“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any event, circumstance, change, occurrence, development or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, assets, liabilities or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided, however, that a “Company Material Adverse Effect” shall not include any event, circumstance, change, occurrence, development or effect to the extent resulting from or arising in connection with (i) conditions (or changes in such conditions) in the oil and gas exploration and production industry (including changes in commodity prices, general market prices and regulatory changes affecting the industry); (ii) general economic, political or financial or securities market conditions, (iii) acts of war, terrorism, military actions or the escalation thereof, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or other natural disasters; (iv) changes in GAAP, in the interpretation of GAAP, in the accounting rules and regulations of the SEC, or changes in Applicable Law; (v) the taking of any action (or the failure to take any action) by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to the extent the taking of such action (or failure to take such action) is expressly required or contemplated by this Agreement or such action was taken in accordance with the prior written request of, or with the written consent of, Parent or Merger Sub (provided that this clause (v) shall not apply to the representations and warranties that, by their terms, speak specifically of the consequences arising out of the execution or performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transactions); (vi) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or the announcement or consummation of the Transactions or the identity of or any facts or circumstances relating to Parent or any of its Affiliates, including the impact of any of the foregoing on the relationships, contractual or otherwise, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with customers, suppliers, service providers, employees, Governmental Authorities or any other Persons (provided that this clause (vi) shall not apply to the representations and warranties that, by their terms, speak specifically of the consequences arising out of the execution or performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transactions); (vii) any Action arising out of, resulting from or related to the Transactions or any demand, Action, claim or proceeding for appraisal of any Shares pursuant to the DGCL in connection herewith; (viii) any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 pandemic) or the evolution of any COVID-19 Measures or other restrictions that relate to, or arise out of, any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and any COVID-19 Responses; or (ix) any decrease or decline in the market price or trading volume of the Shares or any failure by the Company to meet any projections, forecasts or revenue or earnings predictions of the Company or of any securities analysts (provided that, in the case of this clause (ix), the underlying cause of any such decrease, decline or failure may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred except to the extent otherwise excluded pursuant to another clause in this definition), except, in the case of each of clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), to the extent that such event, circumstance, change, occurrence, development or effect disproportionately affects the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, relative to other Persons engaged in the upstream oil and gas exploration and development industry, in which case, to the extent not otherwise excluded pursuant to another clause of this definition, such disproportionate effects and the events and circumstances underlying such disproportionate effects may be taken into account in determining whether a “Company Material Adverse Effect” has occurred.   (Page 5)

Question: MAE Definition
Category: Material Adverse Effect
Answer: "Could" (reasonably) be expected to