FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P

Exhibit 3.1

FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED

AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

OF

EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P

     THIS FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. dated as of October 27, 2006, is entered into by and between Eagle Rock Energy GP, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, as the General Partner, and Eagle Rock Holdings, L.P., a Texas limited partnership, as the Organizational Limited Partner, together with any other Persons who become Partners in the Partnership or parties hereto as provided herein. In consideration of the covenants, conditions and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

     Section 1.1 Definitions . The following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.

     “Acquisition” means any transaction in which any Group Member acquires (through an asset acquisition, merger, stock acquisition or other form of investment) control over all or a portion of the assets, properties or business of another Person for the purpose of increasing the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group from the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group existing immediately prior to such transaction.

     “Additional Book Basis” means the portion of any remaining Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property that is attributable to positive adjustments made to such Carrying Value as a result of Book-Up Events. For purposes of determining the extent that Carrying Value constitutes Additional Book Basis:

     (a) negative adjustment made to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property as a result of either a Book-Down Event or a Book-Up Event shall first be deemed to offset or decrease that portion of the Carrying Value of such Adjusted Property that is attributable to any prior positive adjustments made thereto pursuant to a Book-Up Event or Book-Down Event.

     (b) If Carrying Value that constitutes Additional Book Basis is reduced as a result of a Book-Down Event and the Carrying Value of other property is increased as a result of such Book-Down Event, an allocable portion of any such increase in Carrying Value shall be treated as Additional Book Basis; provided, that the amount treated as Additional Book Basis pursuant hereto as a result of such Book-Down Event shall not exceed the amount by which the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments after such Book-Down Event exceeds the remaining Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property after such Book-Down Event (determined without regard to the application of this clause (b) to such Book-Down Event).

     “Additional Book Basis Derivative Items” means any Book Basis Derivative Items that are computed with reference to Additional Book Basis. To the extent that the Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property as of the beginning of any taxable period exceeds the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the beginning of such period (the “Excess Additional Book Basis”), the Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for

such period shall be reduced by the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items determined without regard to this sentence as the Excess Additional Book Basis bears to the Additional Book Basis as of the beginning of such period.

     “Adjusted Capital Account” means the Capital Account maintained for each Partner as of the end of each fiscal year of the Partnership, (a) increased by any amounts that such Partner is obligated to restore under the standards set by Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(c) (or is deemed obligated to restore under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5)) and (b) decreased by (i) the amount of all losses and deductions that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be allocated to such Partner in subsequent years under Sections 704(e)(2) and 706(d) of the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.751-1(b)(2)(ii), and (ii) the amount of all distributions that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be made to such Partner in subsequent years in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or otherwise to the extent they exceed offsetting increases to such Partner’s Capital Account that are reasonably expected to occur during (or prior to) the year in which such distributions are reasonably expected to be made (other than increases as a result of a minimum gain chargeback pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i) or 6.1(d)(ii)). The foregoing definition of Adjusted Capital Account is intended to comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith. The “Adjusted Capital Account” of a Partner in respect of a General Partner Unit, a Common Unit, a Subordinated Unit or an Incentive Distribution Right or any other Partnership Interest shall be the amount that such Adjusted Capital Account would be if such General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest were the only interest in the Partnership held by such Partner from and after the date on which such General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest was first issued.

     “Adjusted Operating Surplus” means, with respect to any period, Operating Surplus generated with respect to such period (a) less any net decrease in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures with respect to such period not relating to an Operating Expenditure made with respect to such period, and (b) plus (i) any net decrease made in subsequent periods in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures initially established with respect to such period and (ii) any net increase in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures with respect to such period required by any debt instrument for the repayment of principal, interest or premium. Adjusted Operating Surplus does not include that portion of Operating Surplus included in clause (a)(i) of the definition of Operating Surplus.

     “Adjusted Property” means any property the Carrying Value of which has been adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or 5.5(d)(ii).

     “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Person in question. As used herein, the term “control” means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

     “Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments” means, as of the end of any taxable period, the sum of the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of all the Partners.

     “Agreed Allocation” means any allocation, other than a Required Allocation, of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.1, including a Curative Allocation (if appropriate to the context in which the term “Agreed Allocation” is used).

     “Agreed Value” of any Contributed Property means the fair market value of such property or other consideration at the time of contribution as determined by the General Partner. The General Partner shall use such method as it determines to be appropriate to allocate the aggregate Agreed Value of Contributed Properties contributed to the Partnership in a single or integrated transaction among each separate property on a basis proportional to the fair market value of each Contributed Property.

     “Agreement” means this First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P., as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.

     “Associate” means, when used to indicate a relationship with any Person, (a) any corporation or organization of which such Person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock or other voting interest; (b) any trust or other estate in which such Person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such Person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (c) any relative or spouse of such Person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same principal residence as such Person.

     “Available Cash” means, with respect to any Quarter ending prior to the Liquidation Date:

     (a) the sum of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand at the end of such Quarter, and (ii) if the General Partner so determines, all or any portion of any additional cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand on the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter, less

     (b) the amount of any cash reserves established by the General Partner to (i) provide for the proper conduct of the business of the Partnership Group (including reserves for future capital expenditures and for anticipated future credit needs of the Partnership Group) subsequent to such Quarter, (ii) comply with applicable law or any loan agreement, security agreement, mortgage, debt instrument or other agreement or obligation to which any Group Member is a party or by which it is bound or its assets are subject or (iii) provide funds for distributions under Section 6.4 or 6.5 in respect of any one or more of the next four Quarters; provided, however, that the General Partner may not establish cash reserves pursuant to (iii) above if the effect of such reserves would be that the Partnership is unable to distribute the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all Common Units, plus any Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage on all Common Units, with respect to such Quarter; and, provided further, that disbursements made by a Group Member or cash reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such Quarter but on or before the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter shall

be deemed to have been made, established, increased or reduced, for purposes of determining Available Cash, within such Quarter if the General Partner so determines.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Available Cash” with respect to the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter shall equal zero.

     “Board of Directors” means, with respect to the Board of Directors of the General Partner, its board of directors or managers, as applicable, if a corporation or limited liability company, or if a limited partnership, the board of directors or board of managers of the general partner of the General Partner.

     “Book Basis Derivative Items” means any item of income, deduction, gain or loss included in the determination of Net Income or Net Loss that is computed with reference to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property (e.g., depreciation, depletion, or gain or loss with respect to an Adjusted Property).

     “Book-Down Event” means an event that triggers a negative adjustment to the Capital Accounts of the Partners pursuant to Section 5.5(d).

     “Book-Tax Disparity” means with respect to any item of Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, as of the date of any determination, the difference between the Carrying Value of such Contributed Property or Adjusted Property and the adjusted basis thereof for federal income tax purposes as of such date. A Partner’s share of the Partnership’s Book-Tax Disparities in all of its Contributed Property and Adjusted Property will be reflected by the difference between such Partner’s Capital Account balance as maintained pursuant to Section 5.5 and the hypothetical balance of such Partner’s Capital Account computed as if it had been maintained strictly in accordance with federal income tax accounting principles.

     “Book-Up Event” means an event that triggers a positive adjustment to the Capital Accounts of the Partners pursuant to Section 5.5(d).

     “Business Day” means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or the State of New York shall not be regarded as a Business Day.

     “Capital Account” means the capital account maintained for a Partner pursuant to Section 5.5. The “Capital Account” of a Partner in respect of a General Partner Unit, a Common Unit, a Subordinated Unit, an Incentive Distribution Right or any Partnership Interest shall be the amount that such Capital Account would be if such General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest were the only interest in the Partnership held by such Partner from and after the date on which such General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest was first issued.

     “Capital Contribution” means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of Contributed Property that a Partner contributes to the Partnership.

     “Capital Improvement” means any (a) addition or improvement to the capital assets owned by any Group Member, (b) acquisition of existing, or the construction of new, capital assets (including, without limitation, gathering lines, treating facilities, processing plants, fractionation facilities, pipelines, terminals, docks, truck racks, tankage and other storage, distribution or transportation facilities and related or similar midstream assets) or (c) capital contributions by a Group Member to a Person in which a Group Member has an equity interest to fund such Group Member’s pro rata share of the cost of the acquisition of existing, or the construction of new, capital assets (including, without limitation, gathering lines, treating facilities, processing plants, fractionation facilities, pipelines, terminals, docks, truck racks, tankage and other storage, distribution or transportation facilities and related or similar midstream assets) by such Person, in each case if such addition, improvement, acquisition or construction is made to increase the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group, in the case of clauses (a) and (b), or such Person, in the case of clause (c), from the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group or such Person, as the case may be, existing immediately prior to such addition, improvement, acquisition or construction.

     “Capital Surplus” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.3(a).

     “Carrying Value” means (a) with respect to a Contributed Property, the Agreed Value of such property reduced (but not below zero) by all depreciation, amortization and cost recovery deductions charged to the Partners’ Capital Accounts in respect of such Contributed Property, and (b) with respect to any other Partnership property, the adjusted basis of such property for federal income tax purposes, all as of the time of determination. The Carrying Value of any property shall be adjusted from time to time in accordance with Sections 5.5(d)(i) and 5.5(d)(ii) and to reflect changes, additions or other adjustments to the Carrying Value for dispositions and acquisitions of Partnership properties, as deemed appropriate by the General Partner.

