Document:

EX-4.15

 

Exhibit 4.15

Execution Copy

U.S.$165,000,000

Compagnie Généralé de Géophysique

71/2% Senior Notes due 2015

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

21 April 2005

CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON (EUROPE) LIMITED

BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.

   As representatives of the Purchasers (as defined below)

   c/o Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited (“CSFB”)

   One Cabot Square

   London, England E14 4QJ

Dear Sirs:

     1. Introductory.

    (a) Compagnie Généralé de Géophysique (the “Company”), a société anonyme incorporated
under the laws of France and registered at the Evry Commercial Registry under Number B 969
202 241 (69B00224), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and
sell to the initial purchasers named in Schedule A hereto (the “Purchasers”) U.S.$165,000,000
in aggregate principal amount of its 71/2% Senior Notes due 2015 (the “Notes” or “Securities”)
to be issued under an indenture, dated on or about 28 April 2005 (the “Indenture”), among the
Company, the Guarantors (as defined below) and JPMorganChase Bank, National Association, as
trustee (the “Trustee”).

    (b) The Securities may be sold by the Purchasers pursuant to Regulation S (“Regulation
S”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) to investors outside of the
United States of America and pursuant to Rule 144A (“Rule 144A”) under the Securities Act to
qualified institutional buyers in the United States of America.

    (c) Application has been made to list the Notes on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

     The Company’s obligations under the Securities, including the due and punctual payment of
interest on the Offered Securities, shall be unconditionally guaranteed pursuant to the Indenture
(each a “Guarantee", and collectively, the “Guarantees”) on a senior basis by each of the Company’s
subsidiaries indicated as Guarantors on Schedule B hereto (together, the “Guarantors”).

     The holders of the Securities will be entitled to the benefits of a Registration Rights
Agreement dated as of the date hereof among the Company and the Purchasers (the “Registration
Rights Agreement”) in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, pursuant to which the Company
agrees to file a registration statement (the “Exchange Offer/Shelf Registration Statement”) with
the Securities Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) registering the exchange of a new series of
71/2% Senior Notes due 2015 of the Company

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Exhibit 4.15

and the guarantees of the new series of 71/2% Senior Notes due 2015 of the Company (such notes
and guarantees of such notes, the “Exchange Securities”) for the Securities and/or the resale of
the Securities under the Securities Act.

     Capitalised terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms
in the Indenture.

     The Company hereby agrees with the several Purchasers as follows:

     2. Representations and Warranties of the Company and Guarantors. The Company represents and
warrants to, and agrees with, and, to the extent applicable to the Guarantors and Guarantees, each
Guarantor represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Purchasers that as of the date
of this Agreement and the Closing Date (as defined below):

    (a) A preliminary offering circular dated 18 April 2005 and an offering circular dated
21 April 2005 relating to the Securities to be offered by the Purchasers have been prepared
by the Company. Such preliminary offering circular (the “Preliminary Offering Circular”) and
offering circular (the “Offering Circular”), in each case as supplemented from time to time
as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date (as defined herein), are
hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Offering Document”. The Preliminary Offering
Circular, as of its date, and the Offering Circular, as of the date of this Agreement and as
of the Closing Date, do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The information (the “Additional
Issuer Information”) required to be delivered to holders and prospective purchasers of the
Securities pursuant to the Indenture in accordance with Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities
Act does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading. The preceding two sentences do not apply to statements in or
omissions from the Offering Document made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by the Purchasers through CSFB specifically for use
therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the
Purchasers consists of the following information in the Offering Document: the table
entitled “Initial Purchasers” under the caption “Plan of Distribution” and the second
paragraph thereafter under the caption “Plan of Distribution”.

    (b) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing under the laws of
France, with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own and lease its properties
and conduct its business as described in the Offering Document; and the Company is lawfully
qualified to do business in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or leasing of
property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure
to be so qualified would not individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect
on the condition (financial or otherwise), business, prospects or results of operations of
the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).

    (c) Each subsidiary of the Company set forth on Schedule B hereto has been duly
organized and is validly existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization,
with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own and lease its property and conduct
its business as described in the Offering Document; and subsidiary of the Company is lawfully
qualified to do business in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or leasing of
property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure
to be so qualified would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect;
all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company and each subsidiary of the
Company has been duly authorized and validly issued under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation and is fully paid and non-assessable; and except as shown on Schedule B hereto
the capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company is owned, directly or through
subsidiaries,

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Exhibit 4.15

by the Company, free from liens, encumbrances and defects. Schedule B hereto sets forth
a complete list of each subsidiary (excluding dormant or insignificant subsidiaries) with the
relevant jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, the Company’s direct and indirect
ownership thereof and whether such subsidiary is a Guarantor.

    (d) The Company has the power and authority (corporate and other) to enter into the
Indenture, the Securities, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Exchange Securities and
this Agreement and any documents entered into in connection therewith, in each case to which
it is a party.

    (e) Each Guarantor has the power and authority (corporate and other) to enter into the
Indenture, the Guarantees, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Exchange Securities and
this Agreement and any documents entered into in connection therewith, in each case to which
it is a party.

    (f) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and by each Guarantor, the
Securities have been duly authorized by the Company, when the Securities are delivered and
paid for pursuant to this Agreement on the Closing Date (as defined below), the Indenture
will have been duly executed and delivered, such Securities will have been duly executed,
authenticated, issued and delivered and will conform to the description thereof contained in
the Offering Document, and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the
Indenture by the Trustee) the Indenture and such Securities will constitute valid and legally
binding obligations of the Company and each Guarantor, enforceable in accordance with their
terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws of general applicability from time to time in effect relating to or affecting
creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity.

    (g) The Indenture has been duly qualified under the United States Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended (the “TIA”), and conforms in all material respects to the requirements of
the TIA and the rules and regulations of the Commission applicable to an indenture that is
qualified thereunder.

    (h) Each Guarantee to be endorsed on the Securities by each of the Guarantors has been
duly authorized by such Guarantor and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and
delivered by each such Guarantor and will conform in all material respects to the description
thereof contained in the Offering Document; when the Securities have been issued, executed
and authenticated in accordance with the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the
Purchasers in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Guarantee of each Guarantor
endorsed thereon (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the
Trustee and due authentication of the Securities by the Trustee) will constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of such Guarantor, enforceable against such Guarantor in
accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer,
reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability from time to time in
effect relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.

    (i) The Registration Rights Agreement has been duly authorized, and on the Closing Date
the Registration Rights Agreement will have been duly executed and delivered, will conform to
the description thereof contained in the Offering Document and (assuming due authorization,
execution and delivery by the Purchasers) will constitute a valid and legally binding
obligation of the Company and each Guarantor, enforceable against each of them in accordance
with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws of general applicability from time to time in effect relating to
or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity.

    (j) The Exchange Securities have been duly authorized and, when the Exchange Securities
have been delivered in exchange for the Securities in accordance with the terms of the
exchange offer provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement, such Exchange Securities
will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered and will conform to the
description thereof contained in the Offering Document, and such the Exchange Securities will
(assuming due authentication thereof by

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Exhibit 4.15

the Trustee) constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company and the
Guarantors, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to
general equity.

    (k) The guarantee to be endorsed on the Exchange Securities by each Guarantor has been
duly authorized by such Guarantor and, when issued, will have been duly executed and
delivered by each such Guarantor; and when the Exchange Securities have been issued, executed
and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Exchange Offer and the Indenture, the
guarantee of each Guarantor endorsed thereon will constitute valid and legally binding
obligations of such Guarantor, enforceable against such Guarantor in accordance with their
terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equity
principles.

    (l) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract,
agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the
Purchasers for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the
offer and sale of the Securities, other than the fees payable to the Purchasers in connection
with the offer and sale of the Securities.

    (m) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing with, any governmental
agency or body or any court is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement, the Indenture or the Registration Rights Agreement, in connection with the
issuance and sale of the Securities or the issuance and exchange of the Exchange Securities
for the Securities, except, in each case, such as have been or, prior to the Closing Date,
will be obtained, and other than such as may be required under US state securities or “Blue
Sky” laws and the receipt by the Company of an order from the Commission declaring the
Exchange Offer/Shelf Registration Statement effective.

    (n) None of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is (i) in violation of its
respective articles of association, charter, by-laws or other constitutive documents, (ii) in
default, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would
constitute a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition
contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or
assets is subject except for such default or event which would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) in violation of any law, ordinance,
governmental rule, regulation or court decree to which it or its property assets may be
subject for such default or event which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a
Material Adverse Effect.

    (o) Except as disclosed in the Offering Document, under current laws and regulations of
France, Luxembourg and the United States (each, a “Relevant Jurisdiction”, and collectively,
the “Relevant Jurisdictions”) and any political subdivisions and taxing authorities thereof
or therein, all interest, principal, premium, if any, and other payments due or made on the
Securities and the Exchange Securities may be paid by the Company to the holders thereof in
U.S. Dollars that may be converted into foreign currency and freely transferred out of each
of the Relevant Jurisdictions and all such payments made to holders thereof who are
non-residents of the Relevant Jurisdictions will not be subject to income, withholding or
other taxes under laws and regulations of any of the Relevant Jurisdictions for tax purposes
or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein (provided that this
clause does not apply to any tax of whatever nature that may be imposed by a relevant
jurisdiction as a result of Securities or Exchange Securities being held through a permanent
establishment, an agent or a fixed base situated in such relevant jurisdiction) and any tax
that may be imposed by a Relevant Jurisdiction pursuant to the Directive 2003/48/CE on the
taxation of savings income and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental
authorization in any of the Relevant

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Exhibit 4.15

Jurisdictions or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein,
provided in the case of the United States that either (i) the payments are made to a
“clearing organization” within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulation Section
1.6049-4(c)(1)(ii)(M), or (ii) the holder has provided the Company or the relevant paying
agent with an applicable Form W-8.

    (p) No capital, transfer, stamp duty, stamp duty reserve or other documentary, issuance
or transfer taxes or duties (other than, in the case of France, timbres de dimension, the
amount of which is nominal and the non-payment of which does not affect the validity of this
Agreement) are payable by or on behalf of the Purchasers in any Relevant Jurisdiction, or any
political sub-division or taxing authority thereof or therein on (i) the creation, issue or
delivery by the Company of the Securities pursuant hereto or the sale thereof, (ii) the
creation, issue or delivery by the Company of the Exchange Securities or the exchange of the
Securities therefor, (iii) the execution of the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement,
this Agreement and any documents entered into in connection therewith, or (iv) the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

    (q) The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture, the Guarantees, this
Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, and the issuance and sale of the Securities and
the issuance and exchange of the Exchange Securities for the Securities and compliance with
the terms and provisions hereof and thereof will not result in a breach or violation of any
of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, (i) any statute, rule,
regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign,
having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or any of their
respective properties except for any such breach or violation which would not, individually
or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) any agreement or instrument to
which the Company or any such subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any such
subsidiary is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any such subsidiary
is subject except for any such breach or violation which would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or (iii) the charter or by-laws of the Company or
any such subsidiary.

    (r) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and
constitutes valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance
with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws of general applicability from time to time in effect relating to
or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity and except in connection
with rights to indemnification and contribution thereunder that may be limited by federal or
state securities laws or public policy relating thereto.

    (s) Except as disclosed in the Offering Document, the Company and its subsidiaries have
good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by
them, in each case free from liens, encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the
value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them; and
except as disclosed in the Offering Document, the Company and its subsidiaries hold any
leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no exceptions that
would materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them.

    (t) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken any action nor, so far as
the Company is aware, have any steps been taken or legal proceedings been started or
threatened against it or any of its subsidiaries for winding-up, dissolution or
reorganization, or for the appointment of a receiver, administrative receiver, or
administrator, trustee or similar officer of it or any of its subsidiaries or any assets of
it or any of its subsidiaries.

    (u) The Company and its subsidiaries possess adequate certificates, authorities or
permits issued by appropriate governmental agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the
business now operated by them except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and have not received any notice of proceedings
relating to the revocation or

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Exhibit 4.15

modification of any such certificate, authority or permit that, if determined adversely
to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which would, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect.

    (v) No labour dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company
exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that might have a Material Adverse
Effect.

