Document:

Amendment to Rights Agreement dated as of December 15, 2004

 Exhibit 4.1 
  
 AMENDMENT dated as of December 15, 2004, to the Rights Agreement dated as of May 25, 2001 (the
“Rights Agreement”), between PATINA OIL & GAS CORPORATION (the “Company”) and MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”). 
  
 Pursuant to the terms of the Rights Agreement and in accordance with Section
27 thereof, the following actions are hereby taken prior to executing the Merger Agreement referred to below: 
  
 Section 1. Amendment to Rights Agreement. The Rights Agreement is hereby amended as follows: 
  
 (a) the definition of “Acquiring Person” in Section 1(a) of the
Rights Agreement is amended to add the following sentence at the end thereof: 
  
 “Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, none of Noble Energy, Inc. or any Affiliate or Associate of Noble Energy, Inc. shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person, either individually or
collectively, by virtue of (i) the announcement of the Merger, (ii) the execution of the Merger Agreement or (iii) the consummation of the Merger or of the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.” 
  
 (b) the following definitions shall be added to Section 1 of the Rights
Agreement and the remaining sections shall be renumbered accordingly: 
  
 1(bb) “ “Merger” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Merger Agreement.” 
  
 1(cc) “ “Merger Agreement” shall mean the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 15, 2004 among Noble Energy,
Inc., Noble Energy Production, Inc. and the Company.” 
  
 (c)
Section 3(a) of the Rights Agreement is amended to add the following sentence at the end thereof: 
  
 “Notwithstanding anything in this Rights Agreement to the contrary, a Distribution Date shall not be deemed to have occurred as the
result of (i) the announcement of the Merger, (ii) the execution of the Merger Agreement or (iii) the consummation of the Merger or of the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.” 
  
 (d) Section 25(b) of the Rights Agreement is amended to add the following
sentence at the end thereof: 

 “Notwithstanding anything in this Rights Agreement to the contrary, the Company
shall not be obligated to provide any notice pursuant to this Section 25(b) as a result of (i) the announcement of the Merger, (ii) the execution of the Merger Agreement or (iii) the consummation of the Merger or of the other transactions
contemplated by the Merger Agreement.” 
  
 Section 2. Full
Force and Effect. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Amendment is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and
restrictions of this Amendment, and the Rights Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated. 
  
 Section 3. Governing Law. This Amendment shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of New York and for all purposes shall
be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within the State. 
  
 Section 4. Execution in Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all
purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. 
  
 Section 5. Certification. The officer of the Company executing this Amendment on behalf of the Company hereby certifies on behalf of the Company
that this Amendment complies with the terms of Section 27 of the Rights Agreement. 
  
 Section 6. Ratification, Adoption and Approval. In all respects not inconsistent with the terms and provisions of this Amendment, the Rights Agreement is hereby ratified, adopted, approved and confirmed. In
executing and delivering this Amendment, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities afforded to the Rights Agent under the terms and conditions of the Rights Agreement. 
  
 [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW] 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed as of the day and
year first above written. 
  

					
	 PATINA OIL & GAS CORPORATION

			
	 	 	 By:
	 	 /s/ David J. Kornder

	 	 	 	 	 Name: David J. Kornder
 Title: Executive Vice President

  

					
	 MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC,
 as Rights Agent

			
	 	 	 By:
	 	 /s/ Janis E. Mason

	 	 	 	 	 Name: Janis E. Mason
 Title: Vice PresidentAmendment to Amended and Restated Change in Control Plan

 Exhibit 10.1 
  
 AMENDMENT TO THE 
 PATINA OIL & GAS CORPORATION 
 AMENDED AND RESTATED 
 CHANGE IN CONTROL PLAN 
  
 This
Amendment to the Amended and Restated Change in Control Plan (the “Plan”), as amended and restated through September 14, 2004, is adopted effective as of December 15, 2004 (the “Effective Date”) by Patina Oil & Gas
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). 
  
 WHEREAS, simultaneously with the adoption of this Amendment, the Company is entering into the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 15, 2004 among Noble Energy, Inc., Noble Energy Production, Inc. and the Company (the
“Merger Agreement”), which provides for the merger of the Company with and into Noble Energy Production, Inc. (the “Merger”), as further described therein; and 
  
 WHEREAS, in the event the Merger is consummated, the Company desires to clarify the application of the Plan to
certain participants therein; 
  
 NOW THEREFORE, the
Company hereby adopts this Amendment to the Plan. 
  
 1. Effectiveness.

  
 (a) This Amendment shall be effective as of the Effective
Date, provided, however, that in the event the Merger is not consummated and the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, this Amendment shall be null and void abinitio and of no further force or
effect. 
  
 (b) Subject to Section 1(a) and except as provided in
Section 2, the terms and conditions of the Plan as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Date shall continue to be in effect on and after the Effective Date. 
  
 2. Amendment. The definition of the term “Executive Payment” set forth in Section 1 of the Plan shall be deleted in
its entirety and the following substituted therefor: 
  
 “
‘Executive Payment’ means with respect to any Executive, (i) an amount equal to 200% of such Executive’s Base Compensation for 2004 plus (ii) such Executive’s Additional Compensation plus (iii) an amount equal to 150% of
the amount of the Bonus actually paid to such Executive in 2004 in respect of the Company’s 2003 fiscal year (provided, however, that for any Executive who began employment with the Company during 2004, (x) the amount in clause (i) above shall
include an amount equal to 

  

 
the Company’s annualized Board approved 2004 401(k) contribution, (y) the amount in clause (iii) above shall be 150% of the target annual Bonus set
forth in such Executive’s offer letter and (z) Section 3(d) of the Plan shall not apply to reduce any Executive Payment payable to any Executive of the Company).” 
  
 3. Governing Law. This Amendment shall be governed by and subject to the laws of the State of Delaware. 
  

 2Amendment to the Amended & Restated Employment Agreement

  
 Exhibit 10.2

  
 AMENDMENT, made as of December 15, 2004 (the
“Effective Date”) to the AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT dated July 31, 1997, as amended and restated through September 14, 2004 (the “Agreement”), by and between PATINA OIL & GAS CORPORATION, a Delaware Corporation
(the “Company”), and THOMAS J. EDELMAN (“Executive”). 
  
 WHEREAS, simultaneously with the adoption of this Amendment, the Company is entering into the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 15, 2004 among Noble Energy, Inc., Noble Energy Production, Inc. and the
Company (the “Merger Agreement”), which provides for the merger of the Company with and into Noble Energy Production, Inc. (the “Merger”), as further described therein; and 
  
 WHEREAS, Executive and the Company desire to clarify the application of
certain provisions of the Agreement in the event the Merger is consummated; 
  
 NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows: 
  

	1.	Effectiveness. 

  
 (a) This Amendment shall be effective as of the Effective Date, provided, however, that in the event the Merger is not consummated and the
Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, Section 2 of this Amendment shall be null and void ab initio and of no further force or effect. 
  
 (b) Subject to Section 1(a) and except as provided in Section 2, the terms and conditions of the Plan as in effect
immediately prior to the Effective Date shall continue to be in effect on and after the Effective Date. 
  

	2.	Amendment. 

  
 (a) A proviso shall be added to the last sentence of Section 6.1(a) of the Agreement, so that such last sentence of Section 6.1(a) shall be amended to
read as follows: 
  
 “The Termination Amount shall consist of

  
 two and one-half times the sum of: 
  

	 	(i)	the Base Salary; 

  

	 	(ii)	the greater of (a) the Target Bonus or (b) the Bonus paid or payable with respect to the year prior to the year in which Executive’s employment was terminated;

  

 (iii) 100 percent of the contribution the Company would have made to the Executive’s 401(k) account
for the year in which Executive’s employment was terminated; and 
  
 (iv) 100 percent of the Matching Deferral (as defined in the Company’s Deferred Compensation Plan for Select Employees (the “Deferral Plan”)) for the year in which Executive’s employment was terminated, assuming the
Executive deferred the maximum amount pursuant to the Deferral Plan; 
  
 provided, however, that in the context of the Change in Control contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 15, 2004 among Noble Energy, Inc., Noble Energy Production, Inc. and the Company, regardless
of the timing of the consummation of such Change in Control and termination of Executive’s employment, the Termination Amount shall equal two and one-half times the sum of the amounts in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, except that for
this purpose (A) the amount referred to in clause (i) above shall be deemed to be the Base Salary for 2004, (B) the amount referred to in clause (ii) above shall be deemed to be the amount of the Bonus actually paid to the Executive in 2004 in
respect of the Company’s 2003 fiscal year plus $1.5 million (representing the amount payable to Executive under the Company’s “Long Term Incentive Program for Chief Executive Officer”), (C) the amount referred to in clause (iii)
shall be deemed to be $23,075 and (D) the amount referred to in clause (iv) shall be deemed to be $75,250.” 
  

	3.	Governing Law. 

  
 This Amendment shall be construed, interpreted and governed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without reference to rules relating to
conflicts of law. 
  

	4.	Counterparts. 

  
 This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original. 
  

 2 

					
	PATINA OIL & GAS CORPORATION,
			
	 	 	By:	 	 /s/ David J. Kornder

	 	 	 	 	 Name: David J. Kornder

	 	 	 	 	 Title: Executive Vice President

	
	 /s/ Thomas J. Edelman

	 Thomas J. Edelman

  

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