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Exhibit 10.1    
    

Execution Version

CREDIT AGREEMENT  

DATED AS OF

APRIL 11, 2005  

AMONG  

LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC

AS BORROWER,  

BNP PARIBAS,

AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT,  

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA,  

AS SYNDICATION AGENT,  

AND  

THE LENDERS PARTY HERETO  

JOINT LEAD ARRANGERS AND JOINT BOOK RUNNERS  

	BNP PARIBAS	 	RBC CAPITAL MARKETS

  

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS    
    

	 
	 	 
	 	Page

	ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING MATTERS
	

Section 1.01	
 	

Terms Defined Above	
 	

1
	Section 1.02	 	Certain Defined Terms	 	1
	Section 1.03	 	Types of Loans and Borrowings	 	17
	Section 1.04	 	Terms Generally	 	17
	Section 1.05	 	Accounting Terms and Determinations; GAAP	 	18
	
ARTICLE II

THE CREDITS
	

Section 2.01	
 	

Commitments	
 	

18
	Section 2.02	 	Loans and Borrowings	 	18
	Section 2.03	 	Requests for Borrowings	 	19
	Section 2.04	 	Interest Elections	 	20
	Section 2.05	 	Funding of Borrowings	 	21
	Section 2.06	 	Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts	 	22
	Section 2.07	 	Borrowing Base	 	23
	Section 2.08	 	Letters of Credit	 	25
	
ARTICLE III

PAYMENTS OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST; PREPAYMENTS; FEES
	

Section 3.01	
 	

Repayment of Loans	
 	

29
	Section 3.02	 	Interest	 	29
	Section 3.03	 	Alternate Rate of Interest	 	30
	Section 3.04	 	Prepayments	 	31
	Section 3.05	 	Fees	 	32
	
ARTICLE IV

PAYMENTS; PRO RATA TREATMENT; SHARING OF SET-OFFS.
	

Section 4.01	
 	

Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs	
 	

33
	Section 4.02	 	Presumption of Payment by the Borrower	 	34
	Section 4.03	 	Certain Deductions by the Administrative Agent	 	35
	
ARTICLE V

INCREASED COSTS; BREAK FUNDING PAYMENTS; TAXES; ILLEGALITY
	

Section 5.01	
 	

Increased Costs	
 	

35
	Section 5.02	 	Break Funding Payments	 	36
	Section 5.03	 	Taxes	 	36
	Section 5.04	 	Designation of Different Lending Office	 	37
	Section 5.05	 	Illegality	 	37
	
ARTICLE VI

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
	

Section 6.01	
 	

Effective Date	
 	

38
	Section 6.02	 	Each Credit Event	 	40
	 	 	 	 	 

i

 

	
ARTICLE VII

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
	

Section 7.01	
 	

Organization; Powers	
 	

41
	Section 7.02	 	Authority; Enforceability	 	41
	Section 7.03	 	Approvals; No Conflicts	 	41
	Section 7.04	 	Financial Position; No Material Adverse Change	 	41
	Section 7.05	 	Litigation	 	42
	Section 7.06	 	Environmental Matters	 	42
	Section 7.07	 	Compliance with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults	 	43
	Section 7.08	 	Investment Company Act	 	43
	Section 7.09	 	Public Utility Holding Company Act	 	44
	Section 7.10	 	Taxes	 	44
	Section 7.11	 	ERISA	 	44
	Section 7.12	 	Disclosure; No Material Misstatements	 	45
	Section 7.13	 	Insurance	 	45
	Section 7.14	 	Restriction on Liens	 	46
	Section 7.15	 	Subsidiaries	 	46
	Section 7.16	 	Location of Business and Offices	 	46
	Section 7.17	 	Properties; Titles, Etc.	 	46
	Section 7.18	 	Maintenance of Properties	 	47
	Section 7.19	 	Gas Imbalances, Prepayments	 	47
	Section 7.20	 	Marketing of Production	 	47
	Section 7.21	 	Swap Agreements	 	48
	Section 7.22	 	Use of Loans and Letters of Credit	 	48
	Section 7.23	 	Solvency	 	48
	
ARTICLE VIII

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
	

Section 8.01	
 	

Financial Statements; Ratings Change; Other Information	
 	

49
	Section 8.02	 	Notices of Material Events	 	51
	Section 8.03	 	Existence; Conduct of Business	 	51
	Section 8.04	 	Payment of Obligations	 	52
	Section 8.05	 	Performance of Obligations under Loan Documents	 	52
	Section 8.06	 	Operation and Maintenance of Properties	 	52
	Section 8.07	 	Insurance	 	53
	Section 8.08	 	Books and Records; Inspection Rights	 	53
	Section 8.09	 	Compliance with Laws	 	53
	Section 8.10	 	Environmental Matters	 	53
	Section 8.11	 	Further Assurances	 	54
	Section 8.12	 	Reserve Reports	 	55
	Section 8.13	 	Title Information	 	56
	Section 8.14	 	Additional Collateral; Additional Guarantors	 	56
	Section 8.15	 	ERISA Compliance	 	57
	Section 8.16	 	Marketing Activities	 	57
	Section 8.17	 	Initial Public Offering Covenant	 	58
	 	 	 	 	 

ii

 

	
ARTICLE IX

NEGATIVE COVENANTS
	

Section 9.01	
 	

Financial Covenants	
 	

58
	Section 9.02	 	Debt	 	58
	Section 9.03	 	Liens	 	59
	Section 9.04	 	Dividends, Distributions and Redemptions	 	59
	Section 9.05	 	Investments, Loans and Advances	 	59
	Section 9.06	 	Nature of Business	 	60
	Section 9.07	 	Limitation on Leases	 	61
	Section 9.08	 	Proceeds of Notes	 	61
	Section 9.09	 	ERISA Compliance	 	61
	Section 9.10	 	Sale or Discount of Receivables	 	62
	Section 9.11	 	Mergers, Etc.	 	62
	Section 9.12	 	Sale of Properties	 	62
	Section 9.13	 	Environmental Matters	 	63
	Section 9.14	 	Transactions with Affiliates	 	63
	Section 9.15	 	Subsidiaries	 	63
	Section 9.16	 	Negative Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions	 	63
	Section 9.17	 	Gas Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments	 	63
	Section 9.18	 	Swap Agreements	 	64
	Section 9.19	 	Tax Status as Partnership; Operating Agreements	 	64
	
ARTICLE X

EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES
	

Section 10.01	
 	

Events of Default	
 	

64
	Section 10.02	 	Remedies	 	66
	Section 10.03	 	Disposition of Proceeds	 	67
	
ARTICLE XI

THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
	

Section 11.01	
 	

Appointment; Powers	
 	

67
	Section 11.02	 	Duties and Obligations of Administrative Agent	 	67
	Section 11.03	 	Action by Agent	 	68
	Section 11.04	 	Reliance by Agent	 	69
	Section 11.05	 	Subagents	 	69
	Section 11.06	 	Resignation or Removal of Agents	 	69
	Section 11.07	 	Agents and Lenders	 	69
	Section 11.08	 	No Reliance	 	70
	Section 11.09	 	Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim	 	70
	Section 11.10	 	Authority of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens	 	71
	Section 11.11	 	The Arrangers and the Syndication Agent	 	71
	 	 	 	 	 

iii

 

	
ARTICLE XII

MISCELLANEOUS
	

Section 12.01	
 	

Notices	
 	

71
	Section 12.02	 	Waivers; Amendments	 	73
	Section 12.03	 	Expenses, Indemnity; Damage Waiver	 	74
	Section 12.04	 	Successors and Assigns	 	76
	Section 12.05	 	Survival; Revival; Reinstatement	 	79
	Section 12.06	 	Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness	 	79
	Section 12.07	 	Severability	 	80
	Section 12.08	 	Right of Setoff	 	80
	Section 12.09	 	GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS	 	80
	Section 12.10	 	Headings	 	81
	Section 12.11	 	Confidentiality	 	81
	Section 12.12	 	Interest Rate Limitation	 	82
	Section 12.13	 	EXCULPATION PROVISIONS	 	83
	Section 12.14	 	Collateral Matters; Swap Agreements	 	83
	Section 12.15	 	No Third Party Beneficiaries	 	83
	Section 12.16	 	USA Patriot Act Notice	 	84

iv

 

	Annex I	 	List of Maximum Credit Amounts
	

Exhibit A	
 	

Form of Note
	Exhibit B	 	Form of Compliance Certificate
	Exhibit C-1	 	Security Instruments
	Exhibit C-2	 	Form of Guaranty and Pledge Agreement
	Exhibit D	 	Form of Assignment and Assumption
	

Schedule 7.05	
 	

Litigation
	Schedule 7.12	 	Material Agreements
	Schedule 7.15	 	Subsidiaries and Partnerships
	Schedule 7.19	 	Gas Imbalances
	Schedule 7.20	 	Marketing Contracts
	Schedule 7.21	 	Swap Agreements

v

        THIS CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of April 11, 2005, is among Linn Energy Holdings, LLC, a limited liability company duly formed and
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Borrower"); each of the Lenders from time to time party hereto; BNP PARIBAS (in its individual
capacity, "BNP Paribas"), as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its successors in such capacity, the
"Administrative Agent"); and RBC CAPITAL MARKETS (in its individual capacity, "RBC"), as syndication
agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its successors in such capacity, the "Syndication Agent"). 

R E C I T A L S

        A.    The
Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide certain loans to and extensions of credit on behalf of the Borrower. 

        B.    The
Lenders have agreed to make such loans and extensions of credit subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. 

        C.    In
consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and of the loans, extensions of credit and commitments hereinafter referred to, the parties
hereto agree as follows: 

 
 

ARTICLE I
  Definitions and Accounting Matters    
    

 
 

          Section 1.01    Terms Defined Above.     As used in this Agreement, each term defined above has the meaning
indicated above. 

 
 

           Section 1.02    Certain Defined Terms.     As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings
specified below: 

        "ABR", when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing
interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate. 

        "Administrative Questionnaire" means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent. 

        "Affected Loans" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 5.05. 

        "Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. 

        "Agent" means the Administrative Agent, the Syndication Agent or either or both of them as the context requires. 

        "Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts" at any time shall equal the sum of the Maximum Credit Amounts, as the same may be reduced or terminated
pursuant to Section 2.06. 

        "Agreement" means this Credit Agreement, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated. 

        "Alternate Base Rate" means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day and
(b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 1/2 of 1%. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective
Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate, respectively. 

 

        "Applicable Margin" means, for any day, with respect to any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan, as the case may be, the rate per annum set forth
in the Borrowing Base Utilization Grid below based upon the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage then in effect: 

	Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage
	 	Eurodollar Loans
	 	ABR Loans
	 
	less than 33%	 	1.250	%	0.000	%
	greater than or equal to 33%, but less than 66%	 	1.500	%	0.000	%
	greater than or equal to 66%, but less than 85%	 	1.750	%	0.250	%
	greater than or equal to 85%	 	1.875	%	0.375	%

        Each
change in the Applicable Margin shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the
next such change, provided, however, that if at any time the Borrower fails to deliver a Reserve Report pursuant to Section 8.12(a), then the "Applicable Margin" means the rate per annum set
forth on the grid when the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage is at its highest level. 

        "Applicable Percentage" means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts represented by such
Lender's Maximum Credit Amount as such percentage is set forth on Annex I. 

        "Approved Counterparty" means (a) any Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender and (b) any other Person whose long term senior
unsecured debt rating is A/A2 by S&P or Moody's (or their equivalent) or higher. 

        "Arrangers" means BNP Paribas and RBC Capital Markets, in their capacities as joint lead arrangers and joint book runners hereunder. 

        "Assignment and Assumption" means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party
whose consent is required by Section 12.04(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit D or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent. 

        "Availability Period" means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the Termination Date. 

        "Available Cash" means, with respect to any fiscal quarter ending prior to the Termination Date: 

        (a)   the
sum of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Borrower on hand at the end of such fiscal quarter; and (ii) all additional cash and cash equivalents
of the Borrower on hand on the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such fiscal quarter resulting from working capital borrowings made subsequent to the end of such fiscal quarter,
less 

        (b)   the
amount of any cash reserves established by the board of directors of the Borrower to (i) provide for the proper conduct of the business of the Borrower
(including reserves for future capital expenditures including drilling and acquisitions and for anticipated future credit needs of the Borrower), (ii) comply with applicable law or any loan
agreement, security agreement, mortgage, debt instrument or other agreement or obligation to which the Borrower or an Affiliate is a party or by which it is bound or its assets are subject or
(iii) provide funds for distributions with respect to any one or more of the next four fiscal quarters. 

        "Board" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America or any successor Governmental
Authority. 

        "Borrowing" means Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which
a single Interest Period is in effect. 

2

 

        "Borrowing Base" means at any time an amount equal to the amount determined in accordance with Section 2.07, as the same may be
adjusted from time to time pursuant to Section 8.13(c) or Section 9.12(d). 

        "Borrowing Base Deficiency" occurs if at any time the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the Borrowing Base then in effect. 

        "Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage" means, as of any day, the fraction expressed as a percentage, the numerator of which is the sum of
the Revolving Credit Exposures of the Lenders on such day, and the denominator of which is the Borrowing Base in effect on such day. 

        "Borrowing Request" means a request by the Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03. 

        "Business Day" means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or Houston, Texas are
authorized or required by law to remain closed; and if such day relates to a Borrowing or continuation of, a payment or prepayment of principal of or interest on, or a conversion of or into, or the
Interest Period for, a Eurodollar Loan or a notice by the Borrower with respect to any such Borrowing or continuation, payment, prepayment, conversion or Interest Period, any day which is also a day
on which dealings in dollar deposits are carried out in the London interbank market. 

        "Capital Leases" means, in respect of any Person, all leases which shall have been, or should have been, in accordance with GAAP, recorded
as capital leases on the balance sheet of the Person liable (whether contingent or otherwise) for the payment of rent thereunder. 

        "Casualty Event" means any loss, casualty or other insured damage to, or any nationalization, taking under power of eminent domain or by
condemnation or similar proceeding of, any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries having a fair market value in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate for any calendar year. 

        "Change in Control" means the occurrence of any of the following events: (a) prior to the Initial Public Offering, (i) the
Permitted Holders shall collectively cease to own, directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the voting power of the voting membership interests in Borrower, (ii) the Managers appointed or
designated by QEP II shall cease to be a majority of the Managers of the Borrower or (iii) Michael C. Linn ceases to be and act as a manager of the Borrower, unless, within 180 days
after such cessation, Michael C. Linn is replaced with an individual acceptable to the Majority Lenders or the Initial Public Offering is consummated, (b) after the Initial Public Offering,
both (i) the Permitted Holders shall be the legal or beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of 25% or less
of the combined voting power of the then total membership interests (including all securities which are convertible into membership interests) of the Borrower and (ii) any Person or group of
Persons acting in concert as a partnership or other group (a "Group of Persons"), other than one or more of the Permitted Holders, shall be the legal or
beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of more than 35% of the combined voting power of the then total membership
interests (including all securities which are convertible into membership interests) of the Borrower, provided, that a "Group of Persons" shall not include the underwriter in any firm underwriting
undertaken in connection with the Initial Public Offering or any subsequent public offering of the Borrower, or (c) after the Initial Public Offering, occupation of a majority of the seats
(other than vacant seats) on the board of directors (or board of managers) of the Company by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Borrower nor
(ii) appointed by directors a majority of whom were so nominated. 

3

 

        "Change in Law" means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b) any change in
any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender or any Issuing Bank
(or, for purposes of Section 5.01(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether
or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement. 

        "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any successor statute. 

        "Columbia Acquisition" means the acquisition of all or substantially all the oil and gas properties and substantially all the interests,
in each case, as described in that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement between Columbia Natural Resources, LLC and Linn Energy, L.L.C. 

        "Commitment" means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of
Credit hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender's Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) modified from time to time
pursuant to Section 2.06 and (b) modified from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 12.04(b). The amount representing each Lender's
Commitment shall at any time be the lesser of such Lender's Maximum Credit Amount and such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the then effective Borrowing Base. 

        "Consolidated Net Income" means with respect to the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries, for any period, the aggregate of the net
income (or loss) of the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries after allowances for taxes for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be
excluded from such net income (to the extent otherwise included therein) the following: (a) the net income of any Person in which the Borrower or a Consolidated Subsidiary has an interest
(which interest does not cause the net income of such other Person to be consolidated with the net income of the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP), except to the
extent of the amount of dividends or distributions actually paid in cash during such period by such other Person to the Borrower or to a Consolidated Subsidiary, as the case may be; (b) the net
income (but not loss) during such period of any Consolidated Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions or transfers or loans by that Consolidated
Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument or Governmental Requirement applicable to such Consolidated Subsidiary or is otherwise
restricted or prohibited, in each case determined in accordance with GAAP; (c) the net income (or loss) of any Person acquired in a pooling-of-interests transaction for
any period prior to the date of such transaction; (d) any extraordinary gains or losses during such period and (e) any gains or losses attributable to writeups or writedowns of assets,
including ceiling test writedowns; and provided further that if the Borrower or any Consolidated Subsidiary shall acquire or dispose of any Property during such period, then Consolidated Net Income
shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect to such acquisition or disposition, as if such acquisition or disposition had occurred on the first
day of such period. 

        "Consolidated Subsidiaries" means each Subsidiary of the Borrower (whether now existing or hereafter created or acquired) the financial
statements of which shall be (or should have been) consolidated with the financial statements of the Borrower in accordance with GAAP. 

4

 

        "Control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a
Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. For the purposes of this definition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Person that owns
directly or indirectly 10% or more of the Equity Interests having ordinary voting power for the election of the directors or other governing body of a Person will be deemed to "control" such other
Person. "Controlling" and "Controlled" have meanings correlative thereto. 

        "Debt" means, for any Person, the sum of the following (without duplication): (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money
or evidenced by bonds, bankers' acceptances, debentures, notes or other similar instruments; (b) all obligations of such Person (whether contingent or otherwise) in respect of letters of
credit, surety or other bonds and similar instruments; (c) all accounts payable, accrued expenses, liabilities or other obligations of such Person, in each such case to pay the deferred
purchase price of Property or services; (d) all obligations under Capital Leases; (e) all obligations under Synthetic Leases; (f) all Debt (as defined in the other clauses of this
definition) of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) a Lien on any Property of such Person, whether or not such Debt
is assumed by such Person; (g) all Debt (as defined in the other clauses of this definition) of others guaranteed by such Person or in which such Person otherwise assures a creditor against
loss of the Debt (howsoever such assurance shall be made) to the extent of the lesser of the amount of such Debt and the maximum stated amount of such guarantee or assurance against loss;
(h) all obligations or undertakings of such Person to maintain or cause to be maintained the financial position or covenants of others or to purchase the Debt or Property of others;
(i) obligations to deliver commodities, goods or services, including, without limitation, Hydrocarbons, in consideration of one or more advance payments, other than gas balancing arrangements
in the ordinary course of business; (j) obligations to pay for goods or services whether or not such goods or services are actually received or utilized by such Person; (k) any Debt of a
partnership for which such Person is liable either by agreement, by operation of law or by a Governmental Requirement but only to the extent of such liability; (l) Disqualified Capital Stock;
and (m) the undischarged balance of any production payment created by such Person or for the creation of which such Person directly or indirectly received payment. The Debt of any Person shall
include all obligations of such Person of the character described above to the extent such Person remains legally liable in respect thereof notwithstanding that any such obligation is not included as
a liability of such Person under GAAP. 

        "Default" means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless
cured or waived, become an Event of Default. 

        "Disqualified Capital Stock" means any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or
for which it is exchangeable) or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable for any consideration other than other Equity Interests (which would not constitute Disqualified
Capital Stock), pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is convertible or exchangeable for Debt or redeemable for any consideration other than other Equity Interests (which would not
constitute Disqualified Capital Stock) at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is one year after the earlier of (a) the Maturity Date and
(b) the date on which there are no Loans, LC Exposure or other obligations hereunder outstanding and all of the Commitments are terminated. 

        "dollars" or "$" refers to lawful money of the United States of America. 

        "Domestic Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the
District of Columbia. 

5

 

        "EBITDA" means, for any period, the sum of Consolidated Net Income for such period plus the following expenses or charges to the extent
deducted from Consolidated Net Income in such period: Interest Expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization and other similar charges, minus all noncash income added to Consolidated
Net Income. 

        "Effective Date" means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 6.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with
Section 12.02). 

        "Engineering Reports" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 2.07(c)(i). 

        "Environmental Laws" means any and all Governmental Requirements pertaining in any way to health, safety the environment or the
preservation or reclamation of natural resources, in effect in any and all jurisdictions in which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is conducting or at any time has conducted business, or where
any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is located, including without limitation, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 ("OPA"), as amended, the
Clean Air Act, as amended, the Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA"), as amended, the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, as amended, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
("RCRA"), as amended, the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, the Toxic Substances Control Act, as amended, the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act of 1986, as amended, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, as amended, and other environmental conservation or protection Governmental Requirements. The term "oil" shall have
the meaning specified in OPA, the terms "hazardous substance" and "release" (or
"threatened release") have the meanings specified in CERCLA, the terms "solid waste" and
"disposal" (or "disposed") have the meanings specified in RCRA and the term "oil
and gas waste" shall have the meaning specified in Section 91.1011 of the Texas Natural Resources Code
("Section 91.1011"); provided, however, that (a) in the event either OPA, CERCLA, RCRA or Section 91.1011 is amended so as to
broaden the meaning of any term defined thereby, such broader meaning shall apply subsequent to the effective date of such amendment and (b) to the extent the laws of the state or other
jurisdiction in which any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is located establish a meaning for "oil,"
"hazardous substance," "release," "solid waste,"
"disposal" or "oil and gas waste" which is broader than that specified in either OPA, CERCLA, RCRA or
Section 91.1011, such broader meaning shall apply. 

        "Equity Interests" means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial
interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such Equity Interest. 

        "ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any successor statute. 

        "ERISA Affiliate" means each trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which together with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
would be deemed to be a "single employer" within the meaning of section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA or subsections (b), (c), (m) or (o) of section 414 of the Code. 

        "ERISA Event" means (a) a "Reportable Event" described in section 4043 of ERISA and the regulations issued thereunder,
(b) the withdrawal of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate from a Plan during a plan year in which it was a "substantial employer" as defined in
section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA, (c) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate a Plan or the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under section 4041 of ERISA,
(d) the institution of proceedings to terminate a Plan by the PBGC, (e) receipt of a notice of withdrawal liability pursuant to Section 4202 of ERISA or (f) any other event
or condition which might constitute grounds under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan. 

6

 

        "Eurodollar", when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are
bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the LIBO Rate. 

        "Event of Default" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 10.01. 

        "Excepted Liens" means: (a) Liens for Taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies which are not delinquent or which
are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP; (b) Liens in connection with workers' compensation,
unemployment insurance or other social security, old age pension or public liability obligations which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for which
adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP; (c) statutory landlord's liens, operators', vendors', carriers', warehousemen's, repairmen's, mechanics', suppliers', workers',
materialmen's, construction or other like Liens arising by operation of law in the ordinary course of business or incident to the exploration, development, operation and maintenance of Oil and Gas
Properties each of which is in respect of obligations that are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in
accordance with GAAP; (d) contractual Liens which arise in the ordinary course of business under operating agreements, joint venture agreements, oil and gas partnership agreements, oil and gas
leases, farm-out agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale, transportation or exchange of oil and natural gas, unitization and pooling declarations and agreements, area of mutual
interest agreements, overriding royalty agreements, marketing agreements, processing agreements, net profits agreements, development agreements, gas balancing or deferred production agreements,
injection, repressuring and recycling agreements, salt water or other disposal agreements, seismic or other geophysical permits or agreements, and other agreements which are usual and customary in the
oil and gas business and are for claims which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance
with GAAP, provided that any such Lien referred to in this clause does not materially impair the use of the Property covered by such Lien for the purposes for which such Property is held by the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or materially impair the value of such Property subject thereto; (e) Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating to
banker's liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies and burdening only deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution, provided that no such
deposit account is a dedicated cash collateral account or is subject to restrictions against access by the depositor in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the Board and no such
deposit account is intended by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to provide collateral to the depository institution; (f) easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions,
covenants, exceptions or reservations in any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries for the purpose of roads, pipelines, transmission lines, transportation lines, distribution lines for
the removal of gas, oil, coal or other minerals or timber, and other like purposes, or for the joint or common use of real estate, rights of way, facilities and equipment, that do not secure any
monetary obligations and which in the aggregate do not materially impair the use of such Property for the purposes of which such Property is held by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or
materially impair the value of such Property subject thereto; (g) Liens on cash or securities pledged to secure performance of tenders, surety and appeal bonds, government contracts,
performance and return of 

7

 

money
bonds, bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, regulatory obligations and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business and (h) judgment and
attachment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default, provided that any appropriate legal proceedings which may have been duly initiated for the review of such judgment shall not have been finally
terminated or the period within which such proceeding may be initiated shall not have expired and no action to enforce such Lien has been commenced; provided, further that Liens described in clauses
(a) through (e) shall remain "Excepted Liens" only for so long as no action to enforce such Lien has been commenced and no intention to subordinate the first priority Lien granted in
favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders is to be hereby implied or expressed by the permitted existence of such Excepted Liens. 