    (w) The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms,
adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents,
copyrights, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively,
“intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or
presently employed by them, and have not received any notice of infringement of or conflict
with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual property rights that, if
determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the
aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

    (x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) is in violation of any statute,
rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic
or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or
relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous
or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), (ii) owns or operates any real
property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any environmental laws, (iii) is
liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws or (iv)
is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws, which violation, contamination,
liability or claim would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and
the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.

    (y) Except as described in the Offering Document, there are no pending actions, suits or
proceedings against or affecting the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their
respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would
materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under
the Indenture, this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement or which are otherwise
material in the context of the sale of the Securities or the exchange of the Exchange
Securities for the Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings are, to the
Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated.

    (z) The financial statements and the related notes included in the Offering Document
present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of
the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and
such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles in France (“French GAAP”), applied on a consistent basis.

    (aa) The reconciliation of the Company’s financial statements referred to in paragraph
(aa) above as reconciled with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
(“U.S. GAAP”) and filed on Form 20-F comply with the requirements of Form 20-F.

    (bb) The information set forth in the Offering Document in Note 28 to the Company’s
consolidated financial statements under the heading “Summary of Differences Between
Accounting Principles followed by the Group and U.S. GAAP” and in “Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Trend Information — Transition
to IFRS Accounting” includes a fair summary, in all material respects, of the differences, as
they relate to the Company’s consolidated financial statements, between French GAAP and U.S.
GAAP and French GAAP and IFRS, although the Company has not prepared a reconciliation between
French GAAP and IFRS which, if prepared, could indicate additional differences.

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Exhibit 4.15

    (cc) Except as disclosed in the Offering Document, since the date of the latest audited
financial statements included in the Offering Document, there has been no material adverse
change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material loss or adverse change,
in the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, and, except as disclosed in
or contemplated by the Offering Document, there has been no dividend or distribution of any
kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock, nor since the
date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Offering Document has there
been any material loss or interference with the business of the Company and its subsidiaries
from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from
any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Offering Document.

    (dd) The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), and files
reports with the Commission on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR)
system.

    (ee) The Company is not an open-end investment company, unit investment trust or
face-amount certificate company that is or is required to be registered under Section 8 of
the United States Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”); and the
Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the
application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Offering Document, will not be an
“investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act.

    (ff) Except as described in the Offering Document, neither the Company, nor any of its
subsidiaries is currently or has reason or notice to believe that it will be in the future a
party to, or directly or indirectly concerned in, an agreement, arrangement, understanding or
practice (whether or not legally binding) which may (i) contravene any treaty, regulation or
directive of the European Community relating to competition or restraint of trade, or any
competition or restraint of trade laws of any other jurisdiction, (ii) be registrable,
unenforceable or void or rendering the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their respective
officers, directors or employees liable to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings
under any competition legislation, or restraint of trade regulation or similar legislation,
or (iii) be the subject of any investigation by an competent authority in respect of any
provision of any competition legislation, or restraint of trade regulation or similar
legislation in any jurisdiction. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is
currently, or has reason to believe that it will be, engaged in (whether on its own or
jointly with any other person) any conduct which amounts to the abuse of a dominant position
in a market which may affect competition within the European Union or any part of it.

    (gg) No event of default exists under any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan,
agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument constituting “Indebtedness” (as
defined in the Indenture) that either singly or in the aggregate could result in or is
capable of resulting in a Material Adverse Effect.

    (hh) No securities of the same class (within the meaning of Rule 144A(d)(3) under the
Securities Act) as the Securities are listed on any national securities exchange registered
under Section 6 of the Exchange Act, or quoted in a U.S. automated inter-dealer quotation
system.

    (ii) Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in
this Agreement, the offer and sale of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this
Agreement will be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act by reason
of Section 4(2) thereof, Rule 144A (“Rule 144A”) thereunder and Regulation S thereunder
(“Regulation S”).

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Exhibit 4.15

    (jj) Neither the Company nor any of its respective affiliates, nor any person acting on
its or their behalf (i) has, within the six-month period prior to the date hereof, offered or
sold, directly or indirectly, in the United States or to any U.S. person (as such terms are
defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) the Securities or any security of the same
class or series as the Securities, or (ii) has offered or will offer or sell the Securities
(A) in the United States by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising
within the meaning of Rule 502(c) under the Securities Act or (B) with respect to any such
securities sold in reliance on Rule 903 of Regulation S under the Securities Act, by means of
any directed selling efforts within the meaning of Rule 902(c) of Regulation S. The Company,
its affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf have complied and will comply
with the offering restrictions requirement of Regulation S. The Company has not entered and
will not enter into any contractual arrangement with respect to the distribution of the
Securities except for this Agreement.

    (kk) The proceeds of the sale of the Securities will be used to redeem and pay accrued
interest on all outstanding aggregate principal amount of Company’s
105/ 8 % Senior Notes due 2007.

    (ll) No “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined
for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act (i) has imposed (or has informed the
Company or any Guarantor that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial or
otherwise) on the Company’s or any Guarantor’s retaining any rating assigned to the Company
or any Guarantor, any securities of the Company or, (ii) has indicated to the Company that it
is considering (a) the downgrading, suspension, or withdrawal of, or any review for a
possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change in, any rating so
assigned or (b) any change in the outlook for any rating of the Company or any Guarantor or
any securities of the Company or any Guarantor.

    (mm) Application has been made to list the Securities on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

    (nn) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls
sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance
with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as
necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with French GAAP and/or
IFRS, as applicable, and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is
permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv)
the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable
intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, except, in each
case, with regard to matters set forth in the Offering Document.

    (oo) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, and none of their respective
properties or assets, has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal
process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid
of execution, executing or otherwise) under the laws of any jurisdiction in which it has been
incorporated or in which any of its property or assets are held.

    (pp) To ensure the legality, validity, enforceability and admissibility into evidence of
each of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities, the Guarantees, the Exchange
Securities, the Registration Rights Agreement or any other document to be furnished hereunder
or thereunder in any of the Relevant Jurisdictions, it is not necessary that any of this
Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities, the Guarantees, the Exchange Securities, the
Registration Rights Agreement or such other document be filed or recorded with any court or
any other authority in any of the Relevant Jurisdictions or that any stamp or similar tax
(other than, in the case of France, timbres de dimension) be paid in the Relevant
Jurisdictions on or in respect of any of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities, the
Guarantees, the Exchange Securities, the Registration Rights Agreement or any such other
document.

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Exhibit 4.15

    (qq) The Company (immediately after and giving effect to the issuance of the Securities)
will be Solvent. As used in this paragraph, the term “Solvent” means, with respect to the
Company and to a particular date, that on such date (a) the present value of the Company’s
assets is not less than the Company’s liabilities, each as calculated in accordance with
French GAAP; (b) assuming the sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement and
the Offering Document, the Company should be able to pay its respective debts as they become
absolute and mature; and (c) the capital remaining in the Company would not be unreasonably
small for the business in which the Company is engaged after giving due consideration to the
prevailing practice in the industry in which such entity is engaged. In computing the amount
of contingent liabilities at any time, it is intended that such liabilities will be computed
at the amount that, in light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time,
represents the amount that is likely to become an actual or matured liability.

    (rr) Except as disclosed in the Offering Document, no subsidiary of the Company is
currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to
which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any
other distribution on shares of such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company
any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such
subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

    (ss) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing
Date and (ii) the completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any
material referring to the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Offering
Document or other materials, if any, permitted by the Securities Act and the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”) (or regulations promulgated pursuant to the Securities
Act or FSMA).

    (tt) In connection with the distribution of the Securities, (i) the Company has not
offered or sold, and will not offer or sell, directly or indirectly, any Securities to the
public in France, (ii) offers and sales of Securities in France will be made only to
qualified investors in accordance with Article 412-1 of the French Code Monétaire et
Financier, and Decree no. 98-880 dated 1 October 1998 and (iii) the Company has not
distributed or caused to be distributed and will not distribute or cause to be distributed in
France, the Preliminary Offering Circular or the Offering Circular or any other offering
material relating to the Securities other than to investors to whom offers and sales of
Securities in France may be made as described above.

    (uu) Mazars & Guérard and Barbier Frinault & Autres Ernst & Young, who have certified
certain financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for each of the
years ended 31 December 2003 and 31 December 2004, and Barbier Frinault & Autres and Ernst &
Young Audit, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2002 and have delivered their
reports in respect of the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries for each such year with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements
and schedules included in the Offering Document, are, and have been in all such periods for
which such financial statements are so included, independent auditors with respect to the
Company in accordance with French GAAP and are independent public accountants within the
meaning of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

    (vv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly,
any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any
stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities in violation of applicable law.
The Company has not taken any action or omitted to take any action (such as issuing any press
release relating to the Securities without an appropriate legend) which may result in the
loss by any of the Purchasers of the ability to rely on any stabilisation safe harbour
provided under FSMA. The Company has been informed of the guidance relating to stabilisation
provided by the Financial Services Authority, in particular in Section MAR 2 Annex 2G of the
Financial Services Authority Handbook.

9

 

Exhibit 4.15

    (ww) The statistical, market-related, industry and similar data included in the Offering
Document is based on or derived from sources that, to the knowledge of the Company, having
made all reasonable inquiry, are reliable and accurate, and the disclosure of such data in
the Offering Document is not misleading in any material respect.

    (xx) Each of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries has filed all non-U.S., U.S.
federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed, or has requested
extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a
Material Adverse Effect) and, except as set forth in the Offering Document, has paid all
taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it,
to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable or made adequate reserve of
provision for, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being
contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

    (yy) The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary
in the businesses in which they are engaged taking into account the Company and its
subsidiaries’ level of risk and the cost of insurance coverage; all policies of insurance and
fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective
businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the
Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and
instruments; there are no claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such
policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending
under a reservation of rights clause that will have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company
and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; none of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and none of the Company nor any of
its subsidiaries has any reason to believe as of the date of this Agreement that it will not
be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to
obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at
a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

    (zz) The Company has the power to submit and, pursuant to this Agreement, has legally,
validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the
Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, in connection
with any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, and has the
power to designate, appoint and empower and, pursuant to this Agreement has legally, validly,
effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and empowered an agent for service of
process in any suit, action or proceeding, as provided herein.

    (aaa) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Offering Document has been made or
reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than as in good faith.

    (bbb) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at
all times in compliance with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements
relating to money laundering applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries and, so far as
the Company is aware, any related or similar statutes, rules, regulations or guidelines,
issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money
Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental
agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries
with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the
Company or any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has
(i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other
unlawful expense relating to political activity, (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful
payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds,
(iii) caused the Company or any of its subsidiaries to be in violation of any provision of
the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of

10

 

Exhibit 4.15

1977 or other national or local law regulating payments to governmental officials or
employees; or (iv) made any unlawful payment, except, in each case, with regard to matters
set forth in the Offering Document.

     3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties
and agreements herein set forth, but subject to the terms and conditions herein contained, the
Company agrees to sell to the several Purchasers, and the several Purchasers agree, severally and
not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of 98.25% of the principal amount
thereof plus accrued interest (if any) from April 28, 2005 to the Closing Date (as hereinafter
defined), the respective principal amounts of Notes set forth opposite their names in Schedule A
hereto.

     The Company will deliver, against payment of the purchase price, the Notes to be offered and
sold by the Purchasers in reliance on Regulation S (the “Regulation S Notes”) in the form of one or
more permanent global Notes in registered form without interest coupons (the “Regulation S Global
Notes”) which will be deposited with the Trustee, in its capacity as custodian for the Depository
Trust Company (“DTC”), and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The Company
will deliver against payment of the purchase price the Notes to be purchased by each Purchaser
hereunder and to be offered and sold by each Purchaser in reliance on Rule 144A under the
Securities Act (the “144A Notes”) in the form of one or more permanent global notes in registered
form without interest coupons (the “Restricted Global Notes”, along with the Regulation S Global
Notes, each a “Global Note”), which will be deposited with the Trustee as Custodian for DTC and
registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The Regulation S Global Notes and the
Restricted Global Notes shall be assigned separate CUSIP Numbers. The Restricted Global Notes
shall include the legend regarding restrictions on transfer set forth under “Transfer Restrictions”
in the Offering Document.