     “Cause” means a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable judgment finding the General Partner liable for actual fraud or willful misconduct in its capacity as a general partner of the Partnership.

     “Certificate” means (a) a certificate (i) substantially in the form of Exhibit A to this Agreement, (ii) issued in global form in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Depositary or (iii) in such other form as may be adopted by the General Partner, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more Common Units or (b) a certificate, in such form as may be adopted by the General Partner, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more other Partnership Securities.

     “Certificate of Limited Partnership” means the Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Partnership filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as referenced in Section 7.2, as such Certificate of Limited Partnership may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.

     “Citizenship Certification” means a properly completed certificate in such form as may be specified by the General Partner by which a Limited Partner certifies that he (and if he is a nominee holding for the account of another Person, that to the best of his knowledge such other Person) is an Eligible Citizen.

     “Claim” (as used in Section 7.12(d)) has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.12(d).

     “Closing Date” means the first date on which Common Units are sold by the Partnership to the Underwriters pursuant to the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.

     “Closing Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).

     “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to time. Any reference herein to a specific section or sections of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any corresponding provision of any successor law.

     “Combined Interest” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.3(a).

     “Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

     “Commodity Hedge Contract” means any commodity exchange, swap, forward, cap, floor collar or other similar agreement or arrangement, each of which is for the purpose of hedging the exposure of the Partnership Group to fluctuations in the price of hydrocarbons in their operations and not for speculative purposes.

     “Common Unit” means a Partnership Security representing a fractional part of the Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees, and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to Common Units in this Agreement. The term “Common Unit” does not include a Subordinated Unit prior to its conversion into a Common Unit pursuant to the terms hereof.

     “Common Unit Arrearage” means, with respect to any Common Unit, whenever issued, as to any Quarter within the Subordination Period, the excess, if any, of (a) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution with respect to a Common Unit in respect of such Quarter over (b) the sum of all Available Cash distributed with respect to a Common Unit in respect of such Quarter pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(i).

     “Conflicts Committee” means a committee of the Board of Directors of the General Partner composed entirely of two or more directors, each of whom (a) is not a security holder, officer or employee of the General Partner, (b) is not an officer, director or employee of any Affiliate of the General Partner, (c) is not a holder of any ownership interest in the Partnership Group other than Common Units and (d) meets the independence standards required of directors who serve on an audit committee of a board of directors established by the Securities Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and by the National Securities Exchange on which the Common Units are listed or admitted to trading.

     “Contributed Property” means each property or other asset, in such form as may be permitted by the Delaware Act, but excluding cash, contributed to the Partnership. Once the Carrying Value of a Contributed Property is adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d), such property shall no longer constitute a Contributed Property, but shall be deemed an Adjusted Property.

     “Contribution Agreement” means that certain Contribution and Conveyance Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among the General Partner, the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and certain other parties, together with the additional conveyance documents and instruments contemplated or referenced thereunder, as such may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.

     “Credit Agreement” means the Amended and Restated Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of August 31, 2006, among our Operating Partnership, the Partnership, the subsidiaries of the Partnership, and Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., as administrative agent for the lenders named therein.

     “Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage” means, with respect to any Common Unit, whenever issued, and as of the end of any Quarter, the excess, if any, of (a) the sum resulting from adding together the Common Unit Arrearage as to an Initial Common Unit for each of the Quarters within the Subordination Period ending on or before the last day of such Quarter over (b) the sum of any distributions theretofore made pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(ii) and the second sentence of Section 6.5 with respect to an Initial Common Unit (including any distributions to be made in respect of the last of such Quarters).

     “Curative Allocation” means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.1(d)(xi).

     “Current Market Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).

     “Delaware Act” means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, 6 Del C. Section 17-101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to such statute.

     “Departing General Partner” means a former General Partner from and after the effective date of any withdrawal or removal of such former General Partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or Section 11.2.

     “Depositary” means, with respect to any Units issued in global form, The Depository Trust Company and its successors and permitted assigns.

     “Economic Risk of Loss” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-2(a).

     “Eligible Citizen” means a Person qualified to own interests in real property in jurisdictions in which any Group Member does business or proposes to do business from time to time, and whose status as a Limited Partner the General Partner determines does not or would not subject such Group Member to a significant risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any of its properties or any interest therein.

     “Estimated Incremental Quarterly Tax Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.9.

     “Event of Withdrawal” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.1(a).

     “Existing Registration Rights Agreement” means the March 2006 Private Investors’ Registration Rights Agreement.

     “Expansion Capital Expenditures” means cash expenditures for Acquisitions or Capital Improvements, and shall not include Maintenance Capital Expenditures.

     “Final Subordinated Units” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(d)(x).

     “First Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(D).

     “First Target Distribution” means $0.4169 per Unit per Quarter (or, with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2006, it means the product of $0.4169 multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of days in such period, and of which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.

     “Fully Diluted Basis” means, when calculating the number of Outstanding Units for any period, a basis that includes, in addition to the Outstanding Units, all Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the Partnership (a) that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Units that are senior to or pari passu with the Subordinated Units, (b) whose conversion, exercise or exchange price is less than the Current Market Price on the date of such calculation, (c) that may be converted into or exercised or exchanged for such Units prior to or during the Quarter immediately following the end of the period for which the calculation is being made without the satisfaction of any contingency beyond the control of the holder other than the payment of consideration and the compliance with administrative mechanics applicable to such conversion, exercise or exchange and (d) that were not converted into or exercised or exchanged for such Units during the period for which the calculation is being made; provided, however, that for purposes of determining the number of Outstanding Units on a Fully Diluted Basis when calculating whether the Subordination Period has ended or Subordinated Units are entitled to convert into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.7, such Partnership Securities, options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights shall be deemed to have been Outstanding Units only for the four Quarters that comprise the last four Quarters of the measurement period; provided, further, that if consideration will be paid to any Group Member in connection with such conversion, exercise or exchange, the number of Units to be included in such calculation shall be that number equal to the difference between (i) the number of Units issuable upon such conversion, exercise or exchange and (ii) the number of Units that such consideration would purchase at the Current Market Price.

     “General Partner” means Eagle Rock Energy GP, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and its successors and permitted assigns that are admitted to the Partnership as general partner of the Partnership, in its capacity as general partner of the Partnership (except as the context otherwise requires).

     “General Partner Interest” means the ownership interest of the General Partner in the Partnership (in its capacity as a general partner without reference to any Limited Partner Interest

held by it), which is evidenced by General Partner Units, and includes any and all benefits to which the General Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together with all obligations of the General Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement.

     “General Partner Unit” means a fractional part of the General Partner Interest having the rights and obligations specified with respect to the General Partner Interest. A General Partner Unit is not a Unit.

     “Group” means a Person that with or through any of its Affiliates or Associates has any contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to 10 or more Persons), exercising investment power or disposing of any Partnership Interests with any other Person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or Associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, Partnership Interests.

     “Group Member” means a member of the Partnership Group.

     “Group Member Agreement” means the partnership agreement of any Group Member, other than the Partnership, that is a limited or general partnership, the limited liability company agreement of any Group Member that is a limited liability company, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws or similar organizational documents of any Group Member that is a corporation, the joint venture agreement or similar governing document of any Group Member that is a joint venture and the governing or organizational or similar documents of any other Group Member that is a Person other than a limited or general partnership, limited liability company, corporation or joint venture, as such may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.

     “Holder” as used in Section 7.12, has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.12(a).

     “Incentive Distribution Right” means a non-voting Limited Partner Interest issued to the General Partner in connection with the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, which Limited Partner Interest will confer upon the holder thereof only the rights and obligations specifically provided in this Agreement with respect to Incentive Distribution Rights (and no other rights otherwise available to or other obligations of a holder of a Partnership Interest). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the holder of an Incentive Distribution Right shall not be entitled to vote such Incentive Distribution Right on any Partnership matter except as may otherwise be required by law.

     “Incentive Distributions” means any amount of cash distributed to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights pursuant to Sections 6.4(a)(v), (vi) and (vii) and 6.4(b)(iii), (iv) and (v).

     “Indemnified Persons” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.12(d).

     “Indemnitee” means (a) the General Partner, (b) any Departing General Partner, (c) any Person who is or was an Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (d) any Person who is or was serving at the request of the General Partner or any Departing General

Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner as a member, partner, director, officer, fiduciary or trustee of any Group Member, the General Partner or any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of any Group Member, the General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (e) any Person who is or was serving at the request of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner as an officer, director, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person; provided that a Person shall not be an Indemnitee by reason of providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services, and (f) any Person the General Partner designates as an “Indemnitee” for purposes of this Agreement.

     “Initial Common Units” means the Common Units sold in the Initial Offering.

     “Initial Limited Partners” means Eagle Rock Holdings, L.P. (with respect to the Common Units and Subordinated Units received by it pursuant to Section 5.2) and the General Partner (with respect to the Incentive Distribution Rights received by it pursuant to Section 5.2), the Persons named on Schedule A to the Contribution Agreement (with respect to the Common Units received by them pursuant to Section 5.2) and the Underwriters upon the issuance by the Partnership of Common Units as described in Section 5.3 in connection with the Initial Offering.

     “Initial Offering” means the initial offering and sale of Common Units to the public, as described in the Registration Statement.

     “Initial Unit Price” means (a) with respect to the Common Units, the initial public offering price per Common Unit at which the Underwriters offered the Common Units to the public for sale as set forth on the cover page of the prospectus included as part of the Registration Statement and first issued at or after the time the Registration Statement first became effective or (b) with respect to any other class or series of Units, the price per Unit at which such class or series of Units is initially sold by the Partnership, as determined by the General Partner, in each case adjusted as the General Partner determines to be appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or combination of Units.

     “Interim Capital Transactions” means the following transactions if they occur prior to the Liquidation Date: (a) borrowings, refinancings or refundings of indebtedness (other than for items purchased on open account in the ordinary course of business) by any Group Member and sales of debt securities of any Group Member; (b) sales of equity interests of any Group Member (including the Common Units sold to the Underwriters pursuant to the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option); (c) sales or other voluntary or involuntary dispositions of any assets of any Group Member other than (i) sales or other dispositions of inventory, accounts receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) sales or other dispositions of assets as part of normal retirements or replacements; (d) the termination of Commodity Hedge Contracts and interest rate swap agreements; (e) capital contributions received; or (f) corporate reorganizations or restructurings.

     “Issue Price” means the price at which a Unit is purchased from the Partnership, net of any sales commission or underwriting discount charged to the Partnership.

     “June 2006 Private Investors” means the private investors, including Natural Gas Partners VII, L.P., that received 1,125,416 common units in our Operating Partnership in June 2006 as consideration for our acquisition of Midstream Gas Services, L.P.

     “Limited Partner” means, unless the context otherwise requires, the Organizational Limited Partner prior to its withdrawal from the Partnership, each Initial Limited Partner, each additional Person that becomes a Limited Partner pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and any Departing General Partner upon the change of its status from General Partner to Limited Partner pursuant to Section 11.3, in each case, in such Person’s capacity as limited partner of the Partnership; provided, however, that when the term “Limited Partner” is used herein in the context of any vote or other approval, including Articles XIII and XIV, such term shall not, solely for such purpose, include any holder of an Incentive Distribution Right (solely with respect to its Incentive Distribution Rights and not with respect to any other Limited Partner Interest held by such Person) except as may otherwise be required by law.

     “Limited Partner Interest” means the ownership interest of a Limited Partner in the Partnership, which may be evidenced by Common Units, Subordinated Units, Incentive Distribution Rights or other Partnership Securities or a combination thereof or interest therein, and includes any and all benefits to which such Limited Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together with all obligations of such Limited Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that when the term “Limited Partner Interest” is used herein in the context of any vote or other approval, including Articles XIII and XIV, such term shall not, solely for such purpose, include any Incentive Distribution Right except as may otherwise be required by law.

     “Liquidation Date” means (a) in the case of an event giving rise to the dissolution of the Partnership of the type described in clauses (a) and (b) of the first sentence of Section 12.2, the date on which the applicable time period during which the holders of Outstanding Units have the right to elect to continue the business of the Partnership has expired without such an election being made, and (b) in the case of any other event giving rise to the dissolution of the Partnership, the date on which such event occurs.

     “Liquidator” means one or more Persons selected by the General Partner to perform the functions described in Section 12.4 as liquidating trustee of the Partnership within the meaning of the Delaware Act.

     “Maintenance Capital Expenditures” means cash expenditures (including expenditures for the addition or improvement to the capital assets owned by any Group Member or for the acquisition of existing, or the construction of new, capital assets) if such expenditures are made to maintain, including over the long term, the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group.

     “March 2006 Private Investors” means the private investors that contributed $98.3 million to our Operating Partnership in March 2006 in exchange for 5,455,050 common units in our Operating Partnership.

     “March 2006 Private Investors’ Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 27, 2006, by and among the Operating Partnership and certain investors named therein.

     “Merger Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.1.

     “Minimum Quarterly Distribution” means $0.3625 per Unit per Quarter (or with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2006, it means the product of $0.3625 multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of days in such period and of which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.

     “National Securities Exchange” means an exchange registered with the Commission under Section 6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, and any successor to such statute, or the Nasdaq Stock Market or any successor thereto.

     “Net Agreed Value” means, (a) in the case of any Contributed Property, the Agreed Value of such property reduced by any liabilities either assumed by the Partnership upon such contribution or to which such property is subject when contributed, (b) in the case of any property distributed to a Partner by the Partnership, the Partnership’s Carrying Value of such property (as adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(ii)) at the time such property is distributed, reduced by any indebtedness either assumed by such Partner upon such distribution or to which such property is subject at the time of distribution, in either case, as determined under Section 752 of the Code, and (c) in the case of a contribution of Common Units by the General Partner to the Partnership as a Capital Contribution pursuant to Section 5.2(b), an amount per Common Unit contributed equal to the Current Market Price per Common Unit as of the date of the contribution.

     “Net Income” means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net Income shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided, that the determination of the items that have been specially allocated under Section 6.1(d) shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(xii) were not in this Agreement.

     “Net Loss” means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net Loss shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided, that the determination of the items that have been specially allocated under Section 6.1(d) shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(xii) were not in this Agreement.

     “Net Positive Adjustments” means, with respect to any Partner, the excess, if any, of the total positive adjustments over the total negative adjustments made to the Capital Account of such Partner pursuant to Book-Up Events and Book-Down Events.

     “Net Termination Gain” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if positive, of all items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The items included in the determination of Net Termination Gain shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items of income, gain or loss specially allocated under Section 6.1(d).

     “Net Termination Loss” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if negative, of all items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The items included in the determination of Net Termination Loss shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items of income, gain or loss specially allocated under Section 6.1(d).

     “Non-citizen Assignee” means a Person whom the General Partner has determined does not constitute an Eligible Citizen and as to whose Partnership Interest the General Partner has become the substituted Limited Partner, pursuant to Section 4.9.

     “Nonrecourse Built-in Gain” means with respect to any Contributed Properties or Adjusted Properties that are subject to a mortgage or pledge securing a Nonrecourse Liability, the amount of any taxable gain that would be allocated to the Partners pursuant to Sections 6.2(b)(i)(A), 6.2(b)(ii)(A) and 6.2(b)(iii) if such properties were disposed of in a taxable transaction in full satisfaction of such liabilities and for no other consideration.

     “Nonrecourse Deductions” means any and all items of loss, deduction or expenditure (including any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code) that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b), are attributable to a Nonrecourse Liability.

     “Nonrecourse Liability” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-1(a)(2).

     “Notice of Election to Purchase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(b).

     “Omnibus Agreement” means that certain Omnibus Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among the General Partner, the Partnership, Eagle Rock Energy GRP, LLC and Eagle Rock Holding, L.P. and certain other parties thereto, as such may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.

     “Operating Expenditures” means all Partnership Group cash expenditures, including, but not limited to the following: taxes; reimbursements of the General Partner in accordance with this Agreement; interest payments; payments made in the ordinary course of business under Commodity Hedge Contracts (excluding payments made in connection with the termination of any Commodity Hedge Contract prior to the expiration of its terms), provided that with respect to amounts paid in connection with the initial purchase or placing of a Commodity Hedge Contract, such amounts shall be amortized over the life of the applicable Commodity Hedge

Contract and upon its termination, if earlier; Maintenance Capital Expenditures and non-Pro Rata repurchases of Units (other than those made with the proceeds of an Interim Capital Transaction), subject to the following:

     (a) payments (including prepayments and prepayment penalties) of principal of and premium on indebtedness shall not constitute Operating Expenditures; and

     (b) Operating Expenditures shall not include (i) Expansion Capital Expenditures, (ii) payment of transaction expenses (including taxes) relating to Interim Capital Transactions or (iii) distributions to Partners. Where capital expenditures consist of both Maintenance Capital Expenditures and Expansion Capital Expenditures, the General Partner, with the concurrence of the Conflicts Committee, shall determine the allocation between the portion consisting of Maintenance Capital Expenditures and the portion consisting of Expansion Capital Expenditures and, with respect to the part of such capital expenditures consisting of Maintenance Capital Expenditures, the period over which the capital expenditures made for other purposes will be deducted as an Operating Expenditure in calculating Operating Surplus.

     “Operating Partnership” means Eagle Rock Pipeline, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and any successors thereto.

     “Operating Surplus” means, with respect to any period ending prior to the Liquidation Date, on a cumulative basis and without duplication,

     (a) the sum of (i) an amount equal to four times the amount needed for any one Quarter for the Partnership to pay a distribution on all Units, the General Partner Units and the Incentive Distribution Rights at the same per Unit amount as was distributed immediately preceding the date of determination (or with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2006, it means the product of (a)(i) $1.45 multiplied by (ii) a fraction of which the numerator is the number of days in such period and the denominator is 92 multiplied by (b) the number of Units and General Partner Units Outstanding on the Record Date with respect to such period, and with respect to the Quarter ending March 31, 2007, it means the product of (a) $1.45 and (b) the number of Units and General Partner Units Outstanding on the Record Date with respect to such quarter), and (ii) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of such period, but excluding cash receipts from Interim Capital Transactions (except to the extent specified in Section 6.5), less

     (b) the sum of (i) Operating Expenditures for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of such period (other than Operating Expenditures funded with cash reserves established pursuant to clause (ii) of this paragraph (b)) and (ii) the amount of cash reserves established by the General Partner to provide funds for future Operating Expenditures; provided, however, that disbursements made (including contributions to a Group Member or disbursements on behalf of a Group Member) or cash reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such period but on or before the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such period shall be deemed to have been made, established, increased or reduced, for

purposes of determining Operating Surplus, within such period if the General Partner so determines.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Operating Surplus” with respect to the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter shall equal zero. In addition, any increase in “Operating Surplus” pursuant to (a)(i) above in respect of an increase in the quarterly distribution rate per Unit, an increase in Outstanding Units or other action with respect to Outstanding Units shall only be effective from and after the Quarter in which such increase or other action occurs, and shall not be effective retroactively. In addition, the maximum amount included in “Operating Surplus” pursuant to (a)(i) above during the term of the Partnership shall not exceed four times the amount needed for any one Quarter to pay a distribution on all Units, the General Partner Units and the Incentive Distribution Rights at the highest distribution rate per Unit (as adjusted for any split or combination of Units) paid on Outstanding Units as of the date such determination is made.

     “Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel to the Partnership or the General Partner or any of its Affiliates) acceptable to the General Partner.

     “Option Closing Date” means the date or dates on which any Common Units are sold by the Partnership to the Underwriters upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option.

     “Organizational Limited Partner” means Eagle Rock Holdings, L.P. in its capacity as the organizational limited partner of the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement.

     “Outstanding” means, with respect to Partnership Securities, all Partnership Securities that are issued by the Partnership and reflected as outstanding on the Partnership’s books and records as of the date of determination; provided, however, that if at any time any Person or Group (other than the General Partner or its Affiliates) beneficially owns 20% or more of the Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding, all Partnership Securities owned by such Person or Group shall not be voted on any matter and shall not be considered to be Outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of Limited Partners to vote on any matter (unless otherwise required by law), calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes under this Agreement, except that Units so owned shall be considered to be Outstanding for purposes of Section 11.1(b)(iv) (such Units shall not, however, be treated as a separate class of Partnership Securities for purposes of this Agreement); provided, further, that the foregoing limitation shall not apply to (i) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more of the Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding directly from the General Partner or its Affiliates, (ii) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more of the Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding directly or indirectly from a Person or Group described in clause (i) provided that the General Partner shall have notified such Person or Group in writing that such limitation shall not apply, or (iii) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more of any Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership with the prior approval of the Board of Directors.

     “Over-Allotment Option” means the over-allotment option granted to the Underwriters by the Partnership pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

     “Partner Nonrecourse Debt” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b)(4).

     “Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(2).

     “Partner Nonrecourse Deductions” means any and all items of loss, deduction or expenditure (including any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code) that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i), are attributable to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt.

     “Partners” means the General Partner and the Limited Partners.

     “Partnership” means Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.

     “Partnership Group” means the Partnership and its Subsidiaries treated as a single consolidated entity.

     “Partnership Interest” means an interest in the Partnership, which shall include the General Partner Interest and Limited Partner Interests.

     “Partnership Minimum Gain” means that amount determined in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(d).

     “Partnership Security” means any class or series of equity interest in the Partnership (but excluding any options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the Partnership), including Common Units, Subordinated Units, General Partner Units and Incentive Distribution Rights.

     “Per Unit Capital Amount” means, as of any date of determination, the Capital Account, stated on a per Unit basis, underlying any Unit held by a Person other than the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner who holds Units.

     “Percentage Interest” means as of any date of determination (a) as to the General Partner with respect to General Partner Units and as to any Unitholder with respect to Units, the product obtained by multiplying (i) 100% less the percentage applicable to clause (b) below by (ii) the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the number of General Partner Units held by the General Partner or the number of Units held by such Unitholder, as the case may be, by (B) the total number of Outstanding Units and General Partner Units, and (b) as to the holders of other Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership in accordance with Section 5.6, the percentage established as a part of such issuance. The Percentage Interest with respect to an Incentive Distribution Right shall at all times be zero.

     “Person” means an individual or a corporation, firm, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, government agency or political subdivision thereof or other entity.

     “Private Investors” means the March 2006 Private Investors and the June 2006 Private Investors, collectively.

     “Pro Rata” means (a) when used with respect to Units or any class thereof, apportioned equally among all designated Units in accordance with their relative Percentage Interests, (b) when used with respect to Partners and Assignees or Record Holders, apportioned among all Partners and Assignees or Record Holders in accordance with their relative Percentage Interests and (c) when used with respect to holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, apportioned equally among all holders of Incentive Distribution Rights in accordance with the relative number or percentage of Incentive Distribution Rights held by each such holder.

     “Purchase Date” means the date determined by the General Partner as the date for purchase of all Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of a certain class (other than Limited Partner Interests owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates) pursuant to Article XV.

     “Quarter” means, unless the context requires otherwise, a fiscal quarter of the Partnership, or, with respect to the first fiscal quarter of the Partnership after the Closing Date, the portion of such fiscal quarter after the Closing Date.

     “Recapture Income” means any gain recognized by the Partnership (computed without regard to any adjustment required by Section 734 or Section 743 of the Code) upon the disposition of any property or asset of the Partnership, which gain is characterized as ordinary income because it represents the recapture of deductions previously taken with respect to such property or asset.

     “Record Date” means the date established by the General Partner or otherwise in accordance with this Agreement for determining (a) the identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, any meeting of Limited Partners or entitled to vote by ballot or give approval of Partnership action in writing without a meeting or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any lawful action of Limited Partners or (b) the identity of Record Holders entitled to receive any report or distribution or to participate in any offer.

     “Record Holder” means the Person in whose name a Common Unit is registered on the books of the Transfer Agent as of the opening of business on a particular Business Day, or with respect to other Partnership Interests, the Person in whose name any such other Partnership Interest is registered on the books that the General Partner has caused to be kept as of the opening of business on such Business Day.

     “Redeemable Interests” means any Partnership Interests for which a redemption notice has been given, and has not been withdrawn, pursuant to Section 4.10.

     “Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement on Form S-1 as it has been or as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, filed by the Partnership with the Commission under the Securities Act to register the offering and sale of the Common Units in the Initial Offering.

     “Remaining Net Positive Adjustments” means as of the end of any taxable period, (i) with respect to the Unitholders holding Common Units, or Subordinated Units, the excess of (a)

the Net Positive Adjustments of the Unitholders holding Common Units, or Subordinated Units as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of those Partners’ Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for each prior taxable period, (ii) with respect to the General Partner (as holder of the General Partner Units), the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the General Partner as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of the General Partner’s Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items with respect to the General Partner Units for each prior taxable period, and (iii) with respect to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of the Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items of the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights for each prior taxable period.

     “Required Allocations” means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of Net Losses or Net Termination Losses under Section 6.1(b) or Section 6.1(c)(ii) and (b) any allocation of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i), Section 6.1(d)(ii), Section 6.1(d)(iv), Section 6.1(d)(vii) or Section 6.1(d)(ix).

     “Residual Gain” or “Residual Loss” means any item of gain or loss, as the case may be, of the Partnership recognized for federal income tax purposes resulting from a sale, exchange or other disposition of a Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, to the extent such item of gain or loss is not allocated pursuant to Section 6.2(b)(i)(A) or Section 6.2(b)(ii)(A), respectively, to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.

     “Retained Converted Subordinated Unit” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.5(c)(ii).

     “Second Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(E).

     “Second Target Distribution” means $0.4531 per Unit per Quarter (or, with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2006, it means the product of $0.4531 multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is equal to the number of days in such period and of which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.

     “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute.

     “Securities Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute.

     “Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items” means in connection with any allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for any taxable period, (i) with respect to the Unitholders holding Common Units or Subordinated Units, the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the Unitholders’ Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that time, (ii) with respect to the General Partner (as holder of the General Partner Units), the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the General Partner’s Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the end of such period

bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustment as of that time, and (iii) with respect to the Partners holding Incentive Distribution Rights, the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of the Partners holding the Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that time.

     “Special Approval” means approval by a majority of the members of the Conflicts Committee.

     “Subordinated Unit” means a Partnership Security representing a fractional part of the Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to Subordinated Units in this Agreement. The term “Subordinated Unit” does not include a Common Unit. A Subordinated Unit that is convertible into a Common Unit shall not constitute a Common Unit until such conversion occurs.

     “Subordination Period” means the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the first to occur of the following dates:

     (a) the first date on which there are no longer outstanding any Subordinated Units due to the conversion of Subordinated Units into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.7 or otherwise; and

     (b) the date on which the General Partner is removed as general partner of the Partnership upon the requisite vote by holders of Outstanding Units under circumstances where Cause does not exist and Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates are not voted in favor of such removal.

     “Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (a) a corporation of which more than 50% of the voting power of shares entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors or other governing body of such corporation is owned, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or a combination thereof, (b) a partnership (whether general or limited) in which such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person is, at the date of determination, a general or limited partner of such partnership, but only if more than 50% of the partnership interests of such partnership (considering all of the partnership interests of the partnership as a single class) is owned, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or a combination thereof, or (c) any other Person (other than a corporation or a partnership) in which such Person, one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or a combination thereof, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, has (i) at least a majority ownership interest or (ii) the power to elect or direct the election of a majority of the directors or other governing body of such Person.

     “Surviving Business Entity” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.2(b).

     “Target Distribution” means, collectively, the First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution and Third Target Distribution.

     “Third Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(F).

     “Third Target Distribution” means $0.5438 per Unit per Quarter (or, with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2006, it means the product of $0.5438 multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is equal to the number of days in such period and of which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.

     “Trading Day” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).

     “Transfer” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.4(a).

     “Transfer Agent” means such bank, trust company or other Person (including the General Partner or one of its Affiliates) as shall be appointed from time to time by the General Partner to act as registrar and transfer agent for the Common Units; provided, that if no Transfer Agent is specifically designated for any other Partnership Securities, the General Partner shall act in such capacity.

     “Underwriter” means each Person named as an underwriter in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement who purchases Common Units pursuant thereto.

     “Underwriting Agreement” means that certain Underwriting Agreement dated as of October 24, 2006 among the Underwriters, the Partnership, the General Partner, the Operating Partnership and other parties thereto, providing for the purchase of Common Units by the Underwriters.

     “Unit” means a Partnership Security that is designated as a “Unit” and shall include Common Units and Subordinated Units but shall not include (i) General Partner Units (or the General Partner Interest represented thereby) or (ii) Incentive Distribution Rights.

     “Unit Majority” means (i) during the Subordination Period, at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates), voting as a class, and at least a majority of the Outstanding Subordinated Units, voting as a class, and (ii) after the end of the Subordination Period, at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units voting as a class.

     “Unitholders” means the holders of Units.

     “Unpaid MQD” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(B).

     “Unrealized Gain” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined under Section 5.5(d)) over (b) the Carrying Value of such property as of such date (prior to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date).

     “Unrealized Loss” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the Carrying Value of such property as of such date

(prior to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date) over (b) the fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined under Section 5.5(d)).

     “Unrecovered Initial Unit Price” means at any time, with respect to a Unit, the Initial Unit Price less the sum of all distributions constituting Capital Surplus theretofore made in respect of an Initial Common Unit and any distributions of cash (or the Net Agreed Value of any distributions in kind) in connection with the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership theretofore made in respect of an Initial Common Unit, adjusted as the General Partner determines to be appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or combination of such Units.

     “U.S. GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.

     “Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.1(b).

     Section 1.2 Construction . Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (b) references to Articles and Sections refer to Articles and Sections of this Agreement; (c) the terms “include”, “includes”, “including” or words of like import shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; and (d) the terms “hereof”, “herein” or “hereunder” refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The table of contents and headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only, and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION

     Section 2.1 Formation . The General Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner have previously formed the Partnership as a limited partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Act and hereby amend and restate the original Agreement of Limited Partnership of Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P. in its entirety. This amendment and restatement shall become effective on the date of this Agreement. Except as expressly provided to the contrary in this Agreement, the rights, duties (including fiduciary duties), liabilities and obligations of the Partners and the administration, dissolution and termination of the Partnership shall be governed by the Delaware Act. All Partnership Interests shall constitute personal property of the owner thereof for all purposes.

     Section 2.2 Name . The name of the Partnership shall be “Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P.” The Partnership’s business may be conducted under any other name or names as determined by the General Partner, including the name of the General Partner. The words “Limited Partnership,” “L.P.,” “Ltd.” or similar words or letters shall be included in the Partnership’s name where necessary for the purpose of complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that so requires. The General Partner may change the name of the Partnership at any

time and from time to time and shall notify the Limited Partners of such change in the next regular communication to the Limited Partners.

     Section 2.3 Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices . Unless and until changed by the General Partner, the registered office of the Partnership in the State of Delaware shall be located at 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808-1645, and the registered agent for service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware at such registered office shall be Corporation Service Company. The principal office of the Partnership shall be located at 14950 Heathrow Forest Parkway, Suite 111, Houston, Texas 77032, or such other place as the General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to the Limited Partners. The Partnership may maintain offices at such other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware as the General Partner shall determine necessary or appropriate. The address of the General Partner shall be 14950 Heathrow Forest Parkway, Suite 111, Houston, Texas 77032, or such other place as the General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to the Limited Partners.

     Section 2.4 Purpose and Business . The purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by the Partnership shall be to (a) engage directly in, or enter into or form, hold and dispose of any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity that is approved by the General Partner and that lawfully may be conducted by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Delaware Act and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon the Partnership pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity, and (b) do anything necessary or appropriate to the foregoing, including the making of capital contributions or loans to a Group Member; provided, however, that the General Partner shall not cause the Partnership to engage, directly or indirectly, in any business activity that the General Partner determines would cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the General Partner shall have no duty or obligation to propose or approve, and may decline to propose or approve, the conduct by the Partnership of any business free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to the Partnership or any Limited Partner and, in declining to so propose or approve, shall not be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by this Agreement, any Group Member Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or under the Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation or at equity.

     Section 2.5 Powers . The Partnership shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary or appropriate for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes and business described in Section 2.4 and for the protection and benefit of the Partnership.

     Section 2.6 Power of Attorney .

     (a) Each Limited Partner hereby constitutes and appoints the General Partner and, if a Liquidator shall have been selected pursuant to Section 12.3, the Liquidator (and any successor to the Liquidator by merger, transfer, assignment, election or otherwise) and each of their authorized officers and attorneys-in-fact, as the case may be, with full power of substitution, as his true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority in his name, place and stead, to:

     (i) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public offices (A) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments or restatements hereof or thereof) that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to form, qualify or continue the existence or qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Partnership may conduct business or own property; (B) all certificates, documents and other instruments that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect, in accordance with its terms, any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this Agreement; (C) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including conveyances and a certificate of cancellation) that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; (D) all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Partner pursuant to, or other events described in, Article IV, Article X, Article XI or Article XII; (E) all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the determination of the rights, preferences and privileges of any class or series of Partnership Securities issued pursuant to Section 5.6; and (F) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including agreements and a certificate of merger) relating to a merger, consolidation or conversion of the Partnership pursuant to Article XIV; and

     (ii) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other instruments that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to (A) make, evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action that is made or given by the Partners hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this Agreement or (B) effectuate the terms or intent of this Agreement; provided, that when required by Section 13.3 or any other provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of any class or series required to take any action, the General Partner and the Liquidator may exercise the power of attorney made in this Section 2.6(a)(ii) only after the necessary vote, consent or approval of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of such class or series, as applicable.

Nothing contained in this Section 2.6(a) shall be construed as authorizing the General Partner to amend this Agreement except in accordance with Article XIII or as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement.

     (b) The foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power coupled with an interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, not be affected by the subsequent death, incompetency, disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or termination of any Limited Partner and the transfer of all or any portion of such Limited Partner’s Partnership Interest and shall extend to such Limited Partner’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives. Each such Limited Partner hereby agrees to be bound by any representation made by the General Partner or the Liquidator acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney; and each such Limited Partner, to the maximum extent

permitted by law, hereby waives any and all defenses that may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the General Partner or the Liquidator taken in good faith under such power of attorney. Each Limited Partner shall execute and deliver to the General Partner or the Liquidator, within 15 days after receipt of the request therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney and other instruments as the General Partner or the Liquidator may request in order to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the Partnership.

     Section 2.7 Term . The term of the Partnership commenced upon the filing of the Certificate of Limited Partnership in accordance with the Delaware Act and shall continue in existence until the dissolution of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of Article XII. The existence of the Partnership as a separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of the Certificate of Limited Partnership as provided in the Delaware Act.

     Section 2.8 Title to Partnership Assets . Title to Partnership assets, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no Partner, individually or collectively, shall have any ownership interest in such Partnership assets or any portion thereof. Title to any or all of the Partnership assets may be held in the name of the Partnership, the General Partner, one or more of its Affiliates or one or more nominees, as the General Partner may determine. The General Partner hereby declares and warrants that any Partnership assets for which record title is held in the name of the General Partner or one or more of its Affiliates or one or more nominees shall be held by the General Partner or such Affiliate or nominee for the use and benefit of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that the General Partner shall use reasonable efforts to cause record title to such assets (other than those assets in respect of which the General Partner determines that the expense and difficulty of conveyancing makes transfer of record title to the Partnership impracticable) to be vested in the Partnership as soon as reasonably practicable; provided, further, that, prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner or as soon thereafter as practicable, the General Partner shall use reasonable efforts to effect the transfer of record title to the Partnership and, prior to any such transfer, will provide for the use of such assets in a manner satisfactory to the General Partner. All Partnership assets shall be recorded as the property of the Partnership in its books and records, irrespective of the name in which record title to such Partnership assets is held.

ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED PARTNERS

     Section 3.1 Limitation of Liability . The Limited Partners and assignees shall have no liability under this Agreement except as expressly provided in this Agreement or the Delaware Act.

     Section 3.2 Management of Business . No Limited Partner, in its capacity as such, shall participate in the operation, management or control (within the meaning of the Delaware Act) of the Partnership’s business, transact any business in the Partnership’s name or have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind the Partnership. Any action taken by any Affiliate of the General Partner or any officer, director, employee, manager, member, general partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, or any officer, director, employee, manager, member, general partner, agent or trustee of a Group Member, in its capacity as such,

shall not be deemed to be participation in the control of the business of the Partnership by a limited partner of the Partnership (within the meaning of Section 17-303(a) of the Delaware Act) and shall not affect, impair or eliminate the limitations on the liability of the Limited Partners or assignees under this Agreement.

     Section 3.3 Outside Activities of the Limited Partners . Subject to the provisions of Section 7.5, which shall continue to be applicable to the Persons referred to therein, regardless of whether such Persons shall also be Limited Partners, any Limited Partner shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those relating to the Partnership, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the Partnership Group. Neither the Partnership nor any of the other Partners shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner.

     Section 3.4 Rights of Limited Partners .

     (a) In addition to other rights provided by this Agreement or by applicable law, and except as limited by Section 3.4(b), each Limited Partner shall have the right, for a purpose reasonably related to such Limited Partner’s interest as a Limited Partner in the Partnership, upon reasonable written demand stating the purpose of such demand, and at such Limited Partner’s own expense:

     (i) to obtain true and full information regarding the status of the business and financial condition of the Partnership;

     (ii) promptly after its becoming available, to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s federal, state and local income tax returns for each year;

     (iii) to obtain a current list of the name and last known business, residence or mailing address of each Partner;

     (iv) to obtain a copy of this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments thereto, together with copies of the executed copies of all powers of attorney pursuant to which this Agreement, the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments thereto have been executed;

     (v) to obtain true and full information regarding the amount of cash and a description and statement of the Net Agreed Value of any other Capital Contribution by each Partner and that each Partner has agreed to contribute in the future, and the date on which each Partner became a Partner; and

     (vi) to obtain such other information regarding the affairs of the Partnership as is just and reasonable.

     (b) The General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners, for such period of time as the General Partner deems reasonable, (i) any information that the General Partner reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or (ii) other information the disclosure of which the General Partner in good faith believes (A) is not in the best interests of the Partnership Group, (B) could damage the Partnership Group or its business or (C) that any

Group Member is required by law or by agreement with any third party to keep confidential (other than agreements with Affiliates of the Partnership the primary purpose of which is to circumvent the obligations set forth in this Section 3.4).

ARTICLE IV
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF
PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS

     Section 4.1 Certificates . Upon the Partnership’s issuance of Common Units or Subordinated Units to any Person, the Partnership shall issue, upon the request of such Person, one or more Certificates in the name of such Person evidencing the number of such Units being so issued. In addition, (a) upon the General Partner’s request, the Partnership shall issue to it one or more Certificates in the name of the General Partner evidencing its General Partner Units and (b) upon the request of any Person owning Incentive Distribution Rights or any other Partnership Securities other than Common Units or Subordinated Units, the Partnership shall issue to such Person one or more certificates evidencing such Incentive Distribution Rights or other Partnership Securities other than Common Units, or Subordinated Units. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Partnership by the President or any Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or Vice President and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the General Partner. No Common Unit Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided, however, that if the General Partner elects to issue Common Units in global form, the Common Unit Certificates shall be valid upon receipt of a certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Common Units have been duly registered in accordance with the directions of the Partnership. Subject to the requirements of Section 6.7(c), the Partners holding Certificates evidencing Subordinated Units may exchange such Certificates for Certificates evidencing Common Units on or after the date on which such Subordinated Units are converted into Common Units pursuant to the terms of Section 5.7.

     Section 4.2 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates .

     (a) If any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Transfer Agent (for Common Units) or the General Partner (for Partnership Securities other than Common Units), the appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute, and the Transfer Agent (for Common Units) or the General Partner (for Partnership Securities other than Common Units) shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the same number and type of Partnership Securities as the Certificate so surrendered.

     (b) The appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute and deliver, and the Transfer Agent (for Common Units) shall countersign, a new Certificate in place of any Certificate previously issued if the Record Holder of the Certificate:

     (i) makes proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner, that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen;

     (ii) requests the issuance of a new Certificate before the General Partner has notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good faith and without notice of an adverse claim;

     (iii) if requested by the General Partner, delivers to the General Partner a bond, in form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner, with surety or sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the General Partner may direct to indemnify the Partnership, the Partners, the General Partner and the Transfer Agent against any claim that may be made on account of the alleged loss, destruction or theft of the Certificate; and

     (iv) satisfies any other reasonable requirements imposed by the General Partner.

     If a Limited Partner fails to notify the General Partner within a reasonable period of time after he has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and a transfer of the Limited Partner Interests represented by the Certificate is registered before the Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent receives such notification, the Limited Partner shall be precluded from making any claim against the Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent for such transfer or for a new Certificate.

     (c) As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under this Section 4.2, the General Partner may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent) reasonably connected therewith.

     Section 4.3 Record Holders . The Partnership shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder as the Partner with respect to any Partnership Interest and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to, or interest in, such Partnership Interest on the part of any other Person, regardless of whether the Partnership shall have actual or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed or admitted to trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or in some other representative capacity for another Person in acquiring and/or holding Partnership Interests, as between the Partnership on the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such representative Person shall be the Record Holder of such Partnership Interest.

     Section 4.4 Transfer Generally .

     (a) The term “transfer,” when used in this Agreement with respect to a Partnership Interest, shall be deemed to refer to a transaction (i) by which the General Partner assigns its General Partner Units to another Person or by which a holder of Incentive Distribution Rights assigns its Incentive Distribution Rights to another Person, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise or (ii) by which the holder of a Limited Partner Interest (other than an Incentive Distribution Right) assigns such Limited Partner Interest to another Person who is or becomes a Limited Partner, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise, including any transfer upon foreclosure of any pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or mortgage.

     (b) No Partnership Interest shall be transferred, in whole or in part, except in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Article IV. Any transfer or purported transfer of a Partnership Interest not made in accordance with this Article IV shall be null and void.

     (c) Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent a disposition by any stockholder, member, partner or other owner of the General Partner of any or all of the shares of stock, membership interests, partnership interests or other ownership interests in the General Partner.

     Section 4.5 Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests .

     (a) The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the Partnership a register in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe and subject to the provisions of Section 4.5(b), the Partnership will provide for the registration and transfer of Limited Partner Interests. The Transfer Agent is hereby appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of registering Common Units and transfers of such Common Units as herein provided. The Partnership shall not recognize transfers of Certificates evidencing Limited Partner Interests unless such transfers are effected in the manner described in this Section 4.5. Upon surrender of a Certificate for registration of transfer of any Limited Partner Interests evidenced by a Certificate, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.5(b), the appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute and deliver, and in the case of Common Units, the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s instructions, one or more new Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number and type of Limited Partner Interests as was evidenced by the Certificate so surrendered.

     (b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.9, the General Partner shall not recognize any transfer of Limited Partner Interests until the Certificates evidencing such Limited Partner Interests are surrendered for registration of transfer. No charge shall be imposed by the General Partner for such transfer; provided, that as a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under this Section 4.5, the General Partner may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed with respect thereto.

     (c) Subject to (i) the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.5, (ii) Section 4.3, (iii) Section 4.8, (iv) with respect to any class or series of Limited Partner Interests, the provisions of any statement of designations or an amendment to this Agreement establishing such class or series, (v) any contractual provisions binding on any Limited Partner and (vi) provisions of applicable law including the Securities Act, Limited Partner Interests (other than the Incentive Distribution Rights) shall be freely transferable.

     (d) The General Partner and its Affiliates shall have the right at any time to transfer their Subordinated Units and Common Units (whether issued upon conversion of the Subordinated Units or otherwise) to one or more Persons.

     Section 4.6 Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest .

     (a) Subject to Section 4.6(c) below, prior to September 30, 2016, the General Partner shall not transfer all or any part of its General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units) to a Person unless such transfer (i) has been approved by the prior written consent or vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates) or (ii) is of all, but not less than all, of its General Partner Interest to (A) an Affiliate of the General Partner (other than an individual) or (B) another Person (other than an individual) in connection with the merger or consolidation of the General Partner with or into such other Person or the transfer by the General Partner of all or substantially all of its assets to such other Person.

     (b) Subject to Section 4.6(c) below, on or after September 30, 2016, the General Partner may transfer all or any of its General Partner Interest without Unitholder approval.

     (c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no transfer by the General Partner of all or any part of its General Partner Interest to another Person shall be permitted unless (i) the transferee agrees to assume the rights and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement and to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, (ii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of Counsel that such transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner under the Delaware Act or cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed) and (iii) such transferee also agrees to purchase all (or the appropriate portion thereof, if applicable) of the partnership or membership interest of the General Partner as the general partner or managing member, if any, of each other Group Member. In the case of a transfer pursuant to and in compliance with this Section 4.6, the transferee or successor (as the case may be) shall, subject to compliance with the terms of Section 10.3, be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner immediately prior to the transfer of the General Partner Interest, and the business of the Partnership shall continue without dissolution.

     Section 4.7 Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights . Prior to September 30, 2016, a holder of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of the Incentive Distribution Rights held by such holder without any consent of the Unitholders to (a) an Affiliate of such holder (other than an individual) or (b) another Person (other than an individual) in connection with (i) the merger or consolidation of such holder of Incentive Distribution Rights with or into such other Person, (ii) the transfer by such holder of all or substantially all of its assets to such other Person or (iii) the sale of ownership interests in such holder, provided that, in the case of this clause (iii), the initial holder of the Incentive Distribution Rights continues to remain as the General Partner following such sale. Any other transfer of the Incentive Distribution Rights prior to September 30, 2016, shall require the prior approval of holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates). On or after September 30, 2016, the General Partner or any other holder of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of its Incentive Distribution Rights without Unitholder approval. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights to another Person shall be permitted unless the transferee agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement.

     Section 4.8 Restrictions on Transfers.

     (a) Except as provided in Section 4.8(d) below, but notwithstanding the other provisions of this Article IV, no transfer of any Partnership Interests shall be made if such transfer would (i) violate the then applicable federal or state securities laws or rules and regulations of the Commission, any state securities commission or any other governmental authority with jurisdiction over such transfer, (ii) terminate the existence or qualification of the Partnership under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, or (iii) cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed).

     (b) The General Partner may impose restrictions on the transfer of Partnership Interests if it receives an Opinion of Counsel that such restrictions are necessary to avoid a significant risk of the Partnership becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise becoming taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes. The General Partner may impose such restrictions by amending this Agreement; provided, however, that any amendment that would result in the delisting or suspension of trading of any class of Limited Partner Interests on the principal National Securities Exchange on which such class of Limited Partner Interests is then listed or admitted to trading must be approved, prior to such amendment being effected, by the holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of such class.

     (c) The transfer of a Subordinated Unit that has converted into a Common Unit shall be subject to the restrictions imposed by Section 6.7(c).

     (d) Nothing contained in this Article IV, or elsewhere in this Agreement, shall preclude the settlement of any transactions involving Partnership Interests entered into through the facilities of any National Securities Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed or admitted to trading.

     (e) Each certificate evidencing Partnership Interests shall bear a conspicuous legend in substantially the following form:

THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. THAT THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD (A) VIOLATE THE THEN APPLICABLE FEDERAL OR STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY WITH JURISDICTION OVER SUCH TRANSFER, (B) TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OR QUALIFICATION OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR (C) CAUSE EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. TO BE TREATED AS AN ASSOCIATION TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE TO BE TAXED AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES (TO THE EXTENT NOT ALREADY SO TREATED OR TAXED). EAGLE ROCK ENERGY GP L.P., THE GENERAL PARTNER OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P., MAY IMPOSE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IF IT RECEIVES AN OPINION OF COUNSEL THAT SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID A

SIGNIFICANT RISK OF EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. BECOMING TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT PRECLUDE THE SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THIS SECURITY ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY IS LISTED OR ADMITTED TO TRADING.

     Section 4.9 Citizenship Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees .

     (a) If any Group Member is or becomes subject to any federal, state or local law or regulation that the General Partner determines would create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property in which the Group Member has an interest based on the nationality, citizenship or other related status of a Limited Partner, the General Partner may request any Limited Partner to furnish to the General Partner, within 30 days after receipt of such request, an executed Citizenship Certification or such other information concerning his nationality, citizenship or other related status (or, if the Limited Partner is a nominee holding for the account of another Person, the nationality, citizenship or other related status of such Person) as the General Partner may request. If a Limited Partner fails to furnish to the General Partner within the aforementioned 30-day period such Citizenship Certification or other requested information or if upon receipt of such Citizenship Certification or other requested information the General Partner determines that a Limited Partner is not an Eligible Citizen, the Limited Partner Interests owned by such Limited Partner shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.10. In addition, the General Partner may require that the status of any such Limited Partner be changed to that of a Non-citizen Assignee and, thereupon, the General Partner shall be substituted for such Non- citizen Assignee as the Limited Partner in respect of the Non-citizen Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.

     (b) The General Partner shall, in exercising voting rights in respect of Limited Partner Interests held by it on behalf of Non-citizen Assignees, distribute the votes in the same ratios as the votes of Partners (including the General Partner) in respect of Limited Partner Interests other than those of Non-citizen Assignees are cast, either for, against or abstaining as to the matter.

     (c) Upon dissolution of the Partnership, a Non-citizen Assignee shall have no right to receive a distribution in kind pursuant to Section 12.4 but shall be entitled to the cash equivalent thereof, and the Partnership shall provide cash in exchange for an assignment of the Non-citizen Assignee’s share of any distribution in kind. Such payment and assignment shall be treated for Partnership purposes as a purchase by the Partnership from the Non-citizen Assignee of his Limited Partner Interest (representing his right to receive his share of such distribution in kind).

     (d) At any time after he can and does certify that he has become an Eligible Citizen, a Non-citizen Assignee may, upon application to the General Partner, request that with respect to any Limited Partner Interests of such Non-citizen Assignee not redeemed pursuant to Section 4.10, such Non-citizen Assignee be admitted as a Limited Partner, and upon approval of the General Partner, such Non-citizen Assignee shall be admitted as a Limited Partner and shall no longer constitute a Non-citizen Assignee and the General Partner shall cease to be deemed to be the Limited Partner in respect of the Non-citizen Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.

     Section 4.10 Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees .

     (a) If at any time a Limited Partner fails to furnish a Citizenship Certification or other information requested within the 30-day period specified in Section 4.9(a), or if upon receipt of such Citizenship Certification or other information the General Partner determines, with the advice of counsel, that a Limited Partner is not an Eligible Citizen, the Partnership may, unless the Limited Partner establishes to the satisfaction of the General Partner that such Limited Partner is an Eligible Citizen or has transferred his Partnership Interests to a Person who is an Eligible Citizen and who furnishes a Citizenship Certification to the General Partner prior to the date fixed for redemption as provided below, redeem the Limited Partner Interest of such Limited Partner as follows:

     (i) The General Partner shall, not later than the 30th day before the date fixed for redemption, give notice of redemption to the Limited Partner, at his last address designated on the records of the Partnership or the Transfer Agent, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid. The notice shall be deemed to have been given when so mailed. The notice shall specify the Redeemable Interests, the date fixed for redemption, the place of payment, that payment of the redemption price will be made upon surrender of the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable Interests and that on and after the date fixed for redemption no further allocations or distributions to which the Limited Partner would otherwise be entitled in respect of the Redeemable Interests will accrue or be made.

     (ii) The aggregate redemption price for Redeemable Interests shall be an amount equal to the Current Market Price (the date of determination of which shall be the date fixed for redemption) of Limited Partner Interests of the class to be so redeemed multiplied by the number of Limited Partner Interests of each such class included among the Redeemable Interests. The redemption price shall be paid, as determined by the General Partner, in cash or by delivery of a promissory note of the Partnership in the principal amount of the redemption price, bearing interest at the rate of 5% annually and payable in three equal annual installments of principal together with accrued interest, commencing one year after the redemption date.

     (iii) Upon surrender by or on behalf of the Limited Partner, at the place specified in the notice of redemption, of the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable Interests, duly endorsed in blank or accompanied by an assignment duly executed in blank, the Limited Partner or his duly authorized representative shall be entitled to receive the payment therefor.

     (iv) After the redemption date, Redeemable Interests shall no longer constitute issued and Outstanding Limited Partner Interests.

     (b) The provisions of this Section 4.10 shall also be applicable to Limited Partner Interests held by a Limited Partner as nominee of a Person determined to be other than an Eligible Citizen.

     (c) Nothing in this Section 4.10 shall prevent the recipient of a notice of redemption from transferring his Limited Partner Interest before the redemption date if such transfer is

otherwise permitted under this Agreement. Upon receipt of notice of such a transfer, the General Partner shall withdraw the notice of redemption, provided the transferee of such Limited Partner Interest certifies to the satisfaction of the General Partner that he is an Eligible Citizen. If the transferee fails to make such certification, such redemption shall be effected from the transferee on the original redemption date.

ARTICLE V
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUANCE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS

     Section 5.1 Organizational Contributions . In connection with the formation of the Partnership under the Delaware Act, the General Partner made an initial Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $20.00 for a 2% General Partner Interest in the Partnership and has been admitted as the General Partner of the Partnership, and the Organizational Limited Partner made an initial Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $980.00 for a 98% Limited Partner Interest in the Partnership and has been admitted as a Limited Partner of the Partnership. As of the Closing Date, the interest of the Organizational Limited Partner shall be redeemed as provided in the Contribution Agreement; and the initial Capital Contribution of the Organizational Limited Partner shall thereupon be refunded. Ninety-eight percent of any interest or other profit that may have resulted from the investment or other use of such initial Capital Contributions shall be allocated and distributed to the Organizational Limited Partner, and the balance thereof shall be allocated and distributed to the General Partner.

     Section 5.2 Contributions by the General Partner and Other Parties .

     (a) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Contribution Agreement: (i) the General Partner shall contribute to the Partnership, as a Capital Contribution, all of its ownership interests in Eagle Rock Pipeline, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Eagle Rock Pipeline”), in exchange for (A) 844,551 General Partner Units representing a continuation of its 2% General Partner Interest, subject to all of the rights, privileges and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement, (B) the Incentive Distribution Rights and (C) the right to receive $3.5 million to reimburse the General Partner for certain capital expenditures; (ii) Eagle Rock Holdings shall contribute to the Partnership, as a Capital Contribution, all of its limited partner interests in Eagle Rock Pipeline and its interest in Eagle Rock Pipeline GP, LLC in exchange for 3,459,236 Common Units, 20,691,495 Subordinated Units and the right to receive $141.8 million in reimbursement for certain capital expenditures, and (iii) the Private Investors shall contribute all of their ownership interests in Eagle Rock Pipeline in exchange for (A) an aggregate of 4,732,259 Common Units as specified on Schedule A to the Contribution Agreement and (B) the right to receive $27.8 million in reimbursement for certain capital expenditures.

     (b) Upon the issuance of any additional Limited Partner Interests by the Partnership (other than the Common Units issued in the Initial Offering, the Common Units issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option, and the Common Units and Subordinated Units issued pursuant to Section 5.2(a)), the General Partner may, in exchange for a proportionate number of General Partner Units, make additional Capital Contributions in an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the quotient determined by dividing (A) the General Partner’s Percentage Interest by (B) 100 less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest times (ii) the amount contributed to the Partnership by the Limited Partners in exchange for such additional Limited

Partner Interests. Except as set forth in Article XII, the General Partner shall not be obligated to make any additional Capital Contributions to the Partnership.

     Section 5.3 Contributions by Underwriters .

     (a) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, each Underwriter shall contribute to the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit, multiplied by the number of Common Units specified in the Underwriting Agreement to be purchased by such Underwriter at the Closing Date. In exchange for such Capital Contributions by the Underwriters, the Partnership shall issue Common Units to each Underwriter on whose behalf such Capital Contribution is made in an amount equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash contribution to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit.

     (b) Upon the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, each Underwriter shall contribute to the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit, multiplied by the number of Common Units to be purchased by such Underwriter at the Option Closing Date. In exchange for such Capital Contributions by the Underwriters, the Partnership shall issue Common Units to each Underwriter on whose behalf such Capital Contribution is made in an amount equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash contributions to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit.

     (c) No Limited Partner Interests will be issued or issuable as of or at the Closing Date other than (i) the Common Units issuable pursuant to subparagraph (a) hereof in aggregate number equal to 12,500,000, (ii) the “Additional Units” as such term is used in the Underwriting Agreement in an aggregate number up to 1,875,000 issuable upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option pursuant to subparagraph (b) hereof, (iii) the 20,691,495 Subordinated Units issuable pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof, (iv) the 8,191,495 Common Units issuable pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof, and (v) the Incentive Distribution Rights.

     Section 5.4 Interest and Withdrawal . No interest shall be paid by the Partnership on Capital Contributions. No Partner shall be entitled to the withdrawal or return of its Capital Contribution, except to the extent, if any, that distributions made pursuant to this Agreement or upon termination of the Partnership may be considered as such by law and then only to the extent provided for in this Agreement. Except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement, no Partner shall have priority over any other Partner either as to the return of Capital Contributions or as to profits, losses or distributions. Any such return shall be a compromise to which all Partners agree within the meaning of Section 17-502(b) of the Delaware Act.

     Section 5.5 Capital Accounts .

     (a) The Partnership shall maintain for each Partner (or a beneficial owner of Partnership Interests held by a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such owner to the Partnership in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method acceptable to the General Partner) owning a Partnership Interest a separate Capital Account with respect to such Partnership Interest in accordance with the rules of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). Such Capital Account shall be increased by (i) the amount

of all Capital Contributions made to the Partnership with respect to such Partnership Interest and (ii) all items of Partnership income and gain (including income and gain exempt from tax) computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1, and decreased by (x) the amount of cash or Net Agreed Value of all actual and deemed distributions of cash or property made with respect to such Partnership Interest and (y) all items of Partnership deduction and loss computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1.

     (b) For purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, loss or deduction which is to be allocated pursuant to Article VI and is to be reflected in the Partners’ Capital Accounts, the determination, recognition and classification of any such item shall be the same as its determination, recognition and classification for federal income tax purposes (including any method of depreciation, cost recovery or amortization used for that purpose), provided, that:

     (i) Solely for purposes of this Section 5.5, the Partnership shall be treated as owning directly its proportionate share (as determined by the General Partner based upon the provisions of the applicable Group Member Agreement or governing, organizational or similar documents) of all property owned by (x) any other Group Member that is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and (y) any other partnership, limited liability company, unincorporated business or other entity classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes of which a Group Member is, directly or indirectly, a partner.

     (ii) All fees and other expenses incurred by the Partnership to promote the sale of (or to sell) a Partnership Interest that can neither be deducted nor amortized under Section 709 of the Code, if any, shall, for purposes of Capital Account maintenance, be treated as an item of deduction at the time such fees and other expenses are incurred and shall be allocated among the Partners pursuant to Section 6.1.

     (iii) Except as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), the computation of all items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be made without regard to any election under Section 754 of the Code which may be made by the Partnership and, as to those items described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) or 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, without regard to the fact that such items are not includable in gross income or are neither currently deductible nor capitalized for federal income tax purposes. To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Partnership asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such adjustment in the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain or loss.

     (iv) Any income, gain or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of any Partnership property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property as of such date of disposition were equal in amount to the Partnership’s Carrying Value with respect to such property as of such date.

     (v) In accordance with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code, any deductions for depreciation, cost recovery or amortization attributable to any Contributed Property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property on the date it was acquired by the Partnership were equal to the Agreed Value of such property. Upon an adjustment pursuant to Section 5.5(d) to the Carrying Value of any Partnership property subject to depreciation, cost recovery or amortization, any further deductions for such depreciation, cost recovery or amortization attributable to such property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property were equal to the Carrying Value of such property immediately following such adjustment.

     (vi) If the Partnership’s adjusted basis in a depreciable or cost recovery property is reduced for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 48(q)(1) or 48(q)(3) of the Code, the amount of such reduction shall, solely for purposes hereof, be deemed to be an additional depreciation or cost recovery deduction in the year such property is placed in service and shall be allocated among the Partners pursuant to Section 6.1. Any restoration of such basis pursuant to Section 48(q)(2) of the Code shall, to the extent possible, be allocated in the same manner to the Partners to whom such deemed deduction was allocated.

(c) (i) A transferee of a Partnership Interest shall succeed to a pro rata portion of the Capital Account of the transferor relating to the Partnership Interest so transferred.

     (ii) Subject to Section 6.7(c), immediately prior to the transfer of a Subordinated Unit or of a Subordinated Unit that has converted into a Common Unit pursuant to Section 5.7 by a holder thereof (other than a transfer to an Affiliate unless the General Partner elects to have this subparagraph 5.5(c)(ii) apply), the Capital Account maintained for such Person with respect to its Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units will (A) first, be allocated to the Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units to be transferred in an amount equal to the product of (x) the number of such Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units to be transferred and (y) the Per Unit Capital Amount for a Common Unit, and (B) second, any remaining balance in such Capital Account will be retained by the transferor, regardless of whether it has retained any Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units (“Retained Converted Subordinated Units”). Following any such allocation, the transferor’s Capital Account, if any, maintained with respect to the retained Subordinated Units or Retained Converted Subordinated Units, if any, will have a balance equal to the amount allocated under clause (B) hereinabove, and the transferee’s Capital Account established with respect to the transferred Subordinated Units or Retained Converted Subordinated Units will have a balance equal to the amount allocated under clause (A) hereinabove.

(d) (i) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), on an issuance of additional Partnership Interests for cash or Contributed Property, the issuance of Partnership Interests as consideration for the provision of services or the conversion of the General Partner’s Combined Interest to Common Units pursuant to Section 11.3(b), the Capital Account of all Partners and the Carrying Value of each Partnership property immediately prior to such issuance shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership property, as if such

Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been recognized on an actual sale of each such property immediately prior to such issuance and had been allocated to the Partners at such time pursuant to Section 6.1(c) in the same manner as any item of gain or loss actually recognized during such period would have been allocated. In determining such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss, the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of all Partnership assets (including cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to the issuance of additional Partnership Interests shall be determined by the General Partner using such method of valuation as it may adopt; provided, however, that the General Partner, in arriving at such valuation, must take fully into account the fair market value of the Partnership Interests of all Partners at such time. The General Partner shall allocate such aggregate value among the assