and (ii) on or after January 1, 2017, more than a total of one Demand Registration per calendar year for which NGP Holdings (or any transferee thereof in accordance with Section 8(e)) is the Initiating Holder, (C) (i) through December 31, 2016, more than a total of three Demand Registrations and (ii) on or after January 1, 2017, more than a total of one Demand Registration per calendar year for which Rice Holdings (or any transferee thereof in accordance with Section 8(e)) is the Initiating Holder, (D) more than one Demand Registration for which Alpha Holdings (or any transferee thereof in accordance with Section 8(e)) is the Initiating Holder, (E) more than one Demand Registration for which Daniel J. Rice III (or any transferee thereof in accordance with Section 8(e)) is the Initiating Holder, and (F) a subsequent Demand Registration pursuant to a Demand Notice if a Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities held by the Holders providing such Demand Notice shall have become effective under the Securities Act and remains effective under the Securities Act and is sufficient to permit offers and sales of the number and type of Registrable Securities on the terms and conditions specified in the Demand Notice in accordance with the intended timing and method or methods of distribution thereof specified in the Demand Notice.  No Demand Registration shall be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Section 2(a)(iii) if the Registration Statement relating thereto does not become effective or is not maintained effective for the period required pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii), in which case the Initiating Holder shall be entitled to an additional Demand Registration in lieu thereof.

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(iv)    An Initiating Holder and any other Holder that has requested its Registrable Securities be included in a Demand Registration may withdraw all or any portion of its Registrable Securities included in a Demand Registration from such Demand Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement. Upon delivery of a notice by the Initiating Holder to the effect that the Initiating Holder is withdrawing all or an amount such that the remaining amount is below the Minimum Amount of its Registrable Securities to be included in a Demand Registration, the Company shall cease all efforts to secure effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement.  Such registration shall be deemed a Demand Registration unless (i) the Initiating Holder shall have paid or reimbursed the Company for its pro rata share of all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the withdrawn registration of such Registrable Securities (based on the number of securities the Initiating Holder sought to register, as compared to the total number of securities included in such Demand Registration) or (ii) the withdrawal is made (A) following the occurrence of a Material Adverse Change or (B) because the Registration would require disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential. 
(v)    Subject to the limitations contained in this Agreement, the Company shall effect any Demand Registration on such appropriate registration form of the Commission (x) as shall be selected by the Company and (y) as shall permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method or methods of disposition specified in the applicable Holders’ requests for such registration; provided that if the Company becomes, and is at the time of its receipt of a Demand Notice, a WKSI, the Demand Registration for any offering and selling of Registrable Securities shall be effected pursuant to an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, which shall be on Form S-3 or any equivalent or successor form under the Securities Act (if available to the Company).  If at any time a Registration Statement on Form S-3 is effective and a Holder provides written notice to the Company that it intends to effect an offering of all or part of the Registrable Securities included on such Registration Statement, the Company will amend or supplement such Registration Statement as may be necessary in order to enable such offering to take place.  

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(vi)    Without limiting Section 3, in connection with any Demand Registration pursuant to and in accordance with this Section 2(a), the Company shall (A) promptly prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed (1) such additional forms, amendments, supplements, prospectuses, certificates, letters, opinions and other documents, as may be necessary or advisable to register or qualify the securities subject to such Demand Registration, including under the securities laws of such states as the Holders shall reasonably request; provided, however, that no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the Company would become subject to general service of process or to taxation or qualification to do business in such jurisdiction solely as a result of registration and (2) such forms, amendments, supplements, prospectuses, certificates, letters, opinions and other documents as may be necessary to apply for listing or to list the Registrable Securities subject to such Demand Registration on the Trading Market and (B) do any and all other acts and things that may be reasonably necessary or appropriate or reasonably requested by the Holders to enable the Holders to consummate a public sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended timing and method or methods of distribution thereof.  
(ix)    In the event a Holder transfers Registrable Securities included on a Registration Statement and such Registrable Securities remain Registrable Securities following such transfer, at the request of such Holder, the Company shall amend or supplement such Registration Statement as may be necessary in order to enable such transferee to offer and sell such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement; provided that in no event shall the Company be required to file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement unless (A) such Registration Statement includes only Registrable Securities held by the Holder, Affiliates of the Holder or transferees of the Holder or (B) the Company has received written consent therefor from whom Registrable Securities have been registered on (but not yet sold under) such Registration Statement, other than the Holder, Affiliates of the Holder or transferees of the Holder.
(b)    Requested Underwritten Offering
(i)    Any Holder then able to effectuate a Demand Registration pursuant to the terms of Section 2(a) shall have the option and right, exercisable by delivering written notice to the Company of its intention to distribute Registrable Securities by means of an Underwritten Offering (an “Underwritten Offering Notice”), to require the Company, pursuant to the terms of and subject to the limitations of this Agreement, to effectuate a distribution of any or all of its Registrable Securities by means of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to an effective Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities (or pursuant to an effective Automatic Shelf Registration Statement) (a “Requested Underwritten Offering”); provided, that the Registrable Securities of such Initiating Holder requested to be included in such Requested Underwritten Offering have an aggregate value at least equal to the Minimum Amount.  The managing underwriter or managing underwriters of a Requested Underwritten Offering shall be designated by the Initiating Holder (provided, however, that such designated managing underwriter or managing underwriters shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company is 