     Payment for the Regulation S Notes and the 144A Notes shall be made by the Purchasers in wire
transfer (same day) funds to an account of the Company or an account as the Company may direct at a
bank acceptable to the Purchasers at the office of Vinson & Elkins R.L.L.P., London at 10.00 A.M.
(London time), on 28 April 2005, or at such other time not later than five full business days
thereafter as the Purchasers and the Company shall mutually determine, such time being herein
referred to as the “Closing Date”, against delivery to the Trustee, as custodian for DTC, of (i)
the Regulation S Global Notes representing all of the Regulation S Notes and (ii) the Restricted
Global Notes representing all of the 144A Notes. The Regulation S Global Notes and the Restricted
Global Notes will be made available for checking at the office of Vinson & Elkins R.L.L.P. at least
24 hours prior to the Closing Date.

     In consideration of the agreement by the Purchasers to severally subscribe and pay for the
Notes as aforesaid, the Company shall pay to the Purchasers a combined management, underwriting and
selling commission of 1.75% of the principal amount of the Notes plus VAT (if applicable). The
Purchasers shall be entitled to deduct the said commission from the purchase price by way of
set-off.

     CSFB (the “Stabilising Agent”), on behalf of the Purchasers, may, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, over-allot and effect transactions in any over-the-counter market or otherwise, in
connection with the distribution of the Securities, with a view to stabilising or maintaining the
market price of the Securities at levels other than those which might prevail in the open market
but in doing so the Stabilising Agent shall act as principal and not as agent of the Company and
any loss resulting from over-allotment or stabilisation shall be borne, and any profit arising
therefrom shall be beneficially retained, by the Stabilising Agent. Nothing in this fifth
paragraph of Section 3 shall be construed so as to require the Company to issue in excess of
U.S.$165,000,000 million principal amount of Securities.

     As between the Company and the Purchasers, any loss resulting from stabilisation shall be
borne, and any profit arising therefrom shall be retained, by the Purchasers as set out in the
Agreement Among Purchasers.

     4. Representations by Purchasers; Resale by Purchasers.

11

 

Exhibit 4.15

    (a) Each Purchaser severally represents and warrants to the Company and the Guarantors
that it has duly authorized, executed and delivered this Agreement and is an institutional
“accredited investor” within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

    (b) Each Purchaser severally acknowledges that the Securities and the Guarantees have
not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold within the United
States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, except in accordance with
Regulation S or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements of the Securities Act. Each Purchaser severally represents and
agrees that it has offered and sold the Securities and will offer and sell the Securities (i)
as part of their distribution at any time and (ii) otherwise until 40 days after the later of
the commencement of the offering and the Closing Date, only in accordance with Rule 144A
(“Rule 144A”) or Rule 903 under the Securities Act. Accordingly, neither such Purchaser nor
its affiliates, nor any persons acting on its or their behalf, have engaged or will engage in
any directed selling efforts with respect to the Securities. Accordingly, neither such
Purchaser nor its affiliates, nor any persons acting on its or their behalf, have engaged or
will engage in any directed selling efforts with respect to the Securities, and such
Purchaser, its affiliates and all persons acting on its or their behalf have complied and
will comply with the offering restrictions requirement of Regulation S. Each Purchaser
severally agrees that, at or prior to confirmation of sale of the Securities, other than a
sale pursuant to Rule 144A, such Purchaser will have sent to each distributor, dealer or
person receiving a selling concession, fee or other remuneration that purchases the
Securities from it during the restricted period a confirmation or notice to substantially the
following effect:

	 	 	 	“The Securities covered hereby have not been registered under the U.S.
Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and may not be offered or sold
within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons
(i) as part of their distribution at any time or (ii) otherwise until 40 days
after the later of the date of the commencement of the offering and the closing
date, except in either case in accordance with Regulation S (or Rule 144A if
available) under the Securities Act. Terms used above have the meanings given
to them by Regulation S.”

    Terms used in this subsection (b) have the meanings given to them by Regulation S of the
Securities Act.

    (c) Each Purchaser severally agrees that it and each of its affiliates has not entered
and will not enter into any contractual arrangement with respect to the distribution of the
Securities except for any such arrangements with other Purchasers or affiliates of the other
Purchasers or with the prior written consent of the Company.

    (d) Each Purchaser severally agrees that neither it nor any of its affiliates nor any
person acting on its or their behalf will offer or sell the Securities in the United States
by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of
Rule 502(c) under the Securities Act, including, but not limited to, (i) any advertisement,
article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media
or broadcast over television or radio or disseminated via the internet, or (ii) any seminar
or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general
advertising. Each Purchaser severally agrees, with respect to resales made in reliance on
Rule 144A of any of the Securities, to deliver either with the confirmation of such resale or
otherwise prior to settlement of such resale a notice to the effect that the resale of such
Securities has been made in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of
the Securities Act provided by Rule 144A.

    (e) Each Purchaser severally represents and agrees that (i) it has not offered or sold
and prior to the expiry of a period of six months from the Closing Date will not offer or
sell any Securities to persons in the United Kingdom except to persons whose ordinary
activities involve them in acquiring,

12

 

Exhibit 4.15

holding, managing or disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes
of their businesses or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result
in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Public Offers of
Securities Regulations 1995; (ii) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and
will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in
investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) received by it in connection
with the issue or sale of any Securities in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does
not apply to the Company; and (iii) it has complied and will comply with all applicable
provisions of FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Securities in, from
or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

    (f) Each Purchaser severally represents and agrees that it has complied and will comply
in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in
which it offers and distributes any offering materials relating to the offering or offers or
sells the Notes.

     5. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Purchasers that:

    (a) If, at any time prior to the completion of the resale of the Securities by the
Purchasers, any event occurs as a result of which the Offering Document as then amended or
supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any such
time to amend or supplement the Offering Document to comply with any applicable law, the
Company promptly will notify the Purchasers of such event and promptly will prepare, at its
own expense, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or
effect such compliance. The Company will advise the Purchasers promptly of any proposal to
amend or supplement the Offering Document and will not effect such amendment or
supplementation without the Purchasers’ consent. Neither the Purchasers’ consent to, nor the
Purchasers’ delivery to offerees or investors of, any such amendment or supplement shall
constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 6.

    (b) The Company will furnish to the Purchasers copies of the Preliminary Offering
Circular, the Offering Circular and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each
case as soon as available and in such quantities as the Purchasers reasonably request. At
any time when the Company is not subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is
not exempt from reporting pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Exchange Act, the Company will
promptly make available to the Purchasers and, upon request of holders and prospective
purchasers of the Securities, to such holders and purchasers, copies of the information
required to be delivered to holders and prospective purchasers of the Securities pursuant to
Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereto) in order to
permit compliance with Rule 144A in connection with resales by such holders of the
Securities. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Purchasers
and any such holders or prospective purchasers all such documents.

    (c) The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Securities for sale and the
determination of their eligibility for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions in
Europe, the United States and Canada as the Purchasers reasonably designate and will continue
such qualifications in effect so long as required for the resale of the Securities by the
Purchasers, provided that the Company will not be required to qualify as a foreign
corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.

    (d) During the period of two years after the Closing Date, the Company will, upon
request, furnish to the Purchasers and any holder of Securities a copy of the restrictions on
transfer applicable to the Securities.

13

 

Exhibit 4.15

    (e) In connection with the offering, until CSFB shall have notified the Company and the
other Purchasers of the completion of the resale of the Securities, neither the Company not
any of its affiliates has or will, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or
purchase for any account in which it or any of its affiliates has a beneficial interest any
Securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Offered Securities; and neither it
nor any of its affiliates will make bids or purchases for the purpose of creating actual, or
apparent, active trading in, or of raising the price of, the Securities. During the period
of two years after the Closing Date, the Company will not, and will not permit any of its
affiliates (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) to, resell any of the Securities
that have been reacquired by any of them, unless pursuant to a registration statement under
the Securities Act.

    (f) During the period of two years after the Closing Date, the Company will not be or
become an open-end investment company, unit investment trust or face-amount certificate
company that is or is required to be registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company
Act.

    (g) Prior to the Closing Date and for 40 days subsequent to the Closing Date, neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will issue any press release or other communication
directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the issue of the
Securities, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the condition, financial or otherwise
(except for routine communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with
past practice, including the Company’s disclosure of results at and for the three months
ended March 31, 2005 and 2004), or the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries, without the prior consent of the Purchasers.

    (h) The Company agrees to pay all expenses (together with VAT, where applicable)
incidental to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement and the Indenture,
including, subject to receipt of sufficiently itemized accounts (i) the fees, disbursements
and expenses of the Company’s legal advisors; (ii) the fees, disbursements and expenses of
the Company’s accountants; (iii) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Purchasers’
legal advisors, Vinson & Elkins RLLP and Bernard Hertz Bejot; (iv) the fees and expenses of
the Trustee or any paying agent and their respective professional advisors; (v) all expenses
in connection with the execution, issue, authentication, packaging and initial delivery of
the Securities and the Exchange Securities, the preparation and printing of this Agreement,
the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Preliminary Offering
Circular and the Offering Circular and amendments and supplements thereto, and any other
document relating to the issuance, offer, sale and delivery of the Securities and the
Exchange Securities; (vi) the cost of listing the Securities and the Exchange Securities and
qualifying the Securities and the Exchange Securities for trading on the Luxembourg Stock
Exchange and any expenses incidental thereto, including those of the Luxembourg listing
agent; (vii) the cost of qualifying the Securities and the Exchange Securities for trading in
The Portalsm Market (“PORTAL”) of the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. and any expenses
incidental thereto; (viii) the cost of any advertising approved by the Company in connection
with the issue of the Securities; (ix) any expenses (including fees and disbursements of
counsel) incurred in connection with qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws
of such jurisdictions in Europe, the United States and Canada as the Purchasers designate and
the printing of memoranda relating thereto; (x) any fees charged by investment rating
agencies for the rating of the Securities; and (xi) expenses incurred in distributing the
Preliminary Offering Circular and the Offering Circular (including any amendments and
supplements thereto) to the Purchasers. The Company agrees to pay or reimburse the Purchasers
(to the extent incurred by them) for all reasonable travel expenses of the Purchasers and the
Company’s officers and employees and any other reasonable expenses of the Purchasers and the
Company in connection with attending or hosting meetings with prospective purchasers of the
Securities from the Purchasers. If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not
consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Purchasers set forth in Section 7
hereof is not satisfied, because this Agreement is terminated or because of any failure,
refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform all obligations and satisfy all
conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied hereunder (other than solely by reason
of a default by an Purchaser on its obligations hereunder

14

 

Exhibit 4.15

after all conditions hereunder have been satisfied in accordance herewith), the Company
agrees to promptly reimburse the Purchasers upon demand for all reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses (including reasonable fees, disbursements and charges of Vinson & Elkins R.L.L.P.
and Bernard Hertz Bejot, the Purchasers’ legal advisors) that shall have been incurred by the
Purchasers in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities. The Company
shall not be liable to the Purchasers for loss of contemplated profits from the transactions
covered by this Agreement. Other than as set forth in this Section 5(h) each of the parties
hereto shall bear all out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by them.

    (i) In connection with the offering, until the Purchasers shall have notified the
Company of the completion of the resale of the Securities, neither the Company nor any of its
affiliates has or will, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase
for any account in which it or any of its affiliates has a beneficial interest any Securities
or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Securities; and neither they nor any of their
affiliates will make bids or purchases for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent,
active trading in, or of raising the price of, the Securities.

    (j) After the date of the initial offering of the Securities by the Purchasers and until
the day which is 90 days after the Closing Date, the Company will not offer, sell, contract
to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission
a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any debt securities issued or
guaranteed by the Company and having a maturity of more than one year from the date of issue,
or any options or derivatives in respect of such debt securities, or publicly disclose the
intention to make any such offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, without the prior
written consent of the Purchasers; provided that this provision shall not prohibit the filing
of any registration statement to comply with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement,
the issuance of the Exchange Securities, borrowings under the credit facilities existing on
the date hereof or secured financings of accounts receivables and inventory. The Company
will not at any time offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly
or indirectly, any securities under circumstances where such offer, sale, pledge, contract or
disposition would cause the exemption afforded by Rule 144A or the safe harbour of Regulation
S to cease to be applicable to the offer and sale of the Securities.