        "Excluded Taxes" means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be
made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower or any Guarantor hereunder or under any other Loan Document, (a) income or franchise taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by
the United States of America or such other jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its
applicable lending office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower or any
Guarantor is located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to
this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender's failure to comply with Section 5.03(e), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its
assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to
Section 5.03(a) or Section 5.03(c). 

        "Existing Credit Agreement" means that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of October 31, 2003 among Linn
Energy, L.L.C., Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Comerica Bank, as managing agent, and the financial institutions party thereto, as amended. 

        "Federal Funds Effective Rate" means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the
rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such
transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it. 

        "Financial Officer" means, for any Person, the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of such
Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references to a Financial Officer shall mean a Financial Officer of the Borrower. 

        "Financial Statements" means the financial statement or statements of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries referred to in
Section 7.04(a). 

        "Foreign Lender" means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is located. For
purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction. 

        "Foreign Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary. 

        "GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect from time to time subject to the terms
and conditions set forth in Section 1.05. 

8

 

        "Governmental Authority" means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof,
whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government over the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, any of their Properties, any Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender. 

        "Governmental Requirement" means any law, statute, code, ordinance, order, determination, rule, regulation, judgment, decree, injunction,
franchise, permit, certificate, license, authorization or other directive or requirement, whether now or hereinafter in effect, including, without limitation, Environmental Laws, energy regulations
and occupational, safety and health standards or controls, of any Governmental Authority. 

        "Guarantors" means (a) Linn Energy, L.L.C., (b) Linn Operating, LLC, and (b) each other Material Domestic Subsidiary
or other Domestic Subsidiary that guarantees the Indebtedness pursuant to Section 8.14(b). 

        "Guaranty Agreement" means an agreement executed by the Guarantors in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent unconditionally guarantying on a joint and several basis, payment of the Indebtedness, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time. 

        "Highest Lawful Rate" means, with respect to each Lender, the maximum nonusurious interest rate, if any, that at any time or from time to
time may be contracted for, taken, reserved, charged or received on the Notes or on other Indebtedness under laws applicable to such Lender which are presently in effect or, to the extent allowed by
law, under such applicable laws which may hereafter be in effect and which allow a higher maximum nonusurious interest rate than applicable laws allow as of the date hereof. 

        "Hydrocarbon Interests" means all rights, titles, interests and estates now or hereafter acquired in and to oil and gas leases, oil, gas
and mineral leases, or other liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon leases, mineral fee interests, overriding royalty and royalty interests, net profit interests and production payment interests, including any
reserved or residual interests of whatever nature. 

        "Hydrocarbons" means oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous
hydrocarbons and all products refined or separated therefrom. 

        "Indebtedness" means any and all amounts owing or to be owing by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any Guarantor (whether direct or
indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising): (a) to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any
Lender under any Loan Document; (b) to any Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender under any Swap Agreements among such Person and the Borrower or any Subsidiary or assigned to such Person while
such Person (or in the case of its Affiliate, the Lender affiliated therewith) is a Lender hereunder and (c) all renewals, extensions and/or rearrangements of any of the above. 

        "Indemnified Taxes" means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes. 

        "Initial Public Offering" shall mean the initial public offering of common units of the Borrower. 

        "Initial Reserve Reports" means the report of Schlumberger Data and Consulting Service dated as of April 30, 2005, with respect to
the value of the Oil and Gas Properties of Linn Energy, L.L.C. and its Subsidiaries as of January 1, 2005. 

        "Interest Election Request" means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.04. 

9

 

        "Interest Expense" means, for any period, the sum (determined without duplication) of the aggregate gross interest expense of the Borrower
and the Consolidated Subsidiaries for such period, including (a) to the extent included in interest expense under GAAP: (i) amortization of debt discount, (ii) capitalized
interest and (iii) the portion of any payments or accruals under Capital Leases allocable to interest expense, plus the portion of any payments or accruals under Synthetic Leases allocable to
interest expense whether or not the same constitutes interest expense under GAAP and (b) cash dividend payments by the Borrower in respect of any Disqualified Capital Stock. 

        "Interest Period" means with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the
numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months thereafter, as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (a) if any Interest Period would end on a day
other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such
Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (b) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on
a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For
purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such
Borrowing. 

        "Interim Redetermination" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 2.07(b). 

        "Investment" means, for any Person: (a) the acquisition (whether for cash, Property, services or securities or otherwise) of Equity
Interests of any other Person or any agreement to make any such acquisition (including, without limitation, any "short sale" or any sale of any securities at a time when such securities are not owned
by the Person entering into such short sale); (b) the making of any deposit with, or advance, loan or capital contribution to, assumption of Debt of, purchase or other acquisition of any other
Debt or equity participation or interest in, or other extension of credit to, any other Person (including the purchase of Property from another Person subject to an understanding or agreement,
contingent or otherwise, to resell such Property to such Person, but excluding any such advance, loan or extension of credit having a term not exceeding ninety (90) days representing the
purchase price of inventory or supplies sold by such Person in the ordinary course of business); (c) the purchase or acquisition (in one or a series of transactions) of Property of another
Person that constitutes a business unit or (d) the entering into of any guarantee of, or other contingent obligation (including the deposit of any Equity Interests to be sold) with respect to,
Debt or other liability of any other Person and (without duplication) any amount committed to be advanced, lent or extended to such Person. 

        "Issuing Bank" means BNP Paribas, in its capacity as an issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as
provided in Section 2.08(i). Any Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of such Issuing Bank, in which case the term
"Issuing Bank" shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate. 

        "LC Commitment" at any time means Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000). 

        "LC Disbursement" means a payment made by any Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank. 

        "LC Exposure" means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time
plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its
Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time. 

10

 

        "Lenders" means the Persons listed on Annex I, and any Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and
Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption. 

        "Letter of Credit" means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement. 

        "Letter of Credit Agreements" means all letter of credit applications and other agreements (including any amendments, modifications or
supplements thereto) submitted by the Borrower, or entered into by the Borrower, with any Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank. 

        "LIBO Rate" means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on Page 3750 of the Dow Jones
Market Service (or on any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such Service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such
page of such Service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market)
at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest
Period. In the event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the "LIBO Rate" with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for
such Interest Period shall be the rate (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16th of 1%) at which dollar deposits of $1,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are
offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days
prior to the commencement of such Interest Period. 

        "Lien" means any interest in Property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person other than the owner of the Property,
whether such interest is based on the common law, statute or contract, and whether such obligation or claim is fixed or contingent, and including but not limited to (a) the lien or security
interest arising from a mortgage, encumbrance, pledge, security agreement, conditional sale or trust receipt or a lease, consignment or bailment for security purposes or (b) production payments
and the like payable out of Oil and Gas Properties. The term "Lien" shall include easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions, covenants,
exceptions or reservations. For the purposes of this Agreement, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be the owner of any Property which they have acquired or hold subject to a
conditional sale agreement, or leases under a financing lease or other arrangement pursuant to which title to the Property has been retained by or vested in some other Person in a transaction intended
to create a financing. 

        "Loan Documents" means this Agreement, the Notes, the Letter of Credit Agreements, the Letters of Credit and the Security Instruments. 

        "Loans" means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement. 

        "Majority Lenders" means, at any time while no Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders having at least sixty-six and
two-thirds percent (662/3%) of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts; and at any time while any Loans or LC Exposure is outstanding, Lenders holding at least
sixty-six and two-thirds percent (662/3%) of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Loans or participation interests in Letters of Credit (without
regard to any sale by a Lender of a participation in any Loan under Section 12.04(c)). 

        "Managers" means the members of the Board of Managers or Board of Directors (however designated from time to time) of the Borrower as
constituted from time to time. 

11

 

        "Material Adverse Effect" means a material adverse change in, or material adverse effect on (a) the business, operations, Property,
liabilities (actual or contingent) or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower and its Guarantors taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any
Guarantor to perform any of its obligations under any Loan Document to which it is a party, (c) the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or (d) the rights and remedies of or
benefits available to the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender under any Loan Document. 

        "Material Domestic Subsidiary" means, as of any date, any Domestic Subsidiary that (a) is a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and
(b) together with its Subsidiaries, owns Property having a fair market value of $1,000,000 or more. 

        "Material Indebtedness" means Debt (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements,
of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $1,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the "principal amount" of the
obligations of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or
such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time. 

        "Maturity Date" means April 11, 2009. 

        "Maximum Credit Amount" means, as to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender's name on Annex I under the caption "Maximum
Credit Amounts", as the same may be (a) reduced or terminated from time to time in connection with a reduction or termination of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts pursuant to
Section 2.06(b) or (b) modified from time to time pursuant to any assignment permitted by Section 12.04(b). 

        "Moody's" means Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto that is a nationally recognized rating agency. 

        "Mortgaged Property" means any Property owned by the Borrower or any Guarantor which is subject to the Liens existing and to exist under
the terms of the Security Instruments. 

        "Multiemployer Plan" means a Plan which is a multiemployer plan as defined in section 3(37) or 4001 (a)(3) of ERISA. 

        "New Borrowing Base Notice" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 2.07(d). 

        "Notes" means the promissory notes of the Borrower described in Section 2.02(d) and being substantially in the form of
Exhibit A, together with all amendments, modifications, replacements, extensions and rearrangements thereof. 

        "Oil and Gas Properties" means (a) Hydrocarbon Interests; (b) the Properties now or hereafter pooled or unitized with
Hydrocarbon Interests; (c) all presently existing or future unitization, pooling agreements and declarations of pooled units and the units created thereby (including without limitation all
units created under orders, regulations and rules of any Governmental Authority) which may affect all or any portion of the Hydrocarbon Interests; (d) all operating agreements, contracts and
other agreements, including production sharing contracts and agreements, which relate to any of the Hydrocarbon Interests or the production, sale, purchase, exchange or processing of Hydrocarbons from
or attributable to such Hydrocarbon Interests; (e) all Hydrocarbons in and under and which may be produced and saved or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests, including all oil in tanks,
and all rents, issues, profits, proceeds, products, revenues and other incomes from or attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests; (f) all tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and Properties
in any manner appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental to the Hydrocarbon Interests and (g) all Properties, rights, titles, interests and estates described or referred to above, including
any and all Property, real or 

12

 

personal,
now owned or hereinafter acquired and situated upon, used, held for use or useful in connection with the operating, working or development of any of such Hydrocarbon Interests or Property
(excluding drilling rigs, automotive equipment, rental equipment or other personal Property which may be on such premises for the purpose of drilling a well or for other similar temporary uses) and
including any and all oil wells, gas wells, injection wells or other wells, buildings, structures, fuel separators, liquid extraction plants, plant compressors, pumps, pumping units, field gathering
systems, tanks and tank batteries, fixtures, valves, fittings, machinery and parts, engines, boilers, meters, apparatus, equipment, appliances, tools, implements, cables, wires, towers, casing, tubing
and rods, surface leases, rights-of-way, easements and servitudes together with all additions, substitutions, replacements, accessions and attachments to any and all of the
foregoing. 

        "Operating Agreement" means the Agreement of Limited Liability Company of the Borrower to be executed in connection with the Initial
Public Offering. 

        "Other Taxes" means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or Property taxes, charges or similar
levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement and any other Loan Document. 

        "Participant" has the meaning set forth in Section 12.04(c)(i). 

        "PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any successor thereto. 

        "Permitted Holders" means Quantum Energy Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership ("QEP
II"), and Nemacolin Resources, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Nemacolin"), provided, that if QEP II or Nemacolin
dissolve or otherwise distribute their ownership interests in the Borrower to their respective partners or members, the term Permitted Holders shall include each of those partners or members of QEP II
or Nemacolin who were partners or members, or affiliates of such partners or members, of QEP II or Nemacolin, as the case may be, on the date hereof. 

        "Person" means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership,
Governmental Authority or other entity. 

        "Plan" means any employee pension benefit plan, as defined in section 3(2) of ERISA, which (a) is currently or hereafter
sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or an ERISA Affiliate or (b) was at any time during the six calendar years preceding the date hereof, sponsored,
maintained or contributed to by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or an ERISA Affiliate. 

        "Prime Rate" means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by BNP Paribas as its prime rate in effect at its
principal office in New York City; each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective. Such rate is set by BNP Paribas as
a general reference rate of interest, taking into account such factors as BNP Paribas may deem appropriate; it being understood that many of BNP Paribas's commercial or other loans are priced in
relation to such rate, that it is not necessarily the lowest or best rate actually charged to any customer and that BNP Paribas may make various commercial or other loans at rates of interest having
no relationship to such rate. 

        "Property" means any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or intangible, including,
without limitation, cash, securities, accounts and contract rights. 

        "Proposed Borrowing Base" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.07(c)(i). 

        "Proposed Borrowing Base Notice" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.07(c)(ii). 

13

 

        "Proved Developed Producing Properties" means Oil and Gas Properties which are categorized as "Proved Reserves" that are both "Developed"
and "Producing", as such terms are defined in the Definitions for Oil and Gas Reserves as promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (or any generally recognized successor) as in effect at the
time in question. 

        "Redemption" means with respect to any Debt, the repurchase, redemption, prepayment, repayment or defeasance or any other acquisition or
retirement for value (or the segregation of funds with respect to any of the foregoing) of any such Debt. "Redeem" has the correlative meaning thereto. 

        "Redetermination Date" means, with respect to any Scheduled Redetermination or any Interim Redetermination, the date that the redetermined
Borrowing Base related thereto becomes effective pursuant to Section 2.07(d). 

        "Register" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 12.04(b)(iv). 

        "Related Parties" means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person's Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees,
agents and advisors (including attorneys, accountants and experts) of such Person and such Person's Affiliates. 

        "Remedial Work" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 8.10(a). 

        "Reserve Report" means a report, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, setting forth, as of each
January 1st or July 1st (or such other date in the event of an Interim Redetermination) the oil and gas reserves attributable to the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, together with a projection of the rate of production and future net income, taxes, operating expenses and capital expenditures with respect thereto as of such date, based upon the
economic assumptions consistent with the Administrative Agent's lending requirements at the time. 

        "Responsible Officer" means, as to any Person, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Financial Officer or any Vice President of
such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references to a Responsible Officer herein shall mean a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. 

        "Restricted Payment" means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other Property) with respect to any Equity
Interests in the Borrower, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other Property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement,
acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower. 

        "Revolving Credit Exposure" means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender's
Loans and its LC Exposure at such time. 

        "Scheduled Redetermination" has the meaning assigned such term in Section 2.07(b). 

        "Scheduled Redetermination Date" means the date on which a Borrowing Base that has been redetermined pursuant to a Scheduled
Redetermination becomes effective as provided in Section 2.07(d). 

        "Security Instruments" means the Guaranty Agreement, if any, mortgages, deeds of trust and other agreements, instruments or certificates
described or referred to in Exhibit C-1, and any and all other agreements, instruments, consents or certificates now or hereafter executed and delivered by the Borrower or any other
Person (other than Swap Agreements with the Lenders or any Affiliate of a Lender or participation or similar agreements between any Lender and any other lender or creditor with respect to any
Indebtedness pursuant to this Agreement) in connection with, or as security for the payment or performance of the Indebtedness, the Notes, this Agreement, or reimbursement obligations under the
Letters of Credit, as such agreements may be amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time. 

14

 

        "S&P" means Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and any successor
thereto that is a nationally recognized rating agency. 

        "Subordinated Debt" means the subordinated note issued January 13, 2005 by Linn Energy, L.L.C. in the original principal amount of
$5,000,000.00, payable to the order of First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge on or before September 15, 2005. 

        "Subsidiary" means: (a) any Person of which at least a majority of the outstanding Equity Interests having by the terms thereof
ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors, manager or other governing body of such Person (irrespective of whether or not at the time Equity Interests of any other class or
classes of such Person shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the Borrower or one or more of
its Subsidiaries or by the Borrower and one or more of its Subsidiaries and (b) any partnership of which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner. Unless otherwise indicated
herein, each reference to the term "Subsidiary" shall mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower. 

        "Swap Agreement" means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement,
whether exchange traded, "over-the-counter" or otherwise, involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or
securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no
phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
shall be a Swap Agreement. 

        "Synthetic Leases" means, in respect of any Person, all leases which shall have been, or should have been, in accordance with GAAP,
treated as operating leases on the financial statements of the Person liable (whether contingently or otherwise) for the payment of rent thereunder and which were properly treated as indebtedness for
borrowed money for purposes of U.S. federal income taxes, if the lessee in respect thereof is obligated to either purchase for an amount in excess of, or pay upon early termination an amount in excess
of, 80% of the residual value of the Property subject to such operating lease upon expiration or early termination of such lease. 

        "Taxes" means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any
Governmental Authority. 

        "Termination Date" means the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments. 

        "Transactions" means, with respect to (a) the Borrower, the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement,
and each other Loan Document to which it is a party, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder, and the grant of Liens by the Borrower on
Mortgaged Properties and other Properties pursuant to the Security Instruments and (b) any Guarantor, the execution, delivery and performance by such Guarantor of each Loan Document to which it
is a party, the guaranteeing of the Indebtedness and the other obligations under the Guaranty Agreement by such Guarantor and such Guarantor's grant of the security interests and provision of
collateral under the Security Instruments, and the grant of Liens by such Guarantor on Mortgaged Properties and other Properties pursuant to the Security Instruments. 

        "Type", when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising
such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate or the LIBO Rate. 

15

 

        "Wholly-Owned Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of which all of the outstanding Equity Interests (other than any directors' qualifying
shares mandated by applicable law), on a fully-diluted basis, are owned by the Borrower or one or more of the Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries or are owned by the Borrower and one or more of the Wholly-Owned
Subsidiaries. 

 
 

           Section 1.03    Types of Loans and Borrowings.     For purposes of this Agreement, Loans and Borrowings,
respectively, may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a "Eurodollar
Loan" or a "Eurodollar Borrowing"). 

 
 

           Section 1.04    Terms Generally.     The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and
plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words "include", "includes" and "including" shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase "without limitation". The word "will" shall
be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word "shall". Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document
herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments,
supplements or modifications set forth in the Loan Documents herein), (b) any reference herein to any law shall be construed as referring to such law as amended, modified, codified or
reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect from time to time, (c) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person's successors and assigns (subject to the
restrictions contained in the Loan Documents herein), (d) the words "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder", and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its
entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (e) with respect to the determination of any time period, the word "from" means "from and including" and the word "to" means "to and
including" and (f) any reference herein to Articles, Sections, Annexes, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Annexes, Exhibits and Schedules to,
this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be interpreted or construed against any Person solely because such Person or its legal representative drafted such
provision. 

 
 

           Section 1.05    Accounting Terms and Determinations; GAAP.     Unless otherwise specified herein, all
accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, all determinations with respect to accounting matters hereunder shall be
made, and all financial statements and certificates and reports as to financial matters required to be furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders hereunder shall be prepared, in accordance
with GAAP, applied on a basis consistent with the Financial Statements except for changes in which the Borrower's independent certified public accountants concur and which are disclosed to
Administrative Agent on the next date on which financial statements are required to be delivered to the Lenders pursuant to Section 8.01(a); provided that, unless the Borrower and the Majority
Lenders shall otherwise agree in writing, no such change shall modify or affect the manner in which compliance with the covenants contained herein is computed such that all such computations shall be
conducted utilizing financial information presented consistently with prior periods. 

16

  

 
 

ARTICLE II
  The Credits    
    

 
 

           Section 2.01    Commitments.     Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to
make Loans to the Borrower during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal
amount that will not result in (a) such Lender's Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender's Commitment or (b) the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total Commitments.
Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow the Loans. 

 
 

           Section 2.02    Loans and Borrowings.     

        (a)   Borrowings; Several Obligations. Each Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans made by the Lenders
ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided
that the Commitments are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender's failure to make Loans as required. 

        (b)   Types of Loans. Subject to Section 3.03, each Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar
Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such
Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. 

        (c)   Minimum Amounts; Limitation on Number of Borrowings. At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar
Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $1,000,000. At the time that each ABR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in
an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $250,000 and not less than $1,000,000; provided that an ABR Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of
the total Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.08(e). Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same
time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of eight (8) Eurodollar Borrowings outstanding. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall
not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date. 

17

 

        (d)   Notes. The Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced by a single promissory note of the Borrower in substantially the
form of Exhibit A, dated, in the case of (i) any Lender party hereto as of the date of this Agreement, as of the date of this Agreement or (ii) any Lender that becomes a party
hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, as of the effective date of the Assignment and Assumption, payable to the order of such Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount
as in effect on such date, and otherwise duly completed. In the event that any Lender's Maximum Credit Amount increases or decreases for any reason (whether pursuant to Section 2.06,
Section 12.04(b) or otherwise), the Borrower shall deliver or cause to be delivered on the effective date of such increase or decrease, a new Note payable to the order of such Lender in a
principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount after giving effect to such increase or decrease, and otherwise duly completed. The date, amount, Type, interest rate and, if applicable, Interest
Period of each Loan made by each Lender, and all payments made on account of the principal thereof, shall be recorded by such Lender on its books for its Note, and, prior to any transfer, may be
endorsed by such Lender on a schedule attached to such Note or any continuation thereof or on any separate record maintained by such Lender. Failure to make any such notation or to attach a schedule
shall not affect any Lender's or the Borrower's rights or obligations in respect of such Loans or affect the validity of such transfer by any Lender of its Note. 

 
 

           Section 2.03    Requests for Borrowings.     To request a Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not
later than 11:00 a.m., Houston time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Houston time, on the
date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that no such notice shall be required for any deemed request of an ABR Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in
Section 2.08(e). Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing
Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with
Section 2.02: 

        (i)    the
aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing; 

        (ii)   the
date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day; 

        (iii)  whether
such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; 

        (iv)  in
the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term
"Interest Period"; 

        (v)   the
amount of the then effective Borrowing Base, the current total Revolving Credit Exposures (without regard to the requested Borrowing) and the  pro forma total Revolving Credit Exposures (giving effect to
the requested Borrowing); and 

        (vi)  the
location and number of the Borrower's account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.05. 

If
no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be a Eurodollar Loan having an Interest Period of one-month. If no Interest Period is specified
with respect to any requested Eurodollar Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month's duration. Each Borrowing Request shall constitute a
representation that the amount of the requested Borrowing shall not cause the total Revolving Credit Exposures to exceed the total Commitments (i.e., the lesser of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
and the then effective Borrowing Base). 

18

 

Promptly
following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section 2.03, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such
Lender's Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing. 

 
 

           Section 2.04    Interest Elections.     

        (a)   Conversion and Continuance. Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request
and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different
Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section 2.04. The Borrower may elect different
options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the
Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. 

        (b)   Interest Election Requests. To make an election pursuant to this Section 2.04, the Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting
from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy
to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower. 

        (c)   Information in Interest Election Requests. Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the
following information in compliance with Section 2.02: 

        (i)    the
Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions
thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(iii) and (iv) shall be specified for each resulting
Borrowing); 

        (ii)   the
effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day; 

        (iii)  whether
the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and 

        (iv)  if
the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period
contemplated by the definition of the term "Interest Period". 

If
any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month's
duration. 

        (d)   Notice to Lenders by the Administrative Agent. Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the
Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender's portion of each resulting Borrowing. 

19

 

        (e)   Effect of Failure to Deliver Timely Interest Election Request and Events of Default and Borrowing Base Deficiencies on Interest
Election. If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto,
then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be continued as a Eurodollar Loan having an Interest Period of one-month.
Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default or a Borrowing Base Deficiency has occurred and is continuing: (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or
continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing (and any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be
ineffective) and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto. 

 
 

          Section 2.05    Funding of Borrowings.     

        (a)   Funding by Lenders. Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire
transfer of immediately available funds by 1:00 p.m., Houston time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders. The
Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower and designated by the Borrower in the
applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.08(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the
Issuing Bank that made such LC Disbursement. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for its Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation
by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for its Loan in any particular place or manner. 

        (b)   Presumption of Funding by the Lenders. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to
the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender's share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has
made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.05(a) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a
Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent
forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the
Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry
rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount
shall constitute such Lender's Loan included in such Borrowing. 

 
 

           Section 2.06    Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.     

        (a)   Scheduled Termination of Commitments. Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
If at any time the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts or the Borrowing Base is terminated or reduced to zero, then the Commitments shall terminate on the effective date of such termination or reduction. 

20

 

        (b)   Optional Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Credit Amounts. 

        (i)    The
Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts; provided that (A) each reduction of the Aggregate
Maximum Credit Amounts shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $1,000,000 and (B) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Maximum
Credit Amounts if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 3.04(c), the total Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total Commitments. 

        (ii)   The
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts under Section 2.06(b)(i) at
least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the
Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.06(b)(ii) shall be irrevocable. Any termination or
reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be permanent and may not be reinstated. Each reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be made ratably among the Lenders in
accordance with each Lender's Applicable Percentage. 