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not obligated to effect a Requested Underwritten Offering within 90 days of the closing of an Underwritten Offering.  Any Requested Underwritten Offering shall constitute a Demand Registration of the Initiating Holder for purposes of Section 2(a)(iii), unless an Underwritten Offering Notice relating to a Demand Registration is delivered to the Company concurrent with a related Demand Notice.
(ii)    If the managing underwriter or underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering of the Registrable Securities included in a Demand Registration (or, in the case of a Demand Registration not being underwritten, the Initiating Holder), advise the Company that, in its or their opinion, the number of securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without being likely to have a significant adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, the securities to be included in such Demand Registration shall be allocated, (A) first, pro rata among the Holders (including any Initiating Holder) that have requested to participate in such Demand Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder; provided, that any securities thereby allocated to a Holder that exceed such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting Holders in like manner; (B) second, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (A) have been included in such registration, to the Company up to the number of securities that the Company proposes to include in such registration that, in the opinion of the managing underwriter or underwriters (or the Initiating Holder, as the case may be) can be sold without having such adverse effect and (C) third, and only if all of the securities referred to in clause (B) have been included in such registration, up to the number of securities that in the opinion of the managing underwriter or underwriters (or the Initiating Holder, as the case may be), can be sold without having such adverse effect.
(c)    Piggyback Registration.

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(i)    If the Company shall at any time propose to conduct an underwritten offering of Common Stock for cash (whether a Requested Underwritten Offering or in connection with a public offering of Common Stock by the Company, a public offering of Common Stock by stockholders, or both, but excluding an offering relating solely to an employee benefit plan, an offering relating to a transaction on Form S-4 or S-8 or an offering on any registration statement form that does not permit secondary sales) (an “Underwritten Offering”), the Company shall promptly notify all Holders of such proposal reasonably in advance of (and in any event at least five Business Days before) the commencement of the offering, which notice will set forth the principal terms and conditions of the issuance, including the proposed offering price (or range of offering prices), the anticipated filing date of the Registration Statement and the number of shares of Common Stock  that are proposed to be registered (the “Piggyback Notice”); provided, however, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the managing underwriter or managing underwriters of an Underwritten Offering  other than a Requested Underwritten Offering advise the Company that in their reasonable opinion that the inclusion of any of a Holder’s Registrable Securities requested for inclusion in the subject Underwritten Offering (and any related registration, if applicable) would likely have an adverse effect in any material respect on the price, timing or distribution of Common Stock proposed to be included in such Underwritten Offering, the Company shall have no obligation to provide a Piggyback Notice to such Holder and such Holder shall have no right to include any Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering (and any related registration, if applicable).  The Piggyback Notice shall offer the Holders the opportunity to include for registration in such Underwritten Offering (and any related registration, if applicable) the number of Registrable Securities as they may request (a “Piggyback Registration”); provided, however, that in the event that the Company proposes to effectuate the subject Underwritten Offering pursuant to an effective Shelf Registration Statement of the Company other than an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, only Registrable Securities of Holders which are subject to an effective Shelf Registration Statement may be included in such Piggyback Registration. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to include in each such Piggyback Registration such Registrable Securities for which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within three Business Days after sending the Piggyback Notice.  If a Holder decides not to include all of its Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement thereafter filed by the Company, such Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent Registration Statement or Registration Statements as may be filed by the Company with respect to offerings of Common Stock, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

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(ii)    If the managing underwriter or managing underwriters of an Underwritten Offering advise the Company and the Holders that in their reasonable opinion that the inclusion of all of the Holders’ Registrable Securities requested for inclusion in the subject Registration Statement (and any other Common Stock proposed to be included in such offering) would likely have an adverse effect in any material respect on the price, timing or distribution of Common Stock proposed to be included in such offering, the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering only that number of shares of Common Stock proposed to be included in such Underwritten Offering that, in the reasonable opinion of the managing underwriter or managing underwriters, will not have such effect, with such number to be allocated as follows:  (A) first, (1) in the case of a Requested Underwritten Offering, to the Initiating Holder and, if there remains availability for additional shares of Common Stock to be included in such registration, to the Company, or (2) in the case of any other Underwritten Offerings, to the Company, (B) if there remains availability for additional shares of Common Stock to be included in such registration, second pro-rata among all Holders desiring to register Registrable Securities based on the number of Registrable Securities such Holder is entitled to include in such registration and, if applicable, to any other holders on whose behalf the Company filed such Registration Statement and (C) if there remains availability for additional shares of Common Stock to be included in such registration, third pro-rata among all other holders of Common Stock who may be seeking to register such Common Stock based on the number of Common Stock such holder is entitled to include in such registration.  If any Holder disapproves of the terms of any such Underwritten Offering, such Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by written notice to the Company and the managing underwriter(s) delivered on or prior to the time of the commencement of such offering.  Any Registrable Securities withdrawn from such underwriting shall be excluded and withdrawn from the registration.  
(iii)    The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Section 2(c) at any time in its sole discretion whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such Registration Statement.  The Registration Expenses of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 5 hereof.
(iv)    Any Holder shall have the right to withdraw all or part of its request for inclusion of its Registrable Securities in a Piggyback Registration by giving written notice to the Company of its request to withdraw; provided, that (i) such request must be made in writing prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement and (ii) such withdrawal shall be irrevocable and, after making such withdrawal, a Holder shall no longer have any right to include Registrable Securities in the Piggyback Registration as to which such withdrawal was made.
(v)    The rights of a Holder under this Section 2(c) shall terminate on the later of (i) one year following the date of this Agreement and (ii) the first date upon which the number of Registrable Securities held by such Holder is less than 5.0% of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock.