    (k) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Purchasers against any documentary,
stamp or similar issuance tax that may be imposed by the United States, Luxembourg or the
Republic of France (other than, in the case of France, the fixed registration duty and
timbres de dimension), including any interest and penalties, that may be payable by the
Purchasers on the creation, issuance and sale of the Securities and on the execution and
delivery of this Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made
without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or
governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold
such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts
as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or
deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or
deduction had been made. If such withholding or deduction of tax is due, the Purchasers and
the Company shall promptly co-operate in completing any procedural formalities necessary for
the Company to avoid such withholding or deduction of tax. The Company will not be required
to pay such additional amounts to a Purchaser if the Company is able to demonstrate that the
payment of additional amounts could have been made to the Purchaser without a withholding or
deduction of tax had that Purchaser complied with its obligations to cooperate with the
Company.

    (l) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to have the Securities and the
Exchange Securities admitted to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and will maintain
such listing as long as the Securities or the Exchange Securities are outstanding; provided,
however, that if the Company can no longer maintain such listing, the Company will use all
reasonable commercial

15

 

Exhibit 4.15

efforts to obtain and maintain the listing of the Notes and the Exchange Securities on
another recognized stock exchange.

    (m) The Company shall take all reasonable action necessary to enable Standard & Poor’s
Ratings Services, a division of the McGraw Hill, Inc. (“S&P”), and Moody’s Investors Service
Inc. (“Moody’s”) to provide and/or confirm their respective credit ratings of the Securities.

    (n) The Company will cooperate with the Purchasers and use its reasonable best
endeavours to permit the Securities to be designated PORTAL securities in accordance with the
rules and regulations adopted by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
relating to trading in The Portal Market and to permit the Securities to be eligible for
clearance and settlement through DTC, including preparation and filing with DTC of a Letter
of Representations signed by the Company.

    (o) The Company will not, and will not cause its respective affiliates to, nor will the
Company authorize or knowingly permit any person acting on its behalf (excluding the
Purchasers, as to whom no agreement is made) to, solicit any offer to buy or sell the
Securities by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the
meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act or in any manner involving a public offering
within the meaning of Regulation D or in any manner involving a public offering within the
meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act; and the Company will not offer, sell, contract
to sell or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any securities under circumstances
where such offer, sale, contract or disposition would cause the exemption afforded by Section
4(2) of the Securities Act or the safe harbour afforded by Regulation D thereunder to cease
to be applicable to the offering and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement
and the Offering Circular.

    (p) The Company undertakes that, if the provisions of the EU Directive 2003/48/EC dated
3 June 2003 are implemented, it will use its best endeavours to ensure that the Company
maintains a paying agent in a European Union member state that will not be obligated to
withhold or deduct tax pursuant to the proposed European Union Directive on the taxation of
savings income.

    (q) The Company will use its reasonable best endeavours to do and perform all things
required or necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by it prior to the
Closing Date and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Securities.

     6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Purchasers. The obligations of the Purchasers to
purchase and pay for the Securities will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties on the part of the Company, to the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company
made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of their obligations
hereunder, in each case, in all material respects, and to the following conditions precedent:

    (a) The Purchasers shall have received a comfort letter or letters, dated the date of
this Agreement, of Mazars & Guérard and Barbier Frinault & Autres Ernst & Young, on the one
hand, and Barbier Frinault & Autres and Ernst & Young Audit, on the other hand, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Purchasers concerning the financial information with respect to
the Company set forth in the Offering Document.

    (b) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have
occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the
condition (financial or other), business, properties or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries taken as one enterprise which, in the judgment of the Purchasers, is
material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with completion of
the offering or the sale of and payment for the Securities; (ii) any downgrading in the
rating of any debt securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating
organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Securities

16

 

Exhibit 4.15

Act), or any public announcement or any indication given to the Company that any such
organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities of the
Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and
no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating) or any announcement that the
Company has been placed on negative outlook; (iii) any change in U.S., French, international
financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls
as would, in the judgment of the Purchasers, be likely to prejudice materially the success of
the proposed issue, sale or distribution of the Securities, whether in the primary market or
in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any material suspension or material
limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the Luxembourg
Stock Exchange or the Eurolist by Euronext Paris or any setting of minimum prices for trading
on any such exchange, or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any
exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (v) any banking moratorium declared by U.S.
Federal, New York, European Union, English or French authorities; (vi) any major disruption
of settlements of securities or clearance services in the United States, the European Union,
the United Kingdom or France; (vii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities,
declaration of war or act of terrorism involving the United States, the European Union, the
United Kingdom or France, or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in
the judgment of the Purchasers, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act,
declaration, calamity or emergency makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with
completion of the offering or sale of and payment for the Securities.

    (c) The Purchasers shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Linklaters
counsel for the Company, covering substantially the items set forth in Exhibit A hereto. The
Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose
of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

    (d) The Purchasers shall have received opinions, dated the Closing Date, from local
counsel for the Company, from local counsel in each of the countries of incorporation of the
Guarantors with respect to the valid existence, power and authority, due authorization of the
Guarantors and other related matters as the Purchasers may require, in each case satisfactory
to the Purchasers. The Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they
request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

    (e) The Purchasers shall have received from, Vinson & Elkins R.L.L.P., U.S. counsel for
the Purchaser, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the validity
of the Securities, the Offering Circular, the exemption from registration for the offer and
sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers and the resales by the Purchasers as
contemplated hereby and other related matters as the Purchasers may require, in each case
satisfactory to the Purchasers. The Company shall have furnished to such counsel such
documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

    (f) The Purchasers shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date, of the
principal executive officer and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company,
in which such officers shall state that the representations and warranties of the Company in
this Agreement are true and correct, that the Company has complied with all agreements and
satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to
the Closing Date, and that, subsequent to the respective dates of the most recent financial
statements in the Offering Document there has been no material adverse change, nor any
development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition
(financial or other), business, properties or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the Offering Document.

    (g) The Purchasers shall have received a letter or letters, dated the Closing Date, of
Mazars & Guérard and Barbier Frinault & Autres Ernst & Young on the one hand and Barbier
Frinault &

17

 

Exhibit 4.15

Autres and Ernst & Young Audit on the other hand which meets the requirements of
subsection (a) of this Section.

    (h) The Purchasers shall have received a comfort letter or letters, dated prior to the
Closing Date of Ernst & Young in form and substance to the Purchasers concerning the
financial information with respect to Arabian Geophysical & Surveying Company set forth in
the Offering Document

    (i) At the Closing Date, the Securities shall have been designated for trading on The
Portal Market and cleared for settlement at DTC.

    (j) At the Closing Date, application shall have been made to list the Securities on the
Luxembourg Stock Exchange, and such application shall not have been withdrawn or rejected or
shall have been approved for listing subject to official notice of issuance.

    (k) At the Closing Date, the Securities shall be rated at least Ba3 by S&P and BB- by
Moody’s, and the Company shall have delivered to the Purchasers a letter dated the Closing
Date, from each such rating agency, or other evidence satisfactory to the Purchasers,
confirming that the Securities have such ratings.

    (l) As of the Closing Date, the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee shall have
entered into the Indenture.

    (m) As of the Closing Date, the Company and the Guarantors shall have entered into the
Registration Rights Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Purchasers.

    (n) The Company and its subsidiaries shall have (i) received on or prior to the Closing
Date all consents, approvals, authorisations and other orders of, or qualifications with,
each court, regulatory authority, governmental body or agency, or third party, and (ii) given
all notices required under relevant law and any material agreements, in each case, required
to execute, deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Indenture, the
Securities, the Guarantees, the Exchange Securities, the Registration Rights Agreement and
this Agreement, except, in each case, such as may be required under state securities laws and
except for the order of the Commission declaring the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or
Shelf Registration Statement effective.

     The Company will furnish the Purchasers with such copies of such conformed copies of such
opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Purchasers reasonably request. The Purchasers
may in their sole discretion waive compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the
Purchasers hereunder.

     7. Indemnification and Contribution.

    (a) The Company undertakes to each Purchaser that it will indemnify and hold harmless
each such Purchaser, its partners, directors and officers and each person, if any, who
controls each Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (each, a
“Relevant Party”), against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to
which such Relevant Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or
otherwise (each, a “Loss”), insofar as such Loss (or any action in respect thereof) arises
out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in the Offering Document, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any related
preliminary offering circular, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, including any
Loss (or any action in respect thereof) arising out of or based upon the Company’s failure to
perform its obligations under Section 5(a) of this Agreement, and the Company shall pay to
such Relevant Party on demand an

18

 

Exhibit 4.15

amount equal to such Loss. No Relevant Party shall have any duty or obligation, whether
as fiduciary or trustee for any Relevant Party or otherwise, to recover any such payment or
to account to any other person for any amounts paid to it under this Section 7. The Company
will reimburse each Relevant Party for any legal or other expenses incurred by such Relevant
Party in connection with investigating or defending any such Loss (or action in respect
thereof) upon demand as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will
not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such Loss (or any action in respect
thereof) arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or
omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity
with written information furnished to the Company made by the Purchasers through CSFB
specifically for use in the Offering Document, it being understood and agreed that the only
such information consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.

    (b) Each Purchaser will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act against any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Securities Act or the Exchange
Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact contained in the Offering Document, or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or any related preliminary offering circular, or arise out of or are
based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Purchasers
through CSFB specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such
loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred, it being understood
and agreed that the only such information consists of the following information in the
Offering Document furnished on behalf of the Purchasers through CSFB: the table entitled
“Initial Purchasers” under the caption “Plan of Distribution” and the second paragraph
thereafter under the caption “Plan of Distribution”; provided, however, that the Purchasers
shall not be liable for any losses, claims, damages or liabilities arising out of or based
upon the Company’s failure to perform its obligations under Section 5(a) of this Agreement.

    (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the
commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to
be made against the indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above, notify the
indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection
(a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the
forfeiture of substantive rights or defences) by such failure; and provided further that the
failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may
have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any
such action is brought against any indemnified party, the indemnifying party will be entitled
to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other
indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defence thereof, with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the
indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the
indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defence
thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this
section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in
connection with the defence thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided,
however, that the indemnifying party shall only be obligated to pay the fees, disbursements
and other charges of one counsel (and one additional local counsel for each applicable
jurisdiction) to the indemnified parties in connection with any single matter, unless an
indemnified party has a legal position that differs from the other indemnified parties or may
be subject to different claims and defences than the other indemnified

19

 

Exhibit 4.15

parties, in which case the indemnifying party shall be obligated to pay the fees,
disbursements and other charges of one additional counsel for such indemnified party. No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect
any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party
is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified party unless such settlement includes (i) an unconditional release of such
indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action
and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of fault, culpability or failure
to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

    (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient
to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b)
above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by
the Company on the one hand and the Purchasers on the other from the offering of the
Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by
applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative
benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the
one hand and the Purchasers on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and
the Purchasers on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net
proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the
total discounts and commissions received by the Purchasers from the Company under this
Agreement. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things,
whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged
omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the
Purchasers and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity
to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified
party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first
sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the
provisions of this subsection (d), no Purchaser shall be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities purchased by it were
resold exceeds the amount of any damages which the Purchaser has otherwise been required to
pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
The Purchasers’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to
their respective purchase obligations and not joint.

    (e) The obligations of the Company under this Section shall be in addition to any
liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and
conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any of the Purchasers within the meaning of
the Securities Act or the Exchange Act; and the obligations of the Purchasers under this
Section shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Purchasers may otherwise
have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

     8. Default of Purchasers. If any Purchaser or Purchasers default in their obligations to
purchase Securities hereunder and the aggregate principal amount of Securities that such defaulting
Purchaser or Purchasers agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total principal
amount of Securities, the non-defaulting Purchaser or Purchasers may make arrangements satisfactory
to the Company for the purchase of such Securities by other persons, including any of the
Purchasers, but if no such arrangements are made by the Closing Date, the non-defaulting Purchasers
shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase
the Securities that such defaulting Purchasers agreed but failed to purchase. If any Purchaser or
Purchasers so default and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with

20

 

Exhibit 4.15

respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total principal amount of
Securities and arrangements satisfactory to the non-defaulting Purchasers and the Company for the
purchase of such Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this
Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Purchaser or the
Company, except as provided in Section 9. As used in this Agreement, the term “Purchaser” includes
any person substituted for a Purchaser under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting
Purchaser from liability for its default.

     9. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities,
agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers and of
the Purchasers set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and
effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on
behalf of any Purchaser, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or
directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8 or if for any reason the purchase of the
Securities by the Purchasers is not consummated, the Company shall remain responsible for the
expenses to be paid or reimbursed by it pursuant to Section 5 and the respective obligations of the
Company and the Purchasers pursuant to Section 7 shall remain in effect. If the purchase of the
Securities by the Purchasers is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the
termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8 or the occurrence of any event specified in
clause (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) or (vii) of Section 6(b), the Company will reimburse the Purchasers
for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel plus VAT where
applicable) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Securities.