 
 

           Section 2.07    Borrowing Base.     

        (a)   Initial Borrowing Base. For the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding October 1st, 2005,
the amount of the Borrowing Base shall be $100,000,000, provided that if the Columbia Acquisition is not consummated within 60 days after the Effective Date, the Borrowing Base shall be reduced
to $97,500,000 for the period from but excluding the date 60 days after the Effective Date to but excluding October 1st, 2005. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrowing Base may be
subject to further adjustments from time to time pursuant to Section 8.13(c) or Section 9.12(d). 

        (b)   Scheduled and Interim Redeterminations. Subject to Section 2.07(d), the Borrowing Base shall be redetermined (a
"Scheduled Redetermination") on April 1st and October 1st of each year, commencing October 1, 2005. In addition, either the
Borrower or the Administrative Agent, at the direction of the Majority Lenders, may once during each calendar year, each elect to cause the Borrowing Base to be redetermined between Scheduled
Redeterminations (an "Interim Redetermination") in accordance with this Section 2.07. The Borrower shall have the right, once during each
calendar year, to initiate an Interim Redetermination in addition to the one otherwise provided in this Section 2.07(b) upon the proposed acquisition of Proved Developed Producing Properties
whose purchase price is greater than 10% of the Borrowing Base, provided such Interim Redetermination is in accordance with this Section 2.07. 

21

 

        (c)   Scheduled and Interim Redetermination Procedure. 

        (i)    Each
Scheduled Redetermination and each Interim Redetermination shall be effectuated as follows: Upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of (A) the Reserve
Report and the certificate required to be delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, in the case of a Scheduled Redetermination, pursuant to Section 8.12(a) and (c), and, in the
case of an Interim Redetermination, pursuant to Section 8.12(b) and (c), and (B) such other reports, data and supplemental information, including, without limitation, the information
provided pursuant to Section 8.12(c), as may, from time to time, be reasonably requested by the Majority Lenders (the Reserve Report, such certificate and such other reports, data and
supplemental information being the "Engineering Reports"), the Administrative Agent shall evaluate the information contained in the Engineering Reports
and shall, in good faith, propose a new Borrowing Base (the "Proposed Borrowing Base") based upon such information and such other information
(including, without limitation, the status of title information with respect to the Oil and Gas Properties as described in the Engineering Reports and the existence of any other Debt) as the
Administrative Agent deems appropriate in its sole discretion and consistent with its normal oil and gas lending criteria as it exists at the particular time. In no event shall the Proposed Borrowing
Base exceed the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts. 

        (ii)   The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Proposed Borrowing Base (the "Proposed Borrowing Base
Notice"): 

        (A)  in
the case of a Scheduled Redetermination (1) if the Administrative Agent shall have received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to Section 8.12(a) and (c) in a timely and complete manner, then on or before the March 15th and September 15th of such year following the date of delivery of such
Engineering Report or (2) if the Administrative Agent shall not have received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.12(a) and
(c) in a timely and complete manner, then promptly after the Administrative Agent has received complete Engineering Reports from the Borrower and has had a reasonable opportunity to determine
the Proposed Borrowing Base in accordance with Section 2.07(c)(i) and in any event, within fifteen (15) days after the Administrative Agent has received the required Engineering
Report; and 

        (B)  in
the case of an Interim Redetermination, promptly, and in any event, within fifteen (15) days after the Administrative Agent has received the required
Engineering Reports. 

22

 

        (iii)  Any
Proposed Borrowing Base that would increase the Borrowing Base then in effect must be approved or deemed to have been approved by all of the Lenders as provided in
this Section 2.07(c)(iii); and any Proposed Borrowing Base that would decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base then in effect must be approved or be deemed to have been approved by the Majority
Lenders as provided in this Section 2.07(c)(iii). Upon receipt of the Proposed Borrowing Base Notice, each Lender shall have fifteen (15) days to agree with the Proposed Borrowing Base
or disagree with the Proposed Borrowing Base by proposing an alternate Borrowing Base. If at the end of such fifteen (15) days, any Lender has not communicated its approval or disapproval in
writing to the Administrative Agent, such silence shall be deemed to be an approval of the Proposed Borrowing Base. If, at the end of such 15-day period, all of the Lenders, in the case of
a Proposed Borrowing Base that would increase the Borrowing Base then in effect, or the Majority Lenders, in the case of a Proposed Borrowing Base that would decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base
then in effect, have approved or deemed to have approved, as aforesaid, then the Proposed Borrowing Base shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective on the date specified in Section 2.07(d).
If, however, at the end of such 15-day period, all of the Lenders or the Majority Lenders, as applicable, have not approved or deemed to have approved, as aforesaid, then the
Administrative Agent shall poll the Lenders to ascertain the highest Borrowing Base then acceptable to a number of Lenders sufficient to constitute the Majority Lenders and, so long as such amount
does not increase the Borrowing Base then in effect, such amount shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective on the date specified in Section 2.07(d). 

        (d)   Effectiveness of a Redetermined Borrowing Base. After a redetermined Borrowing Base is approved or is deemed to have been
approved by all of the Lenders or the Majority Lenders, as applicable, pursuant to Section 2.07(c)(iii), the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the amount of the
redetermined Borrowing Base (the "New Borrowing Base Notice"), and such amount shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective and applicable to the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders: 

        (i)    in
the case of a Scheduled Redetermination, (A) if the Administrative Agent shall have received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to Section 8.12(a) and (c) in a timely and complete manner, then on the April 1st or October 1st, as applicable, following delivery of the New Borrowing Base
Notice, or (B) if the Administrative Agent shall not have received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.12(a) and (c) in a timely
and complete manner, then on the Business Day next succeeding delivery of the New Borrowing Base Notice; and 

        (ii)   in
the case of an Interim Redetermination, on the Business Day next succeeding delivery of such notice. 

        Such
amount shall then become the Borrowing Base until the next Scheduled Redetermination Date, the next Interim Redetermination date or the next adjustment to the Borrowing Base under
Section 8.13(c) or Section 9.12(d), whichever occurs first. 

23

 

 
 

           Section 2.08    Letters of Credit.     

        (a)   General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request any Issuing Bank to issue Letters
of Credit for its own account or for the account of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and such Issuing Bank, at any time and from
time to time during the Availability Period; provided that the Borrower may not request the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of Letters of Credit hereunder if a Borrowing Base Deficiency
exists at such time or would exist as a result thereof. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of
credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, an Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement
shall control. 

        (b)   Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or
the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall deliver as permitted by Section 12.01(a) (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements
for doing so have been approved by the Issuing Bank) to any Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (not less than five (5) Business Days in advance of the requested date of issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension) a notice: 

        (i)    requesting
the issuance of a Letter of Credit or identifying the Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank to be amended, renewed or extended; 

        (ii)   specifying
the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day); 

        (iii)  specifying
the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with Section 2.08(c)); 

        (iv)  specifying
the amount of such Letter of Credit; 

        (v)   specifying
the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit; and 

        (vi)  specifying
the amount of the then effective Borrowing Base and whether a Borrowing Base Deficiency exists at such time, the current total Revolving Credit Exposures
(without regard to the requested Letter of Credit or the requested amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit) and the pro forma
total Revolving Credit Exposures (giving effect to the requested Letter of Credit or the requested amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit). 

Each
notice shall constitute a representation that after giving effect to the requested issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, as applicable, (i) the LC Exposure shall not exceed the LC
Commitment and (ii) the total Revolving Credit Exposures shall not exceed the lesser of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts and the then effective Borrowing Base. 

If
requested by any Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on such Issuing Bank's standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. 

        (c)   Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the
date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is
five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date. 

24

 

        (d)   Participations. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount
thereof) and without any further action on the part of the Issuing Bank that issues such Letter of Credit or the Lenders, each Issuing Bank that issues a Letter of Credit hereunder hereby grants to
each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn
under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of any
Issuing Bank that issues a Letter of Credit hereunder, such Lender's Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as
provided in Section 2.08(e), or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire
participations pursuant to this Section 2.08(d) in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment,
renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default, the existence of a Borrowing Base Deficiency or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each
such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. 

        (e)   Reimbursement. If any Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing
Bank, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 1:00 p.m., Houston time, on the third day
after such LC Disbursement is made, if the Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 9:00 a.m., Houston time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received
by the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 1:00 p.m., Houston time, on (i) the third day after the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is received
prior to 9:00 a.m., Houston time, on the day of receipt, or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the third day after the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not
received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that if such LC Disbursement is not less than $1,000,000, the Borrower shall, subject to the conditions to Borrowing set forth herein, be
deemed to have requested, and the Borrower does hereby request under such circumstances, that such payment be financed with a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of one month in an equivalent
amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower's obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting Eurodollar Borrowing. If the Borrower fails to make such payment
when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender's Applicable Percentage
thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as
provided in Section 2.05 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.05 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment
obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank that issued such Letter of Credit the amounts so received by it from the 

25

 

Lenders.
Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.08(e), the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the
Issuing Bank that issued such Letter of Credit or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this Section 2.08(e) to reimburse such Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and such
Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this Section 2.08(e) to reimburse any Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR
Loans as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement. Any LC Disbursement not reimbursed by the Borrower or
funded as a Loan prior to 1:00 p.m., Houston time, shall bear interest for such day at the ABR plus the Applicable Margin. 

        (f)    Obligations Absolute. The Borrower's obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in Section 2.08(e) shall
be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any
lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit, any Letter of Credit Agreement or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under
a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by any Issuing Bank under a
Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit or any Letter of Credit Agreement, or
(iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section 2.08(f), constitute a legal or
equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower's obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor any Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties
shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of
any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or
relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the
control of any Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse any Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to
consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by such Issuing Bank's failure
to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross
negligence or willful misconduct on the part of any Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised all requisite care in
each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in
substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank that issued such Letter of Credit may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without
responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict
compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit. 

26

 

        (g)   Disbursement Procedures. Each Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents
purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank. Such Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone
(confirmed by telecopy) of such demand for payment and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice
shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement. 

        (h)   Interim Interest. If any Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, until the Borrower shall have reimbursed such
Issuing Bank for such LC Disbursement (either with its own funds or a Borrowing under Section 2.08(e)), the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date
such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Borrower reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Loans. Interest accrued pursuant to this
Section 2.08(h) shall be for the account of such Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to Section 2.08(e) to reimburse such
Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment. 

        (i)    Replacement of an Issuing Bank. Any Issuing Bank may be replaced or resign at any time by written agreement among the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, such resigning or replaced Issuing Bank and, in the case of a replacement, the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such
resignation or replacement of an Issuing Bank. At the time any such resignation or replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the resigning
or replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 3.05(b). In the case of the replacement of an Issuing Bank, from and after the effective date of such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing
Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to "Issuing
Bank" shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the resignation or
replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the resigning or replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this
Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such resignation or replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit. 

27

 

        (j)    Cash Collateralization. If (i) any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing and the Borrower receives notice
from the Administrative Agent or the Majority Lenders demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this Section 2.08(j), or (ii) the Borrower is required to pay to the
Administrative Agent the excess attributable to an LC Exposure in connection with any prepayment pursuant to Section 3.04(c), then the Borrower shall deposit, in an account with the
Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders, an amount in cash equal to, in the case of an Event of Default, the LC Exposure, and in the case of a
payment required by Section 3.04(c), the amount of such excess as provided in Section 3.04(c), as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation
to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any
Event of Default with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries described in Section 10.01(h) or Section 10.01(i). The Borrower hereby grants to the Administrative Agent, for
the benefit of each Issuing Bank and the Lenders, an exclusive first priority and continuing perfected security interest in and Lien on such account and all cash, checks, drafts, certificates and
instruments, if any, from time to time deposited or held in such account, all deposits or wire transfers made thereto, any and all investments purchased with funds deposited in such account, all
interest, dividends, cash, instruments, financial assets and other Property from time to time received, receivable or otherwise payable in respect of, or in exchange for, any or all of the foregoing,
and all proceeds, products, accessions, rents, profits, income and benefits therefrom,
and any substitutions and replacements therefor. The Borrower's obligation to deposit amounts pursuant to this Section 2.08(j) shall be absolute and unconditional, without regard to whether any
beneficiary of any such Letter of Credit has attempted to draw down all or a portion of such amount under the terms of a Letter of Credit, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, shall
not be subject to any defense or be affected by a right of set-off, counterclaim or recoupment which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries may now or hereafter have against any such
beneficiary, any Issuing Bank, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders or any other Person for any reason whatsoever. Such deposit shall be held as collateral securing the payment and performance of the
Borrower's and any Guarantor's obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of
withdrawal, over such account; provided that investments of funds in such account in investments permitted by Section 9.05(c) or (e) may be made at the option of the Borrower at its
direction, risk and expense. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse, on a  pro rata basis, each Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the
satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, be applied to satisfy other obligations of the
Borrower and the Guarantors, if any, under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an
Event of Default, and the Borrower is not otherwise required to pay to the Administrative Agent the excess attributable to an LC Exposure in connection with any prepayment pursuant to
Section 3.04(c), then such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived. 

28

  

 
 

ARTICLE III
  Payments of Principal and Interest; Prepayments; Fees    
    

 
 

           Section 3.01    Repayment of Loans.     The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Loan on
the Termination Date. 

 
 

          Section 3.02    Interest.     

        (a)   ABR Loans. Each ABR Loan comprising an ABR Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable
Margin, but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate. 

        (b)   Eurodollar Loans. Each Eurodollar Loan comprising a Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest at the LIBO Rate for the
Interest Period in effect for such Eurodollar Loan plus the Applicable Margin, but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate. 

        (c)   Post-Default and Borrowing Base Deficiency Rate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if an Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing, or if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower or any Guarantor hereunder or under any other Loan Document is
not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, and including any payments in respect of a Borrowing Base Deficiency under Section 3.04(c), then all Loans
outstanding, in the case of an Event of Default, and such overdue amount, in the case of a failure to pay amounts when due, shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at the Alternate Base
Rate plus two percent (2%), but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, and (ii) during any Borrowing Base Deficiency, the amount of such Borrowing Base Deficiency shall bear interest,
after as well as before judgment, at the rate then applicable to such Loans, plus the Applicable Margin, if any, plus an additional two percent (2%), but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful Rate. 

        (d)   Interest Payment Dates. Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on: (i) with respect to any ABR
Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and December; (ii) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a
part and (iii) in any case, on the Termination Date; provided that (x) interest accrued pursuant to Section 3.02(c)(i) shall be payable on demand, (y) in the event
of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than an optional prepayment of an ABR Loan prior to the Termination Date), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable
on the date of such repayment or prepayment, and (z) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such
Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion. 

        (e)   Interest Rate Computations. All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless
such computation would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in which case interest shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), except that interest
computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual
number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination
shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and be binding upon the parties hereto. 

29

 

 
 

          Section 3.03    Alternate Rate of Interest.     If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a
Eurodollar Borrowing: 

        (a)   the
Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the
LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period; or 

        (b)   the
Administrative Agent is advised by the Majority Lenders that the LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly
reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period; 

then
the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the
Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation
of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing. 

 
 

           Section 3.04    Prepayments.     

        (a)   Optional Prepayments. The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in
whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with Section 3.04(b). 

        (b)   Notice and Terms of Optional Prepayment. The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by
telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Houston time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, or
(ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Houston time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall
specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Borrowing, the Administrative Agent
shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Borrowing of the same Type as
provided in Section 2.02. Each prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the
extent required by Section 3.02. 

        (c)   Mandatory Prepayments. 

        (i)    If,
after giving effect to any termination or reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts pursuant to Section 2.06(b), the total Revolving Credit Exposures
exceeds the total Commitments, then the Borrower shall (A) prepay the Borrowings on the date of such termination or reduction in an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and
(B) if any excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a result of an LC Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount equal to such excess to be held
as cash collateral as provided in Section 2.08(j). 

30

 

        (ii)   Upon
any redetermination of or adjustment to the amount of the Borrowing Base in accordance with Section 2.07 or Section 8.13(c), if the total Revolving
Credit Exposures exceeds the redetermined or adjusted Borrowing Base, then the Borrower shall (A) prepay the Borrowings in an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and (B) if
any excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a result of an LC Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount equal to such excess to be held as cash
collateral as provided in Section 2.08(j). The Borrower shall be obligated to make such prepayment and/or deposit of cash collateral within ninety days (90) following the later of its
receipt of the New Borrowing Base Notice in accordance with Section 2.07(d) or the date the adjustment occurs; provided that all payments required to be made pursuant to this
Section 3.04(c)(ii) must be made on or prior to the Termination Date. 

        (iii)  Upon
any adjustments to the Borrowing Base pursuant to Section 9.12(d), if the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceed the Borrowing Base as adjusted, then the
Borrower shall (A) prepay the Borrowings in an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and (B) if any excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a result of an LC
Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount equal to such excess to be held as cash collateral as provided in Section 2.08(j). The Borrower shall be obligated
to make such prepayment and/or deposit of cash collateral on the date it or any Subsidiary receives cash proceeds as a result of such disposition; provided that all payments required to be made
pursuant to this Section 3.04(c)(iii) must be made on or prior to the Termination Date. 

        (iv)  Each
prepayment of Borrowings pursuant to this Section 3.04(c) shall be applied, first, ratably to any ABR Borrowings then outstanding, and, second, to any
Eurodollar Borrowings then outstanding, and if more than one Eurodollar Borrowing is then outstanding, to each such Eurodollar Borrowing in order of priority beginning with the Eurodollar Borrowing
with the least number of days remaining in the Interest Period applicable thereto and ending with the Eurodollar Borrowing with the most number of days remaining in the Interest Period applicable
thereto. 

        (v)   Each
prepayment of Borrowings pursuant to this Section 3.04(c) shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowings. Prepayments pursuant to
this Section 3.04(c) shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 3.02. 

        (d)   No Premium or Penalty. Prepayments permitted or required under this Section 3.04 shall be without premium or
penalty, except as required under Section 5.02. 

 
 

           Section 3.05    Fees.     

        (a)   Commitment Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment fee,
which shall accrue at a rate per annum equal to 0.375% on the average daily amount of the unused amount of the Commitment of such Lender during the period from and including the date of this Agreement
to but excluding the Termination Date. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the Termination Date, commencing
on the first such date to occur after the date hereof. All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless such computation would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in
which case interest shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day
but excluding the last day). 

31

 

        (b)   Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a
participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Margin used to determine the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Loans on the
average daily amount of such Lender's LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the date of this Agreement to but
excluding the later of the date on which such Lender's Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, (ii) to each Issuing Bank a fronting fee equal to
0.125% per annum on the face amount of each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank hereunder, provided that in no event shall such fee be less than $500 and (iii) to each Issuing Bank,
for its own account, its standard fees with respect to the amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank or processing of drawings thereunder. Participation fees
accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to
occur after the date of this Agreement and fronting fees with respect to any Letter of Credit shall be payable at the time of issuance of such Letter of Credit; provided that all such fees shall be
payable on the Termination Date and any such fees accruing after the Termination Date shall be payable on demand. Any other fees payable to an Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section 3.05(b)
shall be payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless such computation would exceed the
Highest Lawful Rate, in which case such fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed
(including the first day but excluding the last day). 

        (c)   Administrative Agent Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in
the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent. 

        (d)   Borrowing Base Increase Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender then
party to this Agreement, ratably in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a Borrowing Base increase fee as follows: 

        (i)    if
the Maturity Date is greater than 36 months from the date a New Borrowing Base Notice is given, then a fee equal to 0.25%, 

        (ii)   if
the Maturity Date is less than or equal to 36 months, but greater than 24 months from the date a New Borrowing Base Notice is given, then a fee equal
to 0.20% 

        (iii)  if
the Maturity Date is less than or equal to 24 months, but is greater than 12 months from the date a New Borrowing Base Notice is given, then a fee
equal to 0.10%, 

in
each case on the amount of any increase of the Borrowing Base over the highest Borrowing Base previously in effect, payable on the day such New Borrowing Base Notice is given. 

32

 
 
 

ARTICLE IV
  Payments; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.    
    

 
 

          Section 4.01    Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.     

        (a)   Payments by the Borrower. The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal,
interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 5.01, Section 5.02, Section 5.03 or otherwise) prior to 1:00 p.m., Houston time, on
the date when due, in immediately available funds, without defense, deduction, recoupment, set-off or counterclaim. Fees, once paid, shall be fully earned and shall not be refundable under
any circumstances. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes
of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices specified in Section 12.01, except payments to be made directly to an Issuing Bank as
expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Section 5.01, Section 5.02, Section 5.03 and Section 12.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled
thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment
hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest
thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars. 

        (b)   Application of Insufficient Payments. If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the
Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of
interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment
of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to
such parties. 

        (c)   Sharing of Payments by Lenders. If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or
otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the
aggregate amount of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion
shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans and participations in LC Disbursements of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be
shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans and participations in LC Disbursements; provided that (i) if
any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of
such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions 

33

 

of
this Section 4.01(c) shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a
Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any
Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section 4.01(c) shall apply). The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under
applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such
participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation. 

 
 

           Section 4.02    Presumption of Payment by the Borrower.     Unless the Administrative Agent shall have
received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the
account of the Lenders or any Issuing Bank that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith
and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then
each of the Lenders or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or such Issuing Bank
with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds
Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. 

 
 

           Section 4.03    Certain Deductions by the Administrative Agent.     If any Lender shall fail to make any
payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(b), Section 2.08(d), Section 2.08(e) or
Section 4.02 then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the
account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender's obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid. 

 
 

ARTICLE V
  Increased Costs; Break Funding Payments; Taxes; Illegality    
    

 
 

          Section 5.01    Increased Costs.     

        (a)   Eurodollar Changes in Law. If any Change in Law shall: 

impose,
modify or deem applicable any reserve (including marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves), special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the
account of, or credit extended by, any Lender for Eurocurrency liabilities under Regulation D of the Board (as the same may be amended, supplemented or replaced from time to time) or otherwise;
or 

        (i)    impose
on any Lender or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender; 

and
the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to reduce
the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will
compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered. 

34

 

        (b)   Capital Requirements. If any Lender or any Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements
has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's capital or on the capital of such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's holding company, if any, as a
consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such
Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's
policies and the policies of such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank,
as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's holding company for any such reduction suffered. 

        (c)   Certificates. A certificate of a Lender or any Issuing Bank setting forth in reasonable detail the basis of its request
and the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in Section 5.01(a) or (b) shall be delivered
to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within
10 days after receipt thereof. 

        (d)   Effect of Failure or Delay in Requesting Compensation. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or any Issuing Bank to
demand compensation pursuant to this Section 5.01 shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender's or such Issuing Bank's right to demand such compensation, provided that no Lender may make any
such demand more than 180 days after the Termination Date, nor for any amount which has accrued more than 270 days prior to such Lender or Issuing Bank delivering the certificate
required in Section 5.01(c). 

 
 

           Section 5.02    Break Funding Payments.     In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any
Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a
result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan into an ABR Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, or (c) the failure to
borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss,
cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess,
if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan,
for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have
been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to
bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market. 

A
certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section 5.02 shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive
absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof. 

35

 

 
 

           Section 5.03    Taxes.     

        (a)   Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower or any Guarantor under
any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if the Borrower or any Guarantor shall be required to deduct any
Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to
additional sums payable under this Section 5.03(a)), the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such
deductions been made, (ii) the Borrower or such Guarantor shall make such deductions and (iii) the Borrower or such Guarantor shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant
Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law. 

        (b)   Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. The Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law. 

        (c)   Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Issuing
Bank, within 10 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case
may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts
payable under this Section 5.03) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were
correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate of the Administrative Agent, a Lender or an Issuing Bank as to the basis of such Indemnified Taxes and
Other Taxes and the amount of such payment or liability under this Section 5.03 shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. 

        (d)   Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower or a
Guarantor to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such
payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. 

        (e)   Foreign Lenders. Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax under the law
of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall deliver to the
Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably
requested by the Borrower as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate. 

 
 

          Section 5.04    Designation of Different Lending Office.     If any Lender requests compensation under
Section 5.01, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental
Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 5.03, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans
hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (a) would
eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 5.01 or Section 5.03, as the case may be, in the future and (b) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or
expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or
assignment. 

36

 

 
 

          Section 5.05    Illegality.     Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, in the event that it
becomes unlawful for any Lender or its applicable lending office to honor its
obligation to make or maintain Eurodollar Loans either generally or having a particular Interest Period hereunder, then (a) such Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent thereof and such Lender's obligation to make such Eurodollar Loans shall be suspended (the "Affected Loans") until such time as such Lender may again make and maintain such Eurodollar Loans and
(b) all Affected Loans which would otherwise be made by such Lender shall be made instead as ABR Loans (and, if such Lender so requests by notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent,
all Affected Loans of such Lender then outstanding shall be automatically converted into ABR Loans on the date specified by such Lender in such notice) and, to the extent that Affected Loans are so
made as (or converted into) ABR Loans, all payments of principal which would otherwise be applied to such Lender's Affected Loans shall be applied instead to its ABR Loans. 

 
 

ARTICLE VI
  Conditions Precedent    
    

 
 

           Section 6.01    Effective Date.     The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of any Issuing Bank to
issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each
of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 12.02): 

        (a)   The
Arrangers, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to
the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder. 

        (b)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of the Borrower and of each Guarantor setting forth (i) resolutions of the Managers, board of directors
or other managing body with respect to the authorization of the Borrower or such Guarantor to execute and deliver the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to enter into the transactions
contemplated in those documents, (ii) the individuals (y) who are authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which the Borrower or such Guarantor is a party and (z) who will, until
replaced by another individual duly authorized for that purpose, act as its representative for the purposes of signing documents and giving notices and other communications in connection with this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, (iii) specimen signatures of such authorized individuals, and (iv) the articles or certificate of incorporation or
formation and bylaws, operating agreement or partnership agreement, as applicable, of the Borrower and each Guarantor, in each case, certified as being true and complete. The Administrative Agent and
the Lenders may conclusively rely on such certificate until the Administrative Agent receives notice in writing from the Borrower to the contrary. 

        (c)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received certificates of the appropriate State agencies with respect to the existence, qualification and good standing of the
Borrower and each Guarantor, if any. 

        (d)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received a compliance certificate which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B, duly and properly executed by a
Responsible Officer and dated as of the Effective Date. 

        (e)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received from each party hereto counterparts (in such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent) of this Agreement
signed on behalf of such party. 

37

 

        (f)    The
Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed Notes payable to the order of each Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit Amount dated as of
the date hereof. 

        (g)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received from each party thereto duly executed counterparts (in such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent) of the
Security Instruments, including the Guaranty Agreement and the other Security Instruments described on Exhibit C-1. In connection with the execution and delivery of the Security
Instruments, the Administrative Agent shall be reasonably satisfied that the Security Instruments create first priority, perfected Liens (subject only to Excepted Liens identified in clauses
(a) to (d) and (f) of the definition thereof, but subject to the provisos at the end of such definition) on at least 80% of the total value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated
in the Initial Reserve Report. 

        (h)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received an opinion of (i) Andrews Kurth, LLP, special counsel to the Borrower, (ii) Sherrad, German and Kelly, P.C.,
special Pennsylvania counsel and (iii) Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff & Love, special West Virginia counsel, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, as to such
matters incident to the Transactions as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request. 

        (i)    The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of insurance coverage of the Borrower evidencing that the Borrower is carrying insurance in accordance with
Section 7.13. 

        (j)    The
Administrative Agent shall have received such information as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require, all of which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent in form and substance, on the title to the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in the Initial Reserve Reports. 

        (k)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying that the Borrower has received all consents and approvals required by
Section 7.03. 

        (l)    The
Administrative Agent shall have received the financial statements referred to in Section 7.04(a) and the Initial Reserve Reports. 

        (m)  The
Administrative Agent shall have received appropriate UCC search certificates reflecting no prior Liens encumbering the Properties the Borrower, and its Subsidiaries
for each of the following jurisdictions: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Delaware and any other jurisdiction requested by the Administrative Agent; other than those being assigned or released
on or prior to the Effective Date or Liens permitted by Section 9.03. 

        (n)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received: 

        (i)    evidence
of the payment in full of all amounts due under the Existing Credit Agreement, the termination of all commitments to lend thereunder and the release of all
Liens securing such obligations and any other obligations secured thereby, 

        (ii)   a
list of all Swap Agreements to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is a party as of the date of this Agreement, which list shall be listed on Schedule 7.21
hereto, 

        (iii)  evidence
of the assignment, novation or other transfer to one or more Lenders of each such Swap Agreements referred to in clause (ii) above, together with a
copy of each such Swap Agreement, certified by the Borrower as being a true and complete copy, and 

        (iv)  evidence
of the payment in full of the Subordinated Debt. 

38

 

        (o)   The
Borrower shall have deposited $10,000 with Vinson & Elkins LLP, counsel for Administrative Agent, to be held by such counsel and applied toward payment of
costs and expenses for filing or recordation of the Security Instruments and incidental expenses, as provided pursuant to Section 12.03(a). If such deposit exceeds the amount of such costs and
expenses, the excess shall be returned to the Borrower. If such deposit is less than such costs and expenses, the deficit shall be paid by the Borrower pursuant to Section 12.03(a). 

        (p)   The
Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the Administrative Agent or special counsel to the Administrative Agent may reasonably request. 

        The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations
of the Lenders to make Loans and of each Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to
Section 12.02) at or prior to 1:00 p.m., Houston time, on April 29, 2005 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such
time). 

 
 

           Section 6.02    Each Credit Event.     The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any
Borrowing (including the initial funding), and of each Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or
extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions: 

        (a)   At
the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default
shall have occurred and be continuing. 

        (b)   At
the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no
Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred. 

        (c)   The
representations and warranties of the Borrower and the Guarantors, if any, set forth in this Agreement and in the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct on
and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, except to the extent any such representations and warranties are
expressly limited to an earlier date, in which case, on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, such
representations and warranties shall continue to be true and correct as of such specified earlier date. 

        (d)   The
making of such Loan or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, would not conflict with, or cause any Lender or any
Issuing Bank to violate or exceed, any applicable Governmental Requirement, and no Change in Law shall have occurred, and no litigation shall be pending or threatened, which does or, with respect to
any threatened litigation, seeks to, enjoin, prohibit or restrain, the making or repayment of any Loan, the issuance, amendment, renewal, extension or repayment of any Letter of Credit or any
participations therein or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document. 

        (e)   The
receipt by the Administrative Agent of a Borrowing Request in accordance with Section 2.03 or a request for a Letter of Credit in accordance with
Section 2.08(b), as applicable. 

Each
request for a Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof
as to the matters specified in Section 6.02(a) through (e). 

39

  

 
 

ARTICLE VII
  Representations and Warranties    
    

        The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that: 

 
 

           Section 7.01    Organization; Powers.     Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all
requisite power and authority, and has all material governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals necessary, to own its assets and to carry on its business as now conducted, and is
qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required, except where failure to have such power, authority, licenses, authorizations,
consents, approvals and qualifications could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 
 

           Section 7.02    Authority; Enforceability.     The Transactions are within the Borrower's and each
Guarantor's corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, member
action (including, without limitation, any action required to be taken by any class of directors of the Borrower or any other Person, whether interested or disinterested, in order to ensure the due
authorization of the Transactions). When executed and delivered, each Loan Document to which the Borrower and any Guarantor is a party will have been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and
such Guarantor and will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower and such Guarantor, as applicable, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors' rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law. 

 
 

          Section 7.03    Approvals; No Conflicts.     The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval
of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority or any
other third Person (including the members or any class of directors of the Borrower or any other Person, whether interested or disinterested), nor is any such consent, approval, registration, filing
or other action necessary for the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, except such as have been obtained or made and are in
full force and effect, and except for the filing and recording of Security Instruments to perfect the Liens created hereby, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter,
by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, (c) will not violate or result in a default under
any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or their Properties, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the
Borrower or such Subsidiary and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Liens created by the
Loan Documents). 

 
 

          Section 7.04    Financial Position; No Material Adverse Change.     

        (a)   The
Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders the audited consolidated balance sheet of Linn Energy, L.L.C. and its consolidated subsidiaries as of
December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2004, and related audited consolidated statements of income, cash flows and changes in members' equity for the fiscal years ending December 31,
2003 and December 31, 2004. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Linn Energy, L.L.C. and
its consolidated subsidiaries as of such date and for such period in accordance with GAAP. 

        (b)   Since
December 31, 2004, (i) there has been no event, development or circumstance that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect and (ii) the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has been conducted only in the ordinary course consistent with past business practices. 

40

 

        (c)   Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has on the date hereof any material Debt (including Disqualified Capital Stock), or any contingent liabilities,
off-balance sheet liabilities or partnerships, liabilities for taxes, unusual forward or long-term commitments or unrealized or anticipated losses from any unfavorable
commitments, except as referred to or reflected or provided for in the Financial Statements. 

 
 

           Section 7.05    Litigation.     Except as set forth on Schedule 7.05, there are no actions, suits,
investigations or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority
pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (a) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse
determination that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (b) that involve any Loan Document or the
Transactions. Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the matters disclosed in Schedule 7.05 that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or
materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect. 

 
 

           Section 7.06    Environmental Matters.     Except as could not be reasonably expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect (or with respect to (c), (d) and (e) below, where the failure to take
such actions could not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect): 

        (a)   neither
any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries nor the operations conducted thereon violate any order or requirement of any court or Governmental
Authority or any Environmental Laws. 

        (b)   no
Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries nor the operations currently conducted thereon or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, by any prior owner or
operator of such Property or operation, are in violation of or subject to any existing, pending or threatened action, suit, investigation, inquiry or proceeding by or before any court or Governmental
Authority or to any remedial obligations under Environmental Laws. 

        (c)   all
notices, permits, licenses, exemptions, approvals or similar authorizations, if any, required to be obtained or filed in connection with the operation or use of any
and all Property of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, past or present treatment, storage, disposal or release of a hazardous substance, oil and gas waste or
solid waste into the environment, have been duly obtained or filed or requested, and the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such notices,
permits, licenses and similar authorizations. 

        (d)   all
hazardous substances, solid waste and oil and gas waste, if any, generated at any and all Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries have in the past been
transported, treated and disposed of in accordance with Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment, and, to the
knowledge of the Borrower, all such transport carriers and treatment and disposal facilities have been and are operating in compliance with Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an imminent and
substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment, and are not the subject of any existing, pending or threatened action, investigation or inquiry by any Governmental Authority
in connection with any Environmental Laws. 

        (e)   the
Borrower has taken all steps reasonably necessary to determine and has determined that no oil, hazardous substances, solid waste or oil and gas waste, have been
disposed of or otherwise released and there has been no threatened release of any oil, hazardous substances, solid waste or oil and gas waste on or to any Property of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries except in compliance with Environmental Laws and so as not to pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment. 

41

 

        (f)    to
the extent applicable, all Property of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries currently satisfies all design, operation, and equipment requirements imposed by the
OPA, and the Borrower does not have any reason to believe that such Property, to the extent subject to the OPA, will not be able to maintain compliance with the OPA requirements during the term of
this Agreement. 

        (g)   neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has any known contingent liability or Remedial Work in connection with any release or threatened release of any oil,
hazardous substance, solid waste or oil and gas waste into the environment. 

 
 

           Section 7.07    Compliance with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults.     

        (a)   Each
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all Governmental Requirements applicable to it or its Property and all agreements and other instruments
binding upon it or its Property, and possesses all licenses, permits, franchises, exemptions, approvals and other authorizations granted by Governmental Authorities necessary for the ownership of its
Property and the present conduct of its business, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

        (b)   Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is in default nor has any event or circumstance occurred which, but for the expiration of any applicable grace period or
the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default or would require the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to Redeem or make any offer to Redeem all or any portion of any Debt outstanding
under any indenture, note, credit agreement or instrument pursuant to which any Material Indebtedness is outstanding or by which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their Properties is
bound. 

        (c)   No
Default has occurred and is continuing. 

 
 

           Section 7.08    Investment Company Act.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is an
"investment company" or a company "controlled" by an "investment company," within the meaning of, or
subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. 

 
 

           Section 7.09    Public Utility Holding Company Act.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is
a "holding company," or a "subsidiary company" of a "holding company," or an "affiliate" of a "holding
company" or of a "subsidiary company" of a "holding company," or a "public utility" within the meaning of, or subject to regulation under, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended. 

 
 

           Section 7.10    Taxes.     Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed
all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to
be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as
applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in respect of Taxes and other governmental charges are, in the reasonable opinion of the Borrower,
adequate. No Tax Lien has been filed and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, no claim is being asserted with respect to any such Tax or other such governmental charge. 

 
 

          Section 7.11    ERISA.     

        (a)   The
Borrower, its Subsidiaries and each ERISA Affiliate have complied in all material respects with ERISA and, where applicable, the Code regarding each Plan, if any. 

        (b)   Each
Plan, if any, is, and has been, maintained in substantial compliance with ERISA and, where applicable, the Code. 

42

 

        (c)   No
act, omission or transaction has occurred that could result in imposition on the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate (whether directly or
indirectly) of (i) either a civil penalty assessed pursuant to subsections (c), (i) or (l) of section 502 of ERISA or a tax imposed pursuant to Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of
the Code or (ii) breach of fiduciary duty liability damages under section 409 of ERISA. 

        (d)   No
Plan (other than a defined contribution plan) or any trust created under any such Plan has been terminated since September 2, 1974. No liability to the PBGC
(other than for the payment of current premiums which are not past due) by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate has been or is expected by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries
or any ERISA Affiliate to be incurred with respect to any Plan. No ERISA Event with respect to any Plan has occurred. 

        (e)   Full
payment when due has been made of all amounts which the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate is required under the terms of each Plan, if any,
or applicable law to have paid as contributions to such Plan as of the date hereof, and no accumulated funding deficiency (as defined in section 302 of ERISA and section 412 of the
Code), whether or not waived, exists with respect to any Plan. 

        (f)    The
actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities under each Plan, if any, which is subject to Title IV of ERISA does not, as of the end of the Borrower's most
recently ended fiscal year, exceed the current value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in accordance with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities. The
term "actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities" shall have the meaning specified in section 4041 of ERISA. 

        (g)   Neither
the Borrower, its Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains, or contributes to an employee welfare benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1)
of ERISA, including, without limitation, any such plan maintained to provide benefits to former employees of such entities, that may not be terminated by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any
ERISA Affiliate in its sole discretion at any time without any material liability. 

        (h)   Neither
the Borrower, its Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains or contributes to, or has at any time in the six-year period preceding the
date hereof sponsored, maintained or contributed to, any Multiemployer Plan. 

        (i)    Neither
the Borrower, its Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate is required to provide security under section 401(a)(29) of the Code due to a Plan amendment that
results in an increase in current liability for the Plan. 

 
 

           Section 7.12    Disclosure; No Material Misstatements.     As set forth on Schedule 7.12, the Borrower
has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any
of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the reports,
financial statements, certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Administrative Agent, any other Agent or any Lender or any of their
Affiliates in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (as modified or supplemented by other information so
furnished) contains any material misstatement of 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 

43

 

misleading;
provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be
reasonable at the time. There is no fact peculiar to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or in the future is reasonably likely
to have a Material Adverse Effect and which has not been set forth in this Agreement or the Loan Documents or the other documents, certificates and statements furnished to the Administrative Agent,
any other Agent or the Lenders by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries prior to, or on, the date hereof in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. There are no
statements or conclusions in any Reserve Report which are based upon or include misleading information or fail to take into account material information regarding the matters reported therein. 

 
 

           Section 7.13    Insurance.     The Borrower has, and has caused all of its Subsidiaries to have,
(a) all insurance policies sufficient for the compliance by each of them with all
material Governmental Requirements and all material agreements and (b) insurance coverage in at least amounts and against such risk (including, without limitation, public liability) that are
usually insured against by companies similarly situated and engaged in the same or a similar business for the assets and operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. The Administrative Agent and
the Lenders have been named as additional insureds in respect of such liability insurance policies and the Administrative Agent has been named as loss payee with respect to Property loss insurance. 

 
 

           Section 7.14    Restriction on Liens.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any
material agreement or arrangement, or subject to any order, judgment, writ or decree, which
either restricts or purports to restrict its ability to grant Liens to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders on or in respect of their Properties to secure the Indebtedness and the Loan Documents. 

 
 

           Section 7.15    Subsidiaries.     Except as set forth on Schedule 7.15 or as disclosed in writing to
the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly furnish a copy to the Lenders), which
shall be a supplement to Schedule 7.15, the Borrower has no Subsidiaries. The Borrower has no Foreign Subsidiaries. 

 
 

          Section 7.16    Location of Business and Offices.     The Borrower's jurisdiction of organization is
Delaware; the name of the Borrower as listed in the public records of its jurisdiction of organization is Linn
Energy Holdings, LLC, and the organizational identification number of the Borrower in its jurisdiction of organization is 3951040 (or, in each case, as set forth in a notice delivered to the
Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.01(m) in accordance with Section 12.01). The Borrower's principal place of business and chief executive offices are located at the address
specified in Section 12.01 (or as set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section 8.01(m) and Section 12.01(c)). Each Subsidiary's jurisdiction of organization, name as listed
in the public records of its jurisdiction of organization, organizational identification number in its jurisdiction of organization, and the location of its principal place of business and chief
executive office is stated on Schedule 7.15 (or as set forth in a notice delivered pursuant to Section 8.01(m)). 

44

 

 
 

          Section 7.17    Properties; Titles, Etc.     

        (a)   Each
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good and defensible title to its Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in the most recently delivered Reserve Report and good
title to all its personal Properties, in each case, free and clear of all Liens except Liens permitted by Section 9.03. After giving full effect to the Excepted Liens, the Borrower or any of
its Subsidiaries specified as the owner owns the net interests in production attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests as reflected in the most recently delivered Reserve Report, and the ownership of
such Properties shall not in any material respect obligate the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to bear the costs and expenses relating to the maintenance, development and operations of each such
Property in an amount in excess of the working interest of each Property set forth in the most recently delivered Reserve Report that is not offset by a corresponding proportionate increase in the
Borrower's or any of its Subsidiaries' net revenue interest in such Property. 

        (b)   All
material leases and agreements necessary for the present conduct of the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are valid and subsisting, in full force and
effect, and there exists no default or event or circumstance which with the giving of notice or the passage of time or both would give rise to a default under any such lease or leases, which could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

        (c)   The
rights and Properties presently owned, leased or licensed by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries including, without limitation, all easements and rights of way,
include all rights and Properties necessary to permit the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to conduct their business in all material respects as of the date hereof. 

        (d)   All
of the material Properties of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries that are reasonably necessary for the operation of their businesses are in good working
condition and are maintained in accordance with prudent business standards. 

        (e)   The
Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual Property material to its
business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and such Subsidiary does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could
not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries either own or have valid licenses or other rights to use all databases, geological data,
geophysical data, engineering data, seismic data, maps, interpretations and other technical information used in their businesses as presently conducted, subject to the limitations contained in the
agreements governing the use of the same, which limitations are customary for companies engaged in the business of the exploration and production of Hydrocarbons, with such exceptions as could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 
 

           Section 7.18    Maintenance of Properties.     Except for such acts or failures to act as could not be
reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Oil and Gas Properties (and Properties unitized
therewith) have been maintained, operated and developed in a good and workmanlike manner and in conformity with all Government Requirements and in conformity with the provisions of all leases,
subleases or other contracts comprising a part of the Hydrocarbon Interests and other contracts and agreements forming a part of the Oil and Gas Properties. Specifically in connection with the
foregoing, except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (a) no Oil and Gas Property is subject to having allowable production reduced below the full and regular
allowable (including the maximum permissible tolerance) because of any overproduction (whether or not the same was permissible at the time) and (b) none of the wells comprising a part of the
Oil and 

45

 

Gas
Properties (or Properties unitized therewith) is deviated from the vertical more than the maximum permitted by Government Requirements, and such wells are, in fact, bottomed under and are
producing from, and the well bores are wholly within, the Oil and Gas Properties (or in the case of wells located on Properties unitized therewith, such unitized Properties). All pipelines, wells, gas
processing plants, platforms and other material improvements, fixtures and equipment owned in whole or in part by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that are necessary to conduct normal
operations are being maintained in a state adequate to conduct normal operations, and with respect to such of the foregoing which are operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in a manner
consistent with the Borrower's or its Subsidiaries' past practices (other than those the failure of which to maintain in accordance with this Section 7.18 could not reasonably be expect to have
a Material Adverse Effect). 

 
 

           Section 7.19    Gas Imbalances, Prepayments.     As of the date hereof, except as set forth on
Schedule 7.19 or on the most recent certificate delivered pursuant to Section 8.12(c), on a net basis
there are no gas imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments which would require the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to deliver, in the aggregate, two percent (2%) or more of the monthly
production from Hydrocarbons produced from the Oil and Gas Properties at some future time without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor. 

 
 

           Section 7.20    Marketing of Production.     Except for contracts listed and in effect on the date hereof on
Schedule 7.20, and thereafter either disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent or
included in the most recently delivered Reserve Report (with respect to all of which contracts the Borrower represents that it or its Subsidiaries are receiving a price for all production sold
thereunder which is computed substantially in accordance with the terms of the relevant contract and are not having deliveries curtailed substantially below the subject Property's delivery capacity),
no material agreements exist which are not cancelable on 60 days notice or less without penalty or detriment for the sale of production from the Borrower's or its Subsidiaries' Hydrocarbons
(including, without limitation, calls on or other rights to purchase, production, whether or not the same are currently being exercised) that (a) pertain to the sale of production at a fixed
price and (b) have a maturity or expiry date of more than six (6) months from the date hereof. 

 
 

           Section 7.21    Swap Agreements.     Schedule 7.21, as of the date hereof, and after the date hereof,
each report required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.01(e),
sets forth, a true and complete list of all Swap Agreements of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries, the material terms thereof (including the type, term, effective date, termination date and
notional amounts or volumes), the net marked-to-market value thereof, all credit support agreements relating thereto (including any margin required or supplied) and the
counterparty to each such agreement. 

 
 

           Section 7.22    Use of Loans and Letters of Credit.     The proceeds of the Loans and the Letters of Credit
shall be used (a) to provide working capital, (b) to refinance existing indebtedness (including
the Existing Credit Agreement and the Subordinated Debt), (c) for the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties, (d) for the issuance of Letters of Credit, and
(e) for general corporate purposes, including distribution advances, provided that if the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage is equal to or exceeds 90% before or after giving effect to the
requested Loan or Letter of Credit, then no proceeds of any Loan or any Letter of Credit may be used to fund Restricted Payments under Section 9.04. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries are not
engaged principally, or as one of its or their important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or carrying margin stock
(within the meaning of Regulation T, U or X of the Board). No part of the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit will be used for any purpose which violates the provisions of Regulations T, U
or X of the Board. 

46

 

 
 

           Section 7.23    Solvency.     After giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby, (a) the
aggregate assets (after giving effect to amounts that could reasonably be received by
reason of indemnity, offset, insurance or any similar arrangement), at a fair valuation, of the Borrower and the Guarantors, taken as a whole, will exceed the aggregate Debt of the Borrower and the
Guarantors on a consolidated basis, as the Debt becomes absolute and matures, (b) each of the Borrower and the Guarantors will not have incurred or intended to incur, and will not believe that
it will incur, Debt beyond its ability to pay such Debt (after taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be received by each of the Borrower and the Guarantors and the amounts to be
payable on or in respect of its liabilities, and giving effect to amounts that could reasonably be received by reason of indemnity, offset, insurance or any similar arrangement) as such Debt becomes
absolute and matures and (c) each of the Borrower and the Guarantors will not have (and will have no reason to believe that it will have thereafter) unreasonably small capital for the conduct
of its business. 

 
 

ARTICLE VIII
  Affirmative Covenants    
    

        Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder and all other amounts payable
under the Loan Documents shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees
with the Lenders that: 

 
 

           Section 8.01    Financial Statements; Ratings Change; Other Information.     The Borrower will furnish to
the Administrative Agent and each Lender: 

        (a)   Annual Financial Statements. As soon as available, but in any event not later than 90 days after the end of each
fiscal year, Borrower's audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, members' equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in
comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by independent public accountants of recognized national standing and reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent
(without a "going concern" or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements
present fairly in all material respects the financial position and results of operations of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently
applied. 

        (b)   Quarterly Financial Statements. As soon as available, but in any event not later than 45 days after the end of
each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, members' equity and cash flows as of the end of and
for such quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance
sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by a Financial Officer as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial position and results of operations of the Borrower
and its Consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes. 

47

 

        (c)   Certificate of Financial Officer—Compliance. Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under
Section 8.01(a) or Section 8.01(b), a certificate of a Financial Officer in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred
and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations
demonstrating compliance with Section 9.01 and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the Effective Date and, if any such change has
occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate. 

        (d)   Certificate of Accounting Firm—Defaults. Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under
Section 8.01(a), a certificate of the accounting firm that reported on such financial statements stating whether they obtained knowledge during the course of their examination of such financial
statements of any Default (which certificate may be limited to the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines). 

        (e)   Certificate of Financial Officer—Swap Agreements. Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements
under Section 8.01(a) and Section 8.01(b), a certificate of a Financial Officer, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, setting forth as of the last Business Day
of such calendar month or fiscal year, a true and complete list of all Swap Agreements of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries, the material terms thereof (including the type, term, effective
date, termination date and notional amounts or volumes), the net mark-to-market value therefor, any new credit support agreements relating thereto not listed on
Schedule 7.21, any margin required or supplied under any credit support document, and the counterparty to each such agreement. 

        (f)    Certificate of Insurer—Insurance Coverage. Concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under
Section 8.01(a), a certificate of insurance coverage from each insurer with respect to the insurance required by Section 8.07, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent, and, if requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, all copies of the applicable policies. 

        (g)   Other Accounting Reports. Promptly upon receipt thereof, a copy of each other report or letter submitted to the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries by independent accountants in connection with any annual, interim or special audit made by them of the books of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary, and a copy of any
response by the Borrower or any such Subsidiary to such letter or report. 

        (h)   SEC and Other Filings; Reports to shareholders. Promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic
and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its
shareholders generally, as the case may be. 

        (i)    Notices Under Material Instruments. Promptly after the furnishing thereof, copies of any financial statement, report or
notice furnished to or by any Person pursuant to the terms of any preferred stock designation, indenture, loan or credit or other similar agreement, other than this Agreement and not otherwise
required to be furnished to the Lenders pursuant to any other provision of this Section 8.01. 

        (j)    Lists of Purchasers. Concurrently with the delivery of any Reserve Report to the Administrative Agent pursuant to
Section 8.12, a list of all Persons purchasing Hydrocarbons from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries. 

48

 

        (k)   Notice of Sales of Oil and Gas Properties. In the event the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries intends to sell,
transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of any Oil or Gas Properties included in the most recently delivered Reserve Report (or any Equity Interests in any Subsidiary owning interests in such Oil and
Gas Properties) during any period between two successive Scheduled Redetermination Dates having a fair market value, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $250,000, prior written notice of
such disposition, the price thereof, the anticipated date of closing, and any other details thereof requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender. 

        (l)    Notice of Casualty Events. Prompt written notice, and in any event within three Business Days, of the occurrence of any
Casualty Event or the commencement of any action or proceeding that could reasonably be expected to result in a Casualty Event. 

        (m)  Information Regarding Borrower and Guarantors. Prompt written notice (and in any event within thirty (30) days
prior thereto) of any change (i) in the Borrower or any Guarantor's corporate name or in any trade name used to identify such Person in the conduct of its business or in the ownership of its
Properties, (ii) in the location of the Borrower or any Guarantor's chief executive office or principal place of business, (iii) in the Borrower or any Guarantor's identity or corporate
structure or in the jurisdiction in which such Person is incorporated or formed, (iv) in the Borrower or any Guarantor's jurisdiction of organization or such Person's organizational
identification number in such jurisdiction of organization, and (v) in the Borrower or any Guarantor's federal taxpayer identification number, if any. 

        (n)   Production Report and Lease Operating Statements. Within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, a report
setting forth, for each calendar month during the then-current fiscal year to date, the volume of production and sales attributable to production (and the prices at which such sales were
made and the revenues derived from such sales) for each such calendar month from the Oil and Gas Properties, and setting forth the related ad valorem, severance and production taxes and lease
operating expenses attributable thereto and incurred for each such calendar month. 

        (o)   Notices of Certain Changes. Promptly, but in any event within five (5) Business Days after the execution thereof,
copies of any amendment, modification or supplement to the certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, any preferred stock designation or any other organic document of the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries. 

        (p)   Annual Budget. Promptly, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, a budget for the then
current fiscal year, including a pro forma balance sheet and income and cash flow projections. 

        (q)   Other Requested Information. Promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations,
business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any Plan or Multiemployer Plan and any reports or other information required to be
filed under ERISA), or compliance with the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request. 

 
 

           Section 8.02    Notices of Material Events.     The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and
each Lender, promptly after the Borrower obtains knowledge thereof, written notice of the following:
 

        (a)   the
occurrence of any Default; 

49

 

        (b)   the
filing or commencement of, or the threat in writing of, any action, suit, investigation, arbitration or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental
Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, or any material adverse development in any action, suit, proceeding, investigation or arbitration (whether or not previously
disclosed to the Lenders), that, in either case, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in liability in excess of $500,000; 

        (c)   the
occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $500,000; and 

        (d)   any
other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect. 

Each
notice delivered under this Section 8.02 shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any
action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto. 

 
 

           Section 8.03    Existence; Conduct of Business.     The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect
its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business and maintain, if necessary, its qualification to do business in each other
jurisdiction in which any of its Oil and Gas Properties is located or the ownership of its Properties requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify could not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 9.12. 

 
 

           Section 8.04    Payment of Obligations.     The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to,
pay its obligations, including Tax liabilities of the Borrower and all of its Subsidiaries before
the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Borrower or such
Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect or result in the seizure or levy of any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries. 

 
 

           Section 8.05    Performance of Obligations under Loan Documents.     The Borrower will pay the Notes
according to the reading, tenor and effect thereof, and the Borrower will, and the Borrower will cause each of its Subsidiaries to
do and perform every act and discharge all of the obligations to be performed and discharged by them under the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, this Agreement, at the time or times and
in the manner specified. 

 
 

           Section 8.06    Operation and Maintenance of Properties.     The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to: 

        (a)   operate
its Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties or cause such Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties to be operated in a careful and
efficient manner in accordance with the practices of the industry and in compliance with all applicable contracts and agreements and in compliance with all Governmental Requirements, including,
without limitation, applicable proration requirements and Environmental Laws, and all applicable laws, rules and regulations of every other Governmental Authority from time to time constituted to
regulate the development and operation of its Oil and Gas Properties and the production and sale of Hydrocarbons and other minerals therefrom, except, in each case, where the failure to comply could
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

50

 

        (b)   keep
and maintain all Property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted preserve, maintain and keep
in good repair, working order and efficiency (ordinary wear and tear excepted) all of its material Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties, including, without limitation, all material
equipment, machinery and facilities. 

        (c)   promptly
pay and discharge, or make reasonable and customary efforts to cause to be paid and discharged, all delay rentals, royalties, expenses and indebtedness accruing
under the leases or other agreements affecting or pertaining to its Oil and Gas Properties and will do all other things necessary to keep unimpaired their rights with respect thereto and prevent any
forfeiture thereof or default thereunder. 

        (d)   promptly
perform or make reasonable and customary efforts to cause to be performed, in accordance with industry standards and in all material respects, the obligations
required by each and all of the assignments, deeds, leases, sub-leases, contracts and agreements affecting its interests in its Oil and Gas Properties and other material Properties. 

        (e)   to
the extent the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries is not the operator of any Property, the Borrower shall use reasonable efforts to cause the operator to comply with
this Section 8.06. 

 
 

           Section 8.07    Insurance.     The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain, with
financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and
against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations. The loss payable clauses or provisions in said
insurance policy or policies insuring any of the collateral for the Loans shall be endorsed in favor of and made payable to the Administrative Agent as its interests may appear and such policies shall
name the Administrative Agent and the Lenders as "additional insureds" and provide that the insurer will give at least 30 days prior notice of any cancellation to the Administrative Agent. 

 
 

           Section 8.08    Books and Records; Inspection Rights.     The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all
dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent
or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its Properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its
officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested. 

 
 

           Section 8.09    Compliance with Laws.     The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to,
comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to
them or their Property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

 
 

           Section 8.10    Environmental Matters.     

        (a)   The
Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to: (i) comply, and shall cause its Properties and operations and each of its Subsidiaries and each
Subsidiary's Properties and operations to comply, with all applicable Environmental Laws, the breach of which could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) not dispose of
or otherwise release, and shall cause each Subsidiary not to dispose of or otherwise release, any oil, oil and gas waste, hazardous substance, or solid waste on, under, about or from any of the
Borrower's or its Subsidiaries' Properties or any other Property to the extent caused by the Borrower's or any of its Subsidiaries' operations except in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws,
the disposal or release of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) timely obtain or file, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to timely obtain or file,
all notices, permits, licenses, exemptions, approvals, registrations or other authorizations, if any, required under 

51

 

applicable
Environmental Laws to be obtained or filed in connection with the operation or use of the Borrower's or its Subsidiaries' Properties, which failure to obtain or file could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iv) promptly commence and diligently prosecute to completion, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to promptly commence and diligently prosecute
to completion, any assessment, evaluation, investigation, monitoring, containment, cleanup, removal, repair, restoration, remediation or other remedial obligations (collectively, the
"Remedial Work") in the event any Remedial Work is required or reasonably necessary under applicable Environmental Laws because of or in connection with
the actual or suspected past, present or future disposal or other release of any oil, oil and gas waste, hazardous substance or solid waste on, under, about or from any of the Borrower's or its
Subsidiaries' Properties, which failure to commence and diligently prosecute to completion could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (v) establish and implement, and
shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to establish and implement, such procedures as may be reasonably necessary to continuously determine and assure that the Borrower's and its Subsidiaries'
obligations under this Section 8.10(a) are timely and fully satisfied, which failure to establish and implement could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

        (b)   The
Borrower will promptly, but in no event later than five days after the occurrence thereof, notify the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in writing of any
threatened action, investigation or inquiry by any Governmental Authority or any threatened demand or lawsuit by any landowner or other third party against the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or their
Properties of which the Borrower has knowledge in connection with any Environmental Laws (excluding routine testing and corrective action) if the Borrower reasonably anticipates that such action will
result in liability (whether individually or in the aggregate) in excess of $500,000, not fully covered by insurance, subject to normal deductibles. 

        (c)   The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, provide environmental audits and tests in accordance with American Society of Testing Materials standards
upon request by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders (or as otherwise required to be obtained by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders by any Governmental Authority), in connection with any
future acquisitions of Oil and Gas Properties or other material Properties. 

 
 

           Section 8.11    Further Assurances.     

        (a)   The
Borrower at its sole expense will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, promptly execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent all such other documents,
agreements and instruments reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to comply with, cure any defects or accomplish the conditions precedent, covenants and agreements of the Borrower or any of
its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, in the Loan Documents, including the Notes, or to further evidence and more fully describe the collateral intended as security for the Indebtedness, or to correct
any omissions in this Agreement or the Security Instruments, or to state more fully the obligations secured therein, or to perfect, protect or preserve any Liens created pursuant to this Agreement or
any of the Security Instruments or the priority thereof, or to make any recordings, file any notices or obtain any consents, all as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate, in the sole discretion
of the Administrative Agent, in connection therewith. 

52

 

        (b)   The
Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to file one or more financing or continuation statements, and amendments thereto, relative to all or any part of
the Mortgaged Property without the signature of the Borrower or any other Guarantor where permitted by law. A carbon, photographic or other reproduction of the Security Instruments or any financing
statement covering the Mortgaged Property or any part thereof shall be sufficient as a financing statement where permitted by law. The Administrative Agent will promptly send the Borrower any
financing or continuation statements it files without the signature of the Borrower or any other Guarantor and the Administrative Agent will promptly send the Borrower the filing or recordation
information with respect thereto. 

 
 

           Section 8.12    Reserve Reports.     

        (a)   On
or before March 1st and September 1st of each year, commencing September 1st, 2005, the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders a Reserve Report as of the immediately preceding January 1 or July 1, as applicable. The Reserve Report as of January 1 of each year shall be prepared by one or more
petroleum engineers reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the July 1 Reserve Report of each year shall be prepared by or under the supervision of the chief engineer of the
Borrower who shall certify such Reserve Report to be true and accurate and to have been prepared in accordance with the procedures used in the immediately preceding January 1 Reserve Report. 

        (b)   In
the event of an Interim Redetermination, the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders a Reserve Report prepared by or under the supervision
of the chief engineer of the Borrower who shall certify such Reserve Report to be true and accurate and to have been prepared in accordance with the procedures used in the immediately preceding
January 1 Reserve Report. For any Interim Redetermination requested by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.07(b), the Borrower shall provide such Reserve
Report with an "as of" date as required by the Administrative Agent as soon as possible, but in any event no later than thirty (30) days following the receipt of such request. 

        (c)   With
the delivery of each Reserve Report, the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders a certificate from a Responsible Officer certifying that
in all material respects: (i) the information contained in the Reserve Report and any other information delivered in connection therewith is true and correct, (ii) the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries owns good and defensible title to the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in such Reserve Report and such Properties are free of all Liens except for Liens permitted by Section 9.03,
(iii) except as set forth on an exhibit to the certificate, on a net basis there are no gas imbalances, take or pay or other prepayments in excess of the volume specified in Section 7.19
with respect to their Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in such Reserve Report that would require the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to deliver Hydrocarbons either generally or produced from such
Oil and Gas Properties at some future time without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor, (iv) none of their Oil and Gas Properties have been sold since the date of the last
Borrowing Base determination except as set forth on an exhibit to the certificate, which certificate shall list all of its Oil and Gas Properties sold and in such detail as reasonably required by the
Administrative Agent, (v) attached to the certificate is a list of all marketing agreements entered into subsequent to the later of the date hereof or the most recently delivered Reserve Report
that the Borrower could reasonably be expected to have been obligated to list on Schedule 7.20 had such agreement been in effect on the date hereof and (vi) attached thereto is a
schedule of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve Report that are Mortgaged Properties and demonstrating the percentage of the present value that such Mortgaged Properties represent. 

53

 

 
 

           Section 8.13    Title Information.     

        (a)   On
or before the delivery to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of each Reserve Report required by Section 8.12(a), to the extent requested by the
Administrative Agent, the Borrower will deliver title information in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent covering enough of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve
Report that were not included in the immediately preceding Reserve Report, so that the Administrative Agent shall have received together with title information previously delivered to the
Administrative Agent, satisfactory title information on at least 80% of the total value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve Report. 

        (b)   If
the Borrower has provided title information for additional Properties under Section 8.13(a), the Borrower shall, within 60 days of notice from the
Administrative Agent that title defects or exceptions exist with respect to such additional Properties, either (i) cure any such title defects or exceptions (including defects or exceptions as
to priority) which are not permitted by Section 9.03 raised by such information, (ii) substitute acceptable Mortgaged Properties with no title defects or exceptions except for Excepted
Liens (other than Excepted Liens described in clauses (e), (g) and (h) of such definition) having an equivalent value or (iii) deliver title information in form and substance
reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent so that the Administrative Agent shall have received, together with title information previously delivered to the Administrative Agent, satisfactory
title information on at least 80% of the value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated by such Reserve Report. 

        (c)   If
the Borrower is unable to cure any title defect requested by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders to be cured within the 60-day period or the Borrower
does not comply with the requirements to provide acceptable title information covering 80% of the value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in the most recent Reserve Report, such default shall
not be a Default, but instead the Administrative Agent and/or the Majority Lenders shall have the right to exercise the following remedy in their sole discretion from time to time, and any failure to
so exercise this remedy at any time shall not be a waiver as to future exercise of the remedy by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders. To the extent that the Administrative Agent or the Majority
Lenders are not reasonably satisfied with title to any Mortgaged Property after the 60-day period has elapsed, such unacceptable Mortgaged Property shall not count towards the 80%
requirement, and the Administrative Agent may send a notice to the Borrower and the Lenders that the then outstanding Borrowing Base shall be reduced by an amount as determined by the Majority Lenders
to cause the Borrower to be in compliance with the requirement to provide acceptable title information on 80% of the value of the Oil and Gas Properties. This new Borrowing Base shall become effective
immediately after receipt of such notice. 

54

 

 
 

           Section 8.14    Additional Collateral; Additional Guarantors.     

        (a)   In
connection with each redetermination of the Borrowing Base, the Borrower shall review the Reserve Report and the list of current Mortgaged Properties (as described in
Section 8.12(c)(vi)) to ascertain whether the Mortgaged Properties represent at least 80% of the total value of the Oil and Gas Properties evaluated in the most recently completed Reserve
Report after giving effect to exploration and production activities, acquisitions, dispositions and production. In the event that the Mortgaged Properties do not represent at least 80% of such total
value, then the Borrower shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, grant to the Administrative Agent or its designee as security for the Indebtedness a first-priority Lien interest (provided the
Excepted Liens of the type described in clauses (a) to (d) and (f) of the definition thereof may exist, but subject to the provisos at the end of such definition) on additional
Oil and Gas Properties not already subject to a Lien of the Security Instruments such that after giving effect thereto, the Mortgaged Properties will represent at least 80% of such total value. All
such Liens will be created and perfected by and in accordance with the provisions of deeds of trust, security agreements and financing statements or other Security Instruments, all in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent or its designee and in sufficient executed (and acknowledged where necessary or appropriate) counterparts for recording purposes. In order
to comply with the foregoing, if any Subsidiary places a Lien on its Oil and Gas Properties and such Subsidiary is not a Guarantor, then it shall become a Guarantor and comply with
Section 8.14(b). 

        (b)   In
the event that (i) the Borrower determines that any Subsidiary is a Material Domestic Subsidiary or (ii) any Domestic Subsidiary incurs or guarantees
any Debt, then the Borrower shall promptly cause such Subsidiary to guarantee the Indebtedness pursuant to the Guaranty Agreement. In connection with any such guaranty, the Borrower shall, or shall
cause such Subsidiary to, (A) execute and deliver a supplement to the Guaranty Agreement executed by such Subsidiary, (B) pledge all of the Equity Interests of such Subsidiary
(including, without limitation, delivery of original stock certificates evidencing the Equity Interests of such Subsidiary, together with an appropriate undated stock powers for each certificate duly
executed in blank by the registered owner thereof) and (C) execute and deliver such other additional closing documents, certificates and legal opinions as shall reasonably be requested by the
Administrative Agent or its designee. 

 
 

          Section 8.15    ERISA Compliance.     The Borrower will promptly furnish, and will cause its Subsidiaries and
any ERISA Affiliate to promptly furnish, to the Administrative Agent (a) promptly
after the filing thereof with the United States Secretary of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service or the PBGC, copies of each annual and other report with respect to each Plan, if any, or any trust
created thereunder, (b) immediately upon becoming aware of the occurrence of any ERISA Event or of any "prohibited transaction," as described in section 406 of ERISA or in
section 4975 of the Code, in connection with any Plan or any trust created thereunder, a written notice signed by the President or the principal Financial Officer of the Borrower, its
Subsidiaries or the ERISA Affiliate, as the case may be, specifying the nature thereof, what action the Borrower, its Subsidiaries or the ERISA Affiliate is taking or proposes to take with respect
thereto, and, when known, any action taken or proposed by the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor or the PBGC with respect thereto, and 

55

 

(c) immediately
upon receipt thereof, copies of any notice of the PBGC's intention to terminate or to have a trustee appointed to administer any Plan. With respect to each Plan, if any (other
than a Multiemployer Plan), the Borrower will, and the Borrower will cause each of its Subsidiaries and ERISA Affiliates to, (i) satisfy in full and in a timely manner, without incurring any
late payment or underpayment charge or penalty and without giving rise to any lien, all of the contribution and funding requirements of section 412 of the Code (determined without regard to
subsections (d), (e), (f) and (k) thereof) and of section 302 of ERISA (determined without regard to sections 303, 304 and 306 of ERISA), and (ii) pay, or cause to be paid,
to the PBGC in a timely manner, without incurring any late payment or underpayment charge or penalty, all premiums required pursuant to sections 4006 and 4007 of ERISA. 

 
 

           Section 8.16    Marketing Activities.     The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries
to, engage in marketing activities for any Hydrocarbons or enter into any contracts related
thereto other than (a) contracts for the sale of Hydrocarbons scheduled or reasonably estimated to be produced from their proved Oil and Gas Properties during the period of such contract,
(b) contracts for the sale of Hydrocarbons scheduled or reasonably estimated to be produced from proved Oil and Gas Properties of third parties during the period of such contract associated
with the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries has the right to market pursuant to joint operating agreements, unitization agreements
or other similar contracts that are usual and customary in the oil and gas business and (c) other contracts for the purchase and/or sale of Hydrocarbons of third parties (i) which have
generally offsetting provisions (i.e. corresponding pricing mechanics, delivery dates and points and volumes) such that no "position" is taken and (ii) for which appropriate credit support has
been taken to alleviate the material credit risks of the counterparty thereto. 

 
 

           Section 8.17    Initial Public Offering Covenant.     In the event the Borrower completes an Initial Public
Offering, it will issue sufficient new units to generate net proceeds available to the Borrower of not less
than $30,000,000.00. 

56

  

 
 

ARTICLE IX
  Negative Covenants    
    

        Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder and all other amounts payable
under the Loan Documents have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the
Lenders that: 

 
 

           Section 9.01    Financial Covenants.     

        (a)   Ratio of EBITDA to Interest Expense. The Borrower will not, as of any date of determination, permit its ratio of EBITDA
for the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements are available to Interest Expense for such period to be less than 2.5 to 1.0. 

        (b)   Current Ratio. The Borrower will not permit, as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, its ratio of
(i) consolidated current assets (including the unused amount of the total Commitments, but excluding non-cash assets under FAS 133) to (ii) consolidated current
liabilities (excluding non-cash obligations under FAS 133 and current maturities under this Agreement) to be less than 1.0 to 1.0. 

 
 

           Section 9.02    Debt.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will incur, create, assume or
suffer to exist any Debt, except: 

        (a)   the
Notes or other Indebtedness arising under the Loan Documents or any guaranty of or suretyship arrangement for the Notes or other Indebtedness arising under the Loan
Documents. 

        (b)   accounts
payable and other accrued expenses, liabilities or other obligations to pay (for the deferred purchase price of Property or services) from time to time incurred
in the ordinary course of business which are not greater than ninety (90) days past the date of invoice or delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for
which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP. 

        (c)   intercompany
Debt between the Borrower and any of its Subsidiaries or between Subsidiaries to the extent permitted by Section 9.05(g); provided that such Debt is
not held, assigned, transferred, negotiated or pledged to any Person other than the Borrower or one of their Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, and, provided further, that any such Debt owed by either the
Borrower or a Guarantor shall be subordinated to the Indebtedness on terms set forth in the Guaranty Agreement. 

        (d)   endorsements
of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business. 

        (e)   other
Debt not to exceed $2,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time outstanding. 

 
 

          Section 9.03    Liens.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will create, incur, assume or
permit to exist any Lien on any of its Properties (now owned or hereafter
acquired), except: 

        (a)   Liens
securing the payment of any Indebtedness. 

        (b)   Excepted
Liens. 

        (c)   Liens
on Property not constituting collateral for the Indebtedness and not otherwise permitted by the foregoing clauses of this Section 9.03; provided that the
aggregate principal or face amount of all Debt secured under this Section 9.03(c) shall not exceed $100,000 at any time. 

57

 

 
 

           Section 9.04    Dividends, Distributions and Redemptions.     The Borrower will not, and will not permit any
of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment,
return any capital to its stockholders or make any distribution of their Property to their respective Equity Interest holders, except (a) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends or
distributions with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Capital Stock), (b) Subsidiaries may declare and pay
dividends or distributions ratably with respect to their Equity Interests and (c) after consummation of the Initial Public Offering so long as no Borrowing Base Deficiency, Default or Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, and subject to the proviso in Section 7.22(e), the Borrower may declare and pay quarterly cash dividends to its members of
Available Cash in accordance with the Operating Agreement. 

 
 

          Section 9.05    Investments, Loans and Advances.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will
make or permit to remain outstanding any Investments in or to any Person, except that the foregoing
restriction shall not apply to: 

        (a)   Investments
reflected in the Financial Statements. 

        (b)   accounts
receivable arising in the ordinary course of business. 

        (c)   direct
obligations of the United States or any agency thereof, or obligations guaranteed by the United States or any agency thereof, in each case maturing within one
year from the date of creation thereof. 

        (d)   commercial
paper maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof rated in the highest grade by S&P or Moody's. 

        (e)   deposits
maturing within one year from the date of creation thereof with, including certificates of deposit issued by, any Lender or any office located in the United
States of any other bank or trust company which is organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof, has capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating at least $250,000,000 (as
of the date of such bank or trust company's most recent financial reports) and has a short term deposit rating of no lower than A2 or P2, as such rating is set forth from time to time, by S&P or
Moody's, respectively. 

        (f)    deposits
in money market funds investing exclusively in Investments described in Section 9.05(c), Section 9.05(d) or Section 9.05(e). 

        (g)   Investments
(i) made by the Borrower in or to the Guarantors, (ii) made by any Subsidiary in or to the Borrower or any Guarantor, and (iii) made by
the Borrower or any Guarantor in Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors, provided that the aggregate of all Investments made by the Borrower and the Guarantors in or to all Subsidiaries that are not
Guarantors shall not exceed $2,000,000 at any time. 

        (h)   Investments
(including, without limitation, capital contributions) in general or limited partnerships or other types of entities (each a
"venture") entered into by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with others in the ordinary course of business; provided that (i) any such
venture is engaged exclusively in oil and gas exploration, development, production, processing and related activities, including transportation, (ii) the interest in such venture is acquired in
the ordinary course of business and on fair and reasonable terms and (iii) such venture interests acquired and capital contributions made (valued as of the date such interest was acquired or
the contribution made) do not exceed, in the aggregate at any time outstanding an amount equal to $2,000,000. 

58

 

        (i)    subject
to the limits in Section 9.06, Investments in direct ownership interests in additional Oil and Gas Properties and gas gathering systems related thereto or
related to farm-out, farm-in, joint operating, joint venture or area of mutual interest agreements, gathering systems, pipelines or other similar arrangements which are usual
and customary in the oil and gas exploration and production business located within the geographic boundaries of the United States of America. 

        (j)    loans
or advances to employees, officers or directors in the ordinary course of business of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case only as permitted by
applicable law, including Section 402 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, but in any event not to exceed $250,000 in the aggregate at any time. 

        (k)   Investments
in stock, obligations or securities received in settlement of debts arising from Investments permitted under this Section 9.05 owing to the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of a bankruptcy or other insolvency proceeding of the obligor in respect of such debts or upon the enforcement of any Lien in favor of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries; provided that the Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent prompt written notice in the event that the aggregate amount of all investments held at any one time under this
Section 9.05(i) exceeds $250,000. 

 
 

           Section 9.06    Nature of Business.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will allow any
material change to be made in the character of its business as an independent oil and gas
exploration and production company. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, operate its business outside the geographical boundaries of the United States. 

 
 

           Section 9.07    Limitation on Leases.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will create,
incur, assume or suffer to exist any obligation for the payment of rent or hire of Property of any
kind whatsoever (real or personal but excluding leases of Hydrocarbon Interests), under leases or lease agreements which would cause the aggregate amount of all payments made by the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries pursuant to all such leases or lease agreements, including, without limitation, any residual payments at the end of any lease, to exceed $2,000,000 in any period of twelve consecutive
calendar months during the life of such leases. 

 
 

           Section 9.08    Proceeds of Notes.     The Borrower will not permit the proceeds of the Notes to be used for
any purpose other than those permitted by Section 7.22. Neither the Borrower nor any
Person acting on behalf of the Borrower has taken or will take any action which might cause any of the Loan Documents to violate Regulations T, U or X or any other regulation of the Board or to
violate Section 7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any rule or regulation thereunder, in each case as now in effect or as the same may hereinafter be in effect. If requested by the
Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing effect in conformity with the requirements of FR Form U-1 or
such other form referred to in Regulation U, Regulation T or Regulation X of the Board, as the case may be. 

 
 

           Section 9.09    ERISA Compliance.     The Borrower and its Subsidiaries will not at any time: 

        (a)   engage
in, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to engage in, any transaction in connection with which the Borrower any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate could be
subjected to either a civil penalty assessed pursuant to subsections (c), (i) or (l) of section 502 of ERISA or a tax imposed by Chapter 43 of Subtitle D of the Code. 

        (b)   terminate,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to terminate, any Plan in a manner, or take any other action with respect to any Plan, which could result in any liability of
the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate to the PBGC. 

59

 

        (c)   fail
to make, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to fail to make, full payment when due of all amounts which, under the provisions of any Plan, agreement relating thereto or
applicable law, the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate is required to pay as contributions thereto. 

        (d)   permit
to exist, or allow any ERISA Affiliate to permit to exist, any accumulated funding deficiency within the meaning of section 302 of ERISA or
section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, with respect to any Plan. 

        (e)   permit,
or allow any ERISA Affiliate to permit, the actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities under any Plan maintained by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries
or any ERISA Affiliate which is regulated under Title IV of ERISA to exceed the current value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in accordance with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan
allocable to such benefit liabilities. The term "actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities" shall have the meaning specified in section 4041 of ERISA. 

        (f)    contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to, any Multiemployer Plan. 

        (g)   acquire,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to acquire, an interest in any Person that causes such Person to become an ERISA Affiliate with respect to the Borrower or any of
its Subsidiaries or with respect to any ERISA Affiliate of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries if such Person sponsors, maintains or contributes to, or at any time in the six-year
period preceding such acquisition has sponsored, maintained, or contributed to, (i) any Multiemployer Plan, or (ii) any other Plan that is subject to Title IV of ERISA under which the
actuarial present value of the benefit liabilities under such Plan exceeds the current value of the assets (computed on a plan termination basis in accordance with Title IV of ERISA) of such Plan
allocable to such benefit liabilities. 

        (h)   incur,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to incur, a liability to or on account of a Plan under sections 515, 4062, 4063, 4064, 4201 or 4204 of ERISA. 

        (i)    contribute
to or assume an obligation to contribute to, or permit any ERISA Affiliate to contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to, any employee welfare
benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1) of ERISA, including, without limitation, any such plan maintained to provide benefits to former employees of such entities, that may not be terminated
by such entities in their sole discretion at any time without any material liability. 

        (j)    amend,
or permit any ERISA Affiliate to amend, a Plan resulting in an increase in current liability such that the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate is required to provide security to such Plan under section 401(a)(29) of the Code. 

 
 

           Section 9.10    Sale or Discount of Receivables.     Except for receivables obtained by the Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries out of the ordinary course of business or the settlement of joint interest billing
accounts in the ordinary course of business or discounts granted to settle collection of accounts receivable or the sale of defaulted accounts arising in the ordinary course of business in connection
with the compromise or collection thereof and not in connection with any financing transaction, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will discount or sell (with or without recourse) any of
its notes receivable or accounts receivable. 

 
 

           Section 9.11    Mergers, Etc.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will merge into or with
or consolidate with any other Person, or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in
one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its Property to any other Person, except that any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary may merge with any other Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
and that the Borrower may merge with any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary so long as the Borrower is the survivor. 

60

 

 
 

           Section 9.12    Sale of Properties.     The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries
to, sell, assign, farm-out, convey or otherwise transfer any Property except for:
(a) the sale of Hydrocarbons in the ordinary course of business; (b) farmouts of undeveloped acreage and assignments in connection with such farmouts; (c) the sale or transfer of
equipment that is no longer necessary for the business of the Borrower or such Subsidiary or is replaced by equipment of at least comparable value and use; (d) sales or other dispositions
(including Casualty Events) of Oil and Gas Properties or any interest therein or Subsidiaries owning Oil and Gas Properties; provided that (i) 100% of the consideration received in respect of
such sale or other disposition shall be cash, (ii) the consideration received in respect of such sale or other disposition shall be equal to or greater than the fair market value of the Oil and
Gas Property, interest therein or Subsidiary subject of such sale or other disposition (as reasonably determined by the board of directors of the Borrower and, if requested by the Administrative
Agent, the Borrower shall deliver a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying to that effect), (iii) if such sale or other disposition of Oil and Gas Property or
Subsidiary owning Oil and Gas Properties included in the most recently delivered Reserve Report during any period between two successive Scheduled Redetermination Dates has a fair market value (as
determined by the Administrative Agent), individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $5,000,000, the Borrowing Base shall be reduced, effective immediately upon such sale or disposition, by an
amount equal to the value, if any, assigned such Property as determined by the Majority Lenders assigned such Property in the most recently delivered Reserve Report and (iv) if any such sale or
other disposition is of a Subsidiary owning Oil and Gas Properties, such sale or other disposition shall include all the Equity Interests of such Subsidiary; and (e) sales and other
dispositions of Properties not regulated by Section 9.12(a) to (d) having a fair market value not to exceed $250,000 during any 12-month period. 

 
 

           Section 9.13    Environmental Matters.     The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to,
violate or permit any of its Property to be in violation of, or do anything or permit anything to be
done which will subject any such Property to any Remedial Work under any Environmental Laws, assuming disclosure to the applicable Governmental Authority of all relevant facts, conditions and
circumstances, if any, pertaining to such Property where such violations or remedial obligations could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 
 

           Section 9.14    Transactions with Affiliates.     The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary
to, enter into any transaction, including, without limitation, any purchase, sale, lease or exchange of
Property or the rendering of any service, with any Affiliate (other than the Guarantors and Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of the Borrower) unless such transactions are otherwise permitted under this
Agreement and are upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to it than it would obtain in a comparable arm's length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate. 

 
 

           Section 9.15    Subsidiaries.     The Borrower shall have no Subsidiaries other than Wholly-Owned
Subsidiaries. The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit its Subsidiaries to, create or acquire
any additional Subsidiary unless the Borrower gives written notice to the Administrative Agent of such creation or acquisition and complies with Section 8.14(b). The Borrower shall not, and
shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, assign or otherwise dispose of any Equity Interests in any of its Subsidiaries. The Borrower shall have no Foreign Subsidiaries. 

 
 

           Section 9.16    Negative Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its
Subsidiaries will create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any contract, agreement or understanding (other than this Agreement
or the Security Instruments) that in any way prohibits or restricts the granting, conveying, creation or imposition of any Lien on any of its Property in favor of the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders or restricts any Subsidiary from paying dividends or making distributions to the Borrower or any Guarantor, or which requires the consent of or notice to other Persons in connection therewith. 

61

 

 
 

           Section 9.17    Gas Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments.     The Borrower will not, and will not
permit any of its Subsidiaries to, allow gas imbalances, take-or-pay or other prepayments with respect
to the Oil and Gas Properties of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that would require the Borrower or such Subsidiary to deliver, in the aggregate, two percent (2%) or more of the monthly
production of Hydrocarbons at some future time without then or thereafter receiving full payment therefor. 

 
 

           Section 9.18    Swap Agreements.     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will enter into any
Swap Agreements with any Person other than (a) Swap Agreements in respect of
commodities (i) with an Approved Counterparty and (ii) the notional volumes for which (when aggregated with other commodity Swap Agreements then in effect other than basis differential
swaps on volumes already hedged pursuant to other Swap Agreements) do not exceed, as of the date such Swap Agreement is executed, 100% of the reasonably anticipated projected production from Proved
Developed Producing Properties for each month during the period during which such Swap Agreement is in effect for each of crude oil and natural gas, calculated separately, for each of the next three
succeeding calendar years and 85% of the reasonably anticipated projected production from Proved Developed Producing Properties for each month during the period during which such Swap Agreement is in
effect for each of crude oil and natural gas, calculated separately, for each calendar year thereafter and (b) Swap Agreements in respect of interest rates with an Approved Counterparty, which
effectively convert interest rates from floating to fixed, the notional amounts of which (when aggregated with all other Swap Agreements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries then in effect effectively
converting interest rates from floating to fixed) do not exceed 75% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Borrower's Debt for borrowed money which bears interest at a floating rate. In no
event shall any Swap Agreement contain any requirement, agreement or covenant for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to post collateral or margin to secure their obligations under such Swap
Agreement or to cover market exposures. 

 
 

           Section 9.19    Tax Status as Partnership; Operating Agreements.     The Borrower shall not alter its status
as a partnership for purposes of United States Federal Income taxes. The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any
Subsidiary to, amend or modify any provision of its articles, bylaws, or partnership or limited liability company organization or operating documents or agreements, or any agreements with Affiliates
of the type referred to in Section 9.14, if such amendment or modification could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

 
 

ARTICLE X
  Events of Default; Remedies    
    

 
 

          Section 10.01    Events of Default.     One or more of the following events shall constitute an "Event of Default": 

        (a)   the
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and
payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise. 

        (b)   the
Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in Section 10.01(a)) payable under any
Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five Business Days. 

62

 

        (c)   any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in or in connection with any Loan Document or any amendment
or modification of any Loan Document or waiver under such Loan Document, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with any Loan
Document or any amendment or modification thereof or waiver thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect when made or deemed made. 

        (d)   the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in, Section 8.01(m),
Section 8.01(n), Section 8.02, Section 8.03 or in ARTICLE IX. 

        (e)   the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in
Section 10.01(a), Section 10.01(b) or Section 10.01(d)) or any other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after the earlier to
occur of (i) notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender) or (ii) a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries otherwise becoming aware of such default. 

        (f)    the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material
Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable (after giving effect to any applicable notice and cure period). 

        (g)   any
event or condition occurs (after giving effect to any notice or cure period) that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity
or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause
any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the Redemption thereof or any offer to Redeem to be made in respect thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity or require the Borrower or any of
its Subsidiaries to make an offer in respect thereof. 

        (h)   an
involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in
effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or for a substantial part of its
assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered. 

        (i)    the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief
under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and
appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in Section 10.01(h), (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator
or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in
any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing; or any member of the Borrower
shall make any request or take any action for the purpose of calling a meeting of the members of the Borrower to consider a resolution to dissolve and wind-up the Borrower's affairs. 

63

 

        (j)    the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due. 

        (k)   (i) one
or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $1,000,000 (to the extent not covered by independent third party insurance
provided by insurers of the highest claims paying rating or financial strength as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage and is not subject to an insolvency proceeding) or (ii) any one
or more non monetary judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, shall be rendered against the Borrower, any of its
Subsidiaries or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be
legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to enforce any such judgment. 

        (l)    the
Loan Documents after delivery thereof shall for any reason, except to the extent permitted by the terms thereof, cease to be in full force and effect and valid,
binding and enforceable in accordance with their terms against the Borrower or a Guarantor party thereto or shall be repudiated by them, or cease to create a valid and perfected Lien of the priority
required thereby on any of the collateral purported to be covered thereby, except to the extent permitted by the terms of this Agreement, or the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall so state in
writing. 

        (m)  an
ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Majority Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be
expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $1,000,000 in any year. 

        (n)   a
Change in Control shall occur. 

 
 

           Section 10.02    Remedies.     

        (a)   In
the case of an Event of Default other than one described in Section 10.01(h), Section 10.01(i) or Section 10.01(j), at any time thereafter
during the continuance of such Event of Default, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Majority Lenders, shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following
actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Notes and the Loans then
outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal
of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower and the Guarantors accrued hereunder and under the Notes and
the other Loan Documents (including, without limitation, the payment of cash collateral to secure the LC Exposure as provided in Section 2.08(j)), shall become due and payable immediately,
without presentment, demand, protest, notice of intent to accelerate, notice of acceleration or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower and each Guarantor; and in case
of an Event of Default described in Section 10.01(h), Section 10.01(i) or Section 10.01(j), the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the Notes and the principal of
the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and the other obligations of the Borrower and the Guarantors accrued hereunder and under the Notes and the other Loan
Documents (including, without limitation, the payment of cash collateral to secure the LC Exposure as provided in Section 2.08(j)), shall automatically become due and payable, without
presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower and each Guarantor. 

64

 

        (b)   In
the case of the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders will have all other rights and remedies available at law and equity. 

        (c)   All
proceeds realized from the liquidation or other disposition of collateral or otherwise received after maturity of the Notes, whether by acceleration or otherwise,
shall be applied: first, to reimbursement of expenses and indemnities provided for in this Agreement and the Security Instruments;  second, to accrued
interest on the Notes; third, to fees;  fourth, pro rata to principal outstanding on the Notes and Indebtedness referred to in Clause (b) of the
definition of Indebtedness owing to a
Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender; fifth, to any other Indebtedness; sixth, to serve as cash collateral
to be held by the Administrative Agent to secure the LC Exposure; and any excess shall be paid to the Borrower or as otherwise required by any Governmental Requirement. 

 
 

           Section 10.03    Disposition of Proceeds.     The Security Instruments contain an assignment by the Borrower
and/or the Guarantors unto and in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Lenders
of all of the Borrower's or each Guarantor's interest in and to production and all proceeds attributable thereto which may be produced from or allocated to the Mortgaged Property. The Security
Instruments further provide in general for the application of such proceeds to the satisfaction of the Indebtedness and other obligations described therein and secured thereby. Notwithstanding the
assignment contained in such Security Instruments, except after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, (a) the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agree that they
will neither notify the purchaser or purchasers of such production nor take any other action to cause such proceeds to be remitted to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, but the Lenders will
instead permit such proceeds to be paid to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and (b) the Lenders hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to take such actions as may be necessary to cause such
proceeds to be paid to the Borrower and/or its Subsidiaries. 

 
 

ARTICLE XI
  The Administrative Agent    
    

 
 

           Section 11.01    Appointment; Powers.     Each of the Lenders and each Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably
appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such
actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof and the other Loan Documents, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably
incidental thereto. 

 
 

           Section 11.02    Duties and Obligations of Administrative Agent.     The Administrative Agent shall have no
duties or obligations except those expressly set forth in the Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing (the use of the term
"agent" herein and in the other Loan Documents with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency
doctrine of any applicable law; rather, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting
parties), (b) the Administrative Agent shall have no duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except as provided in Section 11.03, and
(c) except as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall have no duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to
have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain
or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or 

65

 

representation
made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or under any other
Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or in any other Loan
Document, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, (v) the satisfaction
of any condition set forth in ARTICLE VI or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent, (vi) the existence, value,
perfection or priority of any collateral security or the financial or other condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or any other obligor or guarantor, or (vii) any failure by the
Borrower or any other Person (other than itself) to perform any of its obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document or the performance or observance of any covenants, agreements or other
terms or conditions set forth herein or therein. For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in ARTICLE VI, each Lender shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or
accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall
have received written notice from such Lender prior to the proposed closing date specifying its objection thereto. 

 
 

           Section 11.03    Action by Agent.     The Administrative Agent shall have no duty to take any discretionary
action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers
expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Majority Lenders (or such other number or percentage of
the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 12.02) and in all cases the Administrative Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to act
hereunder or under any other Loan Documents unless it shall (a) receive written instructions from the Majority Lenders or the Lenders, as applicable, (or such other number or percentage of the
Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 12.02) specifying the action to be taken and (b) be indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders against
any and all liability and expenses which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. The instructions as aforesaid and any action taken or failure to act pursuant
thereto by the Administrative Agent shall be binding on all of the Lenders. If a Default has occurred and is continuing, then the Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to such
Default as shall be directed by the requisite Lenders in the written instructions (with indemnities) described in this Section 11.03, provided that, unless and until the Administrative Agent
shall have received such directions, the Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default as it shall deem
advisable in the best interests of the Lenders. In no event, however, shall the Administrative Agent be required to take any action which exposes the Administrative Agent to personal liability or
which is contrary to this Agreement, the Loan Documents or applicable law. If a Default has occurred and is continuing, the Syndication Agent shall have no obligation to perform any act in respect
thereof. No Agent shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Majority Lenders or the Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders
as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 12.02), and otherwise the Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it hereunder or
under any other Loan Document or under any other document or instrument referred to or provided for herein or therein or in connection herewith or therewith INCLUDING ITS OWN ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE,
except for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. 

66

 

 
 

           Section 11.04    Reliance by Agent.     Each Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any
liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument,
document or other writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. Each Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed
by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon and each of the Borrower, the Lenders and each Issuing Bank hereby waives the right to dispute such Agent's
record of such statement, except in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct by such Agent. Each Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent
accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts. The Agents may
deem and treat the payee of any Note as the holder thereof for all purposes hereof unless and until a written notice of the assignment or transfer thereof permitted hereunder shall have been filed
with the Administrative Agent. 

 
 

           Section 11.05    Subagents.     The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its
rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by
the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties.
The exculpatory provisions of the preceding Sections of this ARTICLE XI shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such
sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Agent. 

 
 

           Section 11.06    Resignation or Removal of Agents.     Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a
successor Agent as provided in this Section 11.06, any Agent may resign at any time by notifying the
Lenders, each Issuing Bank and the Borrower, and any Agent may be removed at any time with or without cause by the Majority Lenders. Upon any such resignation or removal, the Majority Lenders shall
have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Majority Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within
30 days after the retiring Agent gives notice of its resignation or removal of the retiring Agent, then the retiring Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and each Issuing Bank, appoint a
successor Agent. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the
retiring Agent, and the retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Agent shall be the same as those payable to its
predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the Agent's resignation hereunder, the provisions of this ARTICLE XI and Section 12.03 shall continue in
effect for the benefit of such retiring Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting
as Agent. 

 
 

           Section 11.07    Agents and Lenders.     Each bank serving as an Agent hereunder shall have the same rights
and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though
it were not an Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate
thereof as if it were not an Agent hereunder. 

67

 

 
 

           Section 11.08    No Reliance.     Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance
upon the Administrative Agent, any other Agent or any other Lender and based on such
documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which it is a party. Each Lender also
acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any other Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to
time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any related agreement or any document furnished
hereunder or thereunder. The Agents shall not be required to keep themselves informed as to the performance or observance by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of this Agreement, the Loan
Documents or any other document referred to or provided for herein or to inspect the Properties or books of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries. Except for notices, reports and other documents and
information expressly required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Administrative Agent hereunder, no Agent and no Arranger shall have any duty or responsibility to provide any Lender with any
credit or other information concerning the affairs, financial condition or business of the Borrower (or any of its Affiliates) which may come into the possession of such Agent or any of its
Affiliates. In this regard, each Lender acknowledges that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is acting in this transaction as special counsel to the Administrative Agent only, except to the extent
otherwise expressly stated in any legal opinion or any Loan Document. Each other party hereto will consult with its own legal counsel to the extent that it deems necessary in connection with the Loan
Documents and the matters contemplated therein. 

 
 

          Section 11.09    Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim.     In case of the pendency of any
receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial
proceeding relative to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by
declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise: 

        (a)   to
file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans and all other Indebtedness that are owing and
unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the Administrative Agent under
Section 12.03) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and 

        (b)   to
collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; 

and
any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender to make such payments to the
Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Section 12.03. 

Nothing
contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment
or composition affecting the Indebtedness or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding. 

68

 

 
 

           Section 11.10    Authority of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens.     Each Lender and each
Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to release any collateral that is permitted to be sold or released pursuant to the
terms of the Loan Documents. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower, at the Borrower's sole cost and expense, any and all
releases of Liens, termination statements, assignments or other documents reasonably requested by the Borrower in connection with any sale or other disposition of Property to the extent such sale or
other disposition is permitted by the terms of Section 9.12 or is otherwise authorized by the terms of the Loan Documents. 

 
 

           Section 11.11    The Arrangers and the Syndication Agent.     The Arrangers and the Syndication Agent shall
have no duties, responsibilities or liabilities under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents other than its
duties, responsibilities and liabilities in its capacity as a Lender hereunder to the extent it is a party to this Agreement as a Lender. 

69

  

 
 

ARTICLE XII
  Miscellaneous    
    

 
 

          Section 12.01    Notices.     

        (a)   Except
in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to Section 12.01(b)), all notices and other
communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows: 

        (i)    if
to the Borrower, to it at 

Linn
Energy Holdings, LLC

Southmark Executive Suites, Suite 100

1700 North Highland Road

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241 

Attention:
Michael Linn/Chip Keddie

Telephone: 412-854-0470 x103; x104

Fax: 412-854-0474

E-mail: mcl@linnenergy.com; rpk@linnenergy.com 

with
a copy to: 

Linn
Energy Holdings, LLC

600 Travis Street, Suite 6910

Houston, TX 77002 

Attention:
Kolja Rockov

Telephone: 713-223-0880

Fax: 713-223-0888

E-Mail: kr@linnenergy.com 

and
to: 

Quantum
Energy Partners II, LP

2106 Vicksburg Avenue

Lubbock, Texas 79407 

Attention:
Toby Neugebauer

Telephone: 806-771-1137

Fax: 806-771-1139

E-Mail: trn@quantumep.com 

and
to: 

Quantum
Energy Partners II, LP

777 Walker, Suite 2530

Houston, Texas 77002 

Attention:
John Donovan

Telephone: 713-225-0614

Fax: 713-225-5700

E-Mail: jwd@quantumep.com 

70

 

        (ii)   if
to the Administrative Agent, to it at 

919
Third Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Attention: Millie Carillo, Loan Assistant

Telecopy: 212-841-2683 

with
a copy to the Administrative Agent at: 

1200
Smith Street, Suite 3100

Houston, Texas 77002

Attention: Betsy Jocher

Telecopy: 713-659-6915 

        (iii)  if
to any other Lender, in its capacity as such, or any other Lender in its capacity as an Issuing Bank, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its
Administrative Questionnaire. 

        (b)   Notices
and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the
Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to ARTICLE II, ARTICLE III, ARTICLE IV and ARTICLE V unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the
applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures
approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications. 

        (c)   Any
party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other
communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt. 

 
 

           Section 12.02    Waivers; Amendments     

        (a)   No
failure on the part of the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender to exercise and no delay in exercising, and no course of dealing with
respect to, any right, power or privilege, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such right, power or privilege, under any of the Loan Documents shall operate as a waiver thereof,
nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege under any of the Loan Documents preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or
privilege. The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of
any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event
be effective unless the same shall be permitted by Section 12.02(b), and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative
Agent, any other Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time. 

71

 

        (b)   Neither
this Agreement nor any provision hereof nor any Security Instrument nor any provision thereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement
or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Majority Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Majority Lenders; provided that no such agreement
shall (i) increase the Maximum Credit Amount of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) increase the Borrowing Base without the written consent of each Lender,
decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base without the consent of the Majority Lenders, or modify in any manner Section 2.07 without the consent of each Lender, (iii) reduce the principal
amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, or reduce any other Indebtedness hereunder or under any other Loan Document, without
the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees
payable hereunder, or any other Indebtedness hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone or extend the Termination Date or the
Maturity Date without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (v) change Section 4.01(b) or Section 4.01(c) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of
payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (vi) waive or amend Section 6.01, Section 10.02(c) or Section 8.14 or change the definition of the
terms "Domestic Subsidiary", "Foreign Subsidiary", "Material Domestic Subsidiary" or "Subsidiary", without the written consent of each Lender, (vii) release any Guarantor (except as set forth
in the Guaranty Agreement), release all or substantially all of the collateral (other than as provided in Section 11.09), or reduce the percentage set forth in Section 8.14(a) to less
than 80%, without the written consent of each Lender, or (viii) change any of the provisions of this Section 12.02(b)
or the definition of "Majority Lenders" or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or under any other Loan
Documents or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder or any other Loan Documents, without the written consent of each Lender; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify
or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, or any Issuing Bank hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the prior written consent of the
Administrative Agent, such other Agent or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any supplement to Schedule 7.15 (Subsidiaries) shall be effective simply by
delivering to the Administrative Agent a supplemental schedule clearly marked as such and, upon receipt, the Administrative Agent will promptly deliver a copy thereof to the Lenders. 

 
 

           Section 12.03    Expenses, Indemnity; Damage Waiver.     

        (a)   The
Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including,
without limitation, the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel and other outside consultants for the Administrative Agent, the reasonable travel, photocopy, mailing, courier, telephone
and other similar expenses and, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration (both before and
after the execution hereof and including advice of counsel to the Administrative Agent as to the rights and duties of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders with respect thereto) of this Agreement
and the other Loan Documents and any amendments, modifications or waivers of or consents related to the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby
shall be consummated), (ii) all out-of-pocket costs, expenses, Taxes, assessments and other charges incurred by any Agent or any Lender in connection with any filing,
registration, recording or perfection of any security interest contemplated by this Agreement or any Security Instrument or any other 

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document
referred to therein, (iii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by each Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension
of any Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank or any demand for payment thereunder, (iv) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Agent, any Issuing Bank or any
Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with
this Agreement or any other Loan Document, including its rights under this Section 12.03, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including, without
limitation, all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit. 

        (b)   THE
BORROWER SHALL INDEMNIFY EACH AGENT, THE ARRANGERS, EACH ISSUING BANK AND EACH LENDER, AND EACH RELATED PARTY OF ANY OF THE FOREGOING PERSONS (EACH SUCH PERSON BEING
CALLED AN "INDEMNITEE") AGAINST, AND HOLD EACH INDEMNITEE HARMLESS FROM, ANY AND ALL LOSSES, CLAIMS, DAMAGES, LIABILITIES AND RELATED EXPENSES,
INCLUDING THE FEES, CHARGES AND DISBURSEMENTS OF ANY COUNSEL FOR ANY INDEMNITEE, INCURRED BY OR ASSERTED AGAINST ANY INDEMNITEE ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH, OR AS A RESULT OF (i) THE
EXECUTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR ANY AGREEMENT OR INSTRUMENT CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, THE PERFORMANCE BY THE PARTIES HERETO OR THE PARTIES TO ANY OTHER LOAN
DOCUMENT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER OR THEREUNDER OR THE CONSUMMATION OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR BY ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, (ii) THE FAILURE OF THE BORROWER OR
ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF ANY LOAN DOCUMENT, INCLUDING THIS AGREEMENT, OR WITH ANY GOVERNMENTAL REQUIREMENT, (iii) ANY INACCURACY OF ANY REPRESENTATION OR ANY BREACH
OF ANY WARRANTY OR COVENANT OF THE BORROWER OR ANY GUARANTOR SET FORTH IN ANY OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY INSTRUMENTS, DOCUMENTS OR CERTIFICATIONS DELIVERED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, (iv) ANY
LOAN OR LETTER OF CREDIT OR THE USE OF THE PROCEEDS THEREFROM, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, (A) ANY REFUSAL BY ANY ISSUING BANK TO HONOR A DEMAND FOR PAYMENT UNDER A LETTER OF CREDIT ISSUED
BY SUCH ISSUING BANK IF THE DOCUMENTS PRESENTED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH DEMAND DO NOT STRICTLY COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF SUCH LETTER OF CREDIT, OR (B) THE PAYMENT OF A DRAWING UNDER ANY LETTER
OF CREDIT NOTWITHSTANDING THE NON-COMPLIANCE, NON-DELIVERY OR OTHER IMPROPER PRESENTATION OF THE DOCUMENTS PRESENTED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, (v) ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE
LOAN DOCUMENTS, (vi) THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUSINESS OF THE BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES BY THE BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, (vii) ANY ASSERTION THAT THE LENDERS WERE NOT ENTITLED TO
RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THE SECURITY INSTRUMENTS, (viii) ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER OR ITS SUBSIDIARIES OR ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE PRESENCE, GENERATION, STORAGE, RELEASE, THREATENED RELEASE, USE, TRANSPORT, DISPOSAL, ARRANGEMENT OF DISPOSAL OR TREATMENT OF OIL, OIL AND GAS WASTES, SOLID WASTES OR HAZARDOUS
SUBSTANCES ON ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES, (ix) THE BREACH OR NON-COMPLIANCE BY THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES WITH ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW APPLICABLE TO THE BORROWER OR ANY OF
ITS 

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SUBSIDIARIES,
(x) THE PAST OWNERSHIP BY THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES OF ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES OR PAST ACTIVITY ON ANY OF THEIR PROPERTIES WHICH, THOUGH LAWFUL AND FULLY PERMISSIBLE
AT THE TIME, COULD RESULT IN PRESENT LIABILITY, (xi) THE PRESENCE, USE, RELEASE, STORAGE, TREATMENT, DISPOSAL, GENERATION, THREATENED RELEASE, TRANSPORT, ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORT OR
ARRANGEMENT FOR DISPOSAL OF OIL, OIL AND GAS WASTES, SOLID WASTES OR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ON OR AT ANY OF THE PROPERTIES OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES OR ANY ACTUAL OR
ALLEGED PRESENCE OR RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON OR FROM ANY PROPERTY OWNED OR OPERATED BY
THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, (xii) ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY RELATED IN ANY WAY TO THE BORROWER OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, OR (xiii) ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH OR
SAFETY CONDITION IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOAN DOCUMENTS, OR (xiv) ANY ACTUAL OR PROSPECTIVE CLAIM, LITIGATION, INVESTIGATION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO ANY OF THE FOREGOING, WHETHER BASED ON
CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY INDEMNITEE IS A PARTY THERETO, AND SUCH INDEMNITY SHALL EXTEND TO EACH INDEMNITEE NOTWITHSTANDING THE SOLE OR CONCURRENT NEGLIGENCE OF
EVERY KIND OR CHARACTER WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ACTIVE OR PASSIVE, WHETHER AN AFFIRMATIVE ACT OR AN OMISSION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL TYPES OF NEGLIGENT CONDUCT IDENTIFIED IN THE RESTATEMENT
(SECOND) OF TORTS OF ONE OR MORE OF THE INDEMNITEES OR BY REASON OF STRICT LIABILITY IMPOSED WITHOUT FAULT ON ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE INDEMNITEES; PROVIDED THAT SUCH INDEMNITY SHALL NOT, AS TO ANY
INDEMNITEE, BE AVAILABLE TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH LOSSES, CLAIMS, DAMAGES, LIABILITIES OR RELATED EXPENSES ARE DETERMINED BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION BY FINAL AND NONAPPEALABLE JUDGMENT TO
HAVE RESULTED FROM THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF SUCH INDEMNITEE. 

        (c)   To
the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to such Agent or any Issuing Bank under Section 12.03(a) or (b), each Lender
severally agrees to pay to such Agent or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such Lender's Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity
payment is sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted
against such Agent or such Issuing Bank in its capacity as such. 

        (d)   To
the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special,
indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or
instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. 

        (e)   All
amounts due under this Section 12.03 shall be payable within ten (10) Business Days of written demand therefor. 

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          Section 12.04    Successors and Assigns.     

        (a)   The
provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby
(including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder
without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or
otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section 12.04. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any
Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the
extent provided in Section 12.04(c)) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement. 

        (b)   (i) Subject
to the conditions set forth in Section 12.04(b)(ii), any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and
obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of: 

        (A)  the
Borrower, provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or, if an Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and 

        (B)  the
Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment to an assignee that is a Lender or any Affiliate of a
Lender, immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment. 

        (ii)   Assignments
shall be subject to the following additional conditions: 

        (A)  except
in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender's Commitment, the
amount of the Commitment of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the
Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if
an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; 

        (B)  each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement; 

        (C)  the
parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of
$3,500; and 

        (D)  the
assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire. 

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        (iii)  Subject
to Section 12.04(b)(iv) and the acceptance and recording thereof, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption
the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the
assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment
and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of
Section 5.01, Section 5.02, Section 5.03 and Section 12.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with
this Section 12.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with Section 12.04(c). 

        (iv)  The
Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered
to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Maximum Credit Amount of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender
pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the "Register"). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative
Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement,
notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable
prior notice. In connection with any changes to the Register, if necessary, the Administrative Agent will reflect the revisions on Annex I and forward a copy of such revised Annex I to the Borrower,
each Issuing Bank and each Lender. 

        (v)   Upon
its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee's completed Administrative Questionnaire
(unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in Section 12.04(b) and any written consent to such assignment required by
Section 12.04(b), the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register. No assignment shall be effective for
purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this Section 12.04(b). 

        (c)   (i)
Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower the Administrative Agent or any Issuing Bank, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a
"Participant") in all or a portion of such Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the
Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender's obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto
for the performance of such obligations and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in
connection with such Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain
the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve 

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any
amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant,
agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the proviso to Section 12.02 that affects such Participant. In addition such agreement must provide that the Participant be bound by
the provisions of Section 12.03. Subject to Section 12.04(c)(ii), the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 5.01, Section 5.02
and Section 5.03 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to Section 12.04(b). To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also
shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 12.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 4.01(c) as though it were a Lender. 

        (ii)   A
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 5.01 or Section 5.03 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled
to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower's prior written consent. A Participant that
would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 5.03 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such
Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 5.03(e) as though it were a Lender. 

        (d)   Any
Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including
any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section 12.04(d) shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no
such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto. 

 
 

           Section 12.05    Survival; Revival; Reinstatement.     

        (a)   All
covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or
pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any other
Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full
force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is
outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Section 5.01, Section 5.02, Section 5.03 and Section 12.03 and ARTICLE XI shall
survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit
and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any provision hereof or thereof. 

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        (b)   To
the extent that any payments on the Indebtedness or proceeds of any collateral are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or
required to be repaid to a trustee, debtor in possession, receiver or other Person under any bankruptcy law, common law or equitable cause, then to such extent, the Indebtedness so satisfied shall be
revived and continue as if such payment or proceeds had not been received and the Administrative Agent's and the Lenders' Liens, security interests, rights, powers and remedies under this Agreement
and each Loan Document shall continue in full force and effect. In such event, each Loan Document shall be automatically reinstated and the Borrower shall take such action as may be reasonably
requested by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to effect such reinstatement. 

 
 

          Section 12.06    Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.     

        (a)   This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which
when taken together shall constitute a single contract. 

        (b)   This
Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among
the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof. THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS REPRESENT THE FINAL AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES HERETO AND THERETO AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR, CONTEMPORANEOUS OR SUBSEQUENT ORAL
AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES. THERE ARE NO UNWRITTEN ORAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES. 

        (c)   Except
as provided in Section 6.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative
Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the
parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed
counterpart of this Agreement. 

 
 

           Section 12.07    Severability.     Any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document held to be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be
ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof or thereof; and the
invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction. 

 
 

           Section 12.08    Right of Setoff.     If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each
Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to
the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations (of whatsoever kind,
including, without limitations obligations under Swap Agreements) at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries against
any of and all the obligations of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries owed to such Lender now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, irrespective of whether or not
such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section 12.08 are in
addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender or its Affiliates may have. 

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           Section 12.09    GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS.
    

        (a)   THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT UNITED STATES FEDERAL LAW
PERMITS ANY LENDER TO CONTRACT FOR, CHARGE, RECEIVE, RESERVE OR TAKE INTEREST AT THE RATE ALLOWED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE WHERE SUCH LENDER IS LOCATED. CHAPTER 346 OF THE TEXAS FINANCE CODE (WHICH
REGULATES CERTAIN REVOLVING CREDIT LOAN ACCOUNTS AND REVOLVING TRI-PARTY ACCOUNTS) SHALL NOT APPLY TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE NOTES. 

        (b)   ANY
LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THE LOAN DOCUMENTS SHALL BE BROUGHT IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS OR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, HOUSTON DIVISION, AND, BY EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT, EACH PARTY HEREBY ACCEPTS FOR ITSELF AND (TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW) IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTY,
GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY, THE JURISDICTION OF THE AFORESAID COURTS. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OR
BASED ON THE GROUNDS OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE BRINGING OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS. THIS SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION IS
NON-EXCLUSIVE AND DOES NOT PRECLUDE A PARTY FROM OBTAINING JURISDICTION OVER ANOTHER PARTY IN ANY COURT OTHERWISE HAVING JURISDICTION. 

        (c)   EACH
PARTY IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO THE SERVICE OF PROCESS OF ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COURTS IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY THE MAILING OF COPIES THEREOF BY
REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL, POSTAGE PREPAID, TO IT AT THE ADDRESS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 12.01 OR SUCH OTHER ADDRESS AS IS SPECIFIED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12.01 (OR ITS ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION), SUCH
SERVICE TO BECOME EFFECTIVE THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER SUCH MAILING. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF A PARTY OR ANY HOLDER OF A NOTE TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW
OR TO COMMENCE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS OR OTHERWISE PROCEED AGAINST ANOTHER PARTY IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. 

        (d)   EACH
PARTY HEREBY (i) IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO
THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN; (ii) IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO CLAIM OR RECOVER IN
ANY SUCH LITIGATION ANY SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES OTHER THAN, OR IN ADDITION TO, ACTUAL DAMAGES; (iii) CERTIFIES THAT NO PARTY HERETO NOR ANY
REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF COUNSEL FOR ANY PARTY HERETO HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, OR IMPLIED THAT SUCH PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING
WAIVERS, AND (iv) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT, THE LOAN DOCUMENTS AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL
WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION 12.09. 

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           Section 12.10    Headings.     Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for
convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the
construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement. 

 
 

           Section 12.11    Confidentiality.     Each of the Agents, each Issuing Bank and the Lenders agrees to
maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be
disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates' directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such
disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory
authority, (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
(e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the
enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 12.11, to (i) any assignee of or
Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any
Swap Agreement relating to the Borrower and their obligations, (g) with the consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than
as a result of a breach of this Section 12.11 or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than
the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section 12.11, "Information" means all information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and their businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a
nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower, or any of its Subsidiaries after the date
hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section 12.11
shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord
to its own confidential information. 

 
 

           Section 12.12    Interest Rate Limitation.     It is the intention of the parties hereto that each Lender
shall conform strictly to usury laws applicable to it. Accordingly, if the transactions contemplated
hereby would be usurious as to any Lender under laws applicable to it (including the laws of the United States of America and the State of Texas or any other jurisdiction whose laws may be mandatorily
applicable to such Lender notwithstanding the other provisions of this Agreement), then, in that event, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any of the Loan Documents or any agreement entered
into in connection with or as security for the Notes, it is agreed as follows: (a) the aggregate of all consideration which constitutes interest under law applicable to any Lender that is
contracted for, taken, reserved, charged or received by such Lender under any of the Loan Documents or agreements or otherwise in connection with the Notes shall under no circumstances exceed the
maximum amount allowed by such applicable law, and any excess shall be canceled automatically and if theretofore paid shall be credited by such Lender on the principal amount of the Indebtedness (or,
to the extent that the principal amount of the Indebtedness shall have been or would thereby be paid in full, refunded by such Lender to the Borrower); and (b) in the event that the maturity of
the Notes is accelerated by reason of an election of the holder thereof resulting from any Event of Default under this Agreement or otherwise, or in the event of any required or permitted prepayment,
then such consideration that constitutes interest under law applicable to any Lender may never include more than the maximum amount allowed by such applicable law, and excess interest, if any,
provided for in this Agreement or otherwise shall be canceled automatically by such Lender as of the date of such acceleration or prepayment and, if theretofore paid, shall be credited by such Lender
on the principal amount of the Indebtedness (or, to the extent that the principal amount of the Indebtedness shall have 

80

 

been
or would thereby be paid in full, refunded by such Lender to the Borrower). All sums paid or agreed to be paid to any Lender for the use, forbearance or detention of sums due hereunder shall, to
the extent permitted by law applicable to such Lender, be amortized, prorated, allocated and spread throughout the stated term of the Loans evidenced by the Notes until payment in full so that the
rate or amount of interest on account of any Loans hereunder does not exceed the maximum amount allowed by such applicable law. If at any time and from time to time (i) the amount of interest
payable to any Lender on any date shall be computed at the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender pursuant to this Section 12.12 and (ii) in respect of any subsequent interest
computation period the amount of interest otherwise payable to such Lender would be less than the amount of interest payable to such Lender computed at the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such
Lender, then the amount of interest payable to such Lender in respect of such subsequent interest computation period shall continue to be computed at the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender
until the total amount of interest payable to such Lender shall equal the total amount of interest which would have been payable to such Lender if the total amount of interest had been computed
without giving effect to this Section 12.12. To the extent that Chapter 303 of the Texas Finance Code is relevant for the purpose of determining the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to a Lender,
such Lender elects to determine the applicable rate ceiling under such Chapter by the weekly ceiling from time to time in effect. Chapter 346 of the Texas Finance Code does not apply to the Borrower's
obligations hereunder. 

 
 

           Section 12.13    EXCULPATION PROVISIONS.     EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO SPECIFICALLY AGREES THAT IT HAS A
DUTY TO READ THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND AGREES THAT IT IS CHARGED WITH NOTICE
AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS; THAT IT HAS IN FACT READ THIS AGREEMENT AND IS FULLY INFORMED AND HAS FULL NOTICE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS, CONDITIONS AND
EFFECTS OF THIS AGREEMENT; THAT IT HAS BEEN REPRESENTED BY INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL OF ITS CHOICE THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS PRECEDING ITS EXECUTION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS;
AND HAS RECEIVED THE ADVICE OF ITS ATTORNEY IN ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS; AND THAT IT RECOGNIZES THAT CERTAIN OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN
DOCUMENTS RESULT IN ONE PARTY ASSUMING THE LIABILITY INHERENT IN SOME ASPECTS OF THE TRANSACTION AND RELIEVING THE OTHER PARTY OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH LIABILITY. EACH PARTY HERETO AGREES AND
COVENANTS THAT IT WILL NOT CONTEST THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY OF ANY EXCULPATORY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS ON THE BASIS THAT THE PARTY HAD NO NOTICE OR KNOWLEDGE OF
SUCH PROVISION OR THAT THE PROVISION IS NOT "CONSPICUOUS." 

 
 

          Section 12.14    Collateral Matters; Swap Agreements.     The benefit of the Security Instruments and of the
provisions of this Agreement relating to any collateral securing the Indebtedness shall also extend to and be
available to those Lenders or their Affiliates which are counterparties to any Swap Agreement with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries on a pro rata
basis in respect of any obligations of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which arise under any such Swap Agreement while such Person or its Affiliate is a Lender, but only while such Person or
its Affiliate is a Lender, including any Swap Agreements between such Persons in existence prior to the date hereof. No Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender shall have any voting rights under any Loan
Document as a result of the existence of obligations owed to it under any such Swap Agreements. 

81

 

 
 

           Section 12.15    No Third Party Beneficiaries.     This Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the
agreement of the Lenders to make Loans and the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend Letters of Credit
hereunder are solely for the benefit of the Borrower, and no other Person (including, without limitation, any Subsidiary of the Borrower, any obligor, contractor, subcontractor, supplier or
materialsman) shall have any rights, claims, remedies or privileges hereunder or under any other Loan Document against the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender for any
reason whatsoever. There are no third party beneficiaries. 

 
 

           Section 12.16    USA Patriot Act Notice.     Each Lender hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the
requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law
October 26, 2001)) (the "Act"), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes
the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act. 

[SIGNATURES
BEGIN NEXT PAGE] 

82

        The parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written. 

	BORROWER:	 	LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  ROLAND P. KEDDIE      

	 	 	Name:	Roland P. Keddie
	 	 	Title:	Vice President

SIGNATURE PAGE 1

CREDIT AGREEMENT 

	ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT:	 	BNP PARIBAS, as Administrative Agent
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  DOUGLAS R. LIFTMAN      

	 	 	Name:	DOUGLAS R. LIFTMAN
	 	 	Title:	MANAGING DIRECTOR
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  BETSY JOCHER      

	 	 	Name:	BETSY JOCHER
	 	 	Title:	VICE PRESIDENT

SIGNATURE PAGE 2

CREDIT AGREEMENT 

	SYNDICATION AGENT:	 	ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  LORNE A. GARTNER      

	 	 	Name:	LORNE A. GARTNER
	 	 	Title:	AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY

SIGNATURE PAGE 3

CREDIT AGREEMENT 

	LENDERS:	 	BNP PARIBAS
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  DOUGLAS R. LIFTMAN      

	 	 	Name:	DOUGLAS R. LIFTMAN
	 	 	Title:	MANAGING DIRECTOR
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  BETSY JOCHER      

	 	 	Name:	BETSY JOCHER
	 	 	Title:	VICE PRESIDENT
	

 	
 	
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  LORNE A. GARTNER      

	 	 	Name:	LORNE A. GARTNER
	 	 	Title:	AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY
	

 	
 	
COMERICA BANK
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  HUMA VADGAMA      

	 	 	Name:	HUMA VADGAMA
	 	 	Title:	VICE PRESIDENT
	

 	
 	
SOCIETE GENERALE
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  GRAEME BULLEN      

	 	 	Name:	GRAEME BULLEN
	 	 	Title:	DIRECTOR

SIGNATURE PAGE 4

CREDIT AGREEMENT 

  

 
 

ANNEX I
  LIST OF MAXIMUM CREDIT AMOUNTS
  
    Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts    
    

	Name of Lender
 
	 	Applicable Percentage
	 	Maximum Credit Amount

	BNP Paribas	 	35	%	$	70,000,000.00
	Royal Bank of Canada	 	25	%	$	50,000,000.00
	Comerica Bank	 	20	%	$	40,000,000.00
	Societe Generale	 	20	%	$	40,000,000.00
	 	 	
	 	

	TOTAL	 	100	%	$	200,000,000.00
	 	 	
	 	

ANNEX I-1

 
 

EXHIBIT A
  [FORM OF] NOTE    
    

	$[            ]	 	[            ], 200[    ]

        FOR
VALUE RECEIVED, Linn Energy Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Borrower"), hereby promises to pay to the order
of [            ] (the "Lender"), at the principal office of BNP Paribas, as administrative agent (the
"Administrative Agent"), the principal sum of [            ] Dollars ($
[            ]) (or such
lesser amount as shall equal the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Loans made by the Lender to the Borrower under the Credit Agreement, as hereinafter defined), in lawful money of the United
States of America and in immediately available funds, on the dates and in the principal amounts provided in the Credit Agreement, and to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each such Loan,
at such office, in like money and funds, for the period commencing on the date of such Loan until such Loan shall be paid in full, at the rates per annum and on the dates provided in the Credit
Agreement. 

        The
date, amount, Type, interest rate, Interest Period and maturity of each Loan made by the Lender to the Borrower, and each payment made on account of the principal thereof, shall be
recorded by the Lender on its books and, prior to any transfer of this Note, may be endorsed by the Lender on the schedules attached hereto or any continuation thereof or on any separate record
maintained by the Lender. Failure to make any such notation or to attach a schedule shall not affect any Lender's or the Borrower's rights or obligations in respect of such Loans or affect the
validity of such transfer by any Lender of this Note. 

        This
Note is one of the Notes referred to in the Credit Agreement dated as of April 11, 2005 among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, and the other agents and lenders
signatory thereto (including the Lender), and evidences Loans made by the Lender thereunder (such Credit Agreement as the same may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, the
"Credit Agreement"). Capitalized terms used in this Note have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Credit Agreement. 

        This
Note is issued pursuant to, and is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in, the Credit Agreement and is entitled to the benefits provided for in the Credit Agreement and
the other Loan Documents. The Credit Agreement provides for the acceleration of the maturity of this Note upon the occurrence of certain events, for prepayments of Loans upon the terms and conditions
specified therein and other provisions relevant to this Note. 

        THIS
NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. 

	 	 	LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC
	

 	
 	

By:	

 
	 	 	 	

	 	 	Name:	 
	 	 	 	

	 	 	Title:	 
	 	 	 	

EXHIBIT A 

 
 

EXHIBIT B
  [FORM OF]
  COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE    
    

        Each of the undersigned hereby certifies that he/she is the [            ] of
Linn
Energy Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Borrower"), and that as such he/she is authorized to execute this certificate on behalf
of the Borrower. With reference to the Credit Agreement dated as of April 11, 2005 (together with all amendments, supplements or restatements thereto being the
"Agreement") among the Borrower, BNP Paribas, as Administrative Agent, and the other agents and lenders (the
"Lenders") which are or become a party thereto, and such Lenders, each of the undersigned represents and warrants as follows (each capitalized term used
herein having the same meaning given to it in the Agreement unless otherwise specified): 

        (a)   The
representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in Article VII of the Agreement and in the Loan Documents and otherwise made in writing by or on
behalf of the Borrower or any other Guarantor pursuant to the Agreement and the Loan Documents were true and correct when made, and are repeated at and as of the time of delivery hereof and are true
and correct in all material respects at and as of the time of delivery hereof, except to the extent such representations and warranties are expressly limited to an earlier date or the Majority Lenders
have expressly consented in writing to the contrary. 