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(vi)    No registration of Registrable Securities effected pursuant to a request under this Section 2(c) be deemed to have been effected pursuant to Section 2(a) or shall relieve the Company of its obligations under Section 2(a).
3.    Registration and Underwritten Offering Procedures.
The procedures to be followed by the Company and each Holder electing to sell Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement, and the respective rights and obligations of the Company and such Holders, with respect to the preparation, filing and effectiveness of such Registration Statement and the effectuation of any Underwritten Offering, are as follows:
(a)    in connection with a Demand Registration, the Company will, at least three Business Days prior to the anticipated filing of the Registration Statement and any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (other than, after effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any filing made under the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement), (i) furnish to such Holders copies of all such documents prior to filing and (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to address in each such document when so filed with the Commission such comments as such Holders reasonably shall propose prior to the filing thereof.
(b)    in connection with a Piggyback Registration or a Requested Underwritten Offering, the Company will, at least three Business Days prior to the anticipated filing of any initial Registration Statement that identifies the Holders and any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (other than amendments and supplements that do not materially alter the previous disclosure or do nothing more than name Holders and provide information with respect thereto), as applicable, (i) furnish to such Holders copies of any such Registration Statement or related Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto that identify the Holders and any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (other than amendments and supplements that do not materially alter the previous disclosure or do nothing more than name Holders and provide information with respect thereto) prior to filing and (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to address in each such document when so filed with the Commission such comments as such Holders reasonably shall propose prior to the filing thereof.
(c)    The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as reasonably practicable (i) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to each Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary under applicable law to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered thereby for its Effectiveness Period and, subject to the limitations contained in this Agreement, prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities held by the Holders; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required prospectus supplement, and as so supplemented or amended to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; and (iii) respond to any comments received from the Commission with respect to each Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and, as promptly as reasonably practicable provide such Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to such Registration Statement that 

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pertains to such Holders as selling stockholders but not any comments that would result in the disclosure to such Holders of material and non-public information concerning the Company.
(d)    The Company will comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the Registration Statements and the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement.
(e)    The Company will notify such Holders who are included in a Registration Statement as promptly as reasonably practicable: (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement in which such Holder is included has been filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of the applicable Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement (in which case the Company shall provide true and complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of such Holders that pertain to such Holders as selling stockholders); and (C) with respect to each applicable Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has been declared effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information that pertains to such Holders as sellers of Registrable Securities; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; and (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes any statement made in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of such Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit 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 (provided, however, that no notice by the Company shall be required pursuant to this clause (v) in the event that the Company either promptly files a prospectus supplement to update the Prospectus or a Form 8-K or other appropriate Exchange Act report that is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, which in either case, contains the requisite information that results in such Registration Statement no longer containing any untrue statement of material fact or omitting to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading).
(f)    The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, as promptly as reasonably practicable, or if any such order or suspension is made effective during any Blackout Period or Suspension Period, as promptly as reasonably practicable after such Blackout Period or Suspension Period is over.

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(g)    During the Effectiveness Period, the Company will furnish to each such Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each Registration Statement and each amendment thereto and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Holder (including those incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that the Company will not have any obligation to provide any document pursuant to this clause that is available on the Commission’s EDGAR system.
(h)    The Company will promptly deliver to each Holder, without charge, as many copies of each Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each form of prospectus) authorized by the Company for use and each amendment or supplement thereto as such Holder may reasonably request during the Effectiveness Period.  Subject to the terms of this Agreement, including Section 8(b), the Company consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto. 
(i)    The Company will cooperate with such Holders to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free of all restrictive legends indicating that the Registrable Securities are unregistered or unqualified for resale under the Securities Act, Exchange Act or other applicable securities laws, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request in writing.  In connection therewith, if required by the Company’s transfer agent, the Company will promptly, after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, cause an opinion of counsel as to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement to be delivered to and maintained with its transfer agent, together with any other authorizations, certificates and directions required by the transfer agent which authorize and direct the transfer agent to issue such Registrable Securities without any such legend upon sale by the Holder of such Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement.
(j)    Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(e)(v), as promptly as reasonably practicable, the Company will prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, if required by applicable law, to the affected Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, no Registration Statement nor any Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a 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.
(k)    With respect to Underwritten Offerings, (i) the right of any Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Offering shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein, (ii) each Holder participating in such Underwritten Offering agrees to enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form and sell such Holder’s Registrable Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Persons entitled to select the managing underwriter or managing underwriters hereunder and (iii) each Holder participating in such Underwritten Offering agrees to complete and execute all 