     10. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Purchasers
will be mailed, delivered or faxed to the Purchasers, c/o Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe)
Limited, One Cabot Square, London E14 4QJ, United Kingdom, Attention: High Yield Capital Markets,
facsimile number +44 20 7890 2312 or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed or delivered or faxed
to it at Tour Montparnasse 33 avenue du Maine 75755 Paris Cedex 15, Attention: Mr. Michel Ponthus
and Mr. Stephane-Paul Frydman, facsimile number + 33 1 64 47 34 31. Any such notice shall take
effect, in the case of delivery, at the time of delivery, in the case of mail two business days
after the same was deposited in the post (first class postage prepaid) and, in the case of
facsimile, at the time of completion of the transmission.

     11. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties
hereto and their respective successors and the controlling persons referred to in Section 7. No
purchaser of Securities from any Purchaser shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of
such purchase.

     12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the
same Agreement. Delivery of an executed signature page to this Agreement by facsimile shall be as
effective as delivery of a manually executed document.

     13. Representation of Purchasers. CSFB will act for the several Purchasers in connection with
this purchase, and any action under this Agreement taken by CSFB will be binding upon all the
Purchasers.

     14. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction.

    (a) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of
the State of New York.

    (b) The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and
state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

21

 

Exhibit 4.15

    (c) The Company irrevocably appoints CT Corporation, 111 8th Avenue, New York, New York
10011, as its authorized agent in New York, upon which process may be served in any such suit
or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said
service to the Company by the person serving the same to the address provided in Section 10,
shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such
suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be
necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect
for a period of eight years from the date of this Agreement.

     15. Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not
intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

     16. Currency. The obligation of the Company in respect of any sum due to any Purchaser or
other indemnified party, as applicable, shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other
than Euro, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Purchaser or
other indemnified party, as applicable, of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on
which (and only to the extent that) such Purchaser or other indemnified party, as applicable, is
able in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase Euro with such other currency; if the
Euro so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Purchaser or other indemnified
party, as applicable, hereunder, the Company agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding
any such judgment, to indemnify such Purchaser or other indemnified party, as applicable, against
such loss. If the Euro so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Purchaser or
other indemnified party, as applicable, hereunder, such Purchaser or other indemnified party, as
applicable, agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the Euro so purchased
over the sum originally due to such Purchaser or other indemnified party, as applicable, hereunder.

     References in this Agreement to this Agreement, the Paying Agency Agreement and the Indenture
shall be deemed to include such agreements or deeds as amended, varied or supplemented from time to
time.

[Signature page follows.]

22

 

Exhibit 4.15

     If the foregoing is in accordance with the Purchasers’ understanding of our agreement, kindly
sign and return to us one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement
between the Company and the Purchasers in accordance with its terms.

	 	 	 	 	 
	 	Very truly yours,

Compagnie Generale de Geophysique

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	CGG Americas Inc.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	CGG Canada Services Ltd

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	CGG Marine Resources Norge A/S

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	Sercel Inc.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	Sercel Australia Pty Ltd

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	Sercel Canada Ltd.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 

23

 

Exhibit 4.15

The foregoing Purchase Agreement

is hereby confirmed and accepted

as of the date first above written.

	 	 	 	 	 
	CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON (EUROPE) LIMITED

	 
	 	BY:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 
	 
	 	BY:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.

	 
	 	BY:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION

	 
	 	BY:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	NATEXIS BANQUES POPULAIRES

	 
	 	BY:  	 	 
	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	Title:  	 	 

24

 

SCHEDULE A

	 	 	 
	 	 	Principal Amount of
	Purchaser	 	Securities
	 
	 	 
	Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited

	 	U.S.$80,850,000
	BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

	 	U.S.$64,350,000
	RBC Capital Markets Corporation

	 	U.S.$13,200,000
	Natexis Banques Populaires

	 	U.S.$6,600,000
	 
	 	 
	Total

	 	U.S.$165,000,000
	 
	 	 

A-1

 

SCHEDULE B

Subsidiaries

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	% Share Capital	 	 	 	 
	 	 	Jurisdiction of	 	 	held directly or	 	 	 	 
	Company Subsidiaries	 	Organization	 	 	indirectly	 	 	Guarantor	 
	CGG Marine SAS
	 	France	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Geocal SARL
	 	France	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Geoco SAS
	 	France	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Sercel SA
	 	France	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Explo SARL
	 	France	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Sercel Holding SA
	 	France	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Americas, Inc.
	 	Texas	 	 	100.0	%	 	Yes
	CGG do
Brasil Participacoes Ltda.
	 	Brasil	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Canada Services Ltd.
	 	Alberta	 	 	100.0	%	 	Yes
	CGG International SA
	 	Switzerland	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG (Nigeria) Ltd.
	 	Nigeria	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Marine Resources Norge A/S
	 	Norway	 	 	100.0	%	 	Yes
	CGG Offshore UK Ltd.
	 	United Kingdom	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Pan India Ltd.
	 	India	 	 	40.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Selva
	 	Peru	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Compania Mexicana de Geofisica
	 	Mexico	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Compaghia de Geologica e Geofisica Portuguesa
	 	Portugal	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Exgeo CA
	 	Venezuala	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Geoexplo
	 	Kazakhstan	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Geophysics Overseas Corporation Ltd.
	 	Bahamas	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 

B-1

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	% Share Capital	 	 	 	 
	 	 	Jurisdiction of	 	 	held directly or	 	 	 	 
	Company Subsidiaries	 	Organization	 	 	indirectly	 	 	Guarantor	 
	CGG Australia Services Pty Ltd.
	 	Australia	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	CGG Asia Pacific
	 	Malaysia	 	 	33.2	%	 	 	 	 
	Petroleum Exploration Computer Consultants Ltd
	 	United Kingdom	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	PT Alico
	 	Indonesia	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Sercel Australia Pty Ltd.
	 	Australia	 	 	100.0	%	 	Yes
	Hebei Sercel JunFeng
	 	China	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Sercel Inc.
	 	Oklahoma	 	 	100.0	%	 	Yes
	Sercel Singapore Pte Ltd.
	 	Singapore	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Sercel England Ltd.
	 	United Kingdom	 	 	100.0	%	 	 	 	 
	Sercel Canada Ltd.
	 	New Brunswick	 	 	100.0	%	 	Yes

B-2

 

EXHIBIT A

[Form of Linklaters opinion to come]

EXH A-1EX-4.16

 

Execution Copy

Exhibit 4.16

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE DE GÉOPHYSIQUE

AND

THE GUARANTORS PARTY HERETO

$165,000,000

71/2% Senior Notes due 2015

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Dated as of April 28, 2005

CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON (EUROPE) LIMITED

BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION

NATEXIS BANQUES POPULAIRES

 

 

     This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as
of April 28, 2005 by and among Compagnie Générale de Géophysique, a corporation organized under the
laws of the Republic of France (the “Company”),CGG Americas Inc., CGG Canada Services Ltd,
CGG Marine Resources Norge A/S, Sercel Inc., Sercel Australia Pty Ltd, Sercel Canada Ltd and any
subsidiary of the Company that becomes a guarantor of the Notes (as defined below) subsequent to
the date hereof pursuant to the terms of the Indenture (as defined below) (each a
“Guarantor” and, collectively, the “Guarantors”), and Credit Suisse First Boston
(Europe) Limited, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., RBC Capital Markets Corporation and Natexis Banques
Populaires (each an “Initial Purchaser” and, collectively, the “Initial
Purchasers”), who have agreed to purchase $165,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the
Company’s 71/2% Senior Notes due 2015 (the “Initial Notes”) pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement (as defined below).

     This Agreement is made pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated April 21, 2005 (the
“Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Company and the Initial Purchasers. In order to
induce the Initial Purchasers to purchase the Initial Notes, the Company has agreed to provide the
registration rights set forth in this Agreement. The execution and delivery of this Agreement is a
condition to the obligations of the Initial Purchasers set forth in Section 6(k) of the Purchase
Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning assigned
to them in the Indenture (as defined).

     The parties hereby agree as follows:

SECTION 1.

DEFINITIONS

     As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:

     Act: The U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

     Advice: As defined in Section 6(d) hereof.

     Affiliate: As defined in Rule 144 under the Act.

     Broker-Dealer: Any broker or dealer registered under the Exchange Act.

     Closing Date: The date hereof.

     Commission: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

     Company: As defined in the preamble hereto.

     Consummate: The Exchange Offer shall be deemed “Consummated” for purposes of
this Agreement upon the occurrence of (i) the filing and effectiveness under the Act of the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement relating to the Exchange Offer, (ii) the maintenance
of such Registration Statement continuously effective and the

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DE GEOPHYSIQUE

71/2% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2015

REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT

 

 

keeping of the Exchange Offer open for a period not less than the minimum period required pursuant
to Section 3(b) hereof, and (iii) the delivery by the Company to the Registrar under the
Indenture of Exchange Notes in the same aggregate principal amount as the aggregate
principal amount of Initial Notes that were validly tendered and not withdrawn by Holders
thereof pursuant to the Exchange Offer.

     Damages Payment Date: With respect to the Initial Notes, each Interest Payment
Date.

     Effectiveness Target Date: As defined in Section 5 hereof.

     Exchange Act: The U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

     Exchange Offer: The offer, registered by the Company under the Act pursuant to
a Registration Statement, of the Exchange Notes to the Holders of all outstanding Transfer
Restricted Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn in such exchange offer by such
Holders.

     Exchange Offer Registration Statement: The Registration Statement relating to
the Exchange Offer, including the related Prospectus.

     Exchange Notes: The Company’s 71/2% Senior Notes due 2015 to be issued pursuant
to the Indenture (a) in the Exchange Offer and (b) as contemplated by Section 6(c)(xii)
hereof.

     Exempt Resales: The transactions in which the Initial Purchasers propose to
sell the Initial Notes (i) to certain “qualified institutional buyers,” as such term is
defined in Rule 144A under the Act and (ii) outside the United States to certain non-U.S.
Persons pursuant to the requirements of Rule 903 under the Act.

     Guarantor: As defined in the preamble hereto.

     Holder and Holders: As defined in Section 2(b) hereof.

     Indemnified Holder: As defined in Section 8(a) hereof.

     Indenture: The Indenture, dated as of April 28, 2005, between the Company and
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as the Trustee, pursuant to which the Notes are
to be issued, as such Indenture is amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance
with the terms thereof.

     Initial Notes: As defined in the preamble hereto.

     Initial Purchaser and Initial Purchasers: As defined in the preamble
hereto.

     Interest Payment Date: Each May 15 and November 15, beginning with November
15, 2005.

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     NASD: The National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

     Notes: The Initial Notes and the Exchange Notes.

     Prospectus: The prospectus included in a Registration Statement at the time
such Registration Statement is declared effective, as amended or supplemented by any
prospectus supplement and by all other amendments thereto, including post-effective
amendments, and all material incorporated by reference into such Prospectus.

     Record Holder: With respect to any Damages Payment Date relating to Notes,
each Person who is a Holder of Notes on the record date with respect to the Interest Payment
Date on which such Damages Payment Date shall occur.

     Registration Default: As defined in Section 5 hereof.

     Registration Statement: Any registration statement of the Company relating to
(a) an offering of Exchange Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees pursuant to an Exchange
Offer or (b) the registration for resale of Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to the
Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, which is filed pursuant to the provisions of
this Agreement and including the related Prospectus.

     Shelf Filing Deadline: As defined in Section 4 hereof.

     Shelf Registration Statement: As defined in Section 4 hereof.

     Subsidiary Guarantees: The joint and several guarantees of the Company’s
payment obligations under the Notes by the Guarantors to the extent required by the terms of
the Indenture.

     TIA: The U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Section 77aaa-77bbbb) as
in effect on the date of the Indenture.

