EXHIBIT 10.1
DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
(“Agreement”), made and entered into effective as of
January 1, 2007 (the “Effective Date”), by and between
BP AMERICA PRODUCTION COMPANY (“BP”), a Delaware
corporation, with an office at 501 Westlake Park Boulevard,
Houston, Texas 77079, and TRUE NORTH ENERGY CORP.
(“Company”), a Nevada corporation, with an office at
1200 Smith Street, 16th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002 (individually,
a “Party” and collectively, the
“Parties”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, BP owns those certain oil, gas and
mineral leases set forth in Exhibit “A” (the "Leases")
covering the Contract Area; and
WHEREAS, subject to the terms, provisions and
conditions set forth below, Company will pay a disproportionate
11.67% of the Drilling Costs for the BP America Production Company
- A. Major Heirs No. 1 well (the “Initial Well”) to be
drilled at the location shown on the plat attached as Exhibit
“C”, and in return BP will assign to Company an 8.75%
interest in the Initial Well and the BP Interests, all as further
provided in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises
and of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained,
to be kept and performed by the Parties, it is hereby agreed by and
between the Parties as follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
Each capitalized term in this Agreement has the
meaning given to it in this Article. All defined terms include the
singular and the plural. All references to: Articles and Sections
refer to Articles and Sections in this Agreement, and Exhibits
refer to Exhibits attached to this Agreement.
1.1 “ Additional Well ” means a
well, other than the Initial Well or a Substitute Well, drilled on
the Contract Area after Company earns its proportionate share of
the BP Interests in accordance with Section 4.1.
1.2 “ Affiliate ” of a Party
means (i) the parent company thereof or (ii) any Person directly or
indirectly controlled by, controlling, or under common control with
that party (for the purposes of this definition, ownership of fifty
percent (50%) or more of the stock, equity or property of such
Person, or having the right to appoint fifty percent (50%) or more
of the members or owner representatives of such Person are examples
of forms of control).
1.3 “ AFE ” means an Authority
for Expenditure prepared by a Party for the purpose of estimating
the costs to be incurred in conducting an operation on a well
subject to this Agreement and for providing such other information
as may be specifically set forth elsewhere in this
Agreement.
1.4 “ Agreement ” has the
meaning given to it in the preamble.
1.5 “ BP ” has the meaning given
to it in the preamble.
1.6 “ BP Interests ” means the
Leases to the extent they are contained within the Contract
Area.
1.7 “ BP GROUP ” means the
following Persons, individually and collectively: BP and its
Affiliates and the officers, directors, employees, agents, and
representatives of all of those Persons.
1.8 “ Carried Interests ” has
the meaning given to it in Section 5.7.
1.9 “ Casing Point ” means the
time when (a) a well has been drilled to the Objective Zone, (b)
all logs, tests, and evaluations have been completed and the
results thereof have been furnished to the Parties, and (c) a
recommendation has been made whether to run and set production
casing and attempt to Complete the well as a producer or to abandon
the well as a dry hole.
1.10 “ Company ” has the meaning
given to it in the preamble.
1.11 “ Complete ” or “
Completion ” or “ Completing ”
means a single operation intended to complete a well as a producer
of oil and/or gas in one or more Zone(s), including, but not
limited to, the setting of pipe/production lining and casing
tie-back, installing tubing, wellhead and tree, perforating,
plugging back, well stimulation, and testing.
1.12 “ Completion Costs ” means
the actual costs and expenses incurred in Completing a well subject
to this Agreement.
1.13 “ Contract Area ” means the
geographic area (covering all depths) defined by the following
Units, as they may be amended from time to time: (a) the 640-acre
Moore Sams Field 18,100’ TUSC RA SUW, created by the State of
Louisiana Office of Conservation Order No. 1063-A-1, effective
November 29, 1979; (b) the 640-acre Moore Sams Field 18,100’
TUSC RA SUCC, created by the State of Louisiana Office of
Conservation Order No. 1063-A-2, effective February 20, 1980; and
(c) the 640-acre Moore Sams Field 18,100’ TUSC RA SUDD,
created by the State of Louisiana Office of Conservation Order No.
1063-A-2, effective February 20, 1980. The “ Contract
Area ”, as it exists now, is outlined in red on the plat
attached as Exhibit “B”, but in the event of any
conflict between the definition set forth in the preceding sentence
and Exhibit “B”, the definition set forth in the
preceding sentence shall govern and control.
1.14 “ Data ” means 3D seismic
data, in whatever form (reels, paper, film, tape, magnetic or
electronic, covering the Contract Area.
1.15 “ Data Owner ” means a Third
Party who owns the Data.
1.16 “ Drilling Costs ” means the
actual costs and expenses incurred in drilling a well subject to
this Agreement beginning with the initiation of preliminary site
preparation activities through and including logging, testing and
evaluating the well prior to recommending whether to attempt a
Completion. Drilling Costs shall include, but shall not be limited
to, the costs and expenses associated with permitting, preparing
the site, drilling to the Objective Zone, and evaluating any
Zone(s) in such well to which a Completion may be attempted, as
well as any unplanned or unforeseen events such as fire, explosion,
or loss of well control. Drilling Costs shall also include
brokerage, abstracting, and reasonable attorney fees related to the
preparation of drilling title opinions for such well. Drilling
Costs shall not include the cost to plug and abandon any well,
including a dry hole, and shall not include any Completion
Costs.
1.17 “ Estimated Drilling Costs ”
has the meaning given to it in Section 2.1.
1.18 “ Effective Date ” has the
meaning given to it in the preamble.
1.19 “ Exhibits ” has the meaning
given to it in Section 16.6.
1.20 “ Force Majeure ” has the
meaning given to it in Section 9.1.
1.21 “ Initial Well ” has the
meaning given to it in the recitals.
1.22 “ Insurance Requirements ”
has the meaning given to it in Exhibit “G”.
1.23 “ Leases ” has the meaning
given to it in the recitals.
1.24 “ Objective Zone ”, with
respect to the Initial Well, means the base of the Tuscaloosa C-1
sand, being the stratigraphic equivalent of the base of the
Tuscaloosa C-1 sand as seen at 18,484 feet (electrical log
measurement) for the Amarex - Major Heirs No. 1 well, located in
Section 47, Township 4 South, Range 10 East, Pointe Coupee Parish,
Louisiana, or eighteen thousand, five hundred feet measured depth
(18,500’ MD), whichever occurs first in the Initial Well. The
term “ Objective Zone ”, with respect to any
Substitute Well or Additional Well, means the deepest Zone to which
the Substitute Well or Additional Well is proposed to be drilled as
provided in the relevant AFE for such well.
1.25 “ Operating Agreement ” has
the meaning given to it in Section 5.5.
1.26 “ Partial Assignment ” has
the meaning given to it in Section 4.1.
1.27 “ Partial Interest ” has the
meaning given to it in Section 4.2.
1.28 “ Party ” and “
Parties ” have the meaning given to them in the
preamble.
1.29 “ Person ” means any
individual or entity, in the broadest sense possible, including but
not limited to a corporation, partnership, limited partnership,
limited liability company, trust, trustee, association or
unincorporated organization.
1.30 “ Plants ” has the meaning
given to it in Section 5.6.
1.31 “ Properties ” mean all of
BP’s right, title and interest (real or immovable, personal
or movable, mixed, contractual or otherwise), as of the Effective
Date, in, to and under or derived from the following:
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the Leases, as
well as the production of oil, gas or other hydrocarbon substances
attributable thereto;
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all
unitization, communitization and pooling declarations, orders and
agreements (including all units formed by voluntary agreement and
those formed under the rules, regulations, orders or other official
acts of any governmental entity or tribal authority having
jurisdiction) to the extent they relate to the Initial Well and any
Additional Well, or the production of oil, gas or other hydrocarbon
substances attributable thereto;
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all product
sales contracts, processing contracts, gathering contracts,
transportation contracts, easements, rights-of-way, servitudes,
surface leases, subsurface leases, farm-in and farm-out contracts,
areas of mutual interest, operating agreements, balancing contracts
and other contracts, agreements and instruments to the extent they
relate to the Initial Well and any Additional Well, or the
production of oil, gas or other hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon
substances attributable thereto;
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all personal or
movable property, improvements, fixtures and other appurtenances,
to the extent situated upon and exclusively used, or situated upon
and held exclusively for use in connection with ownership,
operation, maintenance or repair of the interests described in the
Leases, or production of oil, gas or other hydrocarbon and
non-hydrocarbon substances attributable thereto, including all
wells (whether producing, shut-in, injection, disposal, water
supply or plugged and abandoned), gathering and processing systems,
platforms, buildings, pipelines, compressors, meters, tanks,
equipment, machinery, tools, utility lines, permits, licenses,
imbalances and suspense funds; and
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all
partnerships (tax, state law or otherwise) affecting any of the
items enumerated above.
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1.32 “ Rig Release Date ” has the
meaning given to it in Section 3.2.
1.33 “ Seismic Use Agreements ”
means those agreements between BP and the Data Owner governing
BP’s rights and obligations concerning the Data.
1.34 “ Substitute Well ” means a
well proposed within one (1) year of the Rig Release Date and
drilled by BP within the Contract Area, all in accordance with
Section 3.2.
1.35 “ Third Party ” means a
Person other than a Party or an Affiliate of a Party.
1.36 “ Unit ” means a compulsory
unit established by the Commissioner of the Office of Conservation
within the State of Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
pursuant to Chapter 39 of Part XIX of Title 43 of the Louisiana
Administrative Code, as same may be amended from time to
time.
1.37 “ Well Information ” has the
meaning give to it in Section 2.2
1.38 “ Zone ” or “
Zone(s) ” means a stratum of earth containing or
thought to contain a common accumulation of oil and/or gas
separately producible from any other common accumulation of oil
and/or gas.
ARTICLE
II
DRILLING AND COMPLETING THE
INITIAL WELL
2.1 BP has commenced drilling operations for the
Initial Well, and, except as provided elsewhere in this Agreement,
BP shall continue drilling the Initial Well with due diligence to
the Objective Zone and perform all logging and testing operations
to which the Parties agree. Company shall pay 11.67% of the
Drilling Costs of the Initial Well, regardless of whether the
Initial Well is successfully drilled to the Objective Zone. BP has
estimated that Drilling Costs will be approximately FOURTEEN
MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ($14,862,000)
(the “Estimated Drilling Costs”) for the Initial Well.
Company shall pay its share of Estimated Drilling Costs, being ONE
MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED NINETY
FIVE DOLLARS ($1,734,395), at execution of this Agreement via wire
transfer according to the wiring instructions set forth in Exhibit
“I”, but Company will pay its share of actual Drilling
Costs in accordance with this Article II and Section
5.4.
2.2 When and if Casing Point is reached in the
Initial Well, BP shall give written notice to Company of such
occurrence, and such notice shall state whether BP proposes to
attempt to Complete the Initial Well as a producer, whether in the
Objective Zone or in a shallower Zone, or to abandon the Initial
Well as a dry hole. The notice shall be accompanied by all well
information and data set forth in Exhibit “D” (the
“Well Information”), unless such information has been
previously furnished to Company.
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If BP reaches
Casing Point and proposes to Complete the Initial Well as a
producer, whether in the Objective Zone or in a shallower Zone,
such notice shall also include a completion AFE. The completion AFE
shall include, at a minimum, an estimate of Completion Costs for
the Initial Well. Company shall have forty-eight (48) hours
(exclusive of Saturday, Sunday and holidays) from receipt of the
notice to elect, by written notice, whether it will participate in
accordance with Section 2.3. BP shall not Complete the Initial Well
until Company has notified BP in writing whether or not it will
participate or until forty-eight (48) hours (exclusive of Saturday,
Sunday and holidays) have elapsed since Company’s receipt of
BP’s notice. Failure to respond within the time period
allowed shall be deemed to be an election not to participate in the
Completion of the Initial Well.
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If BP reaches
Casing Point and proposes to abandon the Initial Well as a dry
hole, (i) BP shall plug and abandon the Initial Well in accordance
with Section 2.6, and (ii) Company shall have no right or option to
takeover the Initial Well.
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2.3 If BP proposes to Complete the Initial Well and
Company timely elects to participate in such Completion attempt in
accordance with Section 2.2(A), Company shall pay 8.75% of the
Completion Costs associated with the Initial Well and 8.75% of the
cost of any newly acquired surface equipment associated with the
Initial Well beyond the wellhead connections (including but not
limited to stock tanks, separators, treaters, pumping equipment,
piping, and metering devices).
2.4 If BP proposes to Complete the Initial Well and
Company elects not to participate in such Completion attempt, or is
deemed not to participate, BP may nonetheless continue with such
operation and carry Company’s proportionate part of
Completion Costs. If the Completion attempt is ultimately not
successful, BP shall abandon the Initial Well in accordance with
Section 2.6 or propose to Complete the Initial Well in another Zone
under the provisions of Section 2.2 (and Company shall be given
another election to participate in such newly proposed Completion).
If the Completion attempt results in the production of oil and/or
gas in paying quantities, the Initial Well shall be operated by BP
at the expense and for the account of BP and other parties who
agreed to participate in the Completion attempt. By electing not to
participate in any Completion attempt, or being deemed not to
participate in any Completion attempt, Company shall be deemed to
have relinquished to BP, and BP shall own and be entitled to
receive, all of Company’s interest in the Initial Well and
share of production therefrom until the proceeds of the sale of
such share, calculated at the well, or market value thereof if such
share is not sold (after deducting applicable ad valorem,
production, severance, windfall profits, and excise taxes, royalty,
overriding royalty and other interests payable out of or measured
by the production from the Initial Well accruing with respect to
such interest until it reverts), shall equal the total of the
following:
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twenty six and
one-quarter percent (26.25%) of the Completion Costs associated
with the Initial Well and twenty six and one-quarter percent
(26.25%) of the cost of any newly acquired surface equipment beyond
the wellhead connections (including but not limited to stock tanks,
separators, treaters, pumping equipment, piping and metering
devices) ( i.e. , 300% non-consent penalty on a
non-promoted basis); and
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eight and three
quarters percent (8.75%) of the cost of operation of the Initial
Well commencing with first production and continuing until
Company’s interest shall revert to it in accordance with this
Section 2.4 ( i.e. , 100% non-consent penalty on a
non-promoted basis).
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2.5 Company shall bear its proportionate part,
being eight and three quarters percent (8.75%), of any severance,
production and gathering taxes and any other taxes imposed or
measured by the volume or value of production from the Initial
Well, including, but only by way of illustration, excise taxes and
windfall profit taxes, whether enacted by federal, state or local
authority.
2.6 The Initial Well shall be plugged and abandoned
in accordance with applicable regulations and at the cost, risk and
expense of the parties who participated in the cost of drilling the
Initial Well. Company’s proportionate share of the cost, risk
and expense to plug and abandon the Initial Well shall be eight and
three quarters percent (8.75%).
ARTICLE
III
SUBSTITUTE
WELLS
3.1 If, prior to reaching Casing Point in the
Initial Well, BP should encounter geological or mechanical
conditions which render further operations impracticable or
economically infeasible, in the sole reasonable opinion of BP, BP
shall (i) give written notice of such occurrence to Company, and
(ii) such notice shall state whether BP proposes to attempt to
Complete the Initial Well in a shallower Zone or to abandon the
Initial Well as a dry hole.
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If BP proposes
to Complete the Initial Well without reaching the
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