14

questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.  The Company hereby agrees with each Holder that, in connection with any Underwritten Offering in accordance with the terms hereof, it will negotiate in good faith and execute all indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements, including using all commercially reasonable efforts to procure customary legal opinions, auditor “comfort” letters and reports of independent petroleum engineers of the Company relating to the oil and gas reserves of the Company included in the Registration Statement if the Company has had its reserves prepared, audited or reviewed by an independent petroleum engineer.  In the event such Holders seek to complete an Underwritten Offering, for a reasonable period prior to the filing of any Registration Statement and throughout the Effectiveness Period, the Company will make available upon reasonable notice at the Company’s principal place of business or such other reasonable place for inspection during normal business hours by the managing underwriter or managing underwriters selected in accordance with this Section 3(k) such financial and other information and books and records of the Company, and cause the officers, employees, counsel and independent certified public accountants of the Company to respond to such inquiries, as shall be reasonably necessary (and in the case of counsel, not violate an attorney-client privilege in such counsel’s reasonable belief) to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act.
(l)    In connection with any Requested Underwritten Offering, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause appropriate officers and employees to be available, on a customary basis and upon reasonable notice, to meet with prospective investors in presentations, meetings and road shows.
(m)    Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company any other information regarding the Holder and the distribution of such securities as the Company reasonably determines is required to be included in any Registration Statement or any prospectus or prospectus supplement relating to an Underwritten Offering.
(n)    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not be required to file a Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or effect a Requested Underwritten Offering (or, if the Company has filed a Shelf Registration Statement and has included Registrable Securities therein, the Company shall be entitled to suspend the offer and sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement) for a period of up to 60 days, if (A) the Board determines that a postponement is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders generally due to a pending transaction involving the Company (including a pending securities offering by the Company), (B) the Board determines such registration would render the Company unable to comply with applicable securities laws or (C) the Board determines such registration would require disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential (any such period, a “Blackout Period”); provided, however, that in no event shall any Blackout Period together with any Suspension Period collectively exceed an aggregate of 120 days in any 12 month period.

15

4.    No Inconsistent Agreements; Additional Rights.  The Company shall not hereafter enter into, and is not currently a party to, any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent in any material respect with the rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Securities by this Agreement.  
5.    Registration Expenses.  All Registration Expenses incident to the Parties’ performance of or compliance with their respective obligations under this Agreement or otherwise in connection with any Demand Registration, Requested Underwritten Offering or Piggyback Registration (in each case, excluding any Selling Expenses) shall be borne by the Company, whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement.  “Registration Expenses” shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including fees and expenses (A) with respect to filings required to be made with the Trading Market and (B) in compliance with applicable state securities or “Blue Sky” laws), (ii) printing expenses (including expenses of printing certificates for Company Securities and of printing Prospectuses if the printing of Prospectuses is reasonably requested by a Holder of Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel, auditors, accountants and independent petroleum engineers for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (vii) all expenses relating to marketing the sale of the Registrable Securities, including expenses related to conducting a “road show.”  In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including expenses payable to third parties and including all salaries and expenses of their officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on the Trading Market.  
6.    Indemnification.
(a)    The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, its Affiliates and each of their respective officers and directors and any agent thereof (collectively, “Holder Indemnified Persons”), to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, costs (including reasonable costs of preparation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses, judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which any Indemnified Person may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, under the Securities Act or otherwise (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, arising out of or relating to any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which any Registrable Securities were registered, in any preliminary prospectus (if the Company authorized the use of such preliminary prospectus prior to the Effective Date), or in any summary or final prospectus or free writing prospectus (if such free writing prospectus was authorized for use by the Company) or in any amendment or supplement thereto (if used during the period the Company is required to keep the Registration Statement current), or arising out of, based upon or resulting from the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make 

16

the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable to any Holder Indemnified Person to the extent that any such claim arises out of, is based upon or results from an untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such Registration Statement, such preliminary, summary or final prospectus or free writing prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder Indemnified Person or any underwriter specifically for use in the preparation thereof.  The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding of which the Company is aware in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability the Company may otherwise have.  Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Holder or any indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of such securities by such Holder.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this Section 6 shall survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement indefinitely. 
(b)    In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder participates, such Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors and any agent thereof to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all Losses as incurred, arising out of or relating to any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any such Registration Statement, in any preliminary prospectus (if used prior to the Effective Date of such Registration Statement), or in any summary or final prospectus or free writing prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (if used during the period the Company is required to keep the Registration Statement current), or arising out of, based upon or resulting from the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, but only to the extent that the same are made in reliance and in conformity with information relating to the Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder for use therein.  This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability such Holder may otherwise have.  Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or any indemnified party. In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder of Registrable Securities hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds received by such Holder under the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.  
(c)    Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim or there may be reasonable defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party.  If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent will not be unreasonably withheld).  An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) for all parties 

17

indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party there may be one or more legal or equitable defenses available to such indemnified party that are in addition to or may conflict with those available to another indemnified party with respect to such claim.  Failure to give prompt written notice shall not release the indemnifying party from its obligations hereunder.
(d)    If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party with respect to any Losses referred to herein, the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall to the extent permitted by applicable law contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Losses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party, on the one hand, and of the indemnified party, on the other, in connection with the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact that resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by a court of law by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, that in no event shall any contribution by a Holder hereunder exceed the net proceeds from the offering received by such Holder.
7.    Facilitation of Sales Pursuant to Rule 144.  To the extent it shall be required to do so under the Exchange Act, the Company shall timely file the reports required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act (including the reports under Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act referred to in subparagraph (c)(1) of Rule 144), and shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable the Holders to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitations of the exemption provided by Rule 144.  Upon the request of any Holder in connection with that Holder’s sale pursuant to Rule 144, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
8.    Miscellaneous.
(a)    Remedies.  In the event of a breach by the Company of any of its obligations under this Agreement, each Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement.  The Company agrees that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b)    Discontinued Disposition.  Each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in clauses (ii) through (v) of Section 3(e), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities 

18

under the Registration Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemental Prospectus or amended Registration Statement as contemplated by Section 3(j) or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and, in either case, has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or Registration Statement (a “Suspension Period”).  The Company may provide appropriate stop orders to enforce the provisions of this Section 8(b).
(c)    Amendments and Waivers.  No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended except in a written instrument signed by the Company and the Holders.  The Company shall provide prior notice to all Holders of any proposed waiver or amendment.  No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any Party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.
(d)    Notices.  Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or electronic mail as specified in this Section 8(d) prior to 5:00 p.m. Central Time on a Business Day, (ii) the Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or electronic mail as specified in this Agreement later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on any date and earlier than 11:59 p.m. Central Time on such date, (iii) the Business Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) upon actual receipt by the Party to whom such notice is required to be given.  The address for such notices and communications shall be as follows:
	
						
	 
	If to the Company:
	 
	Rice Energy Inc.

	 
	 
	 
	Attention:  General Counsel

	 
	 
	 
	[●]

	 
	 
	 
	Houston, Texas  [●]

	 
	 
	 
	Fax:  [●]

	 
	 
	 
	Electronic mail: [●]

With copy to:

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
Attention:  Douglas E. McWilliams
1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas  77002
Fax:  (713) 615-5725

	 

	 
	If to any Person who is then the registered Holder:
	 
	To the address of such Holder as it appears in the applicable register for the Registrable Securities or such other address as may be designated in writing by such Holder.
	 

19

(e)    Successors and Assigns.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.  Except as provided in this Section 8(e), this Agreement, and any rights or obligations hereunder, may not be assigned without the prior written consent of the Company and the Holders.  Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, the registration rights of a Holder pursuant to this Agreement with respect to all or any portion of its Registrable Securities may be assigned without such consent (but only with all related obligations) with respect to such Registrable Securities (and any Registrable Securities issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange for or in replacement of such Registrable Securities) by such Holder to a transferee of such Registrable Securities; provided (i) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee or assignee and the Registrable Securities with respect to which such registration rights are being assigned and (ii) such transferee or assignee agrees in writing to be bound by and subject to the terms set forth in this Agreement.  The Company may not assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Holders.  
(f)    No Third Party Beneficiaries.  Nothing in this Agreement, whether express or implied, shall be construed to give any Person, other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns, any legal or equitable right, remedy, claim or benefit under or in respect of this Agreement.
(g)    Execution and Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile or electronic mail transmission, such signature shall create a valid binding obligation of the Party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) the same with the same force and effect as if such signature delivered by facsimile or electronic mail transmission were the original thereof.
(h)    Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial.  This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.  Each of the Parties irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York located in in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding or judgment relating to or arising out of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.  Service of process in connection with any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on each Party anywhere in the world by the same methods as are specified for the giving of notices under this Agreement.  Each of the Parties irrevocably waives any objection to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such courts and irrevocably waives any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO REQUEST A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LITIGATION WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT AND 

20

REPRESENTS THAT COUNSEL HAS BEEN CONSULTED SPECIFICALLY AS TO THIS WAIVER.
(i)    Cumulative Remedies.  The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
(j)    Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the Parties shall use their reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction.  It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the Parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
(k)    Entire Agreement.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior contracts or agreements with respect to the subject matter hereof and the matters addressed or governed hereby, whether oral or written.  
[THIS SPACE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]

21

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
COMPANY:

RICE ENERGY INC.