     Transfer Restricted Securities: Each (a) Initial Note until (i) the date on
which such Initial Note has been exchanged by a Person other than a Broker-Dealer for an
Exchange Note in the Exchange Offer, (ii) the date on which such Initial Note has been
disposed of in accordance with the Shelf Registration Statement in a transaction registered
thereunder and the purchasers thereof have been issued Exchange Notes or (iii) the date on
which such Initial Note is distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Act or
may be distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144(k) under the Act and (b) Exchange Note
until, following the exchange by a Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer of an Initial Note
for an Exchange Note, the date on which such Exchange Note is sold pursuant to the “Plan of
Distribution” contemplated in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement to a purchaser who
receives from such Broker-Dealer on or prior to the date of such sale a copy of the
Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

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     Underwritten Registration or Underwritten Offering: A registration or
an offering in which securities of the Company are sold to an underwriter for reoffering to
the public.

SECTION 2.

SECURITIES SUBJECT TO THIS AGREEMENT

     (a) Transfer Restricted Securities. The securities entitled to the benefits of this
Agreement are the Transfer Restricted Securities.

     (b) Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities. A Person is deemed to be a holder of
Transfer Restricted Securities (each, a “Holder” and, collectively, the “Holders”)
whenever such Person owns Transfer Restricted Securities of record.

SECTION 3.

REGISTERED EXCHANGE OFFER

     (a) Unless the Exchange Offer shall not be permissible under applicable law or Commission
policy (after the procedures set forth in Section 6(a) below have been complied with), the Company
and the Guarantors shall (i) cause to be filed with the Commission on or before the 120th day after
the Closing Date, a Registration Statement under the Act relating to the Exchange Notes, the
Subsidiary Guarantees and the Exchange Offer, (ii) use their reasonable best efforts to cause such
Registration Statement to become effective on or before the 180th day after the Closing Date, (iii)
in connection with the foregoing, file (A) all pre-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement as may be necessary in order to cause such Registration Statement to become effective,
(B) if applicable, a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A
under the Act and (C) subject to the proviso in Section 6(c)(xi) hereof, cause all necessary
filings in connection with the registration and qualification of the Exchange Notes and the
Subsidiary Guarantees to be made under the Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as are necessary to
permit the Exchange Offer to be Consummated, and (iv) upon the effectiveness of such Registration
Statement, commence, and within the time periods contemplated by Section 3(b) hereof Consummate,
the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer Registration Statement shall be on the appropriate form
under the Act permitting registration of the Exchange Notes to be offered in exchange for the
Initial Notes that are Transfer Restricted Securities and permitting resales of the Exchange Notes
held by Broker-Dealers that tendered into the Exchange Offer Initial Notes that such Broker-Dealers
acquired for their own account as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities
(other than Initial Notes acquired directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates) as
contemplated by Section 3(c) below.

     (b) The Company and the Guarantors shall cause the Exchange Offer Registration Statement to be
effective continuously and shall keep the Exchange Offer open for a period of not less than the
minimum period required under applicable federal and state securities laws to Consummate the
Exchange Offer; provided, however, that in no event shall such period be less than 20 Business
Days. The Company and the Guarantors shall cause the Exchange Offer to comply with all applicable
federal and state securities laws. No securities other than the

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Exchange Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees shall be included in the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement. The Company and the Guarantors shall use their reasonable best efforts to cause the
Exchange Offer to be Consummated on the earliest practicable date after the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement has become effective, but in any event on or prior to the 210th day after
the Closing Date.

     (c) The Company and the Guarantors shall indicate in a “Plan of Distribution” section
contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement that any Broker-Dealer who holds Notes that
are Transfer Restricted Securities and that were acquired for its own account as a result of
market-making activities or other trading activities (other than Transfer Restricted Securities
acquired directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates) may exchange such Transfer Restricted
Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer; however, such Broker-Dealer may be deemed to be an
“underwriter” within the meaning of the Act and must, therefore, deliver a prospectus meeting the
requirements of the Act in connection with its initial sale of the Exchange Notes received by such
Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer, which prospectus delivery requirement may be satisfied by the
delivery by such Broker-Dealer of the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement. Such “Plan of Distribution” section shall also contain all other information with
respect to such resales by such Broker-Dealers that the Commission may require in order to permit
such resales pursuant thereto, but such “Plan of Distribution” shall not name any such
Broker-Dealer or disclose the amount of Transfer Restricted Securities held by any such
Broker-Dealer except to the extent required by the Commission as a result of a change in policy
after the date of this Agreement.

     The Company and the Guarantors shall use their reasonable best efforts to keep the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement continuously effective, supplemented and amended as required by and
subject to the provisions of Sections 6(a) and 6(c) below to the extent necessary to ensure that
the related Prospectus is available for resales of Notes acquired by Broker-Dealers for their own
accounts as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities (other than Transfer
Restricted Securities acquired directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates), and to ensure
that it conforms with the requirements of this Agreement, the Act and the policies, rules and
regulations of the Commission as announced from time to time, for a period of one year from the
Consummation Date or such shorter period as will terminate when no Transfer Restricted Securities
covered by such Registration Statement are outstanding.

     The Company and the Guarantors shall provide sufficient copies of the latest version of such
Prospectus to Broker-Dealers promptly upon request at any time during such period in order to
facilitate such resales.

SECTION 4.

SHELF REGISTRATION

     (a) Shelf Registration. If (i) the Company and the Guarantors are not required to
file an Exchange Offer Registration Statement or not permitted to Consummate the Exchange Offer
because the Exchange Offer is not permitted by applicable law or Commission policy (after the
procedures set forth in Section 6(a) below have been complied with) or (ii) any Holder of

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Transfer Restricted Securities notifies the Company in writing prior to the 20th Business Day
following the Consummation of the Exchange Offer that (A) such Holder is prohibited by applicable
law or Commission policy from participating in the Exchange Offer, or (B) such Holder may not
resell the Exchange Notes acquired by it in the Exchange Offer to the public without delivering a
prospectus and the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not
available for such resales by such Holder, then the Company and the Guarantors shall use their
reasonable best efforts to:

     (x) cause to be filed a shelf registration statement pursuant to Rule 415 under the
Act, which may be an amendment to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (in either
event, the “Shelf Registration Statement”) relating to all Transfer Restricted
Securities in the case of Section 4(a)(i) or the Transfer Restricted Securities specified in
any notice in the case of Section 4(a)(ii) on or prior to the earliest to occur of (1) the
90th day after the date on which the Company determines that it is not required to file the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement as a result of Section 4(a)(i) hereof and (2) the 90th
day after the date on which the Company receives notice from a Holder of Transfer Restricted
Securities as contemplated by Section 4(a)(ii) above (such earliest date being the
“Shelf Filing Deadline”), which Shelf Registration Statement shall provide for
resales of all Transfer Restricted Securities the Holders of which shall have provided the
information required pursuant to Section 4(b) hereof; and

     (y) cause such Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective by the Commission
on or before the 180th day after the Shelf Filing Deadline.

     The Company and the Guarantors shall use their reasonable best efforts to keep such Shelf
Registration Statement continuously effective, supplemented and amended as required by the
provisions of Sections 6(b) and (c) hereof to the extent necessary to ensure that it is available
for resales of Transfer Restricted Securities by the Holders thereof entitled to the benefit of
this Section 4(a), and to ensure that it conforms with the requirements of this Agreement, the Act
and the policies, rules and regulations of the Commission as announced from time to time, until the
earlier of (a) two years following the Closing Date and (b) such earlier date when no Transfer
Restricted Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement remain outstanding.

     Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities that do not give the written notice within the 20
Business Day period set forth above in this Section 4(a), if required to be given, will no longer
have any registration rights pursuant to this Section 4 and will not be entitled to any Liquidated
Damages pursuant to Section 5 hereof in respect of the Company’s obligations with respect to the
Shelf Registration Statement.

     (b) Provision by Holders of Certain Information in Connection with the Shelf Registration
Statement. No Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities may include any of its Transfer
Restricted Securities in any Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement unless and
until such Holder furnishes to the Company in writing, within 10 Business Days after receipt of a
request therefor, such information as the Company may reasonably request for use in connection with
any Shelf Registration Statement or Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus

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included therein. No Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities shall be entitled to Liquidated
Damages pursuant to Section 5 hereof if such Holder shall have failed to provide all such
reasonably requested information within such period. Each Holder as to which any Shelf
Registration Statement is being effected agrees to furnish promptly to the Company all information
required to be disclosed in order to make the information previously furnished to the Company by
such Holder not materially misleading.

SECTION 5.

LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

     If (i) any of the Registration Statements required by this Agreement to be filed is not filed
with the Commission on or prior to the date specified for such filing in this Agreement, (ii) any
of such Registration Statements has not been declared effective by the Commission on or prior to
the date specified for such effectiveness in this Agreement (the “Effectiveness Target
Date”), whether or not the Company and the Guarantors have breached any obligations to use
their reasonable best efforts to cause any such Registration Statement to be declared effective,
(iii) the Exchange Offer has not been Consummated within 210 days of the Closing Date with respect
to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or (iv) subject to Section 6(c)(i) hereof, any
Registration Statement required by this Agreement is filed and declared effective but shall
thereafter cease to be effective or fail to be usable for its intended purpose without being
succeeded within 10 Business Days by a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement that
cures such failure and that is itself declared effective within 10 Business Days of the date of
filing of such post-effective amendment (each such event referred to in clauses (i) through (iv), a
“Registration Default”), the Company and the Guarantors hereby jointly and severally agree
to pay liquidated damages to each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities in an amount equal to
$.05 per week per $1,000 principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities held by such Holder for
each week or portion thereof that the Registration Default continues with respect to the first
90-day period immediately following the occurrence of such Registration Default. The amount of the
liquidated damages shall increase by an additional $.05 per week per $1,000 in principal amount of
Transfer Restricted Securities with respect to each subsequent 90-day period until all Registration
Defaults have been cured, up to a maximum amount of liquidated damages of $.30 per week per $1,000
principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities provided that the Company shall in no event be
required to pay Liquidated Damages for more than one Registration Default at any given time. All
accrued liquidated damages shall be paid to Record Holders by the Company on each Damages Payment
Date following the accrual thereof, in the same manner as provided in the Indenture and the Notes
for the payment of interest on the Notes. Following the cure of all Registration Defaults relating
to any particular Transfer Restricted Securities, the accrual of liquidated damages with respect to
such Transfer Restricted Securities will cease.

     All obligations of the Company and the Guarantors set forth in the preceding paragraph that
are outstanding with respect to any Transfer Restricted Security at the time such security ceases
to be a Transfer Restricted Security shall survive until such time as all such obligations with
respect to such security shall have been satisfied in full.

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SECTION 6.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

     (a) Exchange Offer Registration Statement. In connection with the Exchange Offer, the
Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all of the applicable provisions of Section 6(c)
below, shall use their reasonable best efforts to effect such exchange and to permit the sale of
Transfer Restricted Securities being sold in accordance with the intended method or methods of
distribution thereof, and shall comply with all of the following provisions:

     (i) If in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Company there is a question as to
whether the Exchange Offer is permitted by applicable law, the Company and the Guarantors
hereby agree to seek a no-action letter or other favorable decision from the Commission
allowing the Company and the Guarantors to Consummate the Exchange Offer for such Transfer
Restricted Securities and to permit the resale of Exchange Notes by Broker-Dealers that
tendered in the Exchange Offer Initial Notes that such Broker-Dealers acquired for their own
account as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities (other than
Initial Notes acquired directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates) being sold in
accordance with the intended method or methods of distribution thereof. The Company and the
Guarantors hereby agree to use their reasonable best efforts to pursue the issuance of such
a decision to the Commission staff level but shall not be required to take commercially
unreasonable action to effect a change of Commission policy.

     (ii) As a condition to its participation in the Exchange Offer, each Holder of Transfer
Restricted Securities (including, without limitation, any Holder who is a Broker-Dealer)
shall furnish, upon the request of the Company, prior to the Consummation of the Exchange
Offer, a written representation to the Company (which may be contained in the letter of
transmittal contemplated by the Exchange Offer Registration Statement) to the effect that,
at the time of Consummation of the Exchange Offer, (A) any Exchange Notes received by such
Holder will be acquired in the ordinary course of its business, (B) such Holder will have no
arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in distribution of the Initial
Notes or the Exchange Notes within the meaning of the Act, (C) if the Holder is not a
Broker-Dealer or is a Broker-Dealer but will not receive Exchange Notes for its own account
in exchange for Initial Notes, neither the Holder nor any such other Person is engaged in or
intends to participate in a distribution of the Exchange Notes, and (D) such Holder is not
an Affiliate of the Company. If the Holder is a Broker-Dealer that will receive Exchange
Notes for its own account in exchange for Initial Notes, it will represent that the Initial
Notes to be exchanged for the Exchange Notes were acquired by it as a result of
market-making activities or other trading activities, and will acknowledge that it will
deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Act in connection with any resale of
such Exchange Notes. It is understood that, by acknowledging that it will deliver, and by
delivering, a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Act in connection with any resale
of such Exchange Notes, the Holder is not admitting that it is an “underwriter” within the
meaning of the Act.

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     (iii) Prior to effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, the Company
and the Guarantors shall provide a supplemental letter to the Commission (A) stating that
the Company and the Guarantors are registering the Exchange Offer in reliance on the
position of the Commission enunciated in Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation (available May
13, 1988), Morgan Stanley and Co., Inc. (available June 5, 1991) and, if applicable, any
no-action letter obtained pursuant to clause (i) above and (B) including a representation
that neither the Company nor any Guarantor has entered into any arrangement or understanding
with any Person to distribute the Exchange Notes to be received in the Exchange Offer and
that, to the best of the Company’s information and belief, each Holder participating in the
Exchange Offer is acquiring the Exchange Notes in its ordinary course of business and has no
arrangement or understanding with any Person to participate in the distribution of the
Exchange Notes received in the Exchange Offer.

     (b) Shelf Registration Statement. In connection with the Shelf Registration
Statement, if required, the Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all the provisions of
Section 6(c) below and shall use their reasonable best efforts to effect such registration to
permit the sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities being sold in accordance with the intended
method or methods of distribution thereof (as indicated in the information furnished to the Company
pursuant to Section 4(b) hereof) and, pursuant thereto, the Company and the Guarantors will prepare
and file with the Commission in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof a Shelf Registration Statement
to effect such registration on any appropriate form under the Act, which form shall be available
for the sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities in accordance with the intended method or
methods of distribution thereof within the time periods and otherwise in accordance with the
provisions hereof.

     (c) General Provisions. In connection with any Registration Statement and any
Prospectus required by this Agreement to permit the sale or resale of Transfer Restricted
Securities (including, without limitation, any Registration Statement and the related Prospectus
required to permit resales of Notes by Broker-Dealers as contemplated herein), the Company and the
Guarantors shall during the periods specified in Sections 3 and 4 hereof, as applicable:

     (i) use their reasonable best efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously
effective and provide all requisite financial statements (including, if required by the Act
or any regulation thereunder, financial statements of the Guarantors, if any) for the period
specified in Section 3 or 4 hereof, as applicable; upon the occurrence of any event that
would cause any such Registration Statement or the Prospectus contained therein (A) to
contain an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading or (B) not to be effective and usable for the resale of Transfer Restricted
Securities during the period required by this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors
shall file promptly an appropriate amendment to such Registration Statement, in the case of
clause (A), correcting any such misstatement or omission, and, in the case of either clause
(A) or (B), use their reasonable best efforts to cause such amendment to be declared
effective and such Registration

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Statement and the related Prospectus to become usable for their intended purpose(s) as soon
as practicable thereafter; provided, however, if (A) the full Board of Directors of the
Company determines in good faith that it is in the best interests of the Company not to
disclose the existence of or facts surrounding any proposed or pending material corporate
transaction involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (B) the Company notifies
the Holders, pursuant to Section 6(c)(iii)(D) hereof, within two Business Days after such
Board of Directors makes such determination, the Company may allow the Shelf Registration
Statement to fail to be effective and usable as a result of such nondisclosure for up to 120
days during the period of effectiveness required by Section 4 hereof, but in no event for a
period in excess of 45 consecutive days;

     (ii) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments
to the Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement
effective for the applicable period set forth in Section 3 or 4 hereof; cause the Prospectus
to be supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement, and as so supplemented to be filed
pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, and to comply fully with the applicable provisions of
Rules 424 and 430A under the Act in a timely manner; and comply with the provisions of the
Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such Registration Statement
during the applicable period in accordance with the intended method or methods of
distribution by the sellers thereof set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement
to the Prospectus;

     (iii) except in the case of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, advise the
underwriter(s), if any, and selling Holders promptly and, if requested by any such Person,
to confirm such advice in writing, (A) when the Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or
post-effective amendment has been filed, and, with respect to any Registration Statement or
any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has become effective, (B) of any request
by the Commission for amendments to the Registration Statement or amendments or supplements
to the Prospectus or for additional information relating thereto, (C) of the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
under the Act or of the suspension by any state securities commission of the qualification
of the Transfer Restricted Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or the
initiation of any proceeding for any of the preceding purposes, and (D) of the existence of
any fact or the happening of any event that makes any statement of a material fact made in
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any amendment or supplement thereto, or any
document incorporated by reference therein untrue, or that requires the making of any
additions to or changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the
statements therein not misleading. If at any time the Commission shall issue any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any state securities
commission or other regulatory authority shall issue an order suspending the qualification
or exemption from qualification of the Transfer Restricted Securities under state securities
or Blue Sky laws, the Company and the Guarantors shall use their reasonable best efforts to
obtain the withdrawal or lifting of such order at the earliest possible time;

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     (iv) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, furnish to each of the selling
Holders and each of the underwriter(s), if any, before filing with the Commission, copies of
any Registration Statement or any Prospectus included therein or any amendments or
supplements to any such Registration Statement or Prospectus (but excluding any documents
incorporated by reference as a result of the Company’s periodic reporting requirements under
the Exchange Act), and neither the Company nor any Guarantors shall file any such
Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any such Registration
Statement or Prospectus (excluding all such documents incorporated by reference as a result
of the Company’s periodic reporting requirements under the Exchange Act) to which a selling
Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities covered by such Registration Statement or the
underwriter(s), if any, shall reasonably object within five Business Days after the receipt
thereof. A selling Holder or underwriter, if any, shall be deemed to have reasonably
objected to such filing if such Registration Statement, amendment, Prospectus or supplement,
as applicable, as proposed to be filed, contains an untrue statement of material fact or
omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

     (v) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, promptly following the filing of any
document that is to be incorporated by reference into a Registration Statement or
Prospectus, provide copies of such document to the selling Holders and to the
underwriter(s), if any, make the Company’s representatives available for discussion of such
document and other customary due diligence matters, and include such information in such
document prior to the filing thereof as such selling Holders or underwriter(s), if any,
reasonably may request;

     (vi) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, make available at reasonable times
for inspection by the selling Holders, any underwriter participating in any disposition
pursuant to such Registration Statement, and any attorney or accountant retained by such
selling Holders or any of the underwriter(s), all relevant financial and other records and
pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company and the Guarantors and cause the
Company’s and the Guarantors’ officers, directors and employees to supply all information
reasonably requested by any such Holder, underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection
with such Registration Statement subsequent to the filing thereof and prior to its
effectiveness; provided, however, that the foregoing inspection and information gathering
(i) shall be coordinated on behalf of the selling Holders, underwriters, or any
representative thereof, by one counsel, who shall be Vinson & Elkins R.L.L.P. or such other
counsel as may be chosen by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of Transfer
Restricted Securities, and (ii) shall not be available for any such Holder who does not
agree in writing to hold such information in confidence.

     (vii) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, if requested by any selling
Holders or the underwriter(s), if any, promptly incorporate in any Registration Statement or
Prospectus, pursuant to a supplement or post-effective amendment if necessary, such

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information as such selling Holders and underwriter(s), if any, may reasonably request to
have included therein, including, without limitation, information relating to the “Plan of
Distribution” of the Transfer Restricted Securities, information with respect to the
principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities being sold to such underwriter(s), the
purchase price being paid therefor and any other terms of the offering of the Transfer
Restricted Securities to be sold in such offering; and make all required filings of such
Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment as soon as practicable after the Company
is notified of the matters to be incorporated in such Prospectus supplement or
post-effective amendment;

     (viii) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, furnish to each selling Holder
and each of the underwriter(s), if any, without charge, at least one copy of the
Registration Statement, as first filed with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto,
including all documents incorporated by reference therein and all exhibits (including
exhibits incorporated therein by reference);

     (ix) deliver to each selling Holder and each of the underwriter(s), if any, without
charge, as many copies of the Prospectus (including each preliminary prospectus) and any
amendment or supplement thereto as such Persons reasonably may request; the Company and the
Guarantors hereby consent, subject to Section 6(d) hereof, to the use of the Prospectus and
any amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders and each of the
underwriter(s), if any, in connection with the offering and the sale of the Transfer
Restricted Securities covered by the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto;
provided that such use of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and such
offering and sale conforms to the Plan of Distribution set forth in the Prospectus and
complies with the terms of this Agreement and all applicable laws and regulations
thereunder;

     (x) in the event of an Underwritten Registration, enter into such customary agreements
(including an underwriting agreement), make such customary representations and warranties,
deliver such customary documents and certificates, and take all such other customary actions
in connection therewith in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of the Transfer
Restricted Securities pursuant to any Shelf Registration Statement contemplated by this
Agreement, all to such extent as may be reasonably requested by any Holder of Transfer
Restricted Securities or underwriter in connection with any sale or resale pursuant to any
Shelf Registration Statement contemplated by this Agreement; and, without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Company and the Guarantors shall:

     (A) furnish to each underwriter upon the effectiveness of the Shelf
Registration Statement:

     (1) a certificate, dated the date of effectiveness of the Shelf
Registration Statement, signed on behalf of the Company by two senior
officers, one of whom must be its Senior Executive Vice President,

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Finance and Human Resources, confirming, as of such date, the matters
addressed in the officers’ certificate delivered pursuant to Section 6(e) of
the Purchase Agreement with respect to the transactions contemplated by the
Shelf Registration Statement;

     (2) an opinion or opinions, dated the date of effectiveness of the
Shelf Registration Statement, of counsel for the Company and the Guarantors
covering the matters referred to in Section 6(c) and (d) of the Purchase
Agreement with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Shelf
Registration Statement; and

     (3) a customary comfort letter, dated as of the date of effectiveness
of the Shelf Registration Statement, from the Company’s independent
accountants if such comfort letter shall be issuable to the underwriters in
accordance with the relevant accounting industry pronouncements, in the
customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in
comfort letters to underwriters in connection with primary underwritten
offerings, and substantially in the form of the comfort letters delivered
pursuant to Section 6(a) of the Purchase Agreement; and

     (B) deliver such other documents and certificates as may be reasonably
requested by such parties and which are customarily delivered in Underwritten
Offerings.

     (xi) prior to any public offering of Transfer Restricted Securities, cooperate with the
selling Holders, the underwriter(s), if any, and their respective counsel in connection with
the registration and qualification of the Transfer Restricted Securities under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the selling Holders or underwriter(s)
may reasonably request and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or
advisable to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Transfer Restricted
Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement; provided, however, that neither the
Company nor the Guarantors shall be required to register or qualify as a foreign corporation
where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to the service
of process in suits or to taxation, other than as to matters and transactions relating to
the Registration Statement, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject;

     (xii) issue, upon the request of any Holder of Initial Notes covered by the Shelf
Registration Statement, Exchange Notes, having an aggregate principal amount equal to the
aggregate principal amount of Initial Notes being sold by such Holder, such Exchange Notes
to be registered in the name of the purchaser(s) of such Notes, as the case may be; in
return, the Initial Notes held by such Holder shall be surrendered to the Company for
cancellation;

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     (xiii) in connection with any sale of Transfer Restricted Securities that will result
in such securities no longer being Transfer Restricted Securities, cooperate with the
selling Holders and the underwriter(s), if any, to facilitate the timely preparation and
delivery of certificates representing Transfer Restricted Securities to be sold and not
bearing any restrictive legends; and enable such Transfer Restricted Securities to be in
such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Holders or the
underwriter(s), if any, may reasonably request at least two Business Days prior to any sale
of Transfer Restricted Securities made by such underwriter(s);

     (xiv) if any fact or event contemplated by clause (c)(iii)(D) above shall exist or have
occurred, prepare a supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or
related Prospectus or any document incorporated therein by reference or file any other
required document so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of Transfer Restricted
Securities, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

     (xv) provide a CUSIP number for all Exchange Notes not later than the effective date of
the Registration Statement and provide the Trustee under the Indenture with one or more
global certificates for the Exchange Notes that are in a form eligible for deposit with The
Depository Trust Company;

     (xvi) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, cooperate and assist in any
filings required to be made with the NASD and in the performance of any due diligence
investigation by any underwriter (including any “qualified independent underwriter”) that is
required to be retained in accordance with the rules and regulations of the NASD;

     (xvii) otherwise use their reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules
and regulations of the Commission, and make generally available to its security holders with
regard to any applicable Registration Statement, as soon as practicable, a consolidated
earnings statement meeting the requirements of Rule 158 (which need not be audited) for a
twelve-month period commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement;

     (xviii) cause the Indenture to be qualified under the TIA not later than the effective
date of the first Registration Statement required by this Agreement, and, in connection
therewith, cooperate with the Trustee and the Holders of Notes to effect such changes to the
Indenture as may be required for such Indenture to be so qualified in accordance with the
terms of the TIA; and execute and use their reasonable best efforts to cause the Trustee to
execute, all documents that may be required to effect such changes and all other forms and
documents required to be filed with the Commission to enable such Indenture to be so
qualified in a timely manner; and

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     (xix) provide promptly to each Holder upon request each document filed with the
Commission pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or Section 15 of the Exchange Act.

     (d) Each Holder agrees by acquisition of a Transfer Restricted Security that, upon receipt of
any notice from the Company of the existence of any fact of the kind described in Section
6(c)(iii)(D) hereof, such Holder will keep such notice confidential and forthwith discontinue
disposition of Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement
until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by
Section 6(c)(xiv) hereof, or until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company
that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed, and has received copies of any additional or
supplemental filings that are incorporated by reference in the Prospectus. If so directed by the
Company, each Holder will deliver to the Company (at the Company’s expense) all copies, other than
permanent file copies then in such Holder’s possession, of the Prospectus covering such Transfer
Restricted Securities that was current at the time of receipt of such notice. If the Company shall
give any such notice, the time period regarding the effectiveness of such Registration Statement
set forth in Section 3 or 4 hereof, as applicable, shall be extended by the number of days during
the period from and including the date of the giving of such notice pursuant to Section
6(c)(iii)(D) hereof to and including the date when each selling Holder covered by such Registration
Statement shall have received the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by
Section 6(c)(xiv) hereof or shall have received the Advice.

SECTION 7.

REGISTRATION EXPENSES

     (a) All expenses incident to the Company’s or the Guarantors’ performance of or compliance
with this Agreement will be borne by the Company and the Guarantors regardless of whether a
Registration Statement becomes effective, including without limitation: (i) all registration and
filing fees and expenses (including filings made by the Initial Purchasers or Holders with the NASD
(and, if applicable, the fees and expenses of any “qualified independent underwriter” and its
counsel that may be required by the rules and regulations of the NASD)); (ii) all fees and expenses
of compliance with federal securities and state Blue Sky or securities laws; (iii) all expenses of
printing (including printing of Prospectuses), messenger and delivery services and telephone; (iv)
all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and the Guarantors and, subject to Section
7(b) below, counsel for the Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities; (v) all application and
filing fees in connection with listing Notes on a national securities exchange or automated
quotation system, if any; and (vi) all fees and disbursements of independent public accountants of
the Company and the Guarantors (including the expenses of any special audit and comfort letters
required by or incident to such performance).

     The Company and the Guarantors will, in any event, bear their internal expenses (including,
without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or
accounting duties), the expenses of any annual audit and the fees and expenses of any Person,
including special experts, retained by the Company or any Guarantor. The Company

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shall not be responsible for any other expenses or costs, including but not limited to commissions,
fees and discounts of underwriters, brokers, dealers and agents.

     (b) In connection with any Registration Statement required by this Agreement (excluding the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement), the Company and the Guarantors will reimburse the Holders
of Transfer Restricted Securities being tendered in the Exchange Offer and/or resold pursuant to
the “Plan of Distribution” contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or registered
pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, as applicable, for the reasonable fees and
disbursements of not more than one counsel, who shall be Vinson & Elkins R.L.L.P. or such other
counsel as may be chosen by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Transfer
Restricted Securities for whose benefit such Registration Statement is being prepared; provided
that, except in the case of an Underwritten Offering, the fees and expenses of such counsel to be
reimbursed by the Company shall not exceed $25,000.

SECTION 8.

INDEMNIFICATION

     (a) The Company and the Guarantors jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless
(i) each Holder, (ii) each Initial Purchaser, (iii) each person, if any, who controls any Holder or
an Initial Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange
Act and (iii) the respective officers, directors, partners, employees, representatives and agents
of any Holder or Initial Purchaser or any controlling person (any person referred to in clauses
(i), (ii) or (iii) may hereinafter be referred to as an “Indemnified Holder”), to the
fullest extent lawful, from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and
expenses whatsoever (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and any and all
reasonable expenses whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any
investigation or litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all
amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of
them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Registration Statement or Prospectus, or in any supplement thereto or amendment thereof, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company and the Guarantors
will not be liable in any such case to the extent, but only to the extent, that any such loss,
liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the any of the
Holders expressly for use therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability
that the Company and the Guarantors may otherwise have, including under this Agreement.

     (b) Each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities agrees, severally and not jointly, to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of the Guarantors and each person, if any, who

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controls the Company or any Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a)
of the Exchange Act and each of their respective officers, directors, employers, partners,
representatives and agents to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company and the
Guarantors to each of the Indemnified Holders, but only with respect to information relating to
such Holder furnished in writing by such Holder for use in any Registration Statement, or in any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto; provided, however, that in no case shall any selling
Holder be liable or responsible for any amount in excess of proceeds received by such Holder upon
the sale of the Notes giving rise to such indemnification obligation. This indemnity will be in
addition to any liability that the Holders may otherwise have, including under this Agreement.

     (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice
of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is
to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify each party against whom
indemnification is to be sought in writing of the commencement thereof (but the failure so to
notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this
Section 8 or otherwise except to the extent that it has been prejudiced in any material respect by
such failure). In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies
an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to
participate therein, and to the extent it may elect by written notice delivered to the indemnified
party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume and
control the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to employ its
or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the
expense of such indemnified party or parties unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall have
been authorized in writing by the indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of such
action, (ii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to take charge of the defense
of such action within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, or (iii) such
indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available
to it that are different from or additional to those available to one or all of the indemnifying
parties (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of
such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and
expenses of counsel shall be borne by the indemnifying parties; provided, however, that the
indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above shall only be liable for the legal expenses of
one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) for all indemnified parties. Anything in this
subsection to the contrary notwithstanding, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for any
settlement of any claim or action effected without its prior written consent; provided that such
consent was not unreasonably withheld.

SECTION 9.

CONTRIBUTION

     In order to provide for contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided
for in Section 8 is for any reason held to be unavailable or is insufficient to hold harmless a
party indemnified thereunder, the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand, and

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the Holders on the other hand, shall contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages,
liabilities and expenses of the nature contemplated by such indemnification provision (including
any investigation, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in
settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted, but after deducting in the
case of losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses suffered by the Company and the
Guarantors any contribution received by the Company and the Guarantors from Persons, other than a
Holder, who may also be liable for contribution, including persons who control the Company and the
Guarantors within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act) to
which the Company, the Guarantors or any Holder may be subject, (i) in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors on one hand, and each
Holder, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i)
is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the
relative fault referred to in clause (i) above but also other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors on one hand, and of each Holder, on the other
hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates
to information supplied by the Company, the Guarantors or such Holder and the parties’ relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission. The Company, the Guarantors and each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities agree that
it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by
pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the
equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, (i)
in no case shall any Holder be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which
the proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities giving
rise to such obligation exceeds the amount of any damages that such Holder has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 9, (A) each Person, if any, who controls any of
the Holders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act and
(B) the respective officers, directors, partners, employees, representatives and agents of such
Holder or any controlling Person shall have the same rights to contribution as the Holders, and
each Person, if any, who controls the Company or any Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the
Company and the Guarantors subject in each case to clauses (i) and (ii) of this Section 9. Any
party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any
action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be
made against another party or parties under this Section 9, notify such party or parties from whom
contribution may be sought, but the failure to so notify such party or parties shall not relieve
the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any obligation it or they may have
under this Section 9 or otherwise, except to the extent it or they have been prejudiced in any
material respect by such failure. No party shall be liable for contribution with respect to any
action or

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claim settled without its prior written consent; provided that such written consent was not
unreasonably withheld.

SECTION 10.

RULE 144A

     The Company and the Guarantors hereby agree with each Holder, for so long as any Transfer
Restricted Securities remain outstanding, to make available, upon request, to any Holder of
Transfer Restricted Securities in connection with any sale thereof and any prospective purchaser of
such Transfer Restricted Securities from such Holder, the information required by Rule 144A(d)(4)
under the Act in order to permit resales of such Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to Rule
144A.

SECTION 11.

PARTICIPATION IN UNDERWRITTEN REGISTRATIONS

     No Holder may participate in any Underwritten Registration hereunder unless such Holder (a)
agrees to sell such Holder’s Transfer Restricted Securities on the basis provided in any
underwriting arrangements approved by the Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements
and (b) completes and executes all reasonable questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities,
underwriting agreements, lock-up letters and other documents required under the terms of such
underwriting arrangements.

SECTION 12.

SELECTION OF UNDERWRITERS

     The Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement who
desire to do so may sell such Transfer Restricted Securities in an Underwritten Offering. In any
such Underwritten Offering, the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers
that will administer the offering will be selected by the Company; provided, however, that such
investment bankers and managers must be reasonably satisfactory to the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities included in such offering.

SECTION 13.

MISCELLANEOUS

     (a) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company and the Guarantors shall not, on or after
the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities that is
inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with
the provisions hereof. The rights granted to the Holders hereunder do not in any way conflict with
and are not inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the Company’s or any Guarantor’s
securities under any agreement in effect on the date hereof.

     (b) [Intentionally omitted.]

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     (c) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement may not be amended,
modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to or departures from the provisions hereof may
not be given unless the Company has obtained the written consent of Holders of a majority of the
outstanding principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities; provided, however, that the Company
may amend this Agreement to include or exclude a Guarantor as a party hereto if, pursuant to the
terms of the Indenture, such Guarantor is required to provide a Subsidiary Guarantee for the Notes
or is released from such obligation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to
departure from the provisions hereof that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders whose
securities are being tendered pursuant to the Exchange Offer and that does not affect directly or
indirectly the rights of other Holders whose securities are not being tendered pursuant to such
Exchange Offer may be given by the Holders of a majority of the outstanding principal amount of
Transfer Restricted Securities being tendered.

     (d) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder
shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, first-class mail (registered or certified, return
receipt requested), telecopier, or air courier guaranteeing overnight delivery:

     (i) if to a Holder, at the address set forth on the records of the Registrar under the
Indenture, with a copy to the Registrar under the Indenture; and

     (ii) if to the Company or any Guarantor:

Compagnie Générale de Géophysique

1, rue Léon Migaux

91341 Massy

France

Telecopier No.: 33-1-67-47-34-32

Attention: Chief Financial Officer

with a copy to:

Linklaters & Alliance

25, rue de Marignan

75008 Paris

France

Telecopier No.: 33-1-43-59-41-96

Attention: Tom O’Neill

     All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time
delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail,
postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if telecopied; and on the next Business Day,
if timely delivered to an air courier guaranteeing overnight delivery.

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     Copies of all such notices, demands or other communications shall be concurrently delivered by
the Person giving the same to the Trustee at the address specified in the Indenture.

     (f) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the parties, including without limitation and
without the need for an express assignment, the successors and assigns of subsequent Holders of
Transfer Restricted Securities; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not inure to the
benefit of or be binding upon a successor or assign of a Holder unless and to the extent such
successor or assign acquired Transfer Restricted Securities from such Holder.

     (g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by
the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be
an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

     (h) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only
and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

     (i) Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

     (j) Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained
herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable,
the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the
remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

[Signature page to follow]

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

	 	 	 	 	 
	 	Compagnie Générale de Géophysique

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	CGG Americas Inc.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	CGG Canada Services Ltd

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	CGG Marine Resources Norge A/S

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	Sercel Inc.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	Sercel Australia Pty Ltd

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 
	 	Sercel Canada Ltd.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	Name:  	 	 
	 	 	Title:  	 	 
	 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO COMPAGNIE GENERALE DE GEOPHYSIQUE

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Accepted and agreed to as of

the date first above written:

Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

RBC Capital Markets Corporation

Natexis Banques Populaires

By:     Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited

	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	By:  	 	 	 
	Name:  	 	 	 
	Title:

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