        (b)   The
Borrower has performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in the Agreement and in the Loan Documents required to be performed or complied with
by it prior to or at the time of delivery hereof [or specify default and describe]. 

        (c)   Since
December 31, 2004, no change has occurred, either in any case or in the aggregate, in the condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect [or specify event]. 

        (d)   There
exists no Default or Event of Default [or specify Default and describe]. 

        (e)   Attached
hereto are the detailed computations necessary to determine whether the Borrower is in compliance with Section 9.01 and Section 8.14 as of the end
of the fiscal quarter ending [            ]. 

        EXECUTED
AND DELIVERED this [            ] day of [            ]. 

	 	 	LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC
	

 	
 	

By:	

 
	 	 	 	

	 	 	Name:	 
	 	 	 	

	 	 	Title:	 
	 	 	 	

EXHIBIT B 

  

 
 

EXHIBIT C-1
  SECURITY INSTRUMENTS    
    

	1)
	Guaranty
and Pledge Agreement among Linn Energy Holdings, LLC, the other Obligors and BNP Paribas.

	2)
	Guaranty
Agreement Financing Statements

	(a)
	Linn
Energy, L.L.C.

	(b)
	Linn
Energy Holdings, LLC

	3)
	Open-End
Mortgage, Assignment of As-Extracted Collateral, Security Agreement, Fixture Filing and Financing Statement (Pennsylvania), by Linn Energy, L.L.C. in
favor of BNP Paribas, as Mortgagee and Administrative Agent

	4)
	Pennsylvania
UCC-1, to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State

	5)
	Mortgage,
Deed of Trust, Credit Line Deed of Trust, Assignment of As-Extracted Collateral, Security Agreement, Fixture Filing and Financing Statement (West Virginia), by
Linn Energy, L.L.C. in favor of BNP Paribas, as Mortgagee and Administrative Agent.

	6)
	West
Virginia UCC-1, to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State

	7)
	Fee
Letter with Administrative Agent referred to in Section 3.05(c). 

EXHIBIT C-1

  

 
 

EXHIBIT C-2
  FORM OF GUARANTY AND PLEDGE AGREEMENT    
    

EXHIBIT C-2

 
 

EXHIBIT D
  [FORM OF] ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION    
    

        This Assignment and Assumption (the "Assignment and Assumption") is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below
and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the "Assignor")
and [Insert name of Assignee] (the "Assignee"). Capitalized terms used but not
defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"), receipt of a copy of
which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this
Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full. 

        The
Assignor named on the reverse hereof hereby sells and assigns, without recourse, to the Assignee named on the reverse hereof, and the Assignee hereby purchases and assumes, without
recourse, from the Assignor, effective as of the Assignment Date set forth on the reverse hereof, the interests set forth on the reverse hereof (the "Assigned
Interest") in the Assignor's rights and obligations under the Credit Agreement, including, without limitation, the interests set forth on the reverse hereof in the Commitment
of the Assignor on the Assignment Date and Loans owing to the Assignor which are outstanding on the Assignment Date, together with the participations in Letters of Credit and LC Disbursements held by
the Assignor on the Assignment Date, but excluding accrued interest and fees to and excluding the Assignment Date. The Assignee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Credit Agreement. From and
after the Assignment Date (i) the Assignee shall be a party to and be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, have the rights and
obligations of a Lender thereunder and (ii) the Assignor shall, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under the Credit Agreement. 

        This
Assignment and Assumption is being delivered to the Administrative Agent together with (i) if the Assignee is a Foreign Lender, any documentation required to be delivered by
the Assignee pursuant to Section 5.03(e) of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee, and (ii) if the Assignee is not already a Lender under the Credit
Agreement, an Administrative Questionnaire in the form supplied by the Administrative Agent, duly completed by the Assignee. The [Assignee/Assignor] shall pay the fee payable
to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 12.04(b) of the Credit Agreement. 

        This
Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. 

Date
of Assignment: 

Legal
Name of Assignor: 

Legal
Name of Assignee: 

Assignee's
Address for Notices: 

Effective
Date of Assignment 

EXHIBIT
D 

("Assignment Date"): 

	
 Facility
 
	
 	

Principal Amount Assigned
	
 	

Percentage Assigned of Facility/Commitment (set forth, to at least 8 decimals, as a percentage of the Facility and the aggregate Commitments of all Lenders thereunder)
	
 
	Commitment Assigned:	 	$	 	 	 	%
	Loans:	 	 	 	 	 	 

        The
terms set forth above and on the reverse side hereof are hereby agreed to: 

	 	 	[Name of Assignor], as Assignor
	

 	
 	

By:	

 
	 	 	 	

	 	 	Name:	 
	 	 	Title:	 
	

 	
 	

[Name of Assignee], as Assignee
	

 	
 	

By:	

 
	 	 	 	

	 	 	Name:	 
	 	 	Title:	 

        The undersigned hereby consent to the within assignment:1 

	Linn Energy Holdings, LLC	 	BNP Paribas,

as Administrative Agent,
	

By:	

 	
 	

By:	

 
	 	
	 	 	

	Name:	 	 	Name:	 
	 	
	 	 	

	Title:	 	 	Title:	 
	 	
	 	 	

	

 	

 	
 	

By:	

 
	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	Name:	 
	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	Title:	 
	 	 	 	 	

	1
	Consents
to be included to the extent required by Section 12.04(b) of the Credit Agreement. 
EXHIBIT D 

  

 
 

LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC CREDIT AGREEMENT
  
    STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR
  ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION    
    

 
 

           1.    Representations and Warranties.     

 
 

          1.1    Assignor.     The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and
beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest
is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and
Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in
connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Loan Documents or any
collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document or (iv) the
performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document. 

 
 

           1.2.    Assignee.     The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and
authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this
Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the
Credit Agreement that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the
provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iv) it has received a copy of the
Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 8.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has
deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and
decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and (v) if it is a Foreign Lender, attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation
required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without
reliance on the Administrative Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions
in taking or not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to
be performed by it as a Lender. 

 
 

          2.    Payments.     From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in
respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal,
interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective
Date. 

 
 

           3.    General Provisions.     This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit
of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment
and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption
by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with,
the law of the State of Texas. 

ANNEX
1 TO

EXHIBIT D 

1

 
 

SCHEDULE 7.05
  LITIGATION    
    

None 

SCHEDULE
7.05 - 1 

 
 

SCHEDULE 7.12
  MATERIAL AGREEMENTS    
    

None 

SCHEDULE
7.12 - 1 

 
 

SCHEDULE 7.15
  SUBSIDIARIES    
    

Legal
name: Linn Energy, L.L.C.

Address: Southmark Executive Suites, Suite 100, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania 15241

All names and trade names that Linn Energy, L.L.C. has used in the last five years: None

Jurisdiction of organization over the last five years: Delaware

Current jurisdiction of organization: Delaware

Organizational number: 3629608 

Legal
name: Linn Operating, LLC

Address: Southmark Executive Suites, Suite 100, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania 15241

All names and trade names that Linn Operating, LLC has used in the last five years: None

Jurisdiction of organization over the last five years: Delaware

Current jurisdiction of organization: Delaware

Organizational number: 3696663 

Legal
name: Chipperco, LLC

Address: Southmark Executive Suites, Suite 100, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania 15241

All names and trade names that Chipperco, LLC has used in the last five years: None

Jurisdiction of organization over the last five years: Delaware

Current jurisdiction of organization: Delaware

Organizational number: 3853949 

SCHEDULE
7.15 - 1 

 
 

SCHEDULE 7.19
  GAS IMBALANCES    
    

None 

SCHEDULE
7.19 - 1 

 
 

SCHEDULE 7.20
  MARKETING CONTRACTS    
    

	1.
	GS
338, dated September 28, 1954, TW Phillips Gas & Oil Company, buyer, and Case-Pomeroy Oil Corporation, seller, life of well agreement covering the Lisowitz
#1, Pine Township, Indiana County, PA.

	2.
	GS
1111, dated April 29, 1999, TW Phillips Gas & Oil Company, buyer and Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, seller, life of well agreement covering the McNutt #1, Brush
Valley Township, Indiana County, PA.

	3.
	P
2210, dated July 23, 1963, The Peoples Natural Gas company, buyer and William E. Snee and Orville Eberly, sellers, life of well agreement covering the Spurell, M. #1, Leonard,
J.E. #1 and Abbey, E. #1 all located in Stewart Township, Fayette County, PA.

	4.
	NASB
Base Contract for Sale and Purchase of Natural Gas, dated August 7, 2003, National Fuel Resources, Inc., as buyer and Linn Energy, LLC, as seller, ending
August 31, 2006, covers all wells located in the towns of Villanova and Ellery, Chautauqua County, NY. 
SCHEDULE
7.20 - 1 

 
 

SCHEDULE 7.21
  SWAP AGREEMENTS    
    

SCHEDULE
7.21 - 1

CREDIT AGREEMENT 

QuickLinks

Exhibit 10.1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE I Definitions and Accounting Matters

Section 1.01 Terms Defined Above.

Section 1.02 Certain Defined Terms.

Section 1.03 Types of Loans and Borrowings.

Section 1.04 Terms Generally.

Section 1.05 Accounting Terms and Determinations; GAAP.

ARTICLE II The Credits

Section 2.01 Commitments.

Section 2.02 Loans and Borrowings.

Section 2.03 Requests for Borrowings.

Section 2.04 Interest Elections.

Section 2.05 Funding of Borrowings.

Section 2.06 Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.

Section 2.07 Borrowing Base.

Section 2.08 Letters of Credit.

ARTICLE III Payments of Principal and Interest; Prepayments; Fees

Section 3.01 Repayment of Loans.

Section 3.02 Interest.

Section 3.03 Alternate Rate of Interest.

Section 3.04 Prepayments.

Section 3.05 Fees.

ARTICLE IV Payments; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.

Section 4.01 Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.

Section 4.02 Presumption of Payment by the Borrower.

Section 4.03 Certain Deductions by the Administrative Agent.

ARTICLE V Increased Costs; Break Funding Payments; Taxes; Illegality

Section 5.01 Increased Costs.

Section 5.02 Break Funding Payments.

Section 5.03 Taxes.

Section 5.04 Designation of Different Lending Office.

Section 5.05 Illegality.

ARTICLE VI Conditions Precedent

Section 6.01 Effective Date.

Section 6.02 Each Credit Event.

ARTICLE VII Representations and Warranties

Section 7.01 Organization; Powers.

Section 7.02 Authority; Enforceability.

Section 7.03 Approvals; No Conflicts.

Section 7.04 Financial Position; No Material Adverse Change.

Section 7.05 Litigation.

Section 7.06 Environmental Matters.

Section 7.07 Compliance with the Laws and Agreements; No Defaults.

Section 7.08 Investment Company Act.

Section 7.09 Public Utility Holding Company Act.

Section 7.10 Taxes.

Section 7.11 ERISA.

Section 7.12 Disclosure; No Material Misstatements.

Section 7.13 Insurance.

Section 7.14 Restriction on Liens.

Section 7.15 Subsidiaries.

Section 7.16 Location of Business and Offices.

Section 7.17 Properties; Titles, Etc.

Section 7.18 Maintenance of Properties.

Section 7.19 Gas Imbalances, Prepayments.

Section 7.20 Marketing of Production.

Section 7.21 Swap Agreements.

Section 7.22 Use of Loans and Letters of Credit.

Section 7.23 Solvency.

ARTICLE VIII Affirmative Covenants

Section 8.01 Financial Statements; Ratings Change; Other Information.

Section 8.02 Notices of Material Events.

Section 8.03 Existence; Conduct of Business.

Section 8.04 Payment of Obligations.

Section 8.05 Performance of Obligations under Loan Documents.

Section 8.06 Operation and Maintenance of Properties.

Section 8.07 Insurance.

Section 8.08 Books and Records; Inspection Rights.

Section 8.09 Compliance with Laws.

Section 8.10 Environmental Matters.

Section 8.11 Further Assurances.

Section 8.12 Reserve Reports.

Section 8.13 Title Information.

Section 8.14 Additional Collateral; Additional Guarantors.

Section 8.15 ERISA Compliance.

Section 8.16 Marketing Activities.

Section 8.17 Initial Public Offering Covenant.

ARTICLE IX Negative Covenants

Section 9.01 Financial Covenants.

Section 9.02 Debt.

Section 9.03 Liens.

Section 9.04 Dividends, Distributions and Redemptions.

Section 9.05 Investments, Loans and Advances.

Section 9.06 Nature of Business.

Section 9.07 Limitation on Leases.

Section 9.08 Proceeds of Notes.

Section 9.09 ERISA Compliance.

Section 9.10 Sale or Discount of Receivables.

Section 9.11 Mergers, Etc.

Section 9.12 Sale of Properties.

Section 9.13 Environmental Matters.

Section 9.14 Transactions with Affiliates.

Section 9.15 Subsidiaries.

Section 9.16 Negative Pledge Agreements; Dividend Restrictions.

Section 9.17 Gas Imbalances, Take-or-Pay or Other Prepayments.

Section 9.18 Swap Agreements.

Section 9.19 Tax Status as Partnership; Operating Agreements.

ARTICLE X Events of Default; Remedies

Section 10.01 Events of Default.

Section 10.02 Remedies.

Section 10.03 Disposition of Proceeds.

ARTICLE XI The Administrative Agent

Section 11.01 Appointment; Powers.

Section 11.02 Duties and Obligations of Administrative Agent.

Section 11.03 Action by Agent.

Section 11.04 Reliance by Agent.

Section 11.05 Subagents.

Section 11.06 Resignation or Removal of Agents.

Section 11.07 Agents and Lenders.

Section 11.08 No Reliance.

Section 11.09 Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim.

Section 11.10 Authority of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens.

Section 11.11 The Arrangers and the Syndication Agent.

ARTICLE XII Miscellaneous

Section 12.01 Notices.

Section 12.02 Waivers; Amendments

Section 12.03 Expenses, Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

Section 12.04 Successors and Assigns.

Section 12.05 Survival; Revival; Reinstatement.

Section 12.06 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.

Section 12.07 Severability.

Section 12.08 Right of Setoff.

Section 12.09 GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS .

Section 12.10 Headings.

Section 12.11 Confidentiality.

Section 12.12 Interest Rate Limitation.

Section 12.13 EXCULPATION PROVISIONS.

Section 12.14 Collateral Matters; Swap Agreements.

Section 12.15 No Third Party Beneficiaries.

Section 12.16 USA Patriot Act Notice.

ANNEX I LIST OF MAXIMUM CREDIT AMOUNTS Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts

EXHIBIT A [FORM OF] NOTE

EXHIBIT B [FORM OF] COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

EXHIBIT C-1 SECURITY INSTRUMENTS

EXHIBIT C-2 FORM OF GUARANTY AND PLEDGE AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT D [FORM OF] ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC CREDIT AGREEMENT STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

1. Representations and Warranties.

1.1 Assignor.

1.2. Assignee.

2. Payments.

3. General Provisions.

SCHEDULE 7.05 LITIGATION

SCHEDULE 7.12 MATERIAL AGREEMENTS

SCHEDULE 7.15 SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE 7.19 GAS IMBALANCES

SCHEDULE 7.20 MARKETING CONTRACTS

SCHEDULE 7.21 SWAP AGREEMENTSQuickLinks
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Exhibit 10.2    
    

Execution Version  

FIRST AMENDMENT AND CONSENT  

 TO  

 CREDIT AGREEMENT  

 Among  

 LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC

as Borrower,  

 BNP PARIBAS,

as Administrative Agent,  

 and  

 The Lenders Signatory Hereto  

Effective as of May 3, 2005  

 
 
 

FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT AND CONSENT    
    

        This First Amendment to Credit Agreement and Consent (this "First Amendment") executed effective as of the 3rd of
May, 2005 (the "First Amendment Effective Date") is among Linn Energy Holdings, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of
Delaware (the "Borrower"); each of the undersigned guarantors (the "Guarantors", and together with the
Borrower, the "Obligors"); each of the Lenders that is a signatory hereto; and BNP Paribas, as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity,
together with its successors, the "Administrative Agent"). 

Recitals  

        A.    The
Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders are parties to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of April 13, 2005 (the "Credit
Agreement"), pursuant to which the Lenders have made certain credit available to and on behalf of the Borrower. 

        B.    The
Borrower has requested and the Administrative Agent and the Lenders have agreed to amend certain provisions of the Credit Agreement. 

        C.    NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants herein contained, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows: 

 
 

          Section 1.    Defined Terms.     Each capitalized term which is defined in the Credit Agreement, but
which is not defined in this First Amendment, shall have the meaning ascribed such term in the
Credit Agreement. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references in this First Amendment refer to the Credit Agreement. 

 
 

          Section 2.    Amendments to Credit Agreement.     

 
 

           2.1    Definitions.     Section 1.02 is hereby amended by adding the following definition of "Proved
Properties" where alphabetically appropriate: 

        "'First
Amendment' means the First Amendment to this Agreement entered into as of May 3, 2005, among Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders." 

        "'Proved Properties' means Oil and Gas Properties which are identified as "Proved Reserves" on the most recent Engineering Report." 

 
 

           2.2    Swap Agreements.     Section 9.18 is hereby amended by deleting such section in its entirety and
inserting in lieu thereof the following: 

"Section 9.18
Swap Agreements. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will enter into any Swap Agreements with any Person other than
(a) Swap Agreements in respect of commodities (i) with an Approved Counterparty, (ii) the notional volumes for which (when aggregated with other commodity Swap Agreements then in
effect other than basis differential swaps on volumes already hedged pursuant to other Swap Agreements) do not exceed, as of the date such Swap Agreement is executed, 85% of the reasonably anticipated
projected production from Proved Properties for each month during the period during which such Swap Agreement is in effect for each of crude oil and natural gas, calculated separately, for each of the
next twenty-four (24) months succeeding the execution of such Swap Agreement (or for each month through and including December, 2007, if such Swap Agreement was executed prior to
the First Amendment) and 70% of the reasonably anticipated projected production from Proved Properties for each month during the period during which such Swap Agreement is in effect for each of crude
oil and natural gas, calculated separately, for each month thereafter, and (iii) the notional volumes for which, beginning July 1, 2005, do not exceed the current net monthly production
(regardless of projected production levels) at the time such 

2

 

Swap
Agreement is executed, calculated separately for each of crude oil and natural gas, and (b) Swap Agreements in respect of interest rates with an Approved Counterparty, which effectively
convert interest rates from floating to fixed, the notional amounts of which (when aggregated with all other Swap Agreements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries then in effect effectively converting
interest rates from floating to fixed) do not exceed 75% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Borrower's Debt for borrowed money which bears interest at a floating rate. In no event shall
any Swap Agreement contain any requirement, agreement or covenant for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to post collateral or margin to secure their obligations under such Swap Agreement or to
cover market exposures." 

 
 

           2.3    Interim Redetermination of the Borrowing Base.     Pursuant to Section 2.07(b), the Borrower
elects to initiate, and each Lender consents to, an Interim Redetermination. For the period from and including
the First Amendment Effective Date to but excluding October 1st, 2005, the amount of the Borrowing Base shall be $109,000,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrowing Base may be subject
to further adjustments from time to time pursuant to Section 8.13(c) or Section 9.12(d). 

 
 

           Section 3.    Conditions Precedent.     The effectiveness of this First Amendment is subject to the
receipt by the Administrative Agent of the following documents and satisfaction of the other
conditions provided in this Section 3, each of which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent in form and substance: 

 
 

           3.1    Payment of Outstanding Invoices.     Payment by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent of all fees
and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the First Amendment Effective Date, including, to
the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower. 

 
 

          3.2    Amendment Fee.     Payment by the Borrower of an amendment fee to the Administrative Agent for the
account of each Lender in an amount equal to 0.25% of its final allocation of the
$9,000,000 increase in the Borrowing Base as in effect on the First Amendment Effective Date. 

 
 

           3.3    First Amendment.     The Administrative Agent shall have received multiple counterparts as requested
of the this First Amendment from each Lender. 

 
 

          3.4    No Default.     No Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing as of the First
Amendment Effective Date. 

 
 

           Section 4.    Representations and Warranties; Etc.     Each Obligor hereby affirms: (a) that as of
the date of execution and delivery of this First Amendment, all of the representations and warranties contained
in each Loan Document to which such Obligor is a party are true and correct in all material respects as though made on and as of the First Amendment Effective Date (unless made as of a specific
earlier date, in which case, was true as of such date); and (b) that after giving effect to this First Amendment and to the transactions contemplated hereby, no Defaults exist under the Loan
Documents or will exist under the Loan Documents. 

 
 

           Section 5.    Consent.     The Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Lenders, hereby consents to
(i) the change of name of the Borrower to "Linn Energy, LLC" and (ii) the
change of name of Linn Energy, L.L.C. to "Linn Energy Holdings, LLC", in each case to the extent that such consent is required under the terms of the Loan Documents. 

 
 

           Section 6.    Miscellaneous.     

 
 

           6.1    Confirmation.     The provisions of the Credit Agreement (as amended by this First Amendment) shall
remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms following the
effectiveness of this First Amendment. 

3

 

 
 

           6.2    Ratification and Affirmation of Obligors.     Each of the Obligors hereby expressly (i)
 acknowledges the terms of this First Amendment, (ii) ratifies and affirms its obligations under the
Guarantee Agreement and the other Security Instruments to which it is a party, (iii) acknowledges, renews and extends its continued liability under the Guarantee Agreement and the other
Security Instruments to which it is a party and agrees that its guarantee under the Guarantee Agreement and the other Security Instruments to which it is a party remains in full force and effect with
respect to the Indebtedness as amended hereby. 

 
 

           6.3    Counterparts.     This First Amendment may be executed by one or more of the parties hereto in any
number of separate counterparts, and all of such counterparts taken together
shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. 

 
 

          6.4    No Oral Agreement.     THIS WRITTEN FIRST AMENDMENT, THE CREDIT AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS
EXECUTED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH AND THEREWITH REPRESENT THE FINAL AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR, CONTEMPORANEOUS, OR UNWRITTEN ORAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES. THERE ARE NO SUBSEQUENT ORAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES. 

 
 

           6.5    Governing Law.     THIS FIRST AMENDMENT (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE VALIDITY AND
ENFORCEABILITY HEREOF) SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF
THE STATE OF TEXAS. 

4

   
        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this First Amendment to be duly executed effective as of the date first written above. 

	BORROWER:	 	LINN ENERGY HOLDINGS, LLC
	

 	
 	
By:	

/s/  ROLAND P. KEDDIE      
 Roland P. Keddie

Vice President

First Amendment

Signature Page - 1

 

	GUARANTORS:	 	LINN ENERGY, L.L.C.
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  ROLAND P. KEDDIE      
 Roland P. Keddie

Vice President
	

 	
 	

LINN OPERATING, LLC
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  ROLAND P. KEDDIE      
 Roland P. Keddie

Vice President

First Amendment

Signature Page - 2

 

	ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT:	 	BNP PARIBAS,

as Administrative Agent
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  DOUGLAS R. LITTMAN      

	 	 	Name:	Douglas R. Littman
	 	 	Title:	Managing Director
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  BETSY JOCHER      

	 	 	Name:	Betsy Jocher
	 	 	Title:	Vice President
	

LENDERS:	
 	

BNP PARIBAS
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  DOUGLAS R. LITTMAN      

	 	 	Name:	Douglas R. Littman
	 	 	Title:	Managing Director
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  BETSY JOCHER      

	 	 	Name:	Betsy Jocher
	 	 	Title:	Vice President
	

 	
 	

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  JASON YORK      

	 	 	Name:	Jason York
	 	 	Title:	Attorney-in-Fact
	

 	
 	

COMERICA BANK
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  HUMA VADGAMA      

	 	 	Name:	Huma Vadgama
	 	 	Title:	Vice President
	

 	
 	

SOCIETE GENERALE
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  GRAEME BULLEN      

	 	 	Name:	Graeme Bullen
	 	 	Title:	Director

First Amendment

Signature Page - 3

QuickLinks

Exhibit 10.2

FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT AND CONSENT

Section 1. Defined Terms.

Section 2. Amendments to Credit Agreement.

2.1 Definitions.

2.2 Swap Agreements.

2.3 Interim Redetermination of the Borrowing Base.

Section 3. Conditions Precedent.

3.1 Payment of Outstanding Invoices.

3.2 Amendment Fee.

3.3 First Amendment.

3.4 No Default.

Section 4. Representations and Warranties; Etc.

Section 5. Consent.

Section 6. Miscellaneous.

6.1 Confirmation.

6.2 Ratification and Affirmation of Obligors.

6.3 Counterparts.

6.4 No Oral Agreement.

6.5 Governing Law.

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