By:    ______________________
Name:     
Title:    

HOLDERS:

NGP RICE HOLDINGS, LLC

By:    ______________________
Name:     
Title:

Address for notice:
[●]
[●]
[●]
Fax:  [●]
Email: [●]

RICE ENERGY HOLDINGS LLC

By:    ______________________
Name:     
Title:

Address for notice:
[●]
[●]
[●]
Fax:  [●]
Email: [●]
    

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

[FOUNDATION PA COAL COMPANY, LLC]

By:    ______________________

Name:    Frank J. Wood 
Title:    Chief Financial Officer, 
             Vice President and Treasurer

Address for notice:
Foundation PA Coal Company, LLC
c/o Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
One Alpha Place, P.O. Box 16429
Bristol, VA 24209
Fax: (276) 623-4312
Attn: Phil Cavatoni, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

With a copy to:

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
One Alpha Place, P.O. Box 16429
Bristol, VA 24209
Bristol, VA 24209
Fax: (276) 623-4312
Attn: General Counsel

		
	 
	______________________

Name: Daniel J. Rice III

Address for notice:
[●] 
[●] 
[●] 
Fax:  [●] 
Email:  [●]    
    

    

Signature Page to Registration Rights AgreementRiceEnergy-FormofStockholdersAgreement

Exhibit B

FORM OF STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT
This STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of _________, is entered into by and among Rice Energy Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the other parties identified on the signature pages hereto (collectively, but subject to Section 3.2 hereof, the “Principal Stockholders”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company is currently contemplating an underwritten public offering (the “IPO”) of shares of Common Stock (as defined below); and
WHEREAS, in connection with, and effective upon, completion of the IPO, the Company and the Principal Stockholders wish to set forth certain understandings among such parties, including with respect to certain corporate governance matters.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I 
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1    Certain Definitions.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Affiliate” of a specified Person is a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, the Person specified.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.
“ANR Director” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(iii) of this Agreement.
“ANR Entities” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(iii) of this Agreement.
“Beneficial Owner” of a security is a Person who directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise has or shares (%4) voting power, which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of, such security and/or (%4) investment power, which includes the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition of, such security.  The terms “Beneficially Own” and “Beneficial Ownership” shall have correlative meanings.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

“Control” (including the terms “Controlling,” “Controlled by” and “under common Control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to • direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise or • vote 10% or more of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors of a Person.
“Directors” means, collectively, the ANR Director, the NGP Directors and the Rice Holdco Directors.
 “Equity Securities” means any equity securities of the Company or any options, warrants or other securities that are directly or indirectly convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any equity securities of the Company. 
 “IPO” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.
“Necessary Action” shall mean, with respect to a specified result, all actions (to the extent such actions are permitted by applicable law and, in the case of any action by the Company that requires a vote or other action on the part of the Board, to the extent such action is consistent with the fiduciary duties that the Company’s directors may have in such capacity) necessary to cause such result, including (i) voting or providing a written consent or proxy with respect to shares of Common Stock, (ii) causing the adoption of stockholders’ resolutions and amendments to the organizational documents of the Company, (iii) executing agreements and instruments and (iv) making or causing to be made, with governmental, administrative or regulatory authorities, all filings, registrations or similar actions that are required to achieve such result.
“NGP Directors” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(ii) of this Agreement.
“NGP Entities” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(ii) of this Agreement.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization, any court, administrative agency, regulatory body, commission or other governmental authority, board, bureau or instrumentality, domestic or foreign and any subdivision thereof or other entity, and also includes any managed investment account.
“Principal Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Proceeding” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.7 of this Agreement.
“Rice Holdco Directors” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i) of this Agreement.
“Rice Holdco Entities” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i) of this Agreement.
“Selected Courts” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.7 of this Agreement.
“Sponsor” means the Rice Holdco Entities, the NGP Entities or the ANR Entities, and “Sponsors” means the Rice Holdco Entities, the NGP Entities and the ANR Entities collectively. 

“Transaction Agreement” means that certain transaction agreement by and among Foundation PA Coal Company, LLC, Rice Drilling C LLC and the Company dated as of December 6, 2013.
Section 1.2    Rules of Construction.  Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)    References in the singular or to “him,” “her,” “it,” “itself” or other like references, and references in the plural or the feminine or masculine reference, as the case may be, shall also, when the context so requires, be deemed to include the plural or singular, or the masculine or feminine reference, as the case may be;
(b)    References to Articles and Sections shall refer to articles and sections of this Agreement, unless otherwise specified;
(c)    The headings in this Agreement are for convenience and identification only and are not intended to describe, interpret, define or limit the scope, extent or intent of this Agreement or any provision thereof;
(d)    This Agreement shall be construed without regard to any presumption or other rule requiring construction against the party that drafted and caused this Agreement to be drafted; and
(e)    References to “including” in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” whether or not so specified.
ARTICLE II     
GOVERNANCE MATTERS
Section 2.1    Designees. 
(a)    The Company and the Principal Stockholders shall take all Necessary Action to cause the Board to consist of members designated as follows:
(i)    Three nominees shall be designated by Rice Energy Holdings LLC (the “Rice Holdco Directors”); provided, that (A) the number of nominees designated by Rice Energy Holdings LLC shall be reduced to two directors at such time as Rice Energy Holdings LLC and its Affiliates (the “Rice Holdco Entities”) collectively Beneficially Own less than 15% and greater than or equal to 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, at which point one Rice Holdco Director shall tender his resignation to the Board, and (B) Rice Energy Holdings LLC shall no longer be entitled to designate a nominee at such time as the Rice Holdco Entities collectively Beneficially Own less than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, at which point the Rice Holdco Directors shall tender their resignations to the Board.  At any given time, and provided that the directors are allocated among separate classes, the Rice Holdco Directors shall be in different classes of directors;
(ii)    Two nominees shall be designated by NGP Rice Holdings, LLC (the “NGP Directors”); provided, that (A) the number of nominees designated by NGP Rice Holdings, 

LLC shall be reduced to one director at such time as NGP Rice Holdings, LLC and its Affiliates (the “NGP Entities”) collectively Beneficially Own less than 15% and greater than or equal to 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock at which point one NGP Holdco Director shall tender his resignation to the Board, and (B) that NGP Rice Holdings, LLC shall no longer be entitled to designate a nominee at such time as the NGP Entities collectively Beneficially Own less than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, at which point the NGP Director shall tender his resignation to the Board; and
(iii)    One nominee shall be designated by Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (the “ANR Director”); provided, that Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. shall no longer be entitled to designate a nominee at such time as Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. and its Affiliates (the “ANR Entities”) collectively Beneficially Own less than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, at which point the ANR Director shall tender his resignation to the Board; provided, further, however, that if immediately following the consummation of the IPO, the ANR Entities collectively Beneficially Own less than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. shall nevertheless be entitled to designate one ANR Director until the earlier to occur of (x) the first anniversary of the IPO and (y) the date on which the ANR Entities have divested more than 75% of the Alpha Shares (as defined in the Transaction Agreement).  In any event, the ANR Director must be either (i) the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. at the time of the designation of such ANR Director or (ii) a member of senior management (with a title of Senior Vice President or greater) of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. that is reasonably satisfactory to the Company.
(b)    So long as the Rice Holdco Entities collectively Beneficially Own 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Board shall include at least one Rice Holdco Director on each committee of the Board as designated by Rice Energy Holdings LLC (subject to any independence requirement imposed by law or by the rules of any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock may be listed or traded).
(c)    So long as a Sponsor is entitled to designate a nominee pursuant to Section 2.1(a), the Sponsor shall have the right to remove such nominee (with or without cause), from time to time and at any time, from the Board, exercisable upon written notice to the Company.  Should a director designated by a Sponsor be removed for any reason, whether by such Sponsor or otherwise in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as either may be amended or restated from time to time, the Sponsor shall be entitled to designate an individual to fill the vacancy created by such removal so long as the Sponsor is entitled to designate a nominee pursuant to Section 2.1(a) on the date of such replacement designation; provided, that the ANR Director must meet the requirements of Section 2.1(a)(iii).
(d)    Each Principal Stockholder hereby agrees to vote, in respect of the Board, such Principal Stockholder’s shares of Common Stock and Equity Securities for any nominee designated by a Sponsor so long as the Sponsor is entitled to designate such nominee pursuant to Section 2.1(a).  In the event that a Sponsor wishes to remove its designee to the Board in accordance with Section 2.1(c), each Principal Stockholder hereby agrees to vote, in respect of the Board, its shares of Common Stock or Equity Securities for the removal of such designee from the Board.

(e)    In connection with the required resignation of any director appointed by a Sponsor pursuant to this Section 2.1, such director may tender his resignation in advance of the date on which such resignation is required pursuant to this Section 2.1 and the Board shall have the right to decline to accept such resignation, in which case such director shall continue to serve on the Board until the earlier of his subsequent resignation, death or removal.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any director appointed by a Sponsor may elect to have his resignation be effective immediately upon tender.
Section 2.2    Restrictions on Other Agreements.  No Principal Stockholder shall grant any proxy or enter into or agree to be bound by any voting trust, agreement or arrangement of any kind with respect to its shares of Common Stock or Equity Securities if and to the extent the terms thereof conflict with the provisions of this Agreement (whether or not such proxy, voting trust, agreement or arrangements are with other Principal Stockholders, holders of shares of Common Stock or Equity Securities that are not parties to this Agreement or otherwise).
Section 2.3    Reimbursement of Expenses.  The Company shall reimburse each Director for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with such Director’s participation in the meetings of the Board or any committee of the Board, including all reasonable and documented travel, lodging and meal expenses.
Section 2.4    D&O Insurance.  The Company shall use its best efforts to maintain in effect at all times directors and officers indemnity insurance coverage reasonably satisfactory to the Board.
ARTICLE III     
 EFFECTIVENESS AND TERMINATION
Section 3.1    Effectiveness.  Upon the closing of the IPO, this Agreement shall thereupon be deemed to be effective.  However, to the extent the closing of the IPO does not occur, the provisions of this Agreement shall be without any force or effect.
Section 3.2    Termination.  This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of • such time as none of the Principal Stockholders Beneficially Own any shares of Common Stock and • the delivery of written notice to the Company by all of the Principal Stockholders, requesting the termination of this Agreement.  Further, at such time as a particular Principal Stockholder no longer Beneficially Owns any shares of Common Stock, all rights and obligations of such Principal Stockholder under this Agreement shall terminate.
ARTICLE IV     
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 4.1    Notices.  All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder to any party shall be in writing and shall be personally delivered, sent by nationally recognized overnight courier or mailed by registered or certified mail to such party at the address set forth below (or such other address as shall be specified by like notice).  Notices will be deemed to have been given hereunder when personally delivered, one calendar day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier and five calendar days after deposit in U.S. mail.

(a)    if to the Company, to:
Rice Energy Inc. 
171 Hillpointe Drive, Suite 301
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317 
Fax: (724) 746-6725 
Attention: General Counsel

(b)    if to Rice Energy Holdings LLC, to:
Rice Energy Holdings LLC 
171 Hillpointe Drive, Suite 301
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317 
Fax: (724) 746-6725 
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
(c)    if to NGP Rice Holdings, LLC, to:
NGP Rice Holdings, LLC  
[●] 
[●]
Attention: [●]

(d)    if to Alpha Natural Resources, Inc., to:
Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. 
One Alpha Place, 
P.O. Box 16429 
Bristol, VA 24209 
Fax: (276) 623-4312 
Attn: General Counsel

Section 4.2    Severability.  The provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof.  If any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any Person or any circumstance, is found to be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, • a suitable and equitable provision shall be substituted therefor in order to carry out, so far as may be valid and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid or unenforceable provision and • the remainder of this Agreement and the application of such provision to other Persons or circumstances shall not be affected by such invalidity or unenforceability, nor shall such invalidity or unenforceability affect the validity or enforceability of such provision, or the application thereof, in any other jurisdiction.
Section 4.3    Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which, taken together, shall be considered one and the same agreement.

Section 4.4    Entire Agreement; No Third Party Beneficiaries.  This Agreement • constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior agreements, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and • is not intended to confer upon any Person, other than the parties hereto, any rights or remedies hereunder.
Section 4.5    Further Assurances.  Each party shall execute, deliver, acknowledge and file such other documents and take such further actions as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the other parties hereto to give effect to and carry out the transactions contemplated herein.
Section 4.6    Governing Law; Equitable Remedies.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF).  The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with its specific terms or was otherwise breached.  It is accordingly agreed that the parties hereto shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions and other equitable remedies to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof in any of the Selected Courts (as defined below), this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.  Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with respect to such remedy are hereby waived by each of the parties hereto.  Each party further agrees that, in the event of any action for an injunction or other equitable remedy in respect of such breach or enforcement of specific performance, it will not assert the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
Section 4.7    Consent To Jurisdiction.  With respect to any suit, action or proceeding (“Proceeding”) arising out of or relating to this Agreement, each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably • submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and the appellate courts therefrom (the “Selected Courts”) and waives any objection to venue being laid in the Selected Courts whether based on the grounds of forum non conveniens or otherwise and hereby agrees not to commence any such Proceeding other than before one of the Selected Courts; provided, however, that a party may commence any Proceeding in a court other than a Selected Court solely for the purpose of enforcing an order or judgment issued by one of the Selected Courts; • consents to service of process in any Proceeding by the mailing of copies thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or by recognized international express carrier or delivery service, to the Company or the Principal Stockholders at their respective addresses referred to in Section 4.1 hereof; provided, however, that nothing herein shall affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by law; and • TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED, WAIVES, AND COVENANTS THAT IT WILL NOT ASSERT (WHETHER AS PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT OR OTHERWISE) ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, AND AGREES THAT ANY OF THEM MAY FILE A COPY OF THIS PARAGRAPH WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE KNOWING, VOLUNTARY AND BARGAINED-FOR AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY TO WAIVE THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY 

PROCEEDING WHATSOEVER BETWEEN THEM RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND TO HAVE ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT BE TRIED IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION BY A JUDGE SITTING WITHOUT A JURY.
Section 4.8    Amendments; Waivers.
(a)    No provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived unless such amendment or waiver is in writing and signed, in the case of an amendment, by each of the parties hereto, or in the case of a waiver, by each of the parties against whom the waiver is to be effective.
(b)    No failure or delay by any party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.  The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.
Section 4.9    Assignment.  Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights or obligations hereunder shall be assigned by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of the other parties; provided, however, that a Sponsor may assign any of its respective rights hereunder to any of its Affiliates.  Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement will be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties and their respective successors and assigns.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered, all as of the date first set forth above.
RICE ENERGY INC.

______________________
Name:
Title:

RICE ENERGY HOLDINGS LLC

______________________
Name:
Title:

NGP RICE HOLDINGS, LLC

______________________
Name:
Title:

ALPHA NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

______________________
Name:
Title:

SIGNATURE PAGE TO STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT

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