Document:

Exhibit 10.12

 

	
Term   Loan Note
    	

    

 

	
$2,100,000
    	
January 24, 2011    
    

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ARCA Advanced Processing, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company (the “Borrower”), promises to pay to the order of PNC BANK,  NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (the “Bank”), in lawful money of the United States of America in immediately available funds at its offices located at Two Tower Center Boulevard, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816, or at such other location as the Bank may designate from time to time, the principal sum of TWO MILLION ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,100,000), together with interest accruing on the outstanding principal balance from the date hereof, all as provided below.

 

This Term Loan Note is entered into in connection with that certain Revolving Credit, Term Loan and Security Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”) among Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc., a Minnesota corporation, Appliance Recycling Centers of America-California, Inc., a California corporation, ARCA Canada Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the province of Ontario (collectively, the “Revolver Borrowers”), the financial institutions party thereto (the “Lenders”) and Bank, as agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, “Agent”)

 

1.                                      Rate of Interest.  Amounts outstanding under this Note will bear interest at a rate per annum as follows:

 

(i)                                     “Interest Rate”.  A rate of interest per annum which is at all times equal to (A) the Alternate Base Rate plus (B) one and three quarters of one percent  (1.75%).  If and when the Alternate Base Rate (or any component thereof) changes, the rate of interest will change automatically without notice to the Borrower, effective on the date of any such change.

 

Interest hereunder will be calculated based on the actual number of days that principal is outstanding over a year of 360 days. In no event will the rate of interest hereunder exceed the maximum rate allowed by law.

 

For purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

“Alternate Base Rate” shall mean, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the highest of (i) the Base Rate in effect on such day, (ii) the Federal Funds Open Rate in effect on such day plus one half of one-percent (1/2 of 1%), and (iii) the sum of the Daily LIBOR Rate in effect on such day plus one percent (1.0%), so long as a Daily LIBOR Rate is offered, ascertainable and not unlawful

 

“Base Rate” shall mean the base commercial lending rate of BANK as publicly announced to be in effect from time to time, such rate to be adjusted automatically, without notice, on the effective date of any change in such rate.  This rate of interest is determined from time to time by BANK as a means of pricing some loans to its customers and is neither tied to any external rate of interest or index nor does it necessarily reflect the lowest rate of interest actually charged by BANK to any particular class or category of customers of BANK.

 

“Business Day” shall mean any day other than Saturday or Sunday or a legal holiday on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law to be closed for business in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

 

“Daily LIBOR Rate” shall mean, for any day, the rate per annum determined by the Bank by dividing (x) the Published Rate by (y) a number equal to 1.00 minus the Reserve Percentage.

 

 

“Federal Funds Open Rate” shall mean,  for any day, the rate per annum (based on a year of 360 days and actual days elapsed) which is the daily federal funds open rate as quoted by ICAP North America, Inc. (or any successor) as set forth on the Bloomberg Screen BTMM for that day opposite the caption “OPEN” (or on such other substitute Bloomberg Screen that displays such rate), or as set forth on such other recognized electronic source used for the purpose of displaying such rate as selected by the Bank (an “Alternate Source”) (or if such rate for such day does not appear on the Bloomberg Screen BTMM (or any substitute screen) or on any Alternate Source, or if there shall at any time, for any reason, no longer exist a Bloomberg Screen BTMM (or any substitute screen) or any Alternate Source, a comparable replacement rate determined by the Bank at such time (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error); provided however, that if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Open Rate for such day shall be the “open” rate on the immediately preceding Business Day.  The rate of interest charged shall be adjusted as of each Business Day based on changes in the Federal Funds Open Rate without notice to the Borrower.

 

“Published Rate” shall mean the rate of interest published each Business Day in the Wall Street Journal “Money Rates” listing under the caption “London Interbank Offered Rates” for a one month period (or, if no such rate is published therein for any reason, then the Published Rate shall be the eurodollar rate for a one month period as published in another publication selected by the Bank).

 

All capitalized term used but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Loan Agreement.

 

2.                                      Payment of Interest.  The Borrower shall pay accrued interest on the unpaid principal balance of this Note in arrears on the first day of each month during the term hereof and shall pay all outstanding amounts, at maturity, whether by acceleration of this Note or otherwise.

 

3.                                      Payment of Principal.  All outstanding principal, together with all accrued interest, shall be due and payable in full on June 30, 2011 (the “Maturity Date”) or earlier UPON DEMAND.

 

If any payment under this Note shall become due on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday under the laws of the State where the Bank’s office indicated above is located, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and such extension of time shall be included in computing interest in connection with such payment.  The Borrower hereby authorizes the Bank to charge any of Borrower’s deposit account at the Bank for any payment when due hereunder.  The Revolver Borrowers hereby authorize the Bank to make a Revolving Advance under the Loan Agreement for any payment when due hereunder.  Payments received will be applied to charges, fees and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), accrued interest and principal in any order the Bank may choose, in its sole discretion.

 

4.                                      Default Rate.  Upon maturity, whether by acceleration, demand or otherwise, and at the Bank’s option upon the occurrence of any Event of Default (as hereinafter defined) and during the continuance thereof, all amounts outstanding under this Note shall bear interest at a rate per annum (based on the actual number of days that principal is outstanding over a year of 360 days) which shall be two percentage points (2.0%) in excess of the Interest Rate in effect from time to time under this Note but not more than the maximum rate allowed by law (the “Default Rate”).  The Default Rate shall continue to apply whether or not judgment shall be entered on this Note.

 

5.                                      Prepayment.  The Borrower shall have the right to prepay any amount hereunder at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part.

 

6.                                      Negative Covenants. Borrower shall not, until satisfaction of all the obligations owing under this Note:

 

(a)          Merger, Consolidation, Acquisition and Sale of Assets. (i) Enter into any merger, consolidation or other reorganization with or into any other Person or acquire all or a substantial portion of the assets or Equity Interests of any Person or permit any other Person to consolidate with or merge with it; or

 

 

(ii) Sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets except Inventory in the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(b)         Creation of Liens. Create or suffer to exist any Lien or transfer upon or against any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired, except Permitted Encumbrances;

 

(c)          Guarantees. Become liable upon the obligations or liabilities of any Person by assumption, endorsement or guaranty thereof or otherwise (other than to Bank) except the endorsement of checks in the Ordinary Course of Business; or

 

(d)         Indebtedness. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness (exclusive of trade debt) except in respect of Indebtedness to Bank.

 

7.                                      Increased Costs.  In the event that any Applicable Law, treaty or governmental regulation, or any change therein or in the interpretation or application thereof, or compliance by Bank with any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any central bank or other financial, monetary or other authority, shall:

 

(a)                                  subject Bank to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Note or change the basis of taxation of payments to Bank of principal, fees, interest or any other amount payable hereunder (except for changes in the rate of tax on the overall net income of Bank by the jurisdiction in which it maintains its principal office);

 

(b)                                 impose, modify or hold applicable any reserve, special deposit, assessment or similar requirement against assets held by, or deposits in or for the account of, advances or loans by, or other credit extended by, any office of Bank, including pursuant to Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; or

impose on Bank any other condition with respect to this Note;

 

(c)                                  and the result of any of the foregoing is to increase the cost to Bank of making, renewing or maintaining its loans hereunder by an amount that Bank deems to be material or to reduce the amount of any payment (whether of principal, interest or otherwise) by an amount that Bank deems to be material, then, in any case Borrower shall promptly pay Bank, upon its demand, such additional amount as will compensate Bank for such additional cost or such reduction, as the case may be.  Bank shall certify the amount of such additional cost or reduced amount to Borrower, and such certification shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

Borrower shall not be under any obligation to compensate Bank under this Section 7 with respect to increased costs or reductions with respect to any period prior to the date that is 180 days prior to such request; provided further, that the foregoing limitation shall not apply to any increased costs or reductions arising out of the retroactive application of any change in law within such 180 day period.

 

8.                                      Capital Adequacy.                                             (a)                                  In the event that Agent or any Lender shall have determined that any Applicable Law, rule, regulation or guideline regarding capital adequacy, or any change therein, or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Body, central bank or comparable agency charged with the interpretation or administration thereof, or compliance by Bank with any request or directive regarding capital adequacy (whether or not having the force of law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable agency, has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on Bank’s capital as a consequence of its obligations hereunder to a level below that which Bank could have achieved but for such adoption, change or compliance (taking into consideration Bank’s policies with respect to capital adequacy) by an amount deemed by Bank to be material, then, from time to time, Borrower shall pay upon demand (including documentation supporting such request) to Bank such additional amount or amounts as will compensate Bank for such reduction.  In determining such amount or amounts, Bank may use any reasonable averaging or attribution methods.  The protection of this Section 8 shall be available to Bank regardless of any possible contention of invalidity or inapplicability with respect to the Applicable Law, regulation or condition.

 

 

(b)                                 A certificate of Bank setting forth such amount or amounts as shall be necessary to compensate Bank with respect to Section 8 hereof when delivered to Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

9.                                      Other Loan Documents / Collateral.  This Note is issued in connection with the Loan Agreement and is secured by the Collateral (as defined in the Loan Agreement) and the Collateral, as defined in that certain Security Agreement dated the date hereof executed by Borrower in favor of Bank (the “Security Agreement”).

 

10.                               Events of Default.  The occurrence of any of the following events will be deemed to be an “Event of Default” under this Note:  (i) the nonpayment of any principal, interest or other indebtedness under this Note when due; (ii) the occurrence of any Event of Default, as defined in and under the Loan Agreement or Security Agreement; (iii) the occurrence of any event of default or any default and the lapse of any notice or cure period, or Borrower’s  failure to observe or perform any covenant or other agreement, under or contained in this Note or any other document now or in the future evidencing or securing any debt, liability or obligation of Borrower to the Bank; (iv) any representation or warranty made or deemed by Borrower in this Note or any other document now or in the future evidencing or securing any debt, liability or obligation of Borrower to the Bank shall prove to have been misleading in any material respect on the date when made or deemed to have been made; (v) the filing by or against Borrower of any proceeding in bankruptcy, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, liquidation, conservatorship or similar proceeding (and, in the case of any such proceeding instituted against Borrower, such proceeding is not dismissed or stayed within thirty (30) days of the commencement thereof; (vi) any assignment by Borrower for the benefit of creditors, or any levy, garnishment, attachment or similar proceeding is instituted against any property of Borrower held by or deposited with the Bank; (vii) a default with respect to any other indebtedness of Borrower for borrowed money, if the effect of such default is to cause or permit the acceleration of such debt; (viii) the commencement of any foreclosure or forfeiture proceeding, execution or attachment against any collateral securing the obligations of Borrower to the Bank; (ix) the entry of a final judgment against Borrower and the failure of Borrower to discharge the judgment within ten (10) days of the entry thereof; (x) any material adverse change in Borrower’s business, assets, operations, financial condition or results of operations; (xi) Borrower  ceases doing business as a going concern; or (xii) any representation or warranty made by Borrower to the Bank in any documents now or in the future evidencing or securing the obligations of Borrower to the Bank, is false, erroneous or misleading in any material respect.

 

Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default:  (a) the Bank shall be under no further obligation to make advances hereunder; (b) if an Event of Default specified in clause (iv) or (v) above shall occur, the outstanding principal balance and accrued interest hereunder together with any additional amounts payable hereunder shall be immediately due and payable without demand or notice of any kind; (c) if any other Event of Default shall occur, the outstanding principal balance and accrued interest hereunder together with any additional amounts payable hereunder, at the Bank’s option and without demand or notice of any kind, may be accelerated and become immediately due and payable; (d) at the Bank’s option, this Note will bear interest at the Default Rate from the date of the occurrence of the Event of Default; and (e) the Bank may exercise from time to time any of the rights and remedies available under the Security Agreement or under applicable law.

 

11.                               Right of Setoff.  In addition to all liens upon and rights of setoff against the Borrower’s money, securities or other property given to the Bank by law, the Bank shall have, with respect to the Borrower’s obligations to the Bank under this Note and to the extent permitted by law, a contractual possessory security interest in and a contractual right of setoff against, and the Borrower hereby grants the Bank a security interest in, and hereby assigns, conveys, delivers, pledges and transfers to the Bank, all of the Borrower’s right, title and interest in and to, all of the Borrower’s deposits, moneys, securities and other property now or hereafter in the possession of or on deposit with, or in transit to, the Bank or any other direct or indirect subsidiary of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., whether held in a general or special account or deposit, whether held jointly with someone else, or whether held for safekeeping or otherwise, excluding, however, all IRA, Keogh, and trust accounts.  Every such security interest and right of setoff may be exercised without demand upon or notice to the Borrower.  Every such right of setoff shall be deemed to have been exercised immediately upon the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder without any action of the Bank, although the Bank may enter such setoff on its books and records at a later time.

 

 

12.                               Indemnity.  The Borrower agrees to indemnify each of the Bank, each legal entity, if any, who controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Bank, and each of their respective directors, officers and employees (the “Indemnified Parties”), and to defend and hold each Indemnified Party harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses (including all fees and charges of internal or external counsel with whom any Indemnified Party may consult and all expenses of litigation and preparation therefor) which any Indemnified Party may incur or which may be asserted against any Indemnified Party by any person, entity or governmental authority (including any person or entity claiming derivatively on behalf of the Borrower), in connection with or arising out of or relating to the matters referred to in this Note or in the other Loan Documents or the use of any advance hereunder, whether (a) arising from or incurred in connection with any breach of a representation, warranty or covenant by the Borrower, or (b) arising out of or resulting from any suit, action, claim, proceeding or governmental investigation, pending or threatened, whether based on statute, regulation or order, or tort, or contract or otherwise, before any court or governmental authority; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any claims, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses solely attributable to an Indemnified Party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.  The indemnity agreement contained in this Section shall survive the termination of this Note, payment of any amounts hereunder and the assignment of any rights hereunder.  The Borrower may participate at its expense in the defense of any such action or claim.

 

14.                               Miscellaneous.  (a)  All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals and other communications required or permitted hereunder (“Notices”) must be in writing (except as may be agreed otherwise above with respect to borrowing requests) and will be effective upon receipt. Notices may be given in the manner set forth in Section 16.6 of the Loan Agreement at the address of Borrower set forth on the signature page hereto; (b) No delay or omission on the Bank’s part to exercise any right or power arising hereunder will impair any such right or power or be considered a waiver of any such right or power, nor will the Bank’s action or inaction impair any such right or power; (c) Bank’s rights and remedies hereunder are cumulative and not exclusive of any other rights or remedies which the Bank may have under other agreements, at law or in equity; (d) no modification, amendment or waiver of, or consent to any departure by the Borrower from, any provision of this Note will be effective unless made in a writing signed by the Bank, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given; (e) Borrower agrees to pay on demand, to the extent permitted by law, all costs and expenses incurred by the Bank in the enforcement of its rights in this Note and in any security therefor, including without limitation fees and expenses of the Bank’s counsel; (f) if any provision of this Note is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect by a court, all the other provisions of this Note will remain in full force and effect; (g) Borrower and all other makers and indorsers of this Note hereby forever waive presentment, protest, notice of dishonor and notice of non-payment; (h) Borrower also waives all defenses based on suretyship or impairment of collateral; and (i) this Note shall bind the Borrower and its heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and the benefits hereof shall inure to the benefit of the Bank and its successors and assigns; provided, however, that the Borrower may not assign this Note in whole or in part without the Bank’s written consent and the Bank at any time may assign this Note in whole or in part.

 

15.                               Governing Law.           This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois applied to contracts to be performed wholly within the State of Illinois.  Any judicial proceeding brought by or against Borrower with respect to this Note or any related agreement may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Illinois, United States of America, and, by execution and delivery of this Note, Borrower accepts for itself and in connection with its properties, generally and unconditionally, the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts, and irrevocably agrees to be bound by any judgment rendered thereby in connection with this Agreement.  Borrower hereby waives personal service of any and all process upon it and consents that all such service of process may be made by registered mail (return receipt requested) directed to Borrower at its address set forth on the signature page below and service so made shall be deemed completed five (5) days after the same shall have been so deposited in the mails of the United States of America.  Nothing herein shall affect the right to serve process in any manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of Bank to bring proceedings against Borrower in the courts of any other jurisdiction.  Borrower waives any objection to jurisdiction and venue of any action instituted hereunder and shall not assert any defense based on lack of jurisdiction or venue or based upon forum non conveniens.  Borrower waives the right to remove any judicial proceeding brought against Borrower in any state court to any federal court.  Any judicial proceeding by 

 

 

Borrower against Bank involving, directly or indirectly, any matter or claim in any way arising out of, related to or connected with this Note or any related agreement, shall be brought only in a federal or state court located in the County of Cook, State of Illinois.

 

16.                               WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.  The Borrower irrevocably waives any and all rights the Borrower may have to a trial by jury in any action, proceeding or claim of any nature relating to this Note, any documents executed in connection with this Note or any transaction contemplated in any of such documents.  The Borrower acknowledges that the foregoing waiver is knowing and voluntary.

 

17.                                 Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures. This Note may be executed in any number of and by different parties hereto on separate counterparts, all of which, when so executed, shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts shall constitute one and the same agreement.  Any signature delivered by a party by facsimile or electronic transmission shall be deemed to be an original signature hereto.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

 

WITNESS the due execution hereof as a document under seal, as of the date first written above, with the intent to be legally bound hereby.

 

 

	
 
    	
ARCA   ADVANCED PROCESSING, LLC
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:   
    	
/s/Edward   R. Cameron
    
	
 
    	
Print   Name: Edward R. Cameron
    
	
 
    	
Title:   CEO
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Address:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
7400   Excelsior Boulevard
    
	
 
    	
Minneapolis,   MN 55426
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
AGREED   TO AND ACKNOWLEDGED
    	
 
    
	
FOR   PURPOSES OF SECTIONS 4, 10 AND 11
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPLIANCE   RECYCLING CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/Edward   R. Cameron
    	
 
    
	
Name:
    	
Edward   R. Cameron
    	
 
    
	
Title:
    	
President   / CEO
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPLIANCE   RECYCLING CENTERS OF AMERICA-CALIFORNIA, INC.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/Edward   R. Cameron
    	
 
    
	
Name:
    	
Edward   R. Cameron
    	
 
    
	
Title:
    	
President   / CEO
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARCA   CANADA INC.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/Edward   R. Cameron
    	
 
    
	
Name:
    	
Edward   R. Cameron
    	
 
    
	
Title:
    	
President   / CEO
    	
 
    

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE TO TERM LOAN NOTE]Exhibit 4.1

 

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.,

 

THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS PARTIES HERETO

 

AND

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
 AS TRUSTEE

 

7.75% Senior Notes due 2019

 

 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of March 16, 2011

 

 

 

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE

 

	
TIA
    	
 
    	
Indenture
    
	
Section
    	
 
    	
Section
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
310(a)(1)
    	
 
    	
7.10
    
	
 
    	
(a)(2)
    	
 
    	
7.10
    
	
 
    	
(a)(3)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(a)(4)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
7.8; 7.10
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
311(a)
    	
 
    	
7.11
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
7.11
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
312(a)
    	
 
    	
2.5
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
11.3
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
11.3
    
	
313(a)
    	
 
    	
7.6
    
	
 
    	
(b)(1)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(b)(2)
    	
 
    	
7.6
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
7.6; 11.2
    
	
 
    	
(d)
    	
 
    	
7.6
    
	
314(a)
    	
 
    	
3.2; 3.17; 11.2
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(c)(1)
    	
 
    	
11.4
    
	
 
    	
(c)(2)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(c)(3)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(d)
    	
 
    	
11.5
    
	
 
    	
(e)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
315(a)
    	
 
    	
7.1
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
7.5; 11.2
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
7.1
    
	
 
    	
(d)
    	
 
    	
7.1
    
	
 
    	
(e)
    	
 
    	
6.11
    
	
316(a)(last   sentence)
    	
 
    	
11.6
    
	
 
    	
(a)(1)(A)
    	
 
    	
6.5
    
	
 
    	
(a)(1)(B)
    	
 
    	
6.4
    
	
 
    	
(a)(2)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
6.7
    
	
317(a)(1)
    	
 
    	
6.8
    
	
 
    	
(a)(2)
    	
 
    	
6.9
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
2.4
    
	
318(a)
    	
 
    	
11.1
    

 

N.A. means Not Applicable.

 

Note:  This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of this Indenture.

 

i

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE I.
    
	
 
    
	
Definitions and Incorporation by Reference
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 1.1.
    	
Definitions
    	
1
    
	
SECTION 1.2.
    	
Other Definitions
    	
28
    
	
SECTION 1.3.
    	
Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act
    	
29
    
	
SECTION 1.4.
    	
Rules of Construction
    	
30
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE II.
    
	
 
    
	
The Securities
    
	
 
    
	
SECTION 2.1.
    	
Form, Dating and Terms
    	
30
    
	
SECTION 2.2.
    	
Execution and Authentication
    	
36
    
	
SECTION 2.3.
    	
Registrar and Paying Agent
    	
36
    
	
SECTION 2.4.
    	
Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust
    	
37
    
	
SECTION 2.5.
    	
Securityholder Lists
    	
37
    
	
SECTION 2.6.
    	
Transfer and Exchange
    	
37
    
	
SECTION 2.7.
    	
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities
    	
40
    
	
SECTION 2.8.
    	
Outstanding Securities
    	
41
    
	
SECTION 2.9.
    	
Temporary Securities
    	
41
    
	
SECTION 2.10.
    	
Cancellation
    	
41
    
	
SECTION 2.11.
    	
Payment of Interest, Defaulted Interest
    	
42
    
	
SECTION 2.12.
    	
Computation of Interest
    	
43
    
	
SECTION 2.13.
    	
CUSIP Numbers
    	
43
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE III.
    
	
 
    
	
Covenants
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 3.1.
    	
Payment of Securities
    	
43
    
	
SECTION 3.2.
    	
Commission Reports
    	
43
    
	
SECTION 3.3.
    	
Limitation on Indebtedness
    	
44
    
	
SECTION 3.4.
    	
Limitation on Restricted Payments
    	
47
    
	
SECTION 3.5.
    	
Limitation on Liens
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.6.
    	
Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted   Subsidiaries
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.7.
    	
Limitation on Sales of Assets and Subsidiary Stock
    	
53
    
	
SECTION 3.8.
    	
Limitation on Affiliate Transactions
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 3.9.
    	
Change of Control
    	
56
    
	
SECTION 3.10.
    	
[Reserved.]
    	
58
    
	
SECTION 3.11.
    	
Future Subsidiary Guarantors
    	
58
    
	
SECTION 3.12.
    	
Limitation on Lines of Business
    	
58
    
	
SECTION 3.13.
    	
Maintenance of Office or Agency
    	
58
    
	
SECTION 3.14.
    	
Corporate Existence
    	
58
    
	
SECTION 3.15.
    	
Payment of Taxes and Other Claims
    	
59
    
	
SECTION 3.16.
    	
Payments for Consent
    	
59
    
	
SECTION 3.17.
    	
Compliance Certificate
    	
59
    

 

ii

 

	
SECTION 3.18.
    	
Further Instruments and Acts
    	
59
    
	
SECTION 3.19.
    	
Statement by Officers as to Default
    	
59
    
	
SECTION 3.20.
    	
Suspended Covenants
    	
59
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IV.
    
	
 
    
	
Successor Company
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 4.1.
    	
Merger and Consolidation
    	
60
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE V.
    
	
 
    
	
Redemption of Securities
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 5.1.
    	
Optional Redemption
    	
61
    
	
SECTION 5.2.
    	
Applicability of Article
    	
62
    
	
SECTION 5.3.
    	
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee
    	
62
    
	
SECTION 5.4.
    	
Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed
    	
62
    
	
SECTION 5.5.
    	
Notice of Redemption
    	
63
    
	
SECTION 5.6.
    	
Deposit of Redemption Price
    	
63
    
	
SECTION 5.7.
    	
Securities Payable on Redemption Date
    	
64
    
	
SECTION 5.8.
    	
Securities Redeemed in Part
    	
64
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VI.
    
	
 
    
	
Defaults and Remedies
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 6.1.
    	
Events of Default
    	
64
    
	
SECTION 6.2.
    	
Acceleration
    	
66
    
	
SECTION 6.3.
    	
Other Remedies
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 6.4.
    	
Waiver of Past Defaults
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 6.5.
    	
Control by Majority
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 6.6.
    	
Limitation on Suits
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 6.7.
    	
Rights of Holders to Receive Payment
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 6.8.
    	
Collection Suit by Trustee
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 6.9.
    	
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 6.10.
    	
Priorities
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 6.11.
    	
Undertaking for Costs
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 6.12.
    	
Additional Payments
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 6.13.
    	
Waiver of Stay
    	
69
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VII.
    
	
 
    
	
Trustee
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 7.1.
    	
Duties of Trustee
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 7.2.
    	
Rights of Trustee
    	
71
    
	
SECTION 7.3.
    	
Individual Rights of Trustee
    	
71
    
	
SECTION 7.4.
    	
Trustee’s Disclaimer
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 7.5.
    	
Notice of Defaults
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 7.6.
    	
Reports by Trustee to Holders
    	
72
    

 

iii

 

	
SECTION 7.7.
    	
Compensation and Indemnity
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 7.8.
    	
Replacement of Trustee
    	
73
    
	
SECTION 7.9.
    	
Successor Trustee by Merger
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 7.10.
    	
Eligibility; Disqualification
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 7.11.
    	
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company
    	
74
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VIII.
    
	
 
    
	
Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 8.1.
    	
Discharge of Liability on Securities, Defeasance
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 8.2.
    	
Conditions to Defeasance
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 8.3.
    	
Application of Trust Money
    	
76
    
	
SECTION 8.4.
    	
Repayment to Company
    	
76
    
	
SECTION 8.5.
    	
Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations
    	
77
    
	
SECTION 8.6.
    	
Reinstatement
    	
77
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IX.
    
	
 
    
	
Amendments
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 9.1.
    	
Without Consent of Holders
    	
77
    
	
SECTION 9.2.
    	
With Consent of Holders
    	
78
    
	
SECTION 9.3.
    	
Compliance with Trust Indenture Act
    	
79
    
	
SECTION 9.4.
    	
Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers
    	
79
    
	
SECTION 9.5.
    	
Notation on or Exchange of Securities
    	
79
    
	
SECTION 9.6.
    	
Trustee To Sign Amendments
    	
80
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE X.
    
	
 
    
	
Subsidiary Guarantee
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 10.1.
    	
Subsidiary Guarantee
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 10.2.
    	
Limitation on Liability; Termination, Release and Discharge
    	
81
    
	
SECTION 10.3.
    	
Limitation of Subsidiary Guarantors’ Liability
    	
81
    
	
SECTION 10.4.
    	
Contribution
    	
82
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XI.
    
	
 
    
	
Miscellaneous
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 11.1.
    	
Trust Indenture Act Controls
    	
82
    
	
SECTION 11.2.
    	
Notices
    	
82
    
	
SECTION 11.3.
    	
Communication by Holders with other Holders
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 11.4.
    	
Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 11.5.
    	
Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 11.6.
    	
When Securities Disregarded
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 11.7.
    	
Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.8.
    	
Legal Holidays
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.9.
    	
GOVERNING LAW
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.10.
    	
No Recourse Against Others
    	
84
    

 

iv

 

	
SECTION 11.11.
    	
Successors
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.12.
    	
Multiple Originals
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.13.
    	
Qualification of Indenture
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.14.
    	
Severability
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.15.
    	
Table of Contents; Headings
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 11.16.
    	
U.S.A. Patriot Act
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 11.17.
    	
Force Majeure
    	
85
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT A
    	
Form of   the Unregistered Security
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT B
    	
Form of   the Registered Security
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT C
    	
Form of   Certificate to be Delivered in Connection with Transfers to Institutional   Accredited Investors
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT D
    	
Form of   Certificate to be Delivered in Connection with Transfers Pursuant to   Regulation S
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT E
    	
Form of   Subsidiary Guarantee
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Schedule
    	
3.8   Existing Affiliate Agreements
    	
 
    
				

 

v

 

INDENTURE dated as of March 16, 2011, among CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS (as herein defined) party hereto and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).

 

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other parties and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of (i) the Company’s 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019, issued on the date hereof (the “Initial Securities”), (ii) if and when issued, an unlimited principal amount of additional 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 in a non-registered offering or 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 in a registered offering of the Company that may be offered from time to time subsequent to the Issue Date (the “Additional Securities”) and (iii) if and when issued, the Company’s 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 that may be issued from time to time in exchange for Initial Securities or any Additional Securities in an offer registered under the Securities Act as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement (as hereinafter defined the “Exchange Securities,” and together with the Initial Securities and Additional Securities, the “Securities”).

 

ARTICLE I.

 

Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

 

SECTION 1.1.            Definitions.

 

“Acquired Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (i) of a Person or any of its Subsidiaries existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets from such Person, in each case whether or not Incurred by such Person in connection with, or in anticipation or contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary or such acquisition.  Acquired Indebtedness shall be deemed to have been Incurred, with respect to clause (i) of the preceding sentence, on the date such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary and, with respect to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence, on the date of consummation of such acquisition of assets.

 

“Additional Assets” means:

 

(1)           any property, plant or equipment to be used by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in the Oil and Gas Business;

 

(2)           capital expenditures by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in the Oil and Gas Business;

 

(3)           the Capital Stock of a Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of the acquisition of such Capital Stock by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; or

 

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

 

provided, however, that, in the case of clauses (3) and (4), such Restricted Subsidiary is primarily engaged in the Oil and Gas Business.

 

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

 

(1)           the sum of:

 

 

(a)           discounted future net revenues from proved oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with Commission guidelines before any provincial, territorial, state, Federal or foreign income taxes, as estimated by the Company in a reserve report prepared as of the end of the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available, as increased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net revenues from

 

(i)            estimated proved oil and gas reserves acquired since such year end, which reserves were not reflected in such year end reserve report, and

 

(ii)           estimated oil and gas reserves attributable to upward revisions of estimates of proved oil and gas reserves since such year end due to exploration, development or exploitation activities, in each case calculated in accordance with Commission guidelines (utilizing the prices for the fiscal quarter ending prior to the date of determination),

 

and decreased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net revenues from

 

(i)            estimated proved oil and gas reserves produced or disposed of since such year end, and

 

(ii)           estimated oil and gas reserves attributable to downward revisions of estimates of proved oil and gas reserves since such year end due to changes in geological conditions or other factors which would, in accordance with standard industry practice, cause such revisions,

 

in each case calculated on a pre-tax basis and substantially in accordance with Commission guidelines (utilizing the prices for the fiscal quarter ending prior to the date of determination),

 

in each case as estimated by the Company’s petroleum engineers or any independent petroleum engineers engaged by the Company for that purpose;

 

(b)           the capitalized costs that are attributable to oil and gas properties of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries to which no proved oil and gas reserves are attributable, based on the Company’s books and records as of a date no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest available annual or quarterly financial statements;

 

(c)           the Net Working Capital on a date no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest annual or quarterly financial statements; and

 

(d)           the greater of

 

(i)            the net book value of other tangible assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as of a date no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest annual or quarterly financial statement, and

 

(ii)           the appraised value, as estimated by independent appraisers, of other tangible assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as of a date

 

2

 

no earlier than the date of the Company’s latest audited financial statements; minus

 

(2)                                  the sum of:

 

(a)           Minority Interests;

 

(b)           any net gas balancing liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in the Company’s latest audited financial statements;

 

(c)           to the extent included in (1)(a) above, the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with Commission guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in the Company’s year end reserve report), attributable to reserves which are required to be delivered to third parties to fully satisfy the obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Volumetric Production Payments (determined, if applicable, using the schedules specified with respect thereto); and

 

(d)           the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with Commission guidelines, attributable to reserves subject to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments which, based on the estimates of production and price assumptions included in determining the discounted future net revenues specified in (1)(a) above, would be necessary to fully satisfy the payment obligations of the Company and its Subsidiaries with respect to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments (determined, if applicable, using the schedules specified with respect thereto).

 

If the Company changes its method of accounting from the successful efforts method of accounting to the full cost or a similar method, “Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” will continue to be calculated as if the Company were still using the successful efforts method of accounting.

 

For purposes of calculating the amount referred to in clause (1) of the second paragraph of Section 3.3, the Company will be entitled to rely on the greater of (i) Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as calculated as of the date used for determining the borrowing base from time to time under the Company’s Senior Secured Credit Agreement, or (ii) Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as determined above as of the date of determination.

 

“Additional Securities” has the meaning ascribed to it in the second introductory paragraph of this Indenture.

 

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person, directly or indirectly, controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person.  For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing; provided that exclusively for purposes of Section 3.8, the beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Voting Stock of a Person shall be deemed to be control.

 

“Applicable Premium” means, with respect to any Security at any Redemption Date, the greater of (i) 1.0% of the principal amount of such Security and (ii) the excess of (A) the present value at such time of (1) the redemption price, excluding accrued interest, of such Security at April 1, 2015 (such redemption price being set forth in Section 5.1) plus (2) all required interest payments, excluding accrued

 

3

 

interest, due on such Security through April 1, 2015, computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points, over (B) the principal amount of such Security.

 

“Asset Disposition” means any direct or indirect sale, lease (other than an operating lease entered into in the ordinary course of the Oil and Gas Business), transfer, issuance or other disposition, or a series of related sales, leases, transfers, issuances or dispositions that are part of a common plan, of shares of Capital Stock of a Subsidiary (other than directors’ qualifying shares), property or other assets (each referred to for the purposes of this definition as a “disposition”) by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including any disposition by means of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction.

 

Notwithstanding the preceding, the following items shall not be deemed to be Asset Dispositions:

 

(1)           a disposition of assets by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to a Restricted Subsidiary, provided that in the case of a sale by a Restricted Subsidiary to another Restricted Subsidiary, the Company directly or indirectly owns an equal or greater percentage of the Common Stock of the transferee than of the transferor;

 

(2)           the sale of Cash Equivalents in the ordinary course of business;

 

(3)           dispositions of equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other properties or assets in the ordinary course of business, including any abandonment, farm-in, farm-out, lease or sublease of any oil and gas properties or the forfeiture or other disposition of such properties pursuant to standard form operating agreements, in each case in the ordinary course of business in a manner customary in the Oil and Gas Business;

 

(4)           a disposition of obsolete or worn out equipment or equipment that is no longer useful in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and that is disposed of in each case in the ordinary course of business;

 

(5)           transactions permitted under Section 4.1;

 

(6)           an issuance of Capital Stock by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(7)           for purposes of Section 3.7 only, the making of a Permitted Investment or a disposition subject to Section 3.4;

 

(8)           a concurrent purchase and sale or exchange of property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary for Additional Assets of another person having reasonably equivalent value as determined by the Company in good faith, provided that any cash received must be applied in accordance with Section 3.7;

 

(9)           dispositions of assets in a single transaction or series of related transactions with an aggregate fair market value of less than $10.0 million;

 

(10)         the creation of a Permitted Lien or dispositions in connection with Permitted Liens;

 

4

 

(11)         dispositions of receivables in connection with the compromise, settlement or collection thereof in the ordinary course of business or in bankruptcy or similar proceedings and exclusive of factoring or similar arrangements;

 

(12)         the licensing or sublicensing of intellectual property or other general intangibles and licenses, leases or subleases of other property;

 

(13)         foreclosure on assets;

 

(14)         any Production Payments and Reserve Sales; and

 

(15)         the conveyance of assets to Employee Partnerships or the sale or grant of partnership interests in Employee Partnerships to their respective limited partners, as permitted in the definition of “Employee Partnerships.”

 

“Attributable Indebtedness” in respect of a Sale/Leaseback Transaction means, as at the time of determination, the present value (discounted at the interest rate borne by the Securities, compounded semi-annually) of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such Sale/Leaseback Transaction (including any period for which such lease has been extended).

 

“Average Life” means, as of the date of determination, with respect to any Indebtedness or Preferred Stock, the quotient obtained by dividing (1) the sum of the products of the numbers of years from the date of determination to the dates of each successive scheduled principal payment of such Indebtedness or redemption or similar payment with respect to such Preferred Stock multiplied by the amount of such payment by (2) the sum of all such payments.

 

“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, United States Code or any similar Federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

 

“Board of Directors” means, as to any Person, the board of directors of such Person or any duly authorized committee thereof.

 

“Business Day” means each day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or a place of payment are authorized or required by law to close.

 

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

 

“Capitalized Lease Obligations” means an obligation that is required to be classified and accounted for as a capitalized lease for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP, and the amount of Indebtedness represented by such obligation will be the capitalized amount of such obligation at the time any determination thereof is to be made as determined in accordance with GAAP, and the Stated Maturity thereof will be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such lease prior to the first date such lease may be terminated without penalty.

 

“Cash Equivalents” means:

 

5

 

(1)           securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States Government or any agency or instrumentality of the United States (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof), having maturities of not more than one year from the date of acquisition;

 

(2)           marketable general obligations issued by any state of the United States of America or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof maturing within one year from the date of acquisition (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof) and, at the time of acquisition, having a credit rating of “A” or better from either Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.;

 

(3)           certificates of deposit, time deposits, eurodollar time deposits, overnight bank deposits or bankers’ acceptances having maturities of not more than one year from the date of acquisition thereof issued by any commercial bank the long-term debt of which is rated at the time of acquisition thereof at least “A” or the equivalent thereof by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, or “A” or the equivalent thereof by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., and having combined capital and surplus in excess of $100.0 million;

 

(4)           repurchase obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (1), (2) and (3) entered into with any bank meeting the qualifications specified in clause (3) above;

 

(5)           commercial paper rated at the time of acquisition thereof at least “A-2” or the equivalent thereof by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services or “P-2” or the equivalent thereof by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or carrying an equivalent rating by a nationally recognized rating agency, if both of the two named rating agencies cease publishing ratings of investments, and in any case maturing within one year after the date of acquisition thereof; and

 

(6)           interests in any investment company or money market fund which invests 95% or more of its assets in instruments of the type specified in clauses (1) through (5) above.

 

“Change of Control” means:

 

(1)           (A) any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than one or more Permitted Holders, is or becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that such person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than a majority of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company (or its successor by merger, consolidation or purchase of all or substantially all of its assets) other than as a result of any merger or consolidation in which the holders of a majority of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction will, immediately after such transaction, hold or own Voting Stock of the surviving or successor entity or any parent thereof representing a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such entity (for the purposes of this clause, such person or group shall be deemed to beneficially own any Voting Stock of the Company held by a parent entity, if such person or group “beneficially owns” (as defined above), directly or indirectly, more than a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such parent entity); or

 

(2)           the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the

 

6

 

assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) other than a Permitted Holder; or

 

(3)           the adoption by the stockholders of the Company of a plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

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

 

“Commodity Agreements” means, in respect of any Person, any forward contract, commodity swap agreement, commodity option agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement in respect of Hydrocarbons used, produced, processed or sold by such Person that are customary in the Oil and Gas Business and designed to protect such Person against fluctuation in Hydrocarbon prices.

 

“Common Stock” means with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests or other participations in, and other equivalents (however designated and whether voting or nonvoting) of such Person’s common stock whether or not outstanding on the Issue Date, and includes, without limitation, all series and classes of such common stock.

 

“Consolidated Coverage Ratio” means as of any date of determination, with respect to any Person, the ratio of (x) the aggregate amount of Consolidated EBITDAX of such Person for the period of the most recent four consecutive fiscal quarters ending prior to the date of such determination for which financial statements are in existence to (y) Consolidated Interest Expense for such four fiscal quarters, provided, however, that:

 

(1)           if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary:

 

(a)           has Incurred any Indebtedness since the beginning of such period that remains outstanding on such date of determination or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is an Incurrence of Indebtedness, Consolidated EBITDAX and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period will be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis to such Indebtedness as if such Indebtedness had been Incurred on the first day of such period and the discharge of any other Indebtedness repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged with the proceeds of such new Indebtedness as if such discharge had occurred on the first day of such period; or

 

(b)           has repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged any Indebtedness since the beginning of the period that is no longer outstanding on such date of determination or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio involves a discharge of Indebtedness, Consolidated EBITDAX and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period will be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis to such discharge of such Indebtedness, including with the proceeds of such new Indebtedness, as if such discharge had occurred on the first day of such period;

 

provided that in making any computation under clauses (a) or (b) above with respect to the Incurrence of any Indebtedness under a revolving credit facility or any discharge of Indebtedness under a revolving credit facility (unless such Indebtedness has been permanently repaid and the related commitment terminated), the amount of Indebtedness under any revolving credit facility outstanding on the date of such calculation will be deemed to be the average daily balance of such Indebtedness during such four fiscal quarters or such shorter period for which such facility was outstanding;

 

7

 

(2)           if since the beginning of such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall have made any Asset Disposition or disposed of any company, division, operating unit, segment, business, group of related assets or line of business or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is such an Asset Disposition:

 

(a)           the Consolidated EBITDAX for such period will be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDAX (if positive) directly attributable to the assets which are the subject of such Asset Disposition for such period or increased by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDAX (if negative) directly attributable thereto for such period; and

 

(b)           Consolidated Interest Expense for such period will be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated Interest Expense directly attributable to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged with respect to the Company and its continuing Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such Asset Disposition for such period (or, if the Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary is sold, the Consolidated Interest Expense for such period directly attributable to the Indebtedness of such Restricted Subsidiary to the extent the Company and its continuing Restricted Subsidiaries are no longer liable for such Indebtedness after such sale);

 

(3)           if since the beginning of such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (by merger or otherwise) shall have made an Investment in any Restricted Subsidiary (or any Person which becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged with or into the Company) or an acquisition of assets, including any acquisition of assets occurring in connection with a transaction causing a calculation to be made hereunder, which constitutes all or substantially all of a company, division, operating unit, segment, business, group of related assets or line of business, Consolidated EBITDAX and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period will be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto (including the Incurrence of any Indebtedness) as if such Investment or acquisition had occurred on the first day of such period; and

 

(4)           if since the beginning of such period any Person that subsequently became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary since the beginning of such period shall have Incurred any Indebtedness or discharged any Indebtedness, made any Asset Disposition or any Investment or acquisition of assets that would have required an adjustment pursuant to clause (2) or (3) above if made by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary during such period, Consolidated EBITDAX and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period will be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Asset Disposition or Investment or acquisition of assets had occurred on the first day of such period.

 

For purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to any calculation under this definition, the pro forma calculations will be determined in good faith by a responsible financial or accounting officer of the Company (including pro forma expense and cost reductions determined in good faith by an officer of the Company, whether or not in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act). If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the date of determination had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Interest Rate Agreement applicable to such Indebtedness if such Interest Rate Agreement has a remaining term in excess of 12 months). If any Indebtedness that is being given pro forma effect bears an interest rate at the option of the Company, the interest rate shall be calculated by applying such optional rate chosen by the Company.

 

8

 

“Consolidated EBITDAX” for any period means the Consolidated Net Income for such period, plus, without duplication, the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income:

 

(1)           Consolidated Interest Expense;

 

(2)           Consolidated Income Taxes;

 

(3)           consolidated depletion and depreciation expense;

 

(4)           consolidated amortization expense or impairment charges recorded in connection with the application of Financial Accounting Standard No. 142 “Goodwill and Other Intangibles” and Financial Accounting Standard No. 144 “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long Lived Assets;”

 

(5)           other non-cash charges reducing Consolidated Net Income (excluding any such non-cash charge to the extent it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash charges in any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period not included in the calculation); and

 

(6)           consolidated exploration expenses;

 

less, to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated Net Income and in excess of any costs or expenses attributable thereto that were deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income, the sum of (x) the amount of deferred revenues that are amortized during such period and are attributable to reserves that are subject to Volumetric Production Payments, and (y) amounts recorded in accordance with GAAP as repayments of principal and interest pursuant to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments.

 

Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, clauses (2) through (6) relating to amounts of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor will be added to Consolidated Net Income to compute Consolidated EBITDAX of such Person only to the extent (and in the same proportion) that the net income (loss) of such Restricted Subsidiary was included in calculating the Consolidated Net Income of such Person.

 

“Consolidated Income Taxes” means, with respect to any Person for any period, taxes imposed upon such Person or other payments required to be made by such Person by any governmental authority which taxes or other payments are calculated by reference to the income or profits of such Person or such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries (to the extent such income or profits were included in computing Consolidated Net Income for such period), regardless of whether such taxes or payments are required to be remitted to any governmental authority.

 

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, the total consolidated interest expense of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, whether paid or accrued, plus, to the extent not included in such interest expense:

 

(1)           interest expense attributable to Capitalized Lease Obligations and the interest portion of rent expense associated with Attributable Indebtedness in respect of the relevant lease giving rise thereto, determined as if such lease were a capitalized lease in accordance with GAAP and the interest component of any deferred payment obligations;

 

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(2)           amortization of debt discount and debt issuance cost (provided that any amortization of bond premium will be credited to reduce Consolidated Interest Expense unless, pursuant to GAAP, such amortization of bond premium has otherwise reduced Consolidated Interest Expense);

 

(3)           non-cash interest expense;

 

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

 

(5)           the interest expense on Indebtedness of another Person that is Guaranteed by such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

(6)           costs associated with Interest Rate Agreements (including amortization of fees) provided, however, that if Interest Rate Agreements result in net benefits rather than costs, such benefits shall be credited to reduce Consolidated Interest Expense unless, pursuant to GAAP, such net benefits are otherwise reflected in Consolidated Net Income;

 

(7)           the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such period;

 

(8)           the product of (a) all dividends paid or payable in cash, Cash Equivalents or Indebtedness or accrued during such period on any series of Disqualified Stock of such Person or on Preferred Stock of its Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors payable to a party other than the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, times (b) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the then current combined federal, state, provincial and local statutory tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal, in each case, on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP; and

 

(9)           the cash contributions to any employee stock ownership plan or similar trust to the extent such contributions are used by such plan or trust to pay interest or fees to any Person (other than the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries) in connection with Indebtedness Incurred by such plan or trust.

 

For the purpose of calculating the Consolidated Coverage Ratio in connection with the Incurrence of any Indebtedness described in the final paragraph of the definition of “Indebtedness,” the calculation of Consolidated Interest Expense shall include all interest expense (including any amounts described in clauses (1) through (9) above) relating to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary described in the final paragraph of the definition of “Indebtedness.”

 

For purposes of the foregoing, total interest expense will be determined (i) after giving effect to any net payments made or received by the Company and its Subsidiaries with respect to Interest Rate Agreements and (ii) exclusive of amounts classified as other comprehensive income on the balance sheet of the Company.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges Incurred in connection with any transaction pursuant to which the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries may sell, convey or otherwise transfer or grant a security interest in any accounts receivable or related assets shall be included in Consolidated Interest Expense.

 

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“Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, the consolidated net income (loss) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries determined in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that there will not be included in such Consolidated Net Income:

 

(1)                                  any net income (loss) of any Person if such Person is not a Restricted Subsidiary, except that:

 

(a)                                  subject to the limitations contained in clauses (3), (4) and (5) below, the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Person for such period will be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed by such Person during such period to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend or other distribution (subject, in the case of a dividend or other distribution to a Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitations contained in clause (2) below); and

 

(b)                                 the Company’s equity in a net loss of any such Person (other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary) for such period will be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income to the extent such loss has been funded with cash from the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(2)                                  any net income (but not loss) of any Restricted Subsidiary other than a Subsidiary Guarantor if such Subsidiary is subject to restrictions, directly or indirectly, on the payment of dividends or the making of distributions by such Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to the Company, except that:

 

(a)                                  subject to the limitations contained in clauses (3), (4) and (5) below, the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period will be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash that could have been distributed by such Restricted Subsidiary during such period to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend (subject, in the case of a dividend to another Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitation contained in this clause); and

 

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

 

(3)                                  any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any property, plant or equipment of the Company or its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (including pursuant to any Sale/Leaseback Transaction) which is not sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business and any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Capital Stock of any Person;

 

(4)                                  any after-tax extraordinary gain or loss;

 

(5)                                  the after-tax cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles;

 

(6)                                  any asset impairment writedowns on oil and gas properties under GAAP or Commission guidelines;

 

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

 

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(8)                                  any charge or expense in connection with the early retirement of Indebtedness, including payments or any penalties or redemption premiums; and

 

(9)                                  non-cash charges relating to employee stock-based compensation.

 

“Credit Facility,” means, with respect to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Senior Secured Credit Agreement), commercial paper facilities or indentures with banks or other institutional lenders or investors providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables), letters of credit or notes, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time (and whether or not with the original administrative agent and lenders or trustee and investors or another administrative agent or agents or trustee or trustees or other lenders or investors and whether provided under the original Senior Secured Credit Agreement or any other credit or other agreement or indenture).

 

“Currency Agreement” means in respect of a Person any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement, currency futures contract, currency option contract or other similar agreement as to which such Person is a party or a beneficiary.

 

“Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, custodian or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

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

 

“Definitive Security” means a certificated Security registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.1 hereof, in the form of Exhibit A hereto except that such Security shall not bear the Global Security legend specified in Section 2.1 (d)(C).

 

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

 

(1)                                  matures or is mandatorily redeemable pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise;

 

(2)                                  is convertible or exchangeable for Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock (excluding Capital Stock which is convertible or exchangeable solely at the option of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary); or

 

(3)                                  is redeemable at the option of the Holder of the Capital Stock, in whole or in part,

 

in each case on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the earlier of the date (a) of the Stated Maturity of the Securities or (b) on which there are no Securities outstanding; provided that only the portion of Capital Stock which so matures or is mandatorily redeemable, is so convertible or exchangeable or is so redeemable at the option of the Holder thereof prior to such date will be deemed to be Disqualified Stock; provided, further, that any Capital Stock that would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the Holders thereof have the right to require the Company to repurchase such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of a change of control or asset sale (each defined in a substantially identical manner to the corresponding definitions in this Indenture) shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital

 

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Stock (and all such securities into which it is convertible or for which it is ratable or exchangeable) provide that the Company may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock (and all such securities into which it is convertible or for which it is ratable or exchangeable) pursuant to such provision prior to compliance by the Company with the provisions of this Indenture described under Section 3.9 and Section 3.7 and such repurchase or redemption complies with Section 3.4.

 

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

 

“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors and assigns, or such other depository institution hereinafter appointed by the Company.

 

“Employee Partnerships” means partnerships, participation agreements or trusts formed in connection with the Company’s APO Incentive Plan as in effect on the Issue Date or similar partnerships or trusts with employees or consultants intended to provide compensation or incentives through the sale or grant of partnership interests representing interests in oil and gas properties or prospects of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case as approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, provided, that, after the Issue Date, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall not sell or grant to or under any such partnership, participation agreement or trust more than 10% of their respective interests in any particular oil and gas property or prospect.

 

“Equity Offering” means (i) a public offering for cash by the Company of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock), other than public offerings registered on Form S-4 or S-8 or (ii) a private offering to one or more institutional investors for cash by the Company of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock).

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that is not organized under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia.

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect from time to time, including those set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession. All ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this Indenture will be computed in conformity with GAAP.

 

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

 

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

 

(2)                                  entered into for purposes of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in

 

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

 

“Guarantor Subordinated Obligation” means, with respect to a Subsidiary Guarantor, any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary Guarantor (whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter Incurred) which is expressly subordinate in right of payment to the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee pursuant to a written agreement.

 

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

 

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Security Register.

 

“Hydrocarbons” means oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all constituents, elements or compounds thereof and products refined or processed therefrom.

 

“Incur” means issue, create, assume, Guarantee, incur or otherwise become liable for; provided, however, that any Indebtedness or Capital Stock of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary (whether by merger, consolidation, acquisition or otherwise) will be deemed to be incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary at the time it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; and the terms “Incurred” and “Incurrence” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

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

 

(1)                                  the principal of and premium (if any) in respect of indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money;

 

(2)                                  the principal of and premium (if any) in respect of obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments;

 

(3)                                  the principal component of all obligations of such Person in respect of letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances or other similar instruments (including reimbursement obligations with respect thereto except to the extent such reimbursement obligation relates to a trade payable and such obligation is satisfied within 30 days of Incurrence);

 

(4)                                  the principal component of all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred and unpaid purchase price of property (except trade payables), which purchase price is due more than six months after the date of placing such property in service or taking delivery and title thereto;

 

(5)                                  Capitalized Lease Obligations and all Attributable Indebtedness of such Person;

 

(6)                                  the principal component or liquidation preference of all obligations of such Person with respect to the redemption, repayment or other repurchase of any Disqualified Stock or, with respect to any Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, any Preferred Stock (but excluding, in each case, any accrued dividends);

 

(7)                                  the principal component of all Indebtedness of other Persons secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such Person;

 

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provided, however, that the amount of such Indebtedness will be the lesser of (a) the fair market value of such asset at such date of determination and (b) the amount of such Indebtedness of such other Persons;

 

(8)                                  the principal component of Indebtedness of other Persons to the extent Guaranteed by such Person; and

 

(9)                                  to the extent not otherwise included in this definition, net obligations of such Person under Commodity Agreements, Currency Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements (the amount of any such obligations to be equal at any time to the termination value of such agreement or arrangement giving rise to such obligation that would be payable by such Person at such time).

 

Notwithstanding the preceding, Indebtedness shall not include Volumetric Production Payments.  The amount of Indebtedness of any Person at any date will be the outstanding balance at such date of all unconditional obligations as described above and the maximum liability, upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to the obligation, of any contingent obligations at such date.

 

In addition, “Indebtedness” of any Person shall include Indebtedness described in the preceding paragraph that would not appear as a liability on the balance sheet of such Person if:

 

(1)                                  such Indebtedness is the obligation of a partnership or joint venture that is not a Restricted Subsidiary (a “Joint Venture”);

 

(2)                                  such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person is a general partner of the Joint Venture (a “General Partner”); and

 

(3)                                  there is recourse, by contract or operation of law, with respect to the payment of such Indebtedness to property or assets of such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person; and then such Indebtedness shall be included in an amount not to exceed:

 

(a)                                  the lesser of (i) the net assets of the General Partner and (ii) the amount of such obligations to the extent that there is recourse, by contract or operation of law, to the property or assets of such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person; or

 

(b)                                 if less than the amount determined pursuant to clause (a) immediately above, the actual amount of such Indebtedness that is recourse to such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person, if the Indebtedness is evidenced by a writing and is for a determinable amount.

 

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

 

“Initial Securities” has the meaning ascribed to it in the second introductory paragraph of this Indenture.

 

“Interest Rate Agreement” means with respect to any Person any interest rate protection agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate option agreement, interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, interest rate hedge agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement as to which such Person is party or a beneficiary.

 

“Investment” means, with respect to any Person, all investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the form of any direct or indirect advance, loan (other than advances or

 

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extensions of credit to customers in the ordinary course of business) or other extensions of credit (including by way of Guarantee or similar arrangement, but excluding any debt or extension of credit represented by a bank deposit other than a time deposit) or capital contribution to (by means of any transfer of cash or other property to others or any payment for property or services for the account or use of others), or any purchase or acquisition of Capital Stock, Indebtedness or other similar instruments issued by, such Person and all other items that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP; provided that:

 

(1)                                  Hedging Obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business and in compliance with this Indenture;

 

(2)                                  endorsements of negotiable instruments and documents in the ordinary course of business; and

 

(3)                                  an acquisition of assets, Capital Stock or other securities by the Company or a Subsidiary for consideration to the extent such consideration consists of Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock);

 

shall not, in each case, be deemed to be an Investment.

 

For purposes of Section 3.4:

 

(1)                                  “Investment” will include the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in a Restricted Subsidiary to be designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of such Restricted Subsidiary of the Company at the time that such Restricted Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary (as conclusively determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith); provided, however, that upon a redesignation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the Company will be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary in an amount (if positive) equal to (a) the Company’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation less (b) the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets (as conclusively determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith) of such Subsidiary at the time that such Subsidiary is so re-designated a Restricted Subsidiary; and

 

(2)                                  any property transferred to or from an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be valued at its fair market value at the time of such transfer, in each case as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

“Investment Grade Rating” means, with respect to the Company, a corporate family rating of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P.

 

“Issue Date” means the date on which the Initial Securities are originally issued.

 

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

 

“Minority Interest” means the percentage interest represented by any shares of any class of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that are not owned by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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“Net Available Cash” from an Asset Disposition means cash payments received (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or otherwise and net proceeds from the sale or other disposition of any securities received as consideration, but only as and when received, but excluding any other consideration received in the form of assumption by the acquiring Person of Indebtedness or other obligations relating to the properties or assets that are the subject of such Asset Disposition or received in any other non-cash form) therefrom, in each case net of:

 

(1)                                  all legal, accounting, investment banking, title and recording tax expenses, commissions and other fees and expenses incurred, and all Federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes required to be paid or accrued as a liability under GAAP (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing agreements), as a consequence of such Asset Disposition;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Net Cash Proceeds,” with respect to any issuance or sale of Capital Stock, means the cash proceeds of such issuance or sale net of attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees, underwriters’ or placement agents’ fees, listing fees, discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees and charges actually incurred in connection with such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a result of such issuance or sale (after taking into account any available tax credit or deductions and any tax sharing arrangements).

 

“Net Working Capital” means (a) all current assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries except current assets from commodity price risk management activities arising in the ordinary course of the Oil and Gas Business, less (b) all current liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, except current liabilities included in Indebtedness and any current liabilities from commodity price risk management activities arising in the ordinary course of the Oil and Gas Business, in each case as set forth in the consolidated financial statements of the Company prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Non-Recourse Debt” means Indebtedness of a Person:

 

(1)                                  as to which neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary (a) provides any Guarantee or credit support of any kind (including any undertaking, guarantee, indemnity, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness) or (b) is directly or indirectly liable (as a guarantor or otherwise);

 

(2)                                  no default with respect to which (including any rights that the holders thereof may have to take enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would permit (upon

 

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written notice, lapse of time or both) any holder of any other Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to declare a default under such other Indebtedness or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its stated maturity; and

 

(3)                                  the explicit terms of which provide there is no recourse against any of the assets of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

“Non-U.S. Person” means a person who is not a U.S. person, as defined in Regulation S.

 

“Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company.  Officer of any Subsidiary Guarantor has a correlative meaning.

 

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers or by an Officer and either an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Oil and Gas Business” means (a) the business of acquiring, exploring, exploiting, developing, producing, operating and disposing of interests in oil, gas, liquid natural gas and other hydrocarbon properties, (b) the business of gathering, marketing, treating, processing, storage, refining, selling and transporting of any production from such interests or properties and products produced in association therewith or providing drilling, completion and related services and supplies and equipment, (c) any business or activity relating to, arising from, or necessary, appropriate or incidental to the activities described in the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) of this definition.

 

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

 

“Pari Passu Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that ranks equally in right of payment to the Securities.

 

“Permitted Acquisition Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (including Disqualified Stock) of the Company or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to the extent such Indebtedness was Indebtedness:

 

(1)                                  of an acquired Person prior to the date on which such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of having been acquired and not incurred in contemplation of such acquisition; or

 

(2)                                  of a Person that was merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that was not incurred in contemplation of such merger, consolidation or amalgamation,

 

provided that on the date such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary or the date such Person was merged, consolidated and amalgamated with or into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, as applicable, after giving pro forma effect thereto,

 

(a)                                  the Restricted Subsidiary or the Company, as applicable, would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Consolidated Coverage Ratio test described under Section 3.3, or

 

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(b)                                 the Consolidated Coverage Ratio for the Company would be greater than the Consolidated Coverage Ratio for the Company immediately prior to such transaction.

 

“Permitted Holders” means any of Clayton Williams, Jr., The Williams Children’s Partnership, Ltd. and any Affiliate or Related Person thereof.

 

“Permitted Business Investment” means any Investment made in the ordinary course of the Oil and Gas Business including investments or expenditures for actively exploiting, exploring for, acquiring, developing, producing, operating, processing, gathering, refining, storing, marketing, selling or transporting oil and gas and other Hydrocarbons through agreements, transactions, interests or arrangements which permit one to share risks or costs, comply with regulatory requirements regarding local ownership or satisfy other objectives customarily achieved through the conduct of the Oil and Gas Business jointly with third parties, including:

 

(1)                                  ownership interests in oil and gas properties, liquid natural gas facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, pipelines or ancillary real property interests;

 

(2)                                  Investments in the form of or pursuant to operating agreements, processing agreements, farm-in agreements, farm-out agreements, development agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, unitization agreements, pooling agreements, joint bidding agreements, service contracts, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements (whether general or limited), subscription agreements, stock purchase agreements and other similar agreements (including for limited liability companies) with third parties; and

 

(3)                                  direct or indirect ownership interests in drilling rigs and related equipment, including, without limitation, transportation and completion equipment.

 

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

 

(1)                                  the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or a Person which will, upon the making of such Investment, become a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the primary business of such Restricted Subsidiary is the Oil and Gas Business;

 

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

 

(3)                                  cash and Cash Equivalents;

 

(4)                                  receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary created or acquired in the ordinary course of business and payable or dischargeable in accordance with customary trade terms; provided, however, that such trade terms may include such concessionary trade terms as the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary deems reasonable under the circumstances;

 

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

 

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(6)                                  loans or advances to employees made in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company and its Subsidiaries will comply in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith in connection with such loans or advances as if the Company had filed a registration statement with the Commission;

 

(7)                                  Capital Stock, obligations or securities received in settlement of debts created in the ordinary course of business and owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or in satisfaction of judgments or pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of a debtor;

 

(8)                                  Investments made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Disposition that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 3.7;

 

(9)                                  Investments in existence on the Issue Date and any amendment, renewal or replacement thereof that doesn’t exceed the amount of the original Investment;

 

(10)                            Commodity Agreements, Currency Agreements, Interest Rate Agreements and related Hedging Obligations, which transactions or obligations are Incurred in compliance with Section 3.3;

 

(11)                            Guarantees issued in accordance with Section 3.3;

 

(12)                            any transaction referred to in clause (8) of the definition of “Asset Disposition;”

 

(13)                            Permitted Business Investments or Investments in Employee Partnerships;

 

(14)                            Investments held by any Person at the time such Person is acquired by or merges with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such Investments were not entered into in anticipation of such acquisition or merger, and extensions or renewals or replacements thereof that do not increase the amount of such Investment; and

 

(15)                            Investments by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, together with all other Investments pursuant to this clause (15), in an aggregate amount at the time of such Investment not to exceed the greater of (a) 2.5% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets and (b) $40.0 million, in each case outstanding at any one time (with the fair market value of such Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value).

 

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

 

(1)                                  Liens securing Indebtedness and other obligations under any Credit Facility permitted to be Incurred under this Indenture;

 

(2)                                  pledges or deposits by such Person under workmen’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance laws or similar legislation, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts (other than for the payment of Indebtedness) or leases to which such Person is a party, or deposits to secure public or statutory obligations of such Person or deposits of cash or United States government bonds to secure surety or appeal bonds to which such Person is a party,

 

20

 

or deposits as security for contested taxes or import or customs duties or for the payment of rent, in each case Incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(3)                                  Liens imposed by law, including carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s and repairmen’s Liens, in each case for sums not yet due or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings if a reserve or other appropriate provisions, if any, as shall be required by GAAP shall have been made in respect thereof;

 

(4)                                  Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges not yet subject to penalties for nonpayment or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; provided that appropriate reserves required pursuant to GAAP have been made in respect thereof;

 

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

 

(6)                                  encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, licenses, rights of way, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other similar purposes, or zoning, building codes or other restrictions (including, without limitation, minor defects or irregularities in title and similar encumbrances) as to the use of real properties or Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of such Person or to the ownership of its properties which do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of such Person;

 

(7)                                  Liens securing Hedging Obligations;

 

(8)                                  leases, licenses, subleases and sublicenses of assets (including, without limitation, real property and intellectual property rights) which do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

(9)                                  judgment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default so long as such Lien is adequately bonded and any appropriate legal proceedings which may have been duly initiated for the review of such judgment have not been finally terminated or the period within which such proceedings may be initiated has not expired;

 

(10)                            Liens for the purpose of securing the payment of all or a part of the purchase price of, or Capitalized Lease Obligations, purchase money obligations or other payments Incurred to finance the acquisition, improvement or construction of, assets or property acquired or constructed in the ordinary course of business; provided that:

 

(a)                                  the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness secured by such Liens is otherwise permitted to be Incurred under this Indenture and does not exceed the cost of the assets or property so acquired or constructed; and

 

(b)                                 such Liens are created within 180 days of construction or acquisition of such assets or property and do not encumber any other assets or property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than such assets or property and assets affixed or appurtenant thereto;

 

21

 

(11)                            Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provisions relating to banker’s Liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a depositary institution; provided that:

 

(a)                                  such deposit account is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Company in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board; and

 

(b)                                 such deposit account is not intended by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to provide collateral to the depository institution;

 

(12)                            Liens arising from Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filings regarding operating leases entered into by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

 

(13)                            Liens existing on the Issue Date;

 

(14)                            Liens on property or shares of stock of a Person at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Liens are not created, Incurred or assumed in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary; provided  further, however, that any such Lien may not extend to any other property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(15)                            Liens on property at the time the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary acquired the property, including any acquisition by means of a merger or consolidation with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Liens are not created, Incurred or assumed in connection with, or in. contemplation of, such acquisition; provided  further, however, that such Liens may not extend to any other property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(16)                            Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary;

 

(17)                            Liens securing the Securities, the Subsidiary Guarantees and other obligations arising under this Indenture;

 

(18)                            Liens securing obligations under Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred to refinance, refund, replace, amend, extend or modify Indebtedness that was previously so secured (other than Liens permitted pursuant to clause (1) above), provided that any such Lien is limited to all or part of the same property or assets (plus improvements, accessions, proceeds or dividends or distributions in respect thereof) that secured (or, under the written arrangements under which the original Lien arose, could secure) the Indebtedness being refinanced or is in respect of property that is the security for a Permitted Lien hereunder;

 

(19)                            any interest or title of a lessor under any Capitalized Lease Obligation or operating lease;

 

(20)                            Liens in respect of Production Payments and Reserve Sales, which Liens shall be limited to the property that is the subject of such Production Payments and Reserve Sales;

 

22

 

(21)                            Liens arising under farm-out agreements, farm-in agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale, purchase, exchange, transportation, gathering or processing of Hydrocarbons, unitizations and pooling designations, declarations, orders and agreements, development agreements, operating agreements, production sales contracts, area of mutual interest agreements, gas balancing or deferred production agreements, injection, repressuring and recycling agreements, salt water or other disposal agreements, seismic or geophysical permits or agreements, and other agreements which are customary in the Oil and Gas Business; provided, however, in all instances that such Liens are limited to the assets that are the subject of the relevant agreement, program, order or contract;

 

(22)                            Liens on pipelines or pipeline facilities that arise by operation of law; and

 

(23)                            Liens securing obligations under Indebtedness (other than Subordinated Obligations and Guarantor Subordinated Obligations) in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any one time not to exceed $20.0 million.

 

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

 

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

 

“Production Payments and Reserve Sales” means the grant or transfer by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to any Person of a royalty, overriding royalty, net profits interest, production payment (whether volumetric or dollar denominated), partnership or other interest in oil and gas properties, reserves or the right to receive all or a portion of the production or the proceeds from the sale of production attributable to such properties where the holder of such interest has recourse solely to such production or proceeds of production, subject to the obligation of the grantor or transferor to operate and maintain, or cause the subject interests to be operated and maintained, in a reasonably prudent manner or other customary standard or subject to the obligation of the grantor or transferor to indemnify for environmental, title or other matters customary in the Oil and Gas Business, including any such grants or transfers pursuant to incentive compensation programs on terms that are reasonably customary in the Oil and Gas Business for geologists, geophysicists or other providers of technical services to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary.

 

“Rating Agencies” means Moody’s and S&P or if Moody’s or S&P or both shall not make a rating on the Securities publicly available, a nationally recognized statistical rating agency or agencies, as the case may be, selected by the Company which shall be substituted for Moody’s or S&P or both, as the case may be.

 

“Refinancing Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that is Incurred to refund, refinance, replace, exchange, renew, repay or extend (including pursuant to any defeasance or discharge mechanism) (collectively, “refinance,” “refinances,” and “refinanced” shall have a correlative meaning) any Indebtedness existing on the date of this Indenture or Incurred in compliance with this Indenture (including Indebtedness of the Company that refinances Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary and Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary that refinances Indebtedness of another Restricted Subsidiary) including Indebtedness that refinances Refinancing Indebtedness; provided, however, that:

 

23

 

(1)                                  (a)  if the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being refinanced is earlier than the Stated Maturity of the Securities, the Refinancing Indebtedness has a Stated Maturity no earlier than the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being refinanced or (b) if the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being refinanced is later than the Stated Maturity of the Securities, the Refinancing Indebtedness has a Stated Maturity at least 91 days later than the Stated Maturity of the Securities;

 

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

 

(3)                                  such Refinancing Indebtedness is Incurred in an aggregate principal amount (or if issued with original issue discount, an aggregate issue price) that is equal to or less than the sum of the aggregate principal amount (or if issued with original issue discount, the aggregate accreted value) then outstanding of the Indebtedness being refinanced (plus, without duplication, any additional Indebtedness Incurred to pay interest or premiums required by the instruments governing such existing Indebtedness and fees and expenses Incurred in connection therewith); and

 

(4)                                  if the Indebtedness being refinanced is subordinated in right of payment to the Securities or a Subsidiary Guarantee, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Securities or the Subsidiary Guarantee on terms at least as favorable to the Holders of Securities as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded.

 

“Registration Rights Agreement” means that certain registration rights agreement dated as of the date of this Indenture by and among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the initial purchaser set forth therein and, with respect to any Additional Securities, one or more substantially similar registration rights agreements among the Company and the other parties thereto, as such agreements may be amended from time to time.

 

“Related Person” with respect to any Permitted Holder means:

 

(1)                                  any controlling stockholder or a majority (or more) owned Subsidiary of such Permitted Holder or, in the case of an individual, any spouse, family member, (including adopted children), heir or descendant of such Permitted Holder, any trust created for the benefit of such individual or such individual’s estate, executor, administrator, committee or beneficiaries; or

 

(2)                                  any trust, corporation, partnership or other entity, the beneficiaries, stockholders, partners, owners or Persons beneficially holding a majority (or more) controlling interest of which consist of such Permitted Holder and/or such other Persons referred to in the immediately preceding clause (1).

 

“Restricted Investment” means any Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

 

“Restricted Period” means the 40-day restricted period as defined in Regulation S.

 

“Restricted Securities Legend” means the Private Placement Legend or the Regulation S Legend, as applicable.

 

“Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

24

 

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

 

“Secured Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that is secured by a lien on the property or assets of the relevant obligor.

 

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

 

“Securities Custodian” means the custodian with respect to the Global Security (as appointed by DTC), or any successor Person thereto and shall initially be the Trustee.

 

“Security Register” means the register of Securities, maintained by the Registrar, pursuant to Section 2.3.

 

“Senior Secured Credit Agreement” means the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated November 29, 2010, among the Company, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the lenders party thereto from time to time, as the same may be amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time (including increasing the amount loaned thereunder; provided that such additional Indebtedness is Incurred in accordance with Section 3.3.

 

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “Significant Subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission.

 

“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any security, the date specified in such security as the fixed date on which the payment of principal of such security is due and payable, including pursuant to any mandatory redemption provision, but shall not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.

 

“Subordinated Obligation” means any Indebtedness of the Company (whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter Incurred) which is subordinate or junior in right of payment to the Securities pursuant to a written agreement.

 

“Subsidiary” of any Person means (a) any corporation, association or other business entity (other than a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity) of which more than 50% of the total ordinary voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof (or persons performing similar functions) or (b) any partnership, joint venture limited liability company or similar entity of which more than 50% of the capital accounts, distribution rights, total equity and voting interests or general or limited partnership interests, as applicable, is, in the case of clauses (a) and (b), at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (1) such Person, (2) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or (3) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.  Unless otherwise specified herein, each reference to a Subsidiary will refer to a Subsidiary of the Company.

 

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means, individually, any Guarantee of payment of the Initial Securities and Exchange Securities issued in a registered exchange offer pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement by a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the terms of this Indenture and any supplemental indenture thereto, and, collectively, all such Guarantees.  Each such Subsidiary Guarantee will be in the form prescribed by this Indenture.

 

25

 

“Subsidiary Guarantor” means the Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company who are party to this Indenture on the Issue Date and any other Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that later becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture.

 

“SWR Partnerships” means the oil and gas limited partnerships of which Southwest Royalties, Inc. (a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Company) is general partner, as of the Issue Date, and any successor to any such partnerships.

 

“TIA” or “Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb), as in effect on the date of this Indenture, except as provided in Section 9.03.

 

“Total Assets” means, with respect to any Person, the total consolidated assets of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as shown on the most recent balance sheet of such Person.

 

“Treasury Rate” means the yield to maturity at the time of computation of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) which has become publicly available at least two business days prior to the Redemption Date (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source or similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to April 1, 2015; provided, however, that if the period from the Redemption Date to April 1, 2015 is not equal to the constant maturity of a United States Treasury security for which a weekly average yield is given, the Treasury Rate shall be obtained by linear interpolation (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth of a year) from the weekly average yields of United States Treasury securities for which such yields are given, except that if the period from the Redemption Date to April 1, 2015 is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year shall be used.

 

“Trustee” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it and, thereafter, means the successor.

 

“Trust Officer” shall mean, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

 

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means:

 

(1)                                  any Subsidiary of the Company that at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors of the Company in the manner provided below; and

 

(2)                                  any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any Subsidiary of the Company (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary or a Person becoming a Subsidiary through merger or consolidation or Investment therein) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary only if:

 

(1)                                  such Subsidiary or any of its Subsidiaries does not own any Capital Stock or Indebtedness of or have any Investment in, or own or hold any Lien on any property of, any other

 

26

 

Subsidiary of the Company which is not a Subsidiary of the Subsidiary to be so designated or otherwise an Unrestricted Subsidiary;

 

(2)                                  all the Indebtedness of such Subsidiary and its Subsidiaries shall, at the date of designation, and will at all times thereafter, consist of Non-Recourse Debt;

 

(3)                                  on the date of such designation, such designation and the Investment of the Company in such Subsidiary complies with Section 3.4;

 

(4)                                  such Subsidiary, either alone or in the aggregate with all other Unrestricted Subsidiaries, does not operate, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(5)                                  such Subsidiary is a Person with respect to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any direct or indirect obligation:  (a) to subscribe for additional Capital Stock of such Person; or (b) to maintain or preserve such Person’s financial condition or to cause such Person to achieve any specified levels of operating results; and

 

(6)                                  on the date such Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such Subsidiary is not a party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with terms substantially less favorable to the Company, than those that might have been obtained from Persons who are not Affiliates of the Company.

 

Any such designation by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complies with the foregoing conditions.  If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet the foregoing requirements as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, it shall thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of this Indenture and any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary shall be deemed to be Incurred as of such date.

 

The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that immediately after giving effect to such designation, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof and the Company could Incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under the first paragraph of Section 3.3 on a pro forma basis taking into account such designation.

 

“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities that are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the timely payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation of the United States of America, which, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act), as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligations or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such U.S. Government Obligations held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligations or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the U.S. Government Obligations evidenced by such depositary receipt.

 

27

 

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

 

“Voting Stock” of a corporation means all classes of Capital Stock of such corporation then outstanding and normally entitled to vote in the election of directors.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.2.                                     Other Definitions.

 

	
Term
    	
 
    	
Defined in
   Section
    
	
“Additional Restricted Securities”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Affiliate Transaction”
    	
 
    	
3.8
    
	
“Agent Member”
    	
 
    	
2.1(e)
    
	
“Asset Disposition Offer”
    	
 
    	
3.7(b)
    
	
“Asset Disposition Offer Amount”
    	
 
    	
3.7(c)(1)
    
	
“Asset Disposition Offer Period”
    	
 
    	
3.7(c)(1)
    
	
“Asset Disposition Purchase Date”
    	
 
    	
3.7(c)(1)
    
	
“Authenticating Agent”
    	
 
    	
2.2
    
	
“Certificate of Cancellation”
    	
 
    	
2.10
    
	
“Change of Control Offer”
    	
 
    	
3.9(b)
    
	
“Change of Control Payment”
    	
 
    	
3.9(b)(1)
    
	
“Change of Control Payment Date”
    	
 
    	
3.9(b)(2)
    
	
“Company Order”
    	
 
    	
2.2
    
	
“Corporate Trust Office”
    	
 
    	
3.13
    
	
“covenant defeasance option”
    	
 
    	
8.1(b)
    
	
“Covenant Suspension Period”
    	
 
    	
3.20
    
	
“cross acceleration provision”
    	
 
    	
6.1(6)(b)
    
	
“Defaulted Interest”
    	
 
    	
2.11
    
	
“Event of Default”
    	
 
    	
6.1
    
	
“Excess Proceeds”
    	
 
    	
3.7(b)
    
	
“Exchange Global Security”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“General Partner”
    	
 
    	
1.1 (definition of “Indebtedness”)
    
	
“Global Securities”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“IAI”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Institutional Accredited Investor Security”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Institutional Accredited Investor Global Security”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Joint Venture”
    	
 
    	
1.1 (definition of “Indebtedness”)
    
	
“judgment default provision”
    	
 
    	
6.1(8)
    
	
“legal defeasance option”
    	
 
    	
8.1(b)
    
	
“Legal Holiday”
    	
 
    	
11.8
    

 

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Term
    	
 
    	
Defined in
   Section
    
	
“Obligations”
    	
 
    	
10.1
    
	
“Pari Passu Securities”
    	
 
    	
3.7(b)
    
	
“Paying Agent”
    	
 
    	
2.3
    
	
“payment default”
    	
 
    	
6.1(6)(a)
    
	
“Private Placement Legend”
    	
 
    	
2.1(d)(A)
    
	
“protected purchaser”
    	
 
    	
2.7
    
	
“QIB”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Redemption Date”
    	
 
    	
5.1
    
	
“Registrar”
    	
 
    	
2.3
    
	
“Regulation S”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Regulation S Global Security”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Regulation S Legend”
    	
 
    	
2.1(d)(B)
    
	
“Regulation S Securities”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Reinstatement Date”
    	
 
    	
3.20
    
	
“Resale Restriction Termination Date”
    	
 
    	
2.6(a)
    
	
“Restricted Payment”
    	
 
    	
3.4
    
	
“Rule 144A”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Rule 144A Global Security”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Rule 144A Securities”
    	
 
    	
2.1(b)
    
	
“Security Register”
    	
 
    	
2.3
    
	
“Special Interest Payment Date”
    	
 
    	
2.11(a)
    
	
“Special Record Date”
    	
 
    	
2.11(a)
    
	
“Successor Company”
    	
 
    	
4.1
    
	
“Suspended Covenants”
    	
 
    	
3.20
    

 

SECTION 1.3.                                     Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.  This Indenture is subject to the mandatory provisions of the TIA which are incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.  The following TIA terms have the following meanings:

 

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“indenture securities” mean the Securities.

 

“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

 

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

 

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

 

“obligor” on the Indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor on the Indenture securities.

 

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

 

29

 

SECTION 1.4.                                     Rules of Construction.  Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

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

 

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

 

(3)                                  “or” is not exclusive;

 

(4)                                  “including” means including without limitation;

 

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

 

(6)                                  unsecured Indebtedness shall not be deemed to be subordinate or junior to Secured Indebtedness merely by virtue of its nature as unsecured Indebtedness;

 

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

 

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

 

(9)                                  references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act will be deemed to include substitute, replacement or successor sections or rules adopted by the Commission from time to time.

 

ARTICLE II.

 

The Securities

 

SECTION 2.1.                                     Form, Dating and Terms.

 

(a)                                  The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.  The Initial Securities issued on the date hereof will be in an aggregate principal amount of $300,000,000.  In addition, the Company may issue, from time to time in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, including, without limitation, Section 3.3 hereof, Additional Securities and Exchange Securities.  Furthermore, Securities may be authenticated and delivered upon registration or transfer, or in lieu of, other Securities pursuant to Sections 2.6,  2.7, 2.9, 5.8 or 9.5 or in connection with an Asset Disposition Offer pursuant to Section 3.7 or a Change of Control Offer pursuant to Section 3.9.

 

The Initial Securities, Additional Securities and Exchange Securities shall be known and designated as “7.75% Senior Notes due 2019” of the Company.

 

With respect to any Additional Securities, the Company shall set forth in a resolution of the Board of Directors and an Officers’ Certificate, the following information:

 

30

 

(1)           the aggregate principal amount of such Additional Securities to be authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture;

 

(2)           the issue price and the issue date of such Additional Securities, including the date from which interest shall accrue; and

 

(3)           whether such Additional Securities shall be Restricted Securities issued in the form of Exhibit A hereto and/or shall be issued in the form of Exhibit B hereto.

 

The Initial Securities, the Additional Securities and the Exchange Securities shall be considered collectively as a single class for all purposes of this Indenture.  Holders of the Initial Securities, the Additional Securities and the Exchange Securities will vote and consent together on all matters to which such Holders are entitled to vote or consent as one class, and none of the Holders of the Initial Securities, the Additional Securities or the Exchange Securities shall have the right to vote or consent as a separate class on any matter to which such Holders are entitled to vote or consent.

 

(b)           The Initial Securities are being offered and sold by the Company pursuant to a Purchase Agreement, dated March 11, 2011, among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and RBS Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, UBS Securities LLC and BNP Paribas Securities Corp., as representatives of the several initial purchasers.  The Initial Securities and any Additional Securities (if issued as Restricted Securities) (the “Additional Restricted Securities”) will be resold initially only to (A) qualified institutional buyers (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Rule 144A”)) in reliance on Rule 144A (“QIBs”) and (B) Persons other than U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act (“Regulation S”)) in reliance on Regulation S. Such Initial Securities and Additional Restricted Securities may thereafter be transferred to, among others, QIBs, purchasers in reliance on Regulation S and institutional “accredited investors” (as defined in Rules 501(a)(1), (2), (3) and (7) under the Securities Act) who are not QIBs (“IAIs”) in accordance with Rule 501 of the Securities Act in accordance with the procedure described herein.

 

Initial Securities and Additional Restricted Securities offered and sold to qualified institutional buyers in the United States of America in reliance on Rule 144A (the “Rule 144A Securities”) shall be issued in the form of a permanent global Security, without interest coupons, substantially in the form of Exhibit A, which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this Indenture, including appropriate legends as set forth in Section 2.1(d) (the “Rule 144A Global Security”), deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for DTC, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided.  The Rule 144A Global Security may be represented by more than one certificate, if so required by DTC’s rules regarding the maximum principal amount to be represented by a single certificate.  The aggregate principal amount of the Rule 144A Global Security may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee, as custodian for DTC or its nominee, as hereinafter provided.

 

Initial Securities and Additional Securities offered and sold outside the United States of America (the “Regulation S Securities”) in reliance on Regulation S shall be issued in the form of a permanent global Security, without interest coupons, substantially in the form of Exhibit A (the “Regulation S Global Security”) deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for DTC, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided.  The Regulation S Global Security may be represented by more than one certificate, if so required by DTC’s rules regarding the maximum principal amount to be represented by a single certificate.  The aggregate principal amount of the Regulation S Global Security may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee, as custodian for DTC or its nominee, as hereinafter provided.

 

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Initial Securities and Additional Securities resold to lAls (the “Institutional Accredited Investor Securities”) in the United States of America shall be issued in the form of a permanent global Security, without interest coupons, substantially in the form of Exhibit A (the “Institutional Accredited Investor Global Security”) deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for DTC, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided.  The Institutional Accredited Investor Global Security may be represented by more than one certificate, if so required by DTC’s rules regarding the maximum principal amount to be represented by a single certificate.  The aggregate principal amount of the Institutional Accredited Investor Global Security may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee, as custodian for DTC or its nominee, as hereinafter provided.

 

Exchange Securities exchanged for interests in the Rule 144A Securities, the Regulation S Securities and the Institutional Accredited Investor Securities will be issued in the form of a permanent global Security, without interest coupons, substantially in the form of Exhibit B, which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this Indenture, deposited with the Trustee as hereinafter provided, including the appropriate legend set forth in Section 2.1(d) (the “Exchange Global Security”).  The Exchange Global Security may be represented by more than one certificate, if so required by DTC’s rules regarding the maximum principal amount to be represented by a single certificate.

 

The Rule 144A Global Security, the Regulation S Global Security, the Institutional Accredited Investor Global Security and the Exchange Global Security are sometimes collectively herein referred to as the “Global Securities.”

 

The principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities shall be payable at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 2.3; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, each installment of interest may be paid by (i) check mailed to addresses of the Persons entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register or (ii) wire transfer to an account located in the United States maintained by the payee.  Payments in respect of Securities represented by a Global Security (including principal, premium and interest) will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by DTC.

 

The Securities may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage or DTC rule or usage in addition to those set forth on Exhibit A and Exhibit B and in Section 2.1(d).  The Company and the Trustee shall approve the forms of the Securities and any notation, endorsement or legend on them.  Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.  The terms of the Securities set forth in Exhibit A and Exhibit B are part of the terms of this Indenture and, to the extent applicable, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to be bound by such terms.

 

(c)           Denominations.  The Securities shall be issuable only in fully registered form, without coupons, and only in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

(d)           Restrictive Legends.  Unless and until (i) an Initial Security is sold under an effective registration statement or (ii) an Initial Security is exchanged for an Exchange Security in connection with an effective registration statement, in each case pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement or a similar agreement,

 

(A)          the Rule 144A Global Security and the Institutional Accredited Investor Global Security shall bear the following legend (the “Private Placement Legend”) on the face thereof:

 

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“THE SECURITY (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) EVIDENCED HEREBY WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. EACH PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER MAY BE RELYING ON THE EXEMPTION FROM THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A THEREUNDER. THE HOLDER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ISSUER THAT (A) SUCH SECURITY MAY BE RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ONLY (1)(a) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A PERSON WHO THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (b) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A FOREIGN PERSON IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (c) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER (IF APPLICABLE) OR (d) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE ISSUER IF THE ISSUER SO REQUESTS), (2) TO THE ISSUER OR (3) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE JURISDICTION AND (B) THE HOLDER WILL, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY ANY PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN CLAUSE (A) ABOVE.  NO REPRESENTATION CAN BE MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 FOR RESALE OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY.”

 

(B)           the Regulation S Global Security shall bear the following legend (the “Regulation S Legend”) on the face thereof:

 

“THE SECURITY (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) EVIDENCED HEREBY WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. EACH PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER MAY BE RELYING ON THE EXEMPTION FROM THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A THEREUNDER. THE HOLDER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ISSUER THAT (A) SUCH SECURITY MAY BE RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE

 

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TRANSFERRED, ONLY (1)(a) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A PERSON WHO THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (b) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A FOREIGN PERSON IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (c) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER (IF APPLICABLE) OR (d) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE ISSUER IF THE ISSUER SO REQUESTS), (2) TO THE ISSUER OR (3) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE JURISDICTION AND (B) THE HOLDER WILL, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY ANY PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN CLAUSE (A) ABOVE.  NO REPRESENTATION CAN BE MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 FOR RESALE OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY.”

 

(C)           The Global Securities, whether or not an Initial Security, shall bear the following legend on the face thereof:

 

“UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

 

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THIS INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.”

 

(e)           Book-Entry Provisions.

 

(i)            This Section 2.1(e) shall apply only to Global Securities deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for DTC.

 

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(ii)           Each Global Security initially shall (x) be registered in the name of DTC for such Global Security or the nominee of DTC, (y) be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for DTC and (z) bear legends as set forth in Section 2.1(d).

 

(iii)          Members of, or participants in, DTC (“Agent Members”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by DTC or by the Trustee as the custodian of DTC or under such Global Security, and DTC may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by DTC or impair, as between DTC and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of DTC governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Security.

 

(iv)          In connection with any transfer of a portion of the beneficial interest in a Global Security pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section 2.1 to beneficial owners who are required to hold Definitive Securities, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of such Global Security in an amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the Global Security to be transferred, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, authenticate and deliver, one or more Definitive Securities of like tenor and amount.

 

(v)           In connection with the transfer of an entire Global Security to beneficial owners pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section 2.1, such Global Security shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, authenticate and deliver, to each beneficial owner identified by DTC in exchange for its beneficial interest in such Global Security, an equal aggregate principal amount of Definitive Securities of authorized denominations.

 

(vi)          The registered Holder of a Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any person, including Agent Members and persons that may hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.

 

(f)            Definitive Securities.

 

(i)            Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities will not be entitled to receive Definitive Securities.  Definitive Securities shall be transferred to all beneficial owners in exchange for their beneficial interests in a Global Security if (a) DTC notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for such Global Security or DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, at a time when DTC is required to be so registered in order to act as depositary, and in each case a successor depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice or, (b) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee and Registrar an Officers’ Certificate stating that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (c) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Registrar has received a request from DTC.

 

(ii)           Any Definitive Security delivered in exchange for an interest in a Global Security pursuant to Section 2.1(e)(iv) or (v) shall, except as otherwise provided by Section 2.6(c), bear the applicable legend regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the Definitive Security set forth in Section 2.1(d).

 

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(iii)          In connection with the exchange of a portion of a Definitive Security for a beneficial interest in a Global Security, the Trustee shall cancel such Definitive Security, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, to the transferring Holder a new Definitive Security representing the principal amount not so transferred.

 

SECTION 2.2.            Execution and Authentication.  One Officer shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.  If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Security, the Security shall be valid nevertheless, after giving effect to any exchange of Initial Securities for Exchange Securities.

 

A Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee manually authenticates the Security.  The signature of the Trustee on a Security shall be conclusive evidence that such Security has been duly and validly authenticated and issued under this Indenture.  A Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

 

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery:  (1) Initial Securities for original issue on the Issue Date in an aggregate principal amount of $300,000,000, (2) Additional Securities for original issue and (3) Exchange Securities for issue only in an Exchange Offer pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, and only in exchange for Initial Securities or Additional Securities of an equal principal amount, in each case upon a written order of the Company signed by two Officers or by an Officer and either an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company (the “Company Order”).  Such Company Order shall specify the amount of the Securities to be authenticated and the date on which the original issue of Securities is to be authenticated and whether the Securities are to be Initial Securities, Additional Securities or Exchange Securities.

 

The Trustee may appoint an agent (the “Authenticating Agent”) reasonably acceptable to the Company to authenticate the Securities.  Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, any such Authenticating Agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so.  Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by the Authenticating Agent.

 

In case the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, pursuant to Article IV, shall be consolidated or merged with or into any other Person or shall convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and the Successor Company resulting from such consolidation, or surviving such merger, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or the Person which shall have received a conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition as aforesaid, shall have executed an indenture supplemental hereto with the Trustee pursuant to Article IV, any of the Securities authenticated or delivered prior to such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition may, from time to time, at the request of the Successor Company, be exchanged for other Securities executed in the name of the Successor Company with such changes in phraseology and form as may be appropriate, but otherwise in substance of like tenor as the Securities surrendered for such exchange and of like principal amount; and the Trustee, upon Company Order of the Successor Company, shall authenticate and deliver Securities as specified in such order for the purpose of such exchange.  If Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of a Successor Company pursuant to this Section 2.2 in exchange or substitution for or upon registration of transfer of any Securities, such Successor Company, at the option of the Holders but without expense to them, shall provide for the exchange of all Securities at the time outstanding for Securities authenticated and delivered in such new name.

 

SECTION 2.3.            Registrar and Paying Agent.  The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (the “Registrar”)

 

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

 

The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-registrar not a party to this Indenture, which shall incorporate the terms of the TIA.  The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent.  The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of each such agent.  If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation therefor pursuant to Section 7.7.  The Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or transfer agent.

 

The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent for the Securities.

 

SECTION 2.4.            Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.  By no later than 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date on which any principal of or interest on any Security is due and payable, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent a sum sufficient in immediately available funds to pay such principal or interest when due.  The Company shall require each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to agree in writing that such Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Securityholders or the Trustee all money held by such Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities and shall notify the Trustee in writing of any default by any of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor in making any such payment.  If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it as Paying Agent and hold it as a separate trust fund.  The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed by such Paying Agent.  Upon complying with this Section 2.4, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) shall have no further liability for the money delivered to the Trustee.  Upon any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities.

 

SECTION 2.5.            Securityholder Lists.  The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders.  If the Trustee is not the Registrar, or to the extent otherwise required under the TIA, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee, in writing at least ten Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Securityholders.

 

SECTION 2.6.            Transfer and Exchange.

 

(a)           The following provisions shall apply with respect to any proposed transfer of a Rule 144A Security or an Institutional Accredited Investor Security prior to the date which is one year after the later of the date of its original issue and the last date on which the Company or any affiliate of the Company was the owner of such Securities (or any predecessor thereto) (the “Resale Restriction Termination Date”):

 

(i)             transfer of a Rule 144A Security or an Institutional Accredited Investor Security or a beneficial interest therein to a QIB shall be made upon the representation of the transferee in the form as set forth on the reverse of the Security that it is purchasing for its own account or an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A, and is aware that the

 

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sale to it is being made in reliance on Rule 144A and acknowledges that it has received such information regarding the Company as the undersigned has requested pursuant to Rule 144A or has determined not to request such information and that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon its foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A;

 

(ii)            a transfer of a Rule 144A Security or an Institutional Accredited Investor Security or a beneficial interest therein to an IAI shall be made upon receipt by the Trustee or its agent of a certificate substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C from the proposed transferee and, if requested by the Company or the Trustee, the delivery of an opinion of counsel stating that such transaction is exempt from registration under the Federal securities laws, certification and/or other information satisfactory to each of them; and

 

(iii)           a transfer of a Rule 144A Security or an Institutional Accredited Investor Security or a beneficial interest therein to a Non-U.S. Person shall be made upon receipt by the Trustee or its agent of a certificate substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit D from the proposed transferee and, if requested by the Company or the Trustee, the delivery of an opinion of counsel stating that such transaction is exempt from registration under the Federal securities laws, certification and/or other information satisfactory to each of them.

 

(b)           The following provisions shall apply with respect to any proposed transfer of a Regulation S Security prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period:

 

(i)             a transfer of a Regulation S Security or a beneficial interest therein to a QIB shall be made upon the representation of the transferee, in the form of assignment on the reverse of the certificate, that it is purchasing the Security for its own account or an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A, and is aware that the sale to it is being made in reliance on Rule 144A and acknowledges that it has received such information regarding the Company as the undersigned has requested pursuant to Rule 144A or has determined not to request such information and that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon its foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A;

 

(ii)            a transfer of a Regulation S Security or a beneficial interest therein to an IAI shall be made upon receipt by the Trustee or its agent of a certificate substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C from the proposed transferee and, if requested by the Company or the Trustee, the delivery of an opinion of counsel stating that such transaction is exempt from registration under the Federal securities laws, certification and/or other information satisfactory to each of them; and

 

(iii)           a transfer of a Regulation S Security or a beneficial interest therein to a Non-U.S. Person shall be made upon receipt by the Trustee or its agent of a certificate substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit D hereof from the proposed transferee and, if requested by the Company or the Trustee, receipt by the Trustee or its agent of an opinion of counsel stating that such transaction is exempt from registration under the Federal securities laws, certification and/or other information satisfactory to each of them.

 

After the expiration of the Restricted Period, interests in the Regulation S Security may be transferred without requiring the certification set forth in Exhibit C, Exhibit D or any additional certification.

 

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(c)           Restricted Securities Legend.  Upon the transfer, exchange or replacement of Securities not bearing a Restricted Securities Legend, the Registrar shall deliver Securities that do not bear a Restricted Securities Legend unless such transferee is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144A) of the Company.  Upon the registration of transfer, exchange or replacement of Securities bearing a Restricted Securities Legend, the Registrar shall deliver only Securities that bear a Restricted Securities Legend unless there is delivered to the Registrar an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that neither such legend nor the related restrictions on transfer are required in order to maintain compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act.

 

(d)           The Registrar shall retain copies of all letters, notices and other written communications received pursuant to Section 2.1 or this Section 2.6.  The Company shall have the right to inspect and make copies of all such letters, notices or other written communications at any reasonable time upon the giving of reasonable prior written notice to the Registrar.

 

(e)           Obligations with Respect to Transfers and Exchanges of Securities.

 

(i)            To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall, subject to the other terms and conditions of this Article II, execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Definitive Securities and Global Securities at the Registrar’s or co-registrar’s request.

 

(ii)           No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment by a Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax, assessments, or similar governmental taxes and fees payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes, assessments or similar governmental taxes and fees payable upon exchange or transfer).

 

(iii)          The Registrar or co-registrar shall not be required to register the transfer of or exchange of any Security for a period beginning (1) 15 days before the mailing of a notice of repurchase or redemption of Securities to be repurchased or redeemed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing (except, in the case of Securities to be redeemed in part, the portion of the Security not to be redeemed) or (2) 15 days before an interest payment date and ending on such interest payment date.

 

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

 

(v)           Any Definitive Security delivered in exchange for an interest in a Global Security pursuant to Section 2.1(e) shall, except as otherwise provided by Section 2.6(c), bear the applicable legend regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the Definitive Security set forth in Section 2.1(d).

 

(vi)          All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange pursuant to the terms of this Indenture shall evidence the same debt and shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

 

(f)            No Obligation of the Trustee.

 

(i)            The Trustee shall have no responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Security, a member of, or a participant in, DTC or other Person with respect to the accuracy of

 

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the records of DTC or its nominee or of any participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Securities or with respect to the delivery to any participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than DTC) of any notice (including any notice of redemption) or the payment of any amount or delivery of any Securities (or other security or property) under or with respect to such Securities.  All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders in respect of the Securities shall be given or made only to or upon the order of the registered Holders (which shall be DTC or its nominee in the case of a Global Security).  The rights of beneficial owners in any Global Security shall be exercised only through DTC subject to the applicable rules and procedures of DTC.  The Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in conclusively relying upon information furnished by DTC with respect to its members, participants and any beneficial owners.

 

(ii)           The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among DTC participants, members or beneficial owners in any Global Security) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by, the terms of this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

 

SECTION 2.7.            Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.  If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Registrar or if the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, authenticate a replacement Security if the requirements of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code are met, such that the Securityholder (a) satisfies the Company or the Trustee within a reasonable time after such Securityholder has notice of such loss, destruction or wrongful taking and the Registrar does not register a transfer prior to receiving such notification, (b) makes such request to the Company or Trustee prior to the Security being acquired by a protected purchaser as defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code (a “protected purchaser”) and (c) satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Trustee.  Such Holder shall furnish an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of each of the Company and the Trustee to protect each of  the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar and any co-registrar from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced, and, in the absence of notice to the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in exchange for any such mutilated Security or in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

 

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

 

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section 2.7, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) in connection therewith.

 

Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section 2.7 in lieu of any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor (if applicable) and any other obligor upon the Securities, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled

 

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to all benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.

 

The provisions of this Section 2.7 are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

 

SECTION 2.8.                                     Outstanding Securities.  Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those paid pursuant to Section 2.7, and those described in this Section 2.8 as not outstanding.  A Security shall be deemed to be outstanding in the event the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security, provided, however, that (i) for purposes of determining which are outstanding for consent or voting purposes hereunder, the provisions of Section 11.6 shall apply and (ii) in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in making a determination whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities are present at a meeting of Holders of Securities for quorum purposes or have consented to or voted in favor of any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, amendment or modification hereunder, or relying upon any such quorum, consent or vote, only Securities which a Trust Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be held by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company shall not be considered outstanding.

 

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.7, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Security is held by a protected purchaser.

 

If the Paying Agent segregates and holds in trust, in accordance with this Indenture, on a Redemption Date or maturity date money sufficient to pay all principal and interest payable on that date with respect to the Securities (or portions thereof) to be redeemed or maturing, as the case may be, and the Paying Agent is not prohibited from paying such money to the Securityholders on that date pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, then on and after that date such Securities (or portions thereof) cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

 

SECTION 2.9.                                     Temporary Securities.  In the event that Definitive Securities are to be issued under the terms of this Indenture, until such Definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities.  Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of Definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities.  Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate Definitive Securities.  After the preparation of Definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for Definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at any office or agency maintained by the Company for that purpose and such exchange shall be without charge to the Holder.  Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, upon receipt of a Company Order, and make available for delivery in exchange therefor, one or more Definitive Securities representing an equal principal amount of Securities.  Until so exchanged, the Holder of temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as a Holder of Definitive Securities.

 

SECTION 2.10.                               Cancellation.  The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation.  The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment.  The Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation and dispose of such Securities in accordance with its internal policies and, upon the Company’s written request, deliver a certificate (a “Certificate of Cancellation”) describing such Securities’ cancellation.  The Company

 

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may not issue new Securities to replace Securities it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for any reason other than in connection with a transfer or exchange.

 

SECTION 2.11.                               Payment of Interest, Defaulted Interest.  Interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any interest payment date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Security (or one or more predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 2.3.

 

Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not paid when the same becomes due and payable and such nonpayment continues for a period of 30 days shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the regular record date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such defaulted interest and (to the extent lawful) interest on such defaulted interest at the rate borne by the Securities (such defaulted interest and interest thereon herein collectively called “Defaulted Interest”) shall be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below:

 

(a)                                  The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities (or their respective predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date (as defined below) for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner.  The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security and the date (not less than 30 days after such notice) of the proposed payment (the “Special Interest Payment Date”), and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided.  Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a record date (the “Special Record Date”) for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which date shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the Special Interest Payment Date and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment.  The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date, and in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date and Special Interest Payment Date therefor to be given in the manner provided for in Section 11.2, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date.  Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date and Special Interest Payment Date therefor having been so given, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid on the Special Interest Payment Date to the Persons in whose names the Securities (or their respective predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (b).

 

(b)                                 The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

 

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.11, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of, transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

 

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SECTION 2.12.                               Computation of Interest.  Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

 

SECTION 2.13.                               CUSIP Numbers.  The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such CUSIP numbers. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP numbers.

 

ARTICLE III.

 

Covenants

 

SECTION 3.1.                                     Payment of Securities.  The Company shall promptly pay the principal of and interest on the Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities and in this Indenture.  Principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if on such date the Trustee or the Paying Agent holds, as of 10:00 am, New York City time, in accordance with this Indenture immediately available funds sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due.

 

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

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Indenture, the Company may, to the extent it is required to do so by law, deduct or withhold income or other similar taxes imposed by the United States of America from principal or interest payments hereunder.

 

SECTION 3.2.                                     Commission Reports.  Whether or not the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities the business and financial information required in the annual, quarterly and current reports specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act which the Company would be required to file if the Company were subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  The Company shall furnish such information to the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities no later than 60 days after the date on which the Company would have been required to file such reports with the Commission if the Company were subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

If the Company has designated any of its Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries, then the quarterly and annual financial information required by the preceding paragraph shall include a reasonably detailed presentation, either on the face of the financial statements or in the footnotes to the financial statements and in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition, of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

In addition, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors agree that they shall make available to the Holders and to prospective investors, upon the request of such Holders, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A (d)(4) under the Securities Act so long as the Securities are not freely transferable under the Securities Act.  For purposes of this Section 3.2, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors will be deemed to have furnished the reports to the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities as required by this Section 3.2 if it has filed such reports with the Commission via the EDGAR

 

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filing system and such reports are publicly available, provided, however, that the Trustee shall have no responsibility to determine if such filing has occurred.

 

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

 

SECTION 3.3.                                     Limitation on Indebtedness.  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, Incur any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness); provided, however, that the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries may Incur Indebtedness if on the date thereof:

 

(1)                                  the Consolidated Coverage Ratio for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is at least 2.25 to 1.00; and

 

(2)                                  no Default or Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence of Incurring the Indebtedness or transactions relating to such Incurrence.

 

The first paragraph of this Section 3.3 will not prohibit the Incurrence of the following Indebtedness:

 

(1)                                  Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary Incurred pursuant to a Credit Facility in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed the greater of (a) $500.0 million and (b) 30% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets;

 

(2)                                  Guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness Incurred in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture;

 

(3)                                  Indebtedness of the Company owing to and held by any Restricted Subsidiary or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to and held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, provided, however;

 

(a)                                  any subsequent issuance or transfer of Capital Stock or any other event which results in any such Indebtedness being beneficially held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; and

 

(b)                                 any sale or other transfer of any such Indebtedness to a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company,

 

shall be deemed, in each case, to constitute an Incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be;

 

(4)                                  Indebtedness represented by (a) the Securities issued on the Issue Date, the Subsidiary Guarantees and the Exchange Securities and Exchange Guarantees issued in a registered Exchange Offer pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (b) any Indebtedness (other than the Indebtedness described in clauses (1), (2), (3), (6), (8), (9) and (10)) outstanding on the Issue Date and (c) any Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred in respect of any Indebtedness described in this clause (4), clause 5 or clause (11) or Incurred pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 3.3;

 

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(5)                                  Permitted Acquisition Indebtedness;

 

(6)                                  Indebtedness under Hedging Obligations that are Incurred in the ordinary course of business (and not for speculative purposes) (a) for the purpose of fixing or hedging interest rate risk with respect to any Indebtedness Incurred without violation of this Indenture; (b) for the purpose of fixing or hedging currency exchange rate risk with respect to any currency exchanges; or (c) for the purpose of fixing or hedging commodity price risk with respect to any commodities;

 

(7)                                  the Incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness represented by Capitalized Lease Obligations, mortgage financings or purchase money obligations or other Indebtedness, in each case Incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of construction or improvements of property used in the business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, and Attributable Indebtedness, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $20.0 million at any time outstanding;

 

(8)                                  Indebtedness Incurred in respect of workers’ compensation claims, self-insurance obligations, performance, surety and similar bonds and completion guarantees provided by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;

 

(9)                                  Indebtedness arising from agreements of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, in each case, Incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary, provided that the maximum aggregate liability in respect of all such Indebtedness shall at no time exceed the gross proceeds actually received by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such disposition;

 

(10)                            Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument (except in the case of daylight overdrafts) drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business; provided, however, that such Indebtedness is extinguished within five business days of Incurrence; and

 

(11)                            in addition to the items referred to in clauses (1) through (10) above, Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in an aggregate outstanding principal amount which, when taken together with the principal amount of all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (11) (including any Refinancing Indebtedness incurred under clause (4) above with respect to such indebtedness) and then outstanding, will not exceed $50.0 million at any time outstanding.

 

For purposes of determining compliance with, and the outstanding principal amount of any particular Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to and in compliance with, this Section 3.3:

 

(1)                                  in the event that Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in the first and second paragraphs of this Section 3.3, the Company, in its sole discretion, will classify such item of Indebtedness on the date of Incurrence and, subject to clause (2) below, may later classify such item of Indebtedness in any manner that complies with this Section 3.3 and only be required to include the amount and type of such Indebtedness in one of such clauses;

 

(2)                                  all Indebtedness outstanding on the date of this Indenture under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement shall be deemed initially Incurred on the Issue Date under clause (1) of

 

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the second paragraph of this Section 3.3 and not the first paragraph or clause (4) of the second paragraph of this Section 3.3;

 

(3)                                  Guarantees of, or obligations in respect of letters of credit relating to, Indebtedness which is otherwise included in the determination of a particular amount of Indebtedness shall not be included;

 

(4)                                  if obligations in respect of letters of credit are Incurred pursuant to a Credit Facility and are being treated as Incurred pursuant to clause (1) of the second paragraph above and the letters of credit relate to other Indebtedness, then such other Indebtedness shall not be included;

 

(5)                                  the principal amount of any Disqualified Stock of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, will be equal to the greater of the maximum mandatory redemption or repurchase price (not including, in either case, any redemption or repurchase premium) or the liquidation preference thereof;

 

(6)                                  Indebtedness permitted by this Section 3.3 need not be permitted solely by reference to one provision permitting such Indebtedness but may be permitted in part by one such provision and in part by one or more other provisions of this Section 3.3 permitting such Indebtedness; and

 

(7)                                  the amount of Indebtedness issued at a price that is less than the principal amount thereof will be equal to the amount of the liability in respect thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Accrual of interest, accrual of dividends, the accretion of accreted value, the payment of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness and the payment of dividends in the form of additional shares of Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock will not be deemed to be an Incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this Section 3.3.

 

In addition, the Company will not permit any of its Unrestricted Subsidiaries to Incur any Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt.  If at any time an Unrestricted Subsidiary becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary shall be deemed to be Incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary as of such date (and, if such Indebtedness is not permitted to be Incurred as of such date under this Section 3.3, the Company shall be in Default of this Section 3.3).

 

For purposes of determining compliance with any U.S. dollar-denominated restriction on the Incurrence of Indebtedness, the U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency shall be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date such Indebtedness was Incurred, in the case of term Indebtedness, or first committed, in the case of revolving credit Indebtedness; provided that if such Indebtedness is Incurred to refinance other Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency, and such refinancing would cause the applicable U.S. dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date of such refinancing, such U.S. dollar-denominated restriction shall be deemed not to have been exceeded so long as the principal amount of such refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount of such Indebtedness being refinanced.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 3.3, the maximum amount of Indebtedness that the Company may Incur pursuant to this Section 3.3 shall not be deemed to be exceeded solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies.  The principal amount of any Indebtedness Incurred to refinance other Indebtedness, if Incurred in a different cur rency from the Indebtedness being refinanced, shall be calculated based on the currency exchange rate

 

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applicable to the currencies in which such Refinancing Indebtedness is denominated that is in effect on the date of such refinancing.

 

SECTION 3.4.                                     Limitation on Restricted Payments.  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, to:

 

(1)                                  declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution (whether made in cash, securities or other property) on or in respect of its Capital Stock (including any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) except:

 

(a)                                  dividends or distributions payable in Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or in options, warrants or other rights to purchase such Capital Stock of the Company; and

 

(b)                                 dividends or distributions payable to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (and if such Restricted Subsidiary is not a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, to its other holders of Capital Stock on a pro rata basis);

 

(2)                                  purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire for value any Capital Stock of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company held by Persons other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (other than in exchange for Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock));

 

(3)                                  purchase, repurchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value, prior to scheduled maturity, scheduled repayment or scheduled sinking fund payment, any Subordinated Obligations or Guarantor Subordinated Obligations (other than (x) Indebtedness of the Company owing to and held by any Restricted Subsidiary or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to and held by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary permitted under clause (3) of the second paragraph of Section 3.3 or (y) the purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement of Subordinated Obligations or Guarantor Subordinated Obligations purchased in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement); or

 

(4)                                  make any Restricted Investment in any Person;

 

(any such dividend, distribution, purchase, redemption, repurchase, defeasance, other acquisition, retirement or Restricted Investment referred to in clauses (1) through (4) shall be referred to herein as a “Restricted Payment”), if at the time the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary makes such Restricted Payment:

 

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

 

(b)                                 the Company is not able to Incur an additional $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to the first paragraph of Section 3.3 after giving effect, on a pro forma basis, to such Restricted Payment; or

 

(c)                                  the aggregate amount of such Restricted Payment and all other Restricted Payments declared or made subsequent to July 20, 2005 would exceed the sum of:

 

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(i)                                     50% of Consolidated Net Income for the period (treated as one accounting period) from July 1, 2005 to the end of the most recent fiscal quarter ending prior to the date of such Restricted Payment for which financial statements are in existence (or, in case such Consolidated Net Income is a deficit, minus 100% of such deficit);

 

(ii)                                  100% of the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds and the fair market value of property or securities other than cash (including Capital Stock of Persons engaged primarily in the Oil and Gas Business or assets used in the Oil and Gas Business), in each case received by the Company from the issue or sale of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or other capital contributions subsequent July 20, 2005 (other than Net Cash Proceeds received from an issuance or sale of such Capital Stock to a Subsidiary of the Company or an employee stock ownership plan, option plan or similar trust to the extent such sale to an employee stock ownership plan or similar trust is financed by loans from or Guaranteed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary unless such loans have been repaid with cash on or prior to the date of determination);

 

(iii)                               the amount by which Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries is reduced on the Company’s balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Company) subsequent to July 20, 2005 of any Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries convertible or exchangeable for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (less the amount of any cash, or the fair market value of any other property, distributed by the Company upon such conversion or exchange); and

 

(iv)                              the amount equal to the net reduction in Restricted Investments made by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in any Person resulting from:

 

(A)                              repurchases or redemptions of such Restricted Investments by such Person, proceeds realized upon the sale of such Restricted Investment to an unaffiliated purchaser, repayments of loans or advances or other transfers of assets (including by way of dividend or distribution) by such Person to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; or

 

(B)                                the redesignation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries as Restricted Subsidiaries (valued in each case as provided in the definition of “Investment”) not to exceed, in the case of any Unrestricted Subsidiary, the amount of Investments previously made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such Unrestricted Subsidiary,

 

which amount in each case under this clause (iv) was included in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments; provided, however, that no amount will be included under this clause (iv) to the extent it is already included in Consolidated Net Income.

 

The provisions of the preceding paragraph will not prohibit:

 

(1)                                  any purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement of Capital Stock, Disqualified Stock or Subordinated Obligations of the Company or Guarantor Subordinated Obligations of any Subsidiary Guarantor made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of, Capital Stock of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock and other than Capital Stock issued or sold to a Subsidiary or an employee stock ownership plan or similar trust to the extent such sale to an employee stock ownership plan or

 

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similar trust is financed by loans from or Guaranteed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary unless such loans have been repaid with cash on or prior to the date of determination); provided, however, that (a) such purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or retirement will be excluded in subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments and (b) the Net Cash Proceeds from such sale of Capital Stock will be excluded from clause (c)(ii) of the preceding paragraph;

 

(2)                                  any purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement of Subordinated Obligations of the Company or Guarantor Subordinated Obligations of any Subsidiary Guarantor made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of, Subordinated Obligations of the Company or any purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement of Guarantor Subordinated Obligations made by exchange for or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of Guarantor Subordinated Obligations that, in each case, is permitted to be Incurred pursuant to Section 3.3 and that in each case constitutes Refinancing Indebtedness; provided, however, that such purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or retirement will be excluded in subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(3)                                  any purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement of Disqualified Stock of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary made by exchange for or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of Disqualified Stock of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, that, in each case, is permitted to be Incurred pursuant to Section 3.3 and that in each case constitutes Refinancing Indebtedness; provided, however, that such purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or retirement will be excluded in subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(4)                                  so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any purchase or redemption of Subordinated Obligations or Guarantor Subordinated Obligations of a Subsidiary Guarantor from Net Available Cash to the extent permitted under Section 3.7; provided, however, that such purchase or redemption will be excluded in subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(5)                                  dividends paid within 60 days after the date of declaration if at such date of declaration such dividend would have complied with this provision; provided, however, that such dividends will be included in subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(6)                                  so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,

 

(a)                                  the purchase, redemption or other acquisition, cancellation or retirement for value of Capital Stock, or options, warrants, equity appreciation rights or other rights to purchase or acquire Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or any parent of the Company held by any existing or former employees or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or their assigns, estates or heirs, in each case in connection with the repurchase provisions under employee stock option or stock purchase agreements or other agreements to compensate employees or directors; provided that such purchase, redemption, acquisition, cancellation or retirement pursuant to this clause will not exceed $5.0 million in the aggregate during any calendar year; provided, however, that the amount of any such purchase, redemption, acquisition, cancellation or retirement will be excluded from subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments; and

 

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(b)                                 loans or advances to employees or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company the proceeds of which are used to purchase Capital Stock of the Company, in an aggregate amount not in excess of $5.0 million at any one time outstanding; provided, however, that the Company and its Subsidiaries shall comply in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith in connection with such loans or advances as if the Company had filed a registration statement with the Commission; provided, further, that the amount of such loans and advances will be included in subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(7)                                  so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the declaration and payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the Company, or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture to the extent such dividends are included in the definition of “Consolidated Interest Expense;” provided that the payment of such dividends will be excluded from the calculation of Restricted Payments;

 

(8)                                  repurchases of Capital Stock deemed to occur upon the exercise of stock options, warrants or other convertible securities if such Capital Stock represents a portion of the exercise price thereof; provided, however, that such repurchases will be excluded from subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(9)                                  the purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Subordinated Obligation (i) at a purchase price not greater than 101% of the principal amount of such Subordinated Obligation in the event of a Change of Control in accordance with provisions similar to those of Section 3.9 or (ii) at a purchase price not greater than 100% of the principal amount thereof in accordance with provisions similar to those of Section 3.7; provided, that, prior to or simultaneously with such purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement, the Company has made the Change of Control Offer or Asset Disposition Offer, as applicable, as provided in Section 3.9 with respect to the Securities and has completed the repurchase or redemption of all Securities validly tendered for payment in connection with such Change of Control Offer or Asset Disposition Offer; and provided, further, that such repurchases will be excluded from subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(10)                            distributions by Employee Partnerships or the SWR Partnerships to the limited partners thereof; provided that such distributions will be excluded from subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments;

 

(11)                            the payment of dividends on the Company’s common equity (or the payment of dividends or distributions to a direct or indirect company of the Company to fund the payment by such parent company of dividends or distributions on its common equity) of up to 6.0% per calendar year of the net proceeds received by the Company from any public Equity Offering or contributed to the Company by a direct or indirect parent company of the Company from any public Equity Offering; provided that the amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such Restricted Payment will be excluded from clause (c)(ii) of the proceeding paragraph; and

 

(12)                            Restricted Payments in an amount not to exceed $20.0 million; provided that the amount of such Restricted Payments will be excluded from subsequent calculations of the amount of Restricted Payments.

 

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The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) shall be the fair market value on the date of such Restricted Payment of the asset(s) or securities proposed to be paid, transferred or issued by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to such Restricted Payment. The fair market value of any cash Restricted Payment shall be its face amount and any non-cash Restricted Payment shall be determined conclusively by the Board of Directors of the Company acting in good faith.

 

SECTION 3.5.            Limitation on Liens.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, create, Incur or suffer to exist any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) upon any of its property or assets (including Capital Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries), whether owned on the date of this Indenture or acquired after that date, which Lien is securing any Indebtedness, unless contemporaneously with the Incurrence of such Liens effective provision is made to secure the Indebtedness due under this Indenture and the Securities or, in respect of Liens on any Subsidiary Guarantor’s property or assets, any Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor, equally and ratably with (or senior in priority to in the case of Liens with respect to Subordinated Obligations or Guarantor Subordinated Obligations, as the case may be) the Indebtedness secured by such Lien for so long as such Indebtedness is so secured.

 

SECTION 3.6.            Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries.  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or consensual restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to:

 

(1)           pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock or pay any Indebtedness or other obligations owed to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (it being understood that the priority of any Preferred Stock in receiving dividends or liquidating distributions prior to dividends or liquidating distributions being paid on Common Stock shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make distributions on Capital Stock);

 

(2)           make any loans or advances to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (it being understood that the subordination of loans or advances made to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to other Indebtedness Incurred by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make loans or advances); or

 

(3)           transfer any of its property or assets to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.

 

The preceding provisions will not prohibit:

 

(i)            any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement in effect at or entered into on the date of this Indenture, including, without limitation, this Indenture, the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities, the Subsidiary Guarantees and the Senior Secured Credit Agreement (and related documentation) in effect on such date;

 

(ii)           any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement relating to any Capital Stock or Indebtedness Incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary on or before the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary was acquired by the Company (other than Capital Stock or Indebtedness Incurred as consideration in, or to provide all or any portion of the funds utilized to consummate, the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was acquired by the Company or in contemplation of the transaction) and outstanding on such date, provided that any such

 

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encumbrance or restriction shall not extend to any assets or property of the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary other than the assets and property so acquired;

 

(iii)          any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement effecting a refunding, replacement or refinancing of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to an agreement referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph or this clause (iii) or contained in any amendment, restatement, modification, renewal, supplement, refunding, replacement or refinancing of an agreement referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph or this clause (iii); provided, however, that the encumbrances and restrictions with respect to such Restricted Subsidiary contained in any such agreement are no less favorable in any material respect, taken as a whole, to the Holders of the Securities, in the reasonable judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors or senior management, than the encumbrances and restrictions contained in such agreements referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) of this paragraph on the Issue Date or the date such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged into a Restricted Subsidiary, whichever is applicable;

 

(iv)          in the case of clause (3) of the first paragraph of this Section 3.6, any encumbrance or restriction:

 

(a)           that restricts in a customary manner the subletting, assignment or transfer of any property or asset that is subject to a lease, license or similar contract, or the assignment or transfer of any such lease, license or other contract;

 

(b)           contained in mortgages, pledges or other security agreements permitted under this Indenture securing Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to the extent such encumbrances or restrictions restrict the transfer of the property subject to such mortgages, pledges or other security agreements; or

 

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

 

(v)           (a) purchase money obligations for property acquired in the ordinary course of business and (b) Capitalized Lease Obligations permitted under this Indenture, in each case, that impose encumbrances or restrictions of the nature described in clause (3) of the first paragraph of this Section 3.6 on the property so acquired;

 

(vi)          any restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary (or any of its property or assets) imposed pursuant to an agreement entered into for the direct or indirect sale or disposition of all or substantially all the Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary (or the property or assets that are subject to such restriction) pending the closing of such sale or disposition;

 

(vii)         any customary encumbrances or restrictions imposed pursuant to any agreement referred to in the definition of “Permitted Business Investment” or in Employee Partnerships;

 

(viii)        net worth provisions in leases and other agreements entered into by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;

 

(ix)           encumbrances or restrictions arising or existing by reason of applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order; and

 

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(x)            encumbrances or restrictions contained in indentures or debt instruments or other debt arrangements Incurred by Subsidiary Guarantors in accordance with Section 3.3 that are not more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those applicable to the Company in either this Indenture or the Senior Secured Credit Agreement on the Issue Date (which results in encumbrances or restrictions comparable to those applicable to the Company at a Restricted Subsidiary level).

 

SECTION 3.7.            Limitation on Sales of Assets and Subsidiary Stock.

 

(a)           The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any Asset Disposition unless:

 

(1)           the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives consideration at least equal to the fair market value (such fair market value to be determined on the date of contractually agreeing to such Asset Disposition), as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors (including as to the value of all non-cash consideration), of the shares and assets subject to such Asset Disposition; and

 

(2)           at least 75% of the aggregate consideration received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, from such Asset Disposition and all other Asset Dispositions since the Issue Date, on a cumulative basis, is in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents or Additional Assets, or any combination thereof.

 

(b)           Within 365 days of completion of an Asset Disposition, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may apply any Net Available Cash from such Asset Disposition:

 

(1)           to repay, redeem or purchase Indebtedness of the Company (other than any Disqualified Stock or Subordinated Obligations) or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary (other than any Disqualified Stock or Guarantor Subordinated Obligation of a Subsidiary Guarantor) (in each case other than Indebtedness owed to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary); or

 

(2)           to invest in or acquire Additional Assets.

 

Pending the final application of any such Net Available Cash in accordance with clauses (1) or (2) above, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may temporarily reduce Indebtedness or otherwise invest such Net Available Cash in any manner not prohibited by this Indenture.

 

(c)           Any Net Available Cash from Asset Dispositions that is not applied or invested as provided in clause (b) above will be deemed to constitute “Excess Proceeds.”  Not later than the 366th day after the later of the date of an Asset Disposition or the receipt of such Net Available Cash, if the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $20.0 million, the Company will be required to make an offer (“Asset Disposition Offer”) to all Holders of Securities and to the extent required by the terms of other Pari Passu Indebtedness, to all holders of other Pari Passu Indebtedness outstanding with similar provisions requiring the Company to make an offer to purchase such Pari Passu Indebtedness with the proceeds from any Asset Disposition (“Pari Passu Securities”), to purchase the maximum principal amount of Securities and any such Pari Passu Securities to which the Asset Disposition Offer applies that may be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds, at an offer price in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities and Pari Passu Securities plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Indenture or the agreements governing the Pari Passu Securities, as applicable, in each case in integral multiples of $1,000. To the extent that the aggregate amount of Securities and Pari Passu Securities so validly tendered

 

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and not properly withdrawn pursuant to an Asset Disposition Offer is less than the Excess Proceeds, the Company may use any remaining Excess Proceeds for general corporate purposes, subject to other covenants contained in this Indenture. If the aggregate principal amount of Securities surrendered by Holders thereof and other Pari Passu Securities surrendered by holders or lenders, collectively, exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds, the Trustee shall select the Securities for which it is Trustee and the Company shall select any other Pari Passu Securities to be purchased on a pro rata basis on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of tendered Securities and Pari Passu Securities. Upon completion of such Asset Disposition Offer, the amount of Excess Proceeds shall be reset at zero.

 

(d)           The Asset Disposition Offer will remain open for a period of 20 Business Days following its commencement, except to the extent that a longer period is required by applicable law (the “Asset Disposition Offer Period”).  No later than five Business Days after the termination of the Asset Disposition Offer Period (the “Asset Disposition Purchase Date”), the Company will purchase the principal amount of Securities and Pari Passu Securities required to be purchased pursuant to this Section 3.7 (the “Asset Disposition Offer Amount”) or, if less than the Asset Disposition Offer Amount has been so validly tendered, all Securities and Pari Passu Securities validly tendered in response to the Asset Disposition Offer.

 

If the Asset Disposition Purchase Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid interest will be paid to the Person in whose name a Security is registered at the close of business on such record date, and no additional interest will be payable to Holders of the Securities who tender Securities pursuant to the Asset Disposition Offer.

 

On or before the Asset Disposition Purchase Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful, accept for payment, on a pro rata basis to the extent necessary, the Asset Disposition Offer Amount of Securities and Pari Passu Securities or portions of Securities and Pari Passu Securities so validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the Asset Disposition Offer, or if less than the Asset Disposition Offer Amount has been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn, all Securities and Pari Passu Securities so validly tendered and not properly withdrawn, in each case in integral multiples of $1,000.  The Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that such Securities or portions thereof were accepted for payment by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Section 3.7 and, in addition, the Company will deliver all certificates and notes required, if any, by the agreements governing the Pari Passu Securities.  The Company will promptly (but in any case not later than five Business Days after the termination of the Asset Disposition Offer Period) mail or deliver to each tendering Holder of Securities or holder or lender of Pari Passu Securities, as the case may be, an amount equal to the purchase price of the Securities or Pari Passu Securities so validly tendered and not properly withdrawn by such holder or lender, as the case may be, and accepted by the Company for purchase, and the Company will promptly issue a new Security, and the Trustee, upon delivery of an Officers’ Certificate from the Company, will authenticate and mail or deliver such new Security to such Holder, in a principal amount equal to any unpurchased portion of the Security surrendered; provided that each such new Security will be in a principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000.  In addition, the Company will take any and all other actions required by the agreements governing the Pari Passu Securities.  Any Security not so accepted will be promptly mailed or delivered by the Company to the Holder thereof.  The Company will publicly announce the results of the Asset Disposition Offer on the Asset Disposition Purchase Date.

 

For the purposes of clause (a)(2) of this Section 3.7, the following will be deemed to be cash:

 

(1)           the assumption by the transferee of Indebtedness (other than Subordinated Obligations or Disqualified Stock) of the Company or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary (other

 

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than Guarantor Subordinated Obligations or Disqualified Stock of any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary that is a Subsidiary Guarantor) and the release of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from all liability on such Indebtedness in connection with such Asset Disposition (in which case the Company will, without further action, be deemed to have applied such deemed cash to Indebtedness in accordance with clause (b)(1) above); and

 

(2)           securities, notes or other obligations received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from the transferee that are promptly converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash.

 

The Company will comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Section 14e-1 of the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Indenture.  To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Section 3.7, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Indenture by virtue of any conflict.

 

SECTION 3.8.            Limitation on Affiliate Transactions.  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into or conduct any transaction (including the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate of the Company (an “Affiliate Transaction”) unless:

 

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

 

(2)           in the event such Affiliate Transaction involves an aggregate consideration in excess of $20.0 million, the terms of such transaction have been approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company having no personal pecuniary interest in such transaction; and

 

(3)           in the event such Affiliate Transaction involves an aggregate consideration in excess of $50.0 million, the Company has received a written opinion from an independent investment banking, accounting or appraisal firm of recognized standing (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) that such Affiliate Transaction is either (a) fair from a financial point of view to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (b) not materially less favorable than those that might reasonably have been obtained in a comparable transaction at such time on an arm’s-length basis from a Person that is not an Affiliate.

 

The preceding paragraph will not apply to:

 

(1)           any Restricted Payment permitted to be made pursuant to Section 3.4 or Permitted Investments;

 

(2)           any issuance of securities, or other payments, awards or grants in cash, securities or otherwise pursuant to, or the funding of, employment agreements and other compensation arrangements, options to purchase Capital Stock of the Company, restricted stock plans, long-term incentive plans, stock appreciation rights plans, participation plans, bonus plans, Employee Partnerships or similar employee benefits plans and/or indemnity provided on behalf of officers and employees approved by the Board of Directors of the Company;

 

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(3)           loans or advances to employees, officers or directors in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries but in any event not to exceed $5.0 million in the aggregate outstanding at any one time with respect to all loans or advances made since the Issue Date, provided, however, that the Company and its Subsidiaries will comply in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith that would be applicable to an issuer with debt securities registered under the Securities Act relating to such loans and advances;

 

(4)           any transaction between the Company and a Restricted Subsidiary or between Restricted Subsidiaries and Guarantees issued by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary for the benefit of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, in accordance with Section 3.3;

 

(5)           the payment of reasonable and customary fees paid to, and indemnity provided on behalf of, directors of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(6)           the existence of, and the performance of obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries under the terms of any agreement to which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is a party as of or on the Issue Date and identified on Schedule 3.8 to this Indenture on the Issue Date, as these agreements may be amended, modified, supplemented, extended or renewed from time to time; provided, however, that any future amendment, modification, supplement, extension or renewal entered into after the Issue Date will be permitted to the extent that its terms are not more disadvantageous to the Holders of the Securities than the terms of the agreements in effect on the Issue Date; and

 

(7)           transactions in the ordinary course of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided that such transactions are on terms that are no less favorable to the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary with an unrelated Person; and

 

(8)           any issuance or sale of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) and the granting of registration and other customary rights in connection therewith; and

 

(9)           transactions with a Person that is an Affiliate of the Company solely because the Company owns, directly or through a Restricted Subsidiary, Capital Stock of such Person.

 

SECTION 3.9.            Change of Control.

 

(a)           If a Change of Control occurs, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem all of the Securities as described under Section 5.1, each Holder of Securities will have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Securities plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

 

(b)           Within 30 days following any Change of Control, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem all of the Securities as described under Section 5.1, the Company will send a notice (the “Change of Control Offer”) to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, stating:

 

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

 

(2)           the repurchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is sent) (the “Change of Control Payment Date”); and

 

(3)           the procedures determined by the Company, consistent with this Indenture, that a Holder must follow in order to have its Securities repurchased.

 

(c)           On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:

 

(1)           accept for payment all Securities or portions of Securities (in integral multiples of $1,000) properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

 

(2)           deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Securities or portions of Securities so tendered; and

 

(3)           deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Securities so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Securities or portions of Securities being purchased by the Company.

 

(d)           The Paying Agent will promptly send to each Holder of Securities so tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Securities, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and send (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each Holder a new Security equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered, if any; provided that each such new Security will be in a principal amount of $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof.

 

(e)           If the Change of Control Payment Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the Person in whose name a Security is registered at the close of business on such record date, and no additional interest will be payable to Holders who tender pursuant to the Change of Control Offer.

 

(f)            Prior to sending a Change of Control Offer, and as a condition to such sending (i) the requisite holders of each issue of Indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by such payment shall have consented to such Change of Control Offer being made and waived the Event of Default, if any, caused by the Change of Control or (ii) the Company will repay all outstanding Indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by a payment to the Holders of Securities under a Change of Control Offer or (iii) the Company must offer to repay all such Indebtedness, and make payments to the holders of such Indebtedness that accept such offer, and obtain waivers of any Event of Default from the remaining Holders of such Indebtedness.  The Company covenants to effect such repayment or obtain such consent within 30 days following any Change of Control.

 

(g)           The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

 

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(h)           The Company will comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 of the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Section 3.9.  To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Indenture, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations described in this Indenture by virtue of the conflict.

 

SECTION 3.10.          [Reserved.]

 

SECTION 3.11.      Future Subsidiary Guarantors.  The Company will cause each Restricted Subsidiary (other than an Employee Partnership or a Foreign Subsidiary) created or acquired by the Company or one or more of its Restricted Subsidiaries after the Issue Date to execute and deliver to the Trustee a Subsidiary Guarantee, substantially in the form of Exhibit E, pursuant to which such Subsidiary Guarantor will unconditionally Guarantee, on a joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any and interest on the Securities on a senior basis; provided, however, that Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Foreign Subsidiaries, Employee Partnerships or SWR Partnerships) that, in the aggregate, own less than five percent of the Company’s Total Assets and account for less than five percent of the Company’s Consolidated EBITDAX (in each case, determined on a quarterly basis) shall not be required to execute and deliver a Subsidiary Guarantee.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Employee Partnerships and SWR Partnerships shall not be required to execute and deliver a Subsidiary Guarantee.  Any such Subsidiary Guarantee will be governed by Article X.

 

Each Subsidiary Guarantee shall be released in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture described under Section 10.2.

 

SECTION 3.12.          Limitation on Lines of Business.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, engage in any business other than the Oil and Gas Business, except as would not be material to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

SECTION 3.13.          Maintenance of Office or Agency.  The Company will maintain an office or agency where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment, where, if applicable, the Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in the location of any such office or agency.  If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the trustee’s principal corporate trust office (the “Corporate Trust Office”), and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

 

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind any such designation.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

 

SECTION 3.14.          Corporate Existence.  Subject to Article IV and Section 10.2, the Company and each of the Subsidiary Guarantors will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and that of each Restricted Subsidiary and the corporate rights (charter and statutory) licenses and franchises of the Company and each Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such existence (except the Company), right, license or franchise if the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company

 

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and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof would not have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Securities or this Indenture, provided, further, the Company may engage in transactions in accordance with Sections 4.1 and 10.2.

 

SECTION 3.15.          Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.  The Company shall pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company or any Subsidiary, provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which appropriate reserves, if necessary (in the good faith judgment of management of the Company), are being maintained in accordance with GAAP or where the failure to effect such payment will not be disadvantageous to the Holders.

 

SECTION 3.16.          Payments for Consent.  Neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration in the form of cash or other property to any Holder of any Securities for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture or the Securities unless such consideration is offered to be paid or is paid to all Holders of the Securities that consent, waive or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in the solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or amendment.

 

SECTION 3.17.          Compliance Certificate.  The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company an Officers’ Certificate, one of the signers of which shall be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their duties as Officers of the Company, they would normally have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default and whether or not the signers know of any Default or Event of Default that occurred during such period.  If they do, the certificate shall describe the Default or Event of Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.  The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors also shall comply with TIA § 314(a)(4).

 

SECTION 3.18.          Further Instruments and Acts.  Upon the request of the Trustee, the Company will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purpose of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 3.19.          Statement by Officers as to Default.  The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Event of Default or an event which, with notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the details of such Event of Default or Default and the action which the Company is taking or proposing to take with respect thereto.

 

SECTION 3.20.          Suspended Covenants.  During any period when the Company has an Investment Grade Rating and no Default has occurred and is continuing under this Indenture (the “Covenant Suspension Period”), the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will not be subject to Sections 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7,3.8, clause (3) of Section 4.1 and Section 3.12 (collectively, the “Suspended Covenants”); provided that if the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries are not subject to the Suspended Covenants for any period of time as a result of the preceding portion of this sentence and, subsequently, either of the Rating Agencies withdraws its ratings or downgrades the ratings below the Investment Grade Ratings, or a Default (other than with respect to the Suspended Covenants) occurs and is continuing, the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries will thereafter again be subject to the Suspended Covenants, subject to the

 

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terms, conditions and obligations set forth in this Indenture (each such date of reinstatement being the “Reinstatement Date”). Compliance with the Suspended Covenants with respect to Restricted Payments made after the Reinstatement Date will be calculated in accordance with Section 3.4 as though such covenant had been in effect during the entire period of time from which the Securities are issued. However, all Restricted Payments made, Indebtedness incurred and other actions effected during any period in which covenants are suspended will not cause a default under this Indenture on any Reinstatement Date.

 

The Company will provide the Trustee with prompt written notice upon the commencement of a Covenant Suspension Period and of the occurrence of a Reinstatement Date. In addition, during any period when the Suspended Covenants are suspended the Company will not be permitted to designate or redesignate any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary.”

 

ARTICLE IV.

 

Successor Company

 

SECTION 4.1.            Merger and Consolidation.  The Company will not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all its assets to, any Person, unless:

 

(1)           the resulting, surviving or transferee Person (the “Successor Company”) will be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State of the United States or the District of Columbia and the Successor Company (if not the Company) will expressly assume, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and this Indenture;

 

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

 

(3)           immediately after giving effect to such transaction, either (a) the Successor Company would be able to Incur at least an additional $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to the first paragraph of Section 3.3, or (b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis and any related financing transactions as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four quarter period, the Consolidated Coverage Ratio of the Company is equal to or greater than the Consolidated Coverage Ratio of the Company immediately before such transaction;

 

(4)           each Subsidiary Guarantor (unless it is the other party to the transactions above, in which case clause (1) shall apply) shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its Subsidiary Guarantee shall apply to such Person’s obligations in respect of this Indenture and the Securities and its obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement shall continue to be in effect; and

 

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

 

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For purposes of this Section 4.1, the sale, lease, conveyance, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company, which properties and assets, if held by the Company instead of such Subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company.

 

The predecessor Company will be released from its obligations under this Indenture, and the Successor Company will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture, but, in the case of a lease of all or substantially all its assets, the predecessor Company will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Securities.

 

Notwithstanding the preceding clause (3), (x) any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate or merge with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and assets to the Company and (y) the Company may merge with an Affiliate incorporated solely for the purpose of reincorporating the Company in another jurisdiction to realize tax benefits; provided that, in the case of a Restricted Subsidiary that merges into the Company, the Company will not be required to comply with the preceding clause (5).

 

In addition, the Company will not permit any Subsidiary Guarantor to consolidate with or merge with or into any person (other than the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor) and will not permit the conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of any Subsidiary Guarantor unless:

 

(1)           (a) the resulting, surviving or transferee Person will be a corporation, partnership, trust or limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State of the United States or the District of Columbia and such Person (if not such Subsidiary Guarantor) will expressly assume, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, all the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee; (b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and treating any Indebtedness that becomes an obligation of the resulting, surviving or transferee Person or any Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been Incurred by such Person or such Restricted Subsidiary at the time of such transaction), no Default of Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and (c) the Company will have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture (if any) comply with this Indenture; or

 

(2)           the transaction is made in compliance with the provisions described under Section 3.7 and this Section 4.1.

 

ARTICLE V.

 

Redemption of Securities

 

SECTION 5.1.            Optional Redemption.  Except as described below, the Securities are not redeemable until April 1, 2015. On and after April 1, 2015, the Company may redeem all or, from time to time, a part of the Securities upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ written notice, at the following redemption prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities, if any, to the applicable redemption date (any such date, a “Redemption Date”) (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on April 1 of the years indicated below:

 

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Year
    	
 
    	
Percentage
    	
 
    
	
2015
    	
 
    	
103.875
    	
%
    
	
2016
    	
 
    	
101.938
    	
%
    
	
2017 and thereafter
    	
 
    	
100.000
    	
%
    

 

Prior to April 1, 2014, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the original principal amount of the Securities with the Net Cash Proceeds of one or more Equity Offerings at a redemption price of 107.750% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date); provided that

 

(1)           at least 65% of the original principal amount of the Securities remains outstanding after each such redemption; and

 

(2)           the redemption occurs within 90 days after the closing of such Equity Offering.

 

In addition, before April 1, 2015, the Company may redeem all or, from time to time, a part of the Securities upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ written notice, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus the Applicable Premium plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

 

If the optional Redemption Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, the accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the Person in whose name the Security is registered at the close of business, on such record date, and no additional interest will be payable to Holders whose Securities will be subject to redemption by the Company.

 

SECTION 5.2.            Applicability of Article.  Redemption of Securities at the election of the Company or otherwise, as permitted or required by any provision of this Indenture, shall be made in accordance with such provision and this Article.

 

SECTION 5.3.            Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.  The election of the Company to redeem any Securities pursuant to Section 5.1 shall be evidenced by a resolution of the Board of Directors.  In case of any redemption at the election of the Company, the Company shall, upon not later than the earlier of the date that is 45 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company or the date on which notice is given to the Holders (except as provided in Section 5.5 or unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and shall deliver to the Trustee such documentation and records as shall enable the Trustee to select the Securities to be redeemed pursuant to Section 5.4.

 

SECTION 5.4.            Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.  In the case of any partial redemption, selection of the Securities for redemption will be made by the Trustee in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which the Securities are listed or, if the Securities are not listed, then on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion will deem to be fair and appropriate and in accordance with the procedures of The Depository Trust Company, although no Security of $1,000 in original principal amount or less will be redeemed in part. If any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption relating to such Security will state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. A new Security in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Security.

 

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For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.

 

SECTION 5.5.            Notice of Redemption.  Notice of redemption shall be given by the Company not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed.  The Company may request the Trustee to give notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to the Trustee, at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), an Officers’ Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice at the Company’s expense and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the following items.

 

All notices of redemption shall state:

 

(1)           the Redemption Date,

 

(2)           the redemption price and the amount of accrued interest to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section 5.7, if any,

 

(3)           if less than all outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities (or portion thereof) to be redeemed, as well as the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be outstanding after such partial redemption,

 

(4)           in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice which relates to such Security shall state that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, the Holder will receive, without charge, a new Security or Securities of authorized denominations for the principal amount thereof remaining unredeemed,

 

(5)           that on the Redemption Date the redemption price (and accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section 5.7) will become due and payable upon each such Security, or the portion thereof, to be redeemed, and, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption payment, that interest on Securities called for redemption (or the portion thereof) will cease to accrue on and after said date,

 

(6)           the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price and accrued interest, if any,

 

(7)           the name and address of the Paying Agent,

 

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

 

(9)           the CUSIP number, and that no representation is made as to the accuracy or correctness of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities, and

 

(10)         the paragraph of this Indenture pursuant to which the Securities are to be redeemed.

 

SECTION 5.6.            Deposit of Redemption Price.  Prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time, on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if

 

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the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 2.4) an amount of money sufficient to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.

 

SECTION 5.7.            Securities Payable on Redemption Date.  Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the redemption price therein specified (together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date), and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the redemption price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest.  Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the redemption price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the rights of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

 

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate borne by the Securities.

 

SECTION 5.8.            Securities Redeemed in Part.  Any Security which is to be redeemed.  only in part (pursuant to the provisions of this Article) shall be surrendered at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 3.13 (with, if the Company or the Trustee so require, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company duly executed by, the Holder thereof or such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery to the Holder of such Security at the expense of the Company, a new Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in an aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered, provided, that each such new Security will be in a principal amount of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

ARTICLE VI.

 

Defaults and Remedies

 

SECTION 6.1.            Events of Default.  Each of the following is an “Event of Default”:

 

(1)           default in any payment of interest or additional interest (as required by the Registration Rights Agreement) on any Security when due, continued for 30 days;

 

(2)           default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any Security when due at its Stated Maturity, upon optional redemption, upon required repurchase, upon declaration or otherwise;

 

(3)           failure by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to comply with its obligations under Article IV;

 

(4)           failure by the Company to comply for 30 days after written notice with any of its obligations under Sections 3.2 through 3.12, inclusive, and 3.16 (in each case, other than a failure to purchase Securities which will constitute an Event of Default under clause (2) above and other than a failure to comply with Article IV which is covered by clause (3));

 

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(5)           failure by the Company to comply for 60 days after written notice with its other agreements contained in this Indenture;

 

(6)           default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), other than Indebtedness owed to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the date of this Indenture, which default:

 

(a)           is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness (“payment default”); or

 

(b)           results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its maturity (the “cross acceleration provision”);

 

and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a payment default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $25.0 million or more;

 

(7)           (a) the Company or a Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

 

(i)            commences a voluntary case or proceeding;

 

(ii)           consents to the entry of judgment, decree or order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding;

 

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

 

(iv)          makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;

 

(v)           consents to or acquiesces in the institution of a bankruptcy or an insolvency proceeding against it; or

 

(vi)          takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency; or

 

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

 

(i)            is for relief in an involuntary case against the Company or a Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law;

 

65

 

(ii)           appoints a Custodian for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or a Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law; or

 

(iii)          orders the winding up or liquidation of the Company or a Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law; and

 

(iv)          in each case the order, decree or relief remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days;

 

(8)           failure by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary to pay final judgments aggregating in excess of $25.0 million (net of any amounts that a reputable and creditworthy insurance company has acknowledged liability for in writing), which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days (the “judgment default provision”); or

 

(9)           any Subsidiary Guarantee of any Significant Subsidiary or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries would constitute a Significant Subsidiary shall cease to be in full force and effect (except as contemplated by the terms of this Indenture) or is declared to be null and void in a judicial proceeding; or any Subsidiary Guarantor that is a Significant Subsidiary or group of Subsidiary Guarantors that taken together as of the latest audited consolidated financial statements for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries would constitute a Significant Subsidiary denies or disaffirms its obligations under this Indenture or its Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

However, a Default under clauses (4) and (5) of this Section 6.1 will not constitute an Event of Default until the Trustee or the Holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities notify the Company of the Default and the Company does not cure such Default within the time specified in clauses (4) and (5) of this Section 6.1 after receipt of such written notice.

 

SECTION 6.2.            Acceleration.  If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default described in clause (7) of Section 6.1) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by written notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may, and the Trustee at the request of such Holders shall, declare the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all the Securities to be due and payable.  Upon such a declaration, such principal, premium and accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable immediately.  In the event of a declaration of acceleration of the Securities because an Event of Default described in clause (6) of Section 6.1 has occurred and is continuing, the declaration of acceleration of the Securities shall be automatically annulled if the Event of Default or payment default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (6) of Section 6.1 shall be remedied or cured by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or waived by the holders of the relevant Indebtedness within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if (1) the annulment of the acceleration of the Securities would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing Events of Default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the Securities that became

 

66

 

due solely because of the acceleration of the Securities, have been cured or waived.  If an Event of Default described in clause (7) of Section 6.1 above occurs and is continuing, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities may waive any or all past defaults (except with respect to nonpayment of principal, premium or interest) and rescind any such acceleration with respect to the Securities and its consequences if (1) rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities that have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived.

 

SECTION 6.3.            Other Remedies.  If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities or this Indenture.

 

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding.  A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Securityholder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default.  No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy.  All available remedies are cumulative.

 

SECTION 6.4.            Waiver of Past Defaults.  Subject to Section 6.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities by notice to the Trustee may (a) waive, by their consent (including, without limitation consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Securities), an existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences except (i) a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on a Security or (ii) a Default or Event of Default in respect of a provision that under Section 9.2 cannot be amended without the consent of each Securityholder affected and (b) rescind any such acceleration with respect to the Securities and its consequences if rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.  When a Default or Event of Default is waived, it is deemed cured, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any consequent right.

 

SECTION 6.5.            Control by Majority.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee.  However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture or, subject to Sections 7.1 and 7.2, that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Securityholders or would involve the Trustee in personal liability; provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction.  Prior to taking any action hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification satisfactory to it in its sole discretion against all losses and expenses caused by taking or not taking such action.

 

SECTION 6.6.            Limitation on Suits.  Subject to the provisions of this Indenture relating to the duties of the Trustee, if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense.  Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest when due, no Holder may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities unless:

 

67

 

(1)           such Holder has previously given to the Trustee written notice stating that an Event of Default is continuing;

 

(2)           Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities have requested that the Trustee pursue the remedy;

 

(3)           such Holders have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

 

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

 

(5)           the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities have not given the Trustee a written direction that, in the opinion of the Trustee, is inconsistent with such request within such 60-day period.

 

A Securityholder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Securityholder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Securityholder, it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders.

 

SECTION 6.7.            Rights of Holders to Receive Payment.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture (including, without limitation, Section 6.6), the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on the Securities held by such Holder, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Securities shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

 

SECTION 6.8.            Collection Suit by Trustee.  If an Event of Default specified in clauses (1) or (2) of Section 6.1 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount then due and owing (together with interest on any unpaid interest to the extent lawful) and the amounts provided for in Section 7.7.

 

SECTION 6.9.            Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.  The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and the Securityholders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company, its Subsidiaries or its or their respective creditors or properties and, unless prohibited by law or applicable regulations, may vote on behalf of the Holders in any election of a trustee in bankruptcy or other Person performing similar functions, and any Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and its counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.

 

SECTION 6.10.          Priorities.  If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

 

FIRST:  to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.7;

 

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

 

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THIRD:  to the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors.

 

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Securityholders pursuant to this Section 6.10.  At least 15 days before such record date, the Company (or the Trustee, at the Company’s request) shall mail to each Securityholder and the Trustee a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.

 

SECTION 6.11.          Undertaking for Costs.  In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant.  This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by the Company, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.7 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities.

 

SECTION 6.12.          Additional Payments.  In the case of any Event of Default occurring by reason of any willful action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by or on behalf of the Company with the intention of avoiding payment of the premium that the Company would have had to pay if the Company then had elected to redeem the Securities pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of this Indenture or was required to repurchase the Securities, an equivalent premium shall also become and be immediately due and payable to the extent permitted by law upon the acceleration of the Securities.

 

SECTION 6.13.          Waiver of Stay.  Each of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors covenant (to the extent permitted by applicable law) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead or in, any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which would prohibit or forgive the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor from paying all of any portion of the principal of (premium, if any, on) or interest on the Securities as contemplated herein, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) each of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby expressly waive all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that they will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

 

ARTICLE VII.

 

Trustee

 

SECTION 7.1.            Duties of Trustee.

 

(a)           If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent Person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such Person’s own affairs; provided that if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise the rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against loss, liability or expense.

 

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

 

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(1)           the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

(2)           in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates, opinions or orders furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture.  However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform on their face to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

 

(c)           The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(1)           this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.1;

 

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

 

(3)           the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.5.

 

(d)           Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 7.1.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(h)           Every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 7.1, and to the provisions of the TIA.

 

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

 

(j)            The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

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SECTION 7.2.            Rights of Trustee.  Subject to Section 7.1:

 

(a)           The Trustee may conclusively rely on any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person.  The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

 

(b)           Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel.  The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in conclusive reliance on an Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

 

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

 

(d)           The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, unless the Trustee’s conduct constitutes willful misconduct or negligence.

 

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

 

(f)            The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities, unless either (1) a Trust Officer shall have actual knowledge of such Default or Event of Default or (2) written notice of such Default or Event of Default shall have been given to the Trustee by the Company or by any Holder of the Securities and such notice references this Indenture and the Securities.

 

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

 

(h)           In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

 

(i)            The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

 

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

 

(k)           The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.

 

SECTION 7.3.            Individual Rights of Trustee.  The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or its

 

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Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.  Any Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or co-paying agent may do the same with like rights.  However, the Trustee must comply with Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

 

SECTION 7.4.            Trustee’s Disclaimer.  The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, it shall not be responsible for making any calculation with respect to any matter under this Indenture, and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the Company in this Indenture or in any document issued in connection with the sale of the Securities or in the Securities other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication.

 

SECTION 7.5.            Notice of Defaults.  If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee shall send to each Securityholder notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs and becomes actually known to the Trustee.  Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Security (including payments pursuant to the optional redemption or required repurchase provisions of such Security, if any), the Trustee may withhold notice if and so long as the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding notice is in the interests of Securityholders.

 

SECTION 7.6.            Reports by Trustee to Holders.  As promptly as practicable after each May 15 beginning with May 15, 2012 for so long as the Securities remain outstanding, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a brief report dated as of such May 15 that complies with TIA § 313(a).  The Trustee also shall comply with TIA § 313(b).  The Trustee shall also transmit by mail all reports required by TIA § 313(c).

 

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders shall be filed with the Commission and each stock exchange (if any) on which the Securities are listed.  The Company agrees to promptly notify the Trustee in writing whenever the Securities become listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.

 

SECTION 7.7.            Compensation and Indemnity.  The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree in writing.  The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust.  The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred or made by it, including costs of collection, costs of preparing and reviewing reports, certificates and other documents, costs of preparation and mailing of notices to Securityholders, in addition to the compensation for its services.  Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and experts.  The Company shall indemnify the Trustee against any and all loss, liability, damages, claims or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by it without negligence or willful misconduct on its part in connection with the administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture (including this Section 7.7) and of defending itself against any claims (whether asserted by any Securityholder, the Company or otherwise).  The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity.  Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder.  The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall provide reasonable cooperation at the Company’s expense in the defense.  The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel provided that the Company shall not be required to pay such fees and expenses if it assumes the Trustee’s defense, and, in the reasonable judgment of outside counsel to the Trustee, there is no conflict of interest between the Company and the Trustee in connection with such defense.  The Company shall not be under any obligation to pay for any written

 

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settlement without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably delayed, conditioned or withheld.  The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct or negligence.

 

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section 7.7, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee other than money or property held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities.

 

The Company’s payment obligations pursuant to this Section 7.7 shall survive the discharge of this Indenture.  When the Trustee incurs expenses after the occurrence of a Default specified in clause (7) of Section 6.1 with respect to the Company, the expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.  The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.7 shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee in writing and the termination, satisfaction or discharge of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 7.8.            Replacement of Trustee.  The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor Trustee.  The Company shall remove the Trustee if:

 

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

 

(2)           the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;

 

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

 

(4)           the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.

 

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

 

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company.  Thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture.  The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Securityholders.  The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7.

 

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

 

If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10, unless the Trustee’s duty to resign is stayed as provided in TIA § 310(b), any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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Notwithstanding the replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

 

SECTION 7.9.            Successor Trustee by Merger.  If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all its corporate trust business or assets to, another corporation or banking association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

 

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

 

SECTION 7.10.          Eligibility; Disqualification.  The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of TIA § 310(a).  The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million as set forth in its most recently published annual report of condition.  The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA § 310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA § 310(b)(1) are met.

 

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

 

ARTICLE VIII.

 

Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance

 

SECTION 8.1.            Discharge of Liability on Securities, Defeasance.

 

(a)           Subject to Section 8.1(c), when (i)(x) the Company delivers to the Trustee all outstanding Securities (other than Securities replaced pursuant to Section 2.7) for cancellation or (y) all outstanding Securities not theretofore delivered for cancellation have become due and payable or will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption pursuant to Article V hereof and the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor irrevocably deposits or causes to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders cash in U.S. dollars, U.S. Government Obligations, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient without consideration of any reinvestment of interest to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption; (ii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or shall occur as a result of such deposit and such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is bound (in each case, other than any breach of a covenant related to the Incurrence of Indebtedness used to fund the discharge of this Indenture); (iii) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable under

 

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this Indenture and the Securities; and (iv) the Company has delivered irrevocable written instructions to the Trustee under this Indenture to apply the deposited money toward the payment of such Securities at maturity or the Redemption Date, as the case may be, then the Trustee shall acknowledge satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture on demand of the Company (accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent specified herein relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with) and at the cost and expense of the Company.

 

(b)           Subject to Sections 8.1(c) and 8.2, the Company at any time may terminate (i) all its obligations under the Securities and this Indenture and all obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Subsidiary Guarantees and this Indenture (“legal defeasance option”), and after giving effect to such legal defeasance, any omission to comply with such obligations shall no longer constitute a Default or Event of Default or (ii) its obligations under Sections 3.2 through 3.12, inclusive, Section 3.16 and Section 4.1(3) and the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply with such covenants shall no longer constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.1(4) and 6.1(5) and the operation of Sections 6.1(6), 6.1(7) (but only with respect to Significant Subsidiaries), 6.1(8) and 6.1(9), and the events specified in such Sections shall no longer constitute an Event of Default (clause (ii) being referred to as the “covenant defeasance option”), but except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities shall be unaffected thereby.  The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option notwithstanding its prior exercise of its covenant defeasance option.

 

If the Company exercises its legal defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities, and the Subsidiary Guarantees in effect at such time shall terminate.  If the Company exercises its covenant defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4), 6.1(5), 6.1(6), 6.1(7) (but only with respect to Significant Subsidiaries), 6.1(8) or 6.1(9) or because of the failure of the Company to comply with Section 4.1(3).

 

Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth herein and upon request of the Company, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of those obligations that the Company terminates.

 

(c)           Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 8.1 (a) and (b), the Company’s obligations in Sections 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.13, 3.14, 6.7, 7.7, 7.8 and in this Article VIII shall survive until the Securities have been paid in full.  Thereafter, the Company’s obligations in Sections 7.7, 8.4 and 8.5 shall survive.

 

SECTION 8.2.            Conditions to Defeasance.  The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option only if:

 

(1)           the Company irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders money in U.S. dollars or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof sufficient (in the opinion of an independent firm of certified public accountants) for the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities to maturity or redemption, as the case may be;

 

(2)           the Company delivers to the Trustee a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of independent accountants expressing their opinion that the payments of principal and interest when due and without reinvestment on the deposited U.S. Government Obligations plus any deposited money without investment will provide cash at such times and in such amounts as will

 

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be sufficient to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest when due on all the Securities to maturity;

 

(3)           no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or, with respect to the Company under Section 6.1(7), on the 123rd day after such date of deposit (except as a result of any breach of covenants in connection with Incurring Indebtedness to fund such defeasance);

 

(4)           such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a Default under, this Indenture or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;

 

(5)           the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel (subject to customary assumptions and exclusions) to the effect that (A) the Securities and (B) assuming no intervening bankruptcy of the Company between the date of deposit and the 123rd day following the deposit and that no Holder of the Securities is an insider of the Company within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Law, after the 123rd day following the deposit, the trust funds will not be subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ right generally;

 

(6)           in the case of the legal defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel (subject to customary assumptions and exclusions) in the United States stating that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of this Indenture there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Securityholders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such legal defeasance had not occurred;

 

(7)           in the case of the covenant defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel (subject to customary assumptions and exclusions) in the United States to the effect that the Securityholders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred; and

 

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

 

SECTION 8.3.            Application of Trust Money.  The Trustee shall hold in trust money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to this Article VIII.  It shall apply the deposited money and the money from U.S. Government Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities.

 

SECTION 8.4.            Repayment to Company.  The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly turn over to the Company upon written request any excess money, U.S. Government Obligations or securities held by them upon payment of all the obligations under this Indenture.

 

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

 

SECTION 8.5.            Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations.  The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against deposited U.S. Government Obligations or the principal and interest received on such U.S. Government Obligations.

 

SECTION 8.6.            Reinstatement.  If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article VIII by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the obligations of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article VIII until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article VIII; provided, however, that, if the Company has made any payment of interest on or principal of any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

ARTICLE IX.

 

Amendments

 

SECTION 9.1.            Without Consent of Holders.  The Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee may amend this Indenture and the Securities without consent of any Securityholder:

 

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

 

(2)           to provide for the assumption by a Successor Company of an obligation of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor under this Indenture;

 

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

 

(4)           to add Guarantees with respect to the Securities or release a Subsidiary Guarantor upon its designation as an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the designation is in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;

 

(5)           to secure the Securities;

 

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

 

(7)           to make any change that does not adversely affect the legal rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;

 

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(8)           to comply with any requirement of the Commission in connection with the qualification of this Indenture, under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

(9)           to provide for the issuance of Exchange Securities which shall have terms substantially identical in all respects to the Securities (except that the transfer restrictions contained in the Securities shall be modified or eliminated as appropriate) and which shall be treated, together with any outstanding Securities, as a single class of securities;

 

(10)         to release a Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee or this Indenture in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture;

 

(11)         to provide for the appointment of a successor trustee; provided that the successor trustee is otherwise qualified and eligible to act as such under the terms of this Indenture; or

 

(12)         to conform any provision of this Indenture or the Securities to any provision of the section of the Offering Memorandum dated March 11, 2011 relating to the initial offering of the Securities captioned “Description of Notes” to the extent that such provision was intended to be substantially a verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture or the Securities, as provided in an Officers’ Certificate.

 

After an amendment under this Section 9.1 becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Securityholders a notice briefly describing such amendment.  The failure to give such notice to all Securityholders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section 9.1.

 

SECTION 9.2.            With Consent of Holders.  Except as provided below, this Indenture and the Securities may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Securities) and, except as provided below, any past default or compliance with any provisions may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Securities).  However, without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Security affected, no amendment, supplement or waiver may, among other things:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(4)           reduce the premium payable upon the redemption of any Security or change the time at which any Security may be redeemed as described under Article V, except as described under Section 3.7 or Section 3.9;

 

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

 

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

 

(7)           make any change in the amendment or waiver provisions which require each Holder’s consent; or

 

(8)           modify the Subsidiary Guarantees in any manner adverse to the Holders of the Securities.

 

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.  A consent to any amendment or waiver under this Indenture by any Holder of the Securities given in connection with a tender of such Holder’s Securities will not be rendered invalid by such tender.

 

After an amendment under this Section 9.2 becomes effective, the Company shall send to Securityholders a written notice briefly describing such amendment.  The failure to give such notice to all Securityholders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section 9.2.

 

SECTION 9.3.            Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.  Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.

 

SECTION 9.4.            Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers.  A consent to an amendment or a waiver by a Holder of a Security shall bind the Holder and every subsequent Holder of that Security or portion of the Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent or waiver is not made on the Security.  However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent or waiver as to such Holder’s Security or portion of the Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective.  After an amendment or waiver becomes effective, it shall bind every Securityholder.  An amendment or waiver shall become effective upon receipt by the Trustee of the requisite number of written consents under Section 9.1 or 9.2 as applicable.

 

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

 

SECTION 9.5.            Notation on or Exchange of Securities.  If an amendment changes the terms of a Security, the Trustee may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to the Trustee.  The Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security regarding the changed terms and return it to the Holder.  Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects the changed terms.  Failure to make the appropriate notation or to issue a new Security shall not affect the validity of such amendment.

 

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SECTION 9.6.            Trustee To Sign Amendments.  The Trustee shall sign any amendment authorized pursuant to this Article IX if the amendment does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee.  If it does, the Trustee may but need not sign it.  In signing such amendment the Trustee shall be entitled to receive indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it and shall receive, in addition to the documents required by Section 11.4, and (subject to Sections 7.1 and 7.2) shall be fully protected in conclusively relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that such amendment is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

ARTICLE X.

 

Subsidiary Guarantee

 

SECTION 10.1.          Subsidiary Guarantee.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby fully and unconditionally guarantees, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, jointly and severally with each other Subsidiary Guarantor, to each Holder of the Securities and the Trustee the full and punctual payment when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities and all other obligations and liabilities of the Company under this Indenture (all the foregoing being hereinafter collectively called the “Obligations”).  Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees (to the extent permitted by law) that the Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice or further assent from it, and that it will remain bound under this Article X notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Obligation.

 

Each Subsidiary Guarantor waives presentation to, demand of payment from and protest to the Company of any of the Obligations and also waives notice of protest for nonpayment.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor waives notice of any default under the Securities or the Obligations.  The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be affected by (a) the failure of any Holder to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against the Company or any other person under this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement or otherwise; (b) any extension or renewal of any thereof; (c) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement; (d) the release of any security held by any Holder or the Trustee for the Obligations or any of them; (e) the failure of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy against any other Subsidiary Guarantor; or (f) any change in the ownership of the Company.

 

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

 

Except as expressly set forth in Sections 8.1(b) and 10.2, the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason (other than payment of the Obligations in full), including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense of setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever or by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Obligations or otherwise.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor herein shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of any Holder to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the Obligations, or by any other act or thing or omission or delay to do any other act or thing which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Subsidiary Guarantor or would otherwise operate as a discharge of such Subsidiary Guarantor as a matter of law or equity.

 

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

 

In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Holder has at law or in equity against any Subsidiary Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay any of the Obligations when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Holders an amount equal to the sum of (i) the unpaid amount of such Obligations then due and owing and (ii) accrued and unpaid interest on such Obligations then due and owing (but only to the extent not prohibited by law) and except as provided in Section 10.2.

 

Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that, as between such Subsidiary Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Holders, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the Obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in this Indenture for the purposes of its Subsidiary Guarantee herein, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Obligations guaranteed hereby and (y) in the event of any such declaration of acceleration of such Obligations, such Obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Subsidiary Guarantor for the purposes of this Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

SECTION 10.2.          Limitation on Liability; Termination, Release and Discharge.

 

(a)           The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder will be limited as set forth in Section 10.3.

 

(b)           Subject to Section 3.7 and Article IV, each Subsidiary Guarantor may consolidate with or merge into or sell all or substantially all of its property and assets to the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor without limitation.  Upon the sale or disposition of a Subsidiary Guarantor (by merger, consolidation, the sale of its Capital Stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its properties and assets (other than by lease)), whether or not the Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction, to a Person (whether or not an Affiliate of the Subsidiary Guarantor) which is not the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, which sale or disposition is otherwise in compliance with Section 3.7 such Subsidiary Guarantor will be deemed released from its Subsidiary Guarantee and its obligations under this Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement; provided, however, that any such termination will occur only to the extent that all obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and any other agreements relating to any other Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries will also terminate upon such release, sale or transfer.

 

(c)           A Subsidiary Guarantor will be deemed released and relieved of its obligations under this Indenture, its Subsidiary Guarantee and the Registration Rights Agreement without any further action required on the part of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor (i) upon the designation of such Subsidiary Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of this Indenture, (ii) if the Subsidiary Guarantor is dissolved or liquidated in accordance with Section 3.14, (iii) in connection with a legal or covenant defeasance in accordance with Article VIII or (iv) if such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary.

 

SECTION 10.3.          Limitation of Subsidiary Guarantors’ Liability.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor, and by its acceptance hereof each Holder, hereby confirm that it is the intention of all such parties that the guarantee by such Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to its Subsidiary Guarantee not constitute a 

 

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fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar Federal or state law.  To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders and each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities (including, but not limited to, Guarantor Senior Indebtedness) of such Subsidiary Guarantor and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to Section 10.4 hereof, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting such a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer.  This Section 10.3 is for the benefit of the creditors of each Subsidiary Guarantor.

 

SECTION 10.4.          Contribution.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby agrees that to the extent that any Subsidiary Guarantor shall have paid more than its proportionate share of any payment made on the obligations under the Subsidiary Guarantees, such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be entitled to seek and receive contribution from and against the Company or any other Subsidiary Guarantor who has not paid its proportionate share of such payment.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor’s right of contribution shall be subject to the terms and conditions of Section 3.6.  The provisions of this Section 10.4 shall in no respect limit the obligations and liabilities of each Subsidiary Guarantor to the Trustee and the Holders, and each Subsidiary Guarantor shall remain liable to the Trustee and the Holders for the full amount guaranteed by such Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder.

 

ARTICLE XI.

 

Miscellaneous

 

SECTION 11.1.          Trust Indenture Act Controls.  If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, the provision required by the TIA shall control.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor, in addition to performing its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee, shall perform such other obligations as may be imposed upon it with respect to this Indenture under the TIA.

 

SECTION 11.2.          Notices.  Any notice or communication shall be in writing (including facsimile) and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail addressed as follows:

 

if to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor:  
 Clayton Williams Energy, Inc.  
 Claydesta Center
 Six Desta Drive, Suite 6500
 Midland, Texas 79705
 Attention:  Chief Financial Officer

 

if to the Trustee:
 Wells Fargo Bank, National Association 
 625 Marquette Avenue 
 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 
 Attention:  Corporate Trust Services - Administrator for 

Clayton Williams Energy

 

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

 

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Any notice or communication mailed to a registered Securityholder may be mailed to the Securityholder at the Securityholder’s address as it appears on the registration books of the Registrar and shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the time prescribed.  Any notice or communication shall also be mailed to any Person described in TIA § 313(c), to the extent required by the TIA.

 

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

 

SECTION 11.3.          Communication by Holders with other Holders.  Securityholders may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities.  The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

 

SECTION 11.4.          Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.  Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take or refrain from taking any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

 

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

 

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

 

SECTION 11.5.          Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.  Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a covenant or condition provided for in this Indenture shall include:

 

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

 

(2)           a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

 

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

 

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

 

In giving such Opinion of Counsel, counsel may rely as to factual matters on an Officers’ Certificate or on certificates of public officials.

 

SECTION 11.6.          When Securities Disregarded.  In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Securities owned by the Company or by any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that, for the purpose of determining whether a Trust Officer of the Trustee shall be protected in conclusively relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities which a Trust 

 

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Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.  Also, subject to the foregoing, only Securities outstanding at the time shall be considered in any such determination.

 

SECTION 11.7.          Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar.  The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by, or a meeting of, Securityholders.  The Registrar and the Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.

 

SECTION 11.8.          Legal Holidays.  A “Legal Holiday” is a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which commercial banking institutions are authorized or required to be closed in New York City or the place of payment.  If a payment date is a Legal Holiday, payment shall be made on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.  If a regular record date is a Legal Holiday, the record date shall not be affected.

 

SECTION 11.9.          GOVERNING LAW.  THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

SECTION 11.10.        No Recourse Against Others.  An incorporator, director, officer, employee, stockholder or controlling person, as such, of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the Securities, this Indenture or the Subsidiary Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.  By accepting a Security, each Securityholder shall waive and release all such liability.  The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

SECTION 11.11.        Successors.  All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind their respective successors.  All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors.

 

SECTION 11.12.        Multiple Originals.  The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture.  Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.  One signed copy is enough to prove this Indenture. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes.  Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

SECTION 11.13.        Qualification of Indenture.  The Company shall qualify this Indenture under the TIA in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Registration Rights Agreement and shall pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses for the Company, the Trustee and the Holders) incurred in connection therewith, including, but not limited to, costs and expenses of qualification of this Indenture and the Securities and printing this Indenture and the Securities.  The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Company any such Officers’ Certificates or other documentation as it may reasonably request in connection with any such qualification of this Indenture under the TIA.

 

SECTION 11.14.        Severability.  In case any provision of this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

SECTION 11.15.        Table of Contents; Headings.  The table of contents, cross-reference sheet and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of

 

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reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof and shall not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

 

SECTION 11.16.        U.S.A. Patriot Act.  The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee.  The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

 

SECTION 11.17.        Force Majeure.  In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

 

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

 

	
 
    	
Very   truly yours,
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Michael L. Pollard
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Michael   L. Pollard 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President and Chief
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Financial   Officer
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
SOUTHWEST ROYALTIES, INC.
    
	
 
    	
WARRIOR GAS CO.
    
	
 
    	
CWEI ACQUISITIONS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
ROMERE PASS ACQUISITION L.L.C.
    
	
 
    	
CWEI ROMERE PASS ACQUISITION CORP.
    
	
 
    	
BLUE HEEL COMPANY
    
	
 
    	
TEX-HAL PARTNERS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
DESTA DRILLING GP, LLC
    
	
 
    	
DESTA DRILLING GP, LLC as General Partner of
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Desta Drilling, L.P.
    
	
 
    	
WEST COAST ENERGY PROPERTIES GP, LLC
    
	
 
    	
CLAJON INDUSTRIAL GAS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
CLAYTON   WILLIAMS PIPELINE CORPORATION
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Michael L. Pollard
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Michael   L. Pollard 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President and Chief
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Financial   Officer
    

 

[Signature Page - Indenture]

 

 

	
 
    	
WELLS   FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
    
	
 
    	
as   Trustee
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Lynn M. Steiner
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Lynn   M. Steiner
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice   President
    

 

[Signature Page - Indenture]

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

[FORM OF FACE OF UNREGISTERED NOTE]

 

[Applicable Restricted Securities Legend]
 [Depository Legend, if applicable]

 

	
No.   [
    	
 
    	
Principal Amount   $[                    ]
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
CUSIP NO.   [              ]
    

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.

 

7.75% Senior Notes due 2019

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC., a Delaware corporation, promises to pay to [              ], or registered assigns, the principal sum of [    ] Dollars, on April 1, 2019.

 

Interest Payment Dates:  April 1 and October 1
 Record Dates:  March 15 and September 15

 

Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the other side of this Security.

 

A-1

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
CLAYTON   WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
TRUSTEE’S   CERTIFICATE OF 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
  AUTHENTICATION
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
WELLS   FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
as   Trustee, certifies
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
that   this is one of
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
the   Securities referred
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
to   in the Indenture.
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Date:  [         ]
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

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[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF UNREGISTERED NOTE]

 

7.75% Senior Notes due 2019

 

1.             Interest

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC., a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being herein called the “Company”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Security at the rate per annum shown above.

 

The Company will pay interest semiannually on April 1 and October 1 of each year commencing October 1, 2011. Interest on the Securities will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid on the Securities or, if no interest has been paid, from March 16, 2011. The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal or premium, if any (plus interest on such interest to the extent lawful), at the rate borne by the Securities to the extent lawful. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

 

2.             Method of Payment

 

By no later than 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date on which any principal of or interest on any Security is due and payable, the Company shall irrevocably deposit with the Trustee or the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay such principal, premium, if any, and/or interest.  The Company will pay interest (except Defaulted Interest) to the Persons who are registered Holders of Securities at the close of business on the March 15 or September 15 next preceding the interest payment date even if Securities are cancelled, repurchased or redeemed after the record date and on or before the interest payment date.  Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments.  The Company will pay principal and interest in money of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.  Payments in respect of Securities represented by a Global Security (including principal, premium, if any, and interest) will be made by the transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by The Depository Trust Company.  The Company shall make all payments in respect of a Definitive Security (including principal, premium, if any, and interest) at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, each installment of interest may be paid by (i) check mailed to addresses of the Persons entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register or (ii) wire transfer to an account located in the United States maintained by the payee.

 

3.             Paying Agent and Registrar

 

Initially, WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (the “Trustee”) will act as Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar.  The Company may appoint and change any Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar without notice to any Securityholder.  The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.

 

4.             Indenture

 

The Company issued the Securities under an Indenture dated as of March 16, 2011 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee.  The terms of the Securities include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C.  §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of the Indenture (the “Trust Indenture Act”; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act is amended after such date, “Trust 

 

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Indenture Act” shall mean, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended).  Capitalized terms used herein and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture.  The Securities are subject to all such terms, and Securityholders are referred to the Indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a statement of those terms.

 

The Securities are general unsecured senior obligations of the Company.  The aggregate principal amount of securities that may be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture is unlimited.  This Security is one of the 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 referred to in the Indenture.  The Securities include (i) $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 issued under the Indenture on March 16, 2011 (herein called “Initial Securities”), (ii) if and when issued, additional 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 of the Company that may be issued from time to time under the Indenture subsequent to March 16, 2011 (herein called “Additional Securities”) and (iii) if and when issued, the Company’s 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 that may be issued from time to time under the Indenture in exchange for Initial Securities or Additional Securities in an offer registered under the Securities Act as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement.  The Initial Securities, Additional Securities and Exchange Securities are treated as a single class of securities under the Indenture.

 

To guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities and all other amounts payable by the Company under the Indenture and the Securities when and as the same shall be due and payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, according to the terms of the Securities and the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantors have unconditionally guaranteed (and future Subsidiary Guarantors, together with the Subsidiary Guarantors, will unconditionally guarantee), jointly and severally, such obligations on a unsecured senior basis pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.

 

5.             Redemption

 

The Securities are redeemable as provided for in Article V of the Indenture.

 

6.             Repurchase Provisions

 

(a)           Upon a Change of Control, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase all or any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of the Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date) as provided in, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture.

 

(b)           In the event of an Asset Disposition that requires the purchase of Securities pursuant to Section 3.7 of the Indenture, the Company will be required to apply such Excess Proceeds to the offer to purchase of the Securities and any Pari Passu Securities in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 3.7 of the Indenture.

 

7.             Denominations; Transfer; Exchange

 

The Securities are in registered form without coupons in denominations of principal amount of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.  A Holder may transfer or exchange Securities in accordance with the Indenture.  The Registrar may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture.  The Registrar need not register the transfer of or exchange of any Security for a period beginning (i) 15 days before the mailing of a notice of repurchase or redemption of Securities to be repurchased or redeemed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing (except, in the 

 

A-4

 

case of Securities to be redeemed in part, the portion of the Security not to be redeemed) or (ii) 15 days before an interest payment date and ending on such interest payment date

 

8.             Persons Deemed Owners

 

The registered Holder of this Security may be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.

 

9.             Unclaimed Money

 

If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company at its request unless an abandoned property law designates another Person.  After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look only to the Company and not to the Trustee for payment.

 

10.           Defeasance

 

Subject to certain conditions set forth in the Indenture, the Company at any time may terminate some or all of its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the Company deposits with the Trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof sufficient (in the opinion of an independent firm of certified public accountants) for the payment of principal and interest on the Securities to redemption or maturity, as the case may be.

 

11.           Amendment, Waiver, Defaults and Remedies

 

The Indenture may be amended as provided in Article IX of the Indenture.

 

Securityholders may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities except as provided in the Indenture.  The Trustee may refuse to enforce the Indenture or the Securities unless it receives reasonable indemnity or security.  Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power.  The Trustee may withhold from Securityholders notice of any continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest.

 

12.           Trustee Dealings with the Company

 

Subject to certain limitations set forth in the Indenture, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company or its affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.

 

13.           No Recourse Against Others

 

An incorporator, director, officer, employee, stockholder or controlling person, as such, of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the Securities, the Indenture or the Subsidiary Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.  By accepting a Security, each Securityholder waives and releases all such liability.  The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

A-5

 

14.           Authentication

 

This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent acting on its behalf) manually signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Security.

 

15.           Abbreviations

 

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Securityholder or an assignee, such as TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entirety), JT TEN (= joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= custodian) and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gift to Minors Act).

 

16.           CUSIP Numbers

 

Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Securityholders.  No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

 

17.           Governing Law

 

This Security shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

The Company will furnish to any Securityholder upon written request and without charge to the Securityholder a copy of the Indenture, which has in it the text of this Security.  Requests may be made to:

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
 Claydesta Center
 Six Desta Drive, Suite 6500
 Midland, Texas 79705
 Attention:  Chief Financial Officer

 

A-6

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

 

I or we assign and transfer this Security to

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
(Print   or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
(Insert   assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)
    
				

 

and irrevocably appoint                              agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company.  The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Your
    	
 
    
	
Date:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Signature:
    	
 
    
					

 

	
Signature
    	
 
    
	
Guarantee:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
(Signature must be guaranteed)
    

 

Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security.

 

The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.

 

In connection with any transfer or exchange of any of the Securities evidenced by this certificate occurring prior to the date that is one year after the later of the date of original issuance of such Securities and the, last date, if any, on which such Securities were owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, the undersigned confirms that such Securities are being:

 

CHECK ONE BOX BELOW:

 

	
1
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
acquired   for the undersigned’s own account, without transfer; or
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
2
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
transferred   to the Company; or
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
3
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
transferred   pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of   1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); or
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
4
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
transferred   pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act; or
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
5
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
transferred   pursuant to and in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act; or
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
6
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
transferred   to an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1),   (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act), that has furnished to   the Trustee a signed letter
    

 

A-7

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
containing   certain representations and agreements (the form of which letter appears as Exhibit C   of the Indenture); or
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
7
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
transferred   pursuant to another available exemption from the registration requirements of   the Securities Act of 1933.
    

 

Unless one of the boxes is checked, the Trustee will refuse to register any of the Securities evidenced by this certificate in the name of any person other than the registered Holder thereof; provided, however, that if box (5), (6) or (7) is checked, the Trustee or the Company may require, prior to registering any such transfer of the Securities, in their sole discretion, such legal opinions, certifications and other information as the Trustee or the Company may reasonably request to confirm that such transfer is being made pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, such as the exemption provided by Rule 144 under such Act.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Signature
    
	
Signature   Guarantee:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Signature   must be guaranteed)
    	
 
    	
Signature
    

 

The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.

 

TO BE COMPLETED BY PURCHASER IF (1) OR (3) ABOVE IS CHECKED.

 

The undersigned represents and warrants that it is purchasing this Security for its own account or an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is aware that the sale to it is being made in reliance on Rule 144A and acknowledges that it has received such information regarding the Company as the undersigned has requested pursuant to Rule 144A or has determined not to request such information and that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon the undersigned’s foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Dated:
    	
 
    

 

A-8

 

[TO BE ATTACHED TO GLOBAL SECURITIES]

 

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL SECURITY

 

The following increases or decreases in this Global Security have been made:

 

	
Date of
   Exchange
    	
 
    	
Amount of decrease
   in Principal Amount
   of this Global
   Security
    	
 
    	
Amount of Increase
   in Principal Amount
   of this Global
   Security
    	
 
    	
Principal Amount of
   this Global Security
   following such
   decrease or increase
    	
 
    	
Signature of
   authorized signatory
   of Trustee or
   Securities Custodian
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

A-9

 

OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

 

If you want to elect to have this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 3.7 or 3.9 of the Indenture, check either box:

 

	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    	
o
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
3.7
    	
 
    	
3.9
    	
 
    

 

If you want to elect to have only part of this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 3.7 or 3.9 of the Indenture, state the amount in principal amount (must be integral multiple of $1,000):  $

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Your
    	
 
    
	
Date:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Signature:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(Sign   exactly as your name appears on the other side of the Security)
    

 

 

	
Signature
    	
 
    
	
Guarantee:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
(Signature   must be guaranteed)
    

 

The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.

 

A-10

 

EXHIBIT B

 

[FORM OF FACE OF REGISTERED NOTE]
 [Depository Legend, if applicable]

 

	
No. [         ]
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Principal Amount   $[                    ]
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
CUSIP NO.   [              ]
    

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.

 

7.75% Senior Notes due 2019

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC., a Delaware corporation, promises to pay to [                 ], or registered assigns, the principal sum of [          ] Dollars, on April 1, 2019.

 

Interest Payment Dates:  April 1 and October 1
 Record Dates:  March 15 and September 15

 

Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the other side of this Security.

 

B-1

 

	
 
    	
CLAYTON   WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
TRUSTEE’S   CERTIFICATE OF
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
AUTHENTICATION
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
WELLS   FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
as   Trustee, certifies
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
that   this is one of
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
the   Securities referred
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
to   in the Indenture.
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Authorized Signatory
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Date:   [         ]
    	
 
    	
 
    
							

 

B-2

 

[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF REGISTERED NOTE]

7.75% Senior Notes due 2019

 

1.             Interest

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC., a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being herein called the “Company”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Security at the rate per annum shown above.

 

The Company will pay interest semiannually on April 1 and October 1 of each year commencing October 1, 2011.  Interest on the Securities will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid on the Securities or, if no interest has been paid, from March 16, 2011.  The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal or premium, if any (plus interest on such interest to the extent lawful), at the rate borne by the Securities to the extent lawful.  Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

 

2.             Method of Payment

 

By no later than 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date on which any principal of or interest on any Security is due and payable, the Company shall irrevocably deposit with the Trustee or the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay such principal, premium, if any, and/or interest.  The Company will pay interest (except Defaulted Interest) to the Persons who are registered Holders of Securities at the close of business on the March 15 or September 15 next preceding the interest payment date even if Securities are cancelled, repurchased or redeemed after the record date and on or before the interest payment date.  Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments.  The Company will pay principal and interest in money of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.  Payments in respect of Securities represented by a Global Security (including principal, premium, if any, and interest) will be made by the transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by The Depository Trust Company.  The Company shall make all payments in respect of a Definitive Security (including principal, premium, if any, and interest) at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, each installment of interest may be paid by (i) check mailed to addresses of the Persons entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register or (ii) wire transfer to an account located in the United States maintained by the payee.

 

3.             Paying Agent and Registrar

 

Initially, WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (the “Trustee”) will act as Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar.  The Company may appoint and change any Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar without notice to any Securityholder.  The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.

 

4.             Indenture

 

The Company issued the Securities under an Indenture dated as of March 16, 2011 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee.  The terms of the Securities include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of the Indenture (the “Trust Indenture 

 

B-3

 

Act”; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” shall mean, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended).  Capitalized terms used herein and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture.  The Securities are subject to all such terms, and Securityholders are referred to the Indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a statement of those terms.

 

The Securities are general unsecured senior obligations of the Company.  The aggregate principal amount of securities that may be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture is unlimited.  This Security is one of the 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 referred to in the Indenture.  The Securities include (i) $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 issued under the Indenture on March 16, 2011 (herein called “Initial Securities”), (ii) if and when issued, additional 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 of the Company that may be issued from time to time under the Indenture subsequent to March 16, 2011 (herein called “Additional Securities”) and (iii) if and when issued, the Company’s 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 that may be issued from time to time under the Indenture in exchange for Initial Securities or Additional Securities in an offer registered under the Securities Act as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement.  The Initial Securities, Additional Securities and Exchange Securities are treated as a single class of securities under the Indenture.

 

To guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities and all other amounts payable by the Company under the Indenture and the Securities when and as the same shall be due and payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, according to the terms of the Securities and the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantors have unconditionally guaranteed (and future Subsidiary Guarantors, together with the Subsidiary Guarantors, will unconditionally guarantee), jointly and severally, such obligations on a unsecured senior basis pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.

 

5.             Redemption

 

The Securities are redeemable as provided for in Article V of the Indenture.

 

6.             Repurchase Provisions

 

(a)           Upon a Change of Control, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase all or any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of the Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date) as provided in, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture.

 

(b)           In the event of an Asset Disposition that requires the purchase of Securities pursuant to Section 3.7(b) of the Indenture, the Company will be required to apply such Excess Proceeds to the offer to purchase of the Securities and any Pari Passu Securities in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 3.7 of the Indenture.

 

7.             Denominations; Transfer; Exchange

 

The Securities are in registered form without coupons in denominations of principal amount of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.  A Holder may transfer or exchange Securities in accordance with the Indenture.  The Registrar may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture.  The Registrar need not register the transfer of or exchange of any Security for a period beginning (i) 15 days before the mailing of a notice of repurchase or redemption of Securities to

 

B-4

 

be repurchased or redeemed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing (except, in the case of Securities to be redeemed in part, the portion of the Security not to be redeemed) or (ii) 15 days before an interest payment date and ending on such interest payment date

 

8.             Persons Deemed Owners

 

The registered Holder of this Security may be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.

 

9.             Unclaimed Money

 

If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company at its request unless an abandoned property law designates another Person.  After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look only to the Company and not to the Trustee for payment.

 

10.           Defeasance

 

Subject to certain conditions set forth in the Indenture, the Company at any time may terminate some or all of its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the Company deposits with the Trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof sufficient (in the opinion of an independent firm of certified public accountants) for the payment of principal and interest on the Securities to redemption or maturity, as the case may be.

 

11.           Amendment, Waiver, Defaults and Remedies

 

The Indenture may be amended as provided in Article IX of the Indenture.

 

Securityholders may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities except as provided in the Indenture.  The Trustee may refuse to enforce the Indenture or the Securities unless it receives reasonable indemnity or security.  Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power.  The Trustee may withhold from Securityholders notice of any continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest.

 

12.           Trustee Dealings with the Company

 

Subject to certain limitations set forth in the Indenture, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company or its affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.

 

13.           No Recourse Against Others

 

An incorporator, director, officer, employee, stockholder or controlling person, as such, of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the Securities, the Indenture or the Subsidiary Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.  By accepting a Security, each Securityholder waives and releases all such liability.  The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

B-5

 

14.           Authentication

 

This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent acting on its behalf) manually signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Security.

 

15.           Abbreviations

 

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Securityholder or an assignee, such as TEN COM (tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entirety), JT TEN (= joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= custodian) and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gift to Minors Act).

 

16.           CUSIP Numbers

 

Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Securityholders.  No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

 

17.           Governing Law

 

This Security shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

The Company will furnish to any Securityholder upon written request and without charge to the Securityholder a copy of the Indenture, which has in it the text of this Security.  Requests may be made to:

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
 Claydesta Center
 Six Desta Drive, Suite 6500
 Midland, Texas 79705
 Attention:  Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
 Officer

 

B-6

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

	
 
    	
To assign this Security, fill in the form below:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
I or we assign and transfer this Security to
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip   code)
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
and   irrevocably appoint                            agent   to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may   substitute another to act for him.
    
				

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Your
    
	
Date:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Signature:
    	
 
    

 

	
Signature   Guarantee:
    	    
 
    
    
	
 
    	
(Signature   must be guaranteed)
    

 

Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security.

 

The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.

 

B-7

 

[TO BE ATTACHED TO GLOBAL SECURITIES] 

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL SECURITY

The following increases or decreases in this Global Security have been made:

 

	
Date of 
   Exchange
    	
 
    	
Amount of decrease in

Principal Amount of this

Global Security
    	
 
    	
Amount of Increase in 
   Principal Amount of this 
   Global Security
    	
 
    	
Principal Amount of this 
   Global Security following 
   such decrease or
   increase
    	
 
    	
Signature of authorized 
   signatory of Trustee or 
   Securities Custodian
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

B-8

 

OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

 

If you want to elect to have this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 3.7 or 3.9 of the Indenture, check either box:

 

o            o

3.7           3.9

 

If you want to elect to have only part of this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 3.7 or 3.9 of the Indenture, state the amount in principal amount (must be integral multiple of $1,000):  $

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Your
    	
 
    
	
Date:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Signature:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(Sign   exactly as your name appears on the other side of the Security)
    

 

	
Signature   Guarantee:
    	    
 
    
    
	
 
    	
(Signature   must be guaranteed)
    

 

The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.

 

B-9

 

EXHIBIT C

 

[FORM OF CERTIFICATE TO BE DELIVERED IN CONNECTION WITH TRANSFERS TO
 INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTORS].

 

[Date]

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
 c/o Wells Fargo Bank — DAPS Reorg.

MAC N9303-121

608 2nd Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55479

Telephone No.: (877) 872-4605

Fax No.: (866) 969-1290

Email: DAPSReorg@wellsfargo.com

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

This certificate is delivered to request a transfer of $    principal amount of the 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 (the “Securities”) of CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC. (the “Company”).

 

Upon transfer, the Securities would be registered in the name of the new beneficial owner as follows:

 

	
 
    	
Name:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Address:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Taxpayer   ID
    
	
 
    	
Number:
    	
 
    	
 
    
						

 

The undersigned represents and warrants to you that:

 

1.             We are an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)) purchasing for our own account or for the account of such an institutional “accredited investor” at least $250,000 principal amount of the Securities, and we are acquiring the Securities not with a view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution in violation of the Securities Act.  We have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risk of our investment in the Securities and we invest in or purchase securities similar to the Securities in the normal course of our business.  We and any accounts for which we are acting are each able to bear the economic risk of our or its investment.

 

2.             We understand that the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and, unless so registered, may not be sold except as permitted in the following sentence.  We agree on our own behalf and on behalf of any investor account for which we are purchasing Securities to offer, sell or otherwise transfer such Securities prior to the date that is one year after the later of the date of original issue and the last date on which the Company or any affiliate of the Company was the owner of such Securities 

 

C-1

 

(or any predecessor thereto) (the “Resale Restriction Termination Date”) only (a) to the Company, (b) pursuant to a registration statement which has been declared effective under the Securities Act, (c) in a transaction complying with the requirements of Rule 144A under the Securities Act, to a person we reasonably believe is a qualified institutional buyer under Rule 144A (a “QIB”) that purchases for its own account or for the account of a QIB and to whom notice is given that the transfer is being made in reliance on Rule 144A, (d) pursuant to offers and sales that occur outside the United States within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (e) to an institutional “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act that is purchasing for its own account or for the account of such an institutional “accredited investor,” in each case in a minimum principal amount of Securities of $250,000 or (f) pursuant to any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, subject in each of the foregoing cases to any requirement of law that the disposition of our property or the property of such investor account or accounts be at all times within our or their control and in compliance with any applicable state securities laws.  The foregoing restrictions on resale will not apply subsequent to the Resale Restriction Termination Date.  If any resale or other transfer of the Securities is proposed to be made pursuant to clause (e) above prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date, the transferor shall deliver a letter from the transferee substantially in the form of this letter to the Company and the Trustee, which shall provide, among other things, that the transferee is an institutional “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act) and that it is acquiring such Securities for investment purposes and not for distribution in violation of the Securities Act.  Each purchaser acknowledges that the Company and the Trustee reserve the right prior to any offer, sale or other transfer prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date of the Securities pursuant to clauses (d), (e) or (f) above to require the delivery of an opinion of counsel, certifications and/or other information satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee.

 

	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
TRANSFEREE:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
BY:
    	
 
    
				

 

C-2

 

EXHIBIT D

 

[FORM OF CERTIFICATE TO BE DELIVERED IN CONNECTION WITH TRANSFERS
 PURSUANT TO REGULATION S]

 

	
 
    	
[Date]
    

 

CLAYTON WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
 c/o Wells Fargo Bank — DAPS Reorg.

MAC N9303-121

608 2nd Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55479

Telephone No.: (877) 872-4605

Fax No.: (866) 969-1290

Email: DAPSReorg@wellsfargo.com

 

	
Re:
    	
CLAYTON   WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
7.75%   Senior Notes due 2019 (the
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
“Securities”)
    	
 
    

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

In connection with our proposed sale of $           aggregate principal amount of the Securities, we confirm that such sale has been effected pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, accordingly, we represent that:

 

(a)                                  the offer of the Securities was not made to a person in the United States;

 

(b)                                 either (i) at the time the buy order was originated, the transferee was outside the United States or we and any person acting on our behalf reasonably believed that the transferee was outside the United States or (ii) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated off-shore securities market and neither we nor any person acting on our behalf knows that the transaction has been pre-arranged with a buyer in the United States;

 

(c)                                  no directed selling efforts have been made in the United States in contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule 904(b) of Regulation S, as applicable; and

 

(d)                                 the transaction is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

 

In addition, if the sale is made during a restricted period and the provisions of Rule 903(c)(3) or Rule 904(c) (1) of Regulation S are applicable thereto, we confirm that such sale has been made in accordance with the applicable provisions of Rule 903(c)(3) or Rule 904(c)(1), as the case may be.

 

You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this letter and are irrevocably authorized to produce this letter or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceedings or

 

D-1

 

official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.  Terms used in this certificate have the meanings set forth in Regulation S.

 

D-2

 

	
 
    	
Very   truly yours,
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
[Name   of Transferor]
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Authorized   Signature
    

 

D-3

 

EXHIBIT E

 

FORM OF SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEE

 

This Supplemental Indenture, dated as of (this “Supplemental Indenture” or “Guarantee”), among [name of future Subsidiary Guarantor] (the “Guarantor”), Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. (together with its successors and assigns, the “Company”), each other then existing Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture referred to below, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee under the Indenture referred to below.

 

WITNESSETH:

 

WHEREAS, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee have heretofore executed and delivered an Indenture, dated as of March 16, 2011 (as amended, supplemented, waived or otherwise modified, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance of 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 of the Company (the “Securities”);

 

WHEREAS, Section 3.11 of the Indenture provides that the Company is required to cause certain Restricted Subsidiaries created or acquired by the Company, to execute and deliver to the Trustee a Subsidiary Guarantee in the form contemplated by the Indenture; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.1 of the Indenture, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee are authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture to amend the Indenture, without the consent of any Securityholder;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Guarantor, the Company, the other Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

Definitions

 

SECTION 1.1  Defined Terms.  As used in this Subsidiary Guarantee, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recital hereto are used herein as therein defined.  The words “herein,” “hereof’ and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

 

ARTICLE II

 

Agreement to be Bound; Guarantee

 

SECTION 2.1  Agreement to be Bound.  The Guarantor hereby becomes a party to the Indenture, as a Subsidiary Guarantor and as such will have all of the rights and be subject to all of the obligations and agreements of a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture.  The Guarantor agrees to be bound by all of the provisions of the Indenture applicable to a Subsidiary Guarantor and to perform all of the obligations and agreements of a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture.

 

SECTION 2.2  Guarantee.  The Guarantor hereby fully, unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, jointly and severally with each other Subsidiary

 

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Guarantor, to each Holder of the Securities and the Trustee, the full and punctual payment when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, of the Obligations, subject to and in accordance with Article X of the Indenture.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Miscellaneous

 

SECTION 3.1  Notices.  All notices and other communications to the Guarantor shall be given as provided in the Indenture for notices to the Company.

 

SECTION 3.2  Parties.  Nothing expressed or mentioned herein is intended or shall be construed to give any Person, firm or corporation, other than the Holders and the Trustee, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Supplemental Indenture or the Indenture or any provision herein or therein contained.

 

SECTION 3.3  Governing Law.  This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

SECTION 3.4  Severability Clause.  In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability.

 

SECTION 3.5  Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indentures Part of Indenture.  Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect.  This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every Holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby.  The Trustee makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

 

SECTION 3.6  Multiple Originals.  The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture.  Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.  One signed copy is enough to prove this Supplemental Indenture. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Supplemental Indenture for all purposes.  Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

SECTION 3.7  Headings.  The headings of the Articles and the sections in this Guarantee are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the meaning or interpretation of any provisions hereof.

 

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

 

	
 
    	
[SUBSIDIARY   GUARANTOR],
    
	
 
    	
as   a Subsidiary Guarantor
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
CLAYTON   WILLIAMS ENERGY, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
SOUTHWEST   ROYALTIES, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
WARRIOR   GAS CO.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
CWEI   ACQUISITIONS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
ROMERE   PASS ACQUISITION L.L.C.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

E-3

 

	
 
    	
CWEI   ROMERE PASS ACQUISITION CORP.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
BLUE   HEEL COMPANY
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
TEX-HAL   PARTNERS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
DESTA   DRILLING GP, LLC
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
DESTA   DRILLING, L.P.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
DESTA   DRILLING GP, LLC, its general partner
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
WEST   COAST ENERGY PROPERTIES GP, LLC
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

E-4

 

	
 
    	
CLAJON   INDUSTRIAL GAS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
CLAYTON   WILLIAMS PIPELINE CORPORATION
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
WELLS   FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

E-5

 

Schedule 3.8

 

Existing Affiliate Agreements

 

Agreement dated April 23, 1993 between Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. and Robert C. Lyon, as amended by that certain letter agreement dated September 3, 1997 and by that certain Second Amendment to Agreement dated April 1, 2004.

 

Consolidation Agreement dated May 13, 1993 among Clayton Williams Energy, Inc., Warrior Gas Co. and the Williams Entities, as amended by that certain Amendment to Consolidation Agreement dated August 7, 2000.

 

Second Amended and Restated Service Agreement effective March 1, 2005 among Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Clayton Williams Ranch Holdings, Inc. ClayDesta L. P., Clayton Williams Partnership, Ltd. and CWPLCO, Inc., as amended by that certain Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Service Agreement effective January 1, 2008 among Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Clayton Williams, Jr., Clayton Williams Ranch Holdings, Inc., ClayDesta L.P., The Williams Children’s Partnership, Ltd. and CWPLCO, Inc.

 

Second Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of ClayDesta Buildings, L. P. effective as of May 11, 2001 and Corrected Second Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of ClayDesta Buildings, L. P. effective as of May 11, 2001.

 

Lease Agreement entered into December 1, 1983 between Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. and ClayDesta Corporation (predecessor in interest to ClayDesta Buildings, L. P.), as amended by that certain Amendment to Lease dated September 29, 1988, that certain Second Amendment to Lease dated July 9, 1991, that certain Third Amendment to Lease dated June 1, 1992, that certain Fourth Amendment to Lease dated June 1, 1995, that certain Fifth Amendment to Lease dated August 15, 1995, that certain Sixth Amendment to Lease dated March 13, 1997, that certain Seventh Amendment to Lease dated May 15, 1998, that certain Eighth Amendment to Lease dated February 28, 2002, that certain Ninth Amendment to Lease dated December 6, 2004, that certain Tenth Amendment to Lease dated January 1, 2006 and that certain Eleventh Amendment to Lease dated March 8, 2007.

 

Lease Agreement entered into July 15, 1993 between Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. and ClayDesta Corporation (predecessor in interest to ClayDesta Buildings, L. P.), as amended by that certain First Amendment to Lease dated January 13, 1994, that certain Second Amendment to Lease dated June 1, 1995, that certain Third Amendment to Lease dated August 15, 1995, that certain Fourth Amendment to Lease dated July 17, 1998, that certain Fifth Amendment to Lease dated February 28, 2002, that certain Sixth Amendment to Lease dated November 12, 2002, that certain Seventh Amendment to Lease dated February 11, 2003, that certain Eighth Amendment to Lease Agreement dated January 1, 2006, that certain Ninth Amendment to Lease Agreement dated March 8, 2007 and that certain Tenth Amendment to Lease Agreement dated August 31, 2007.

 

 

Lease Agreement entered into September 27, 1993 between Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. and ClayDesta Corporation (predecessor in interest to ClayDesta Buildings, L. P.), as amended by that certain First Amendment to Lease dated June 1, 1995, that certain Second Amendment to Lease dated August 15, 1995, that certain Third Amendment to Lease dated March 13, 1997, that certain Fourth Amendment to Lease dated February 28, 2002, that certain Amendment No. 5 to Lease Agreement dated February 2, 2005, that certain Amendment No. 6 to Lease Agreement dated January 1, 2006, that certain Amendment No. 7 to Lease Agreement dated March 8, 2007 and that certain Amendment No. 8 to Lease Agreement dated August 20, 2007.

 

Lease Agreement between ClayDesta Buildings, L. P. and Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. effective June 3, 2004, as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 to Lease Agreement dated June 16, 2004, that certain Amendment No. 2 to Lease Agreement dated January 1, 2006, that certain Amendment No. 3 to Lease Agreement dated March 8, 2007 and that certain Amendment No. 4 to Lease Agreement dated November 6, 2007.

 

Storage Area Agreement between ClayDesta Buildings, L. P. and Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. commencing January 1, 2005.

 

Hunting Lease between Clayton Williams Ranch Co. and Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. commencing September 1, 2008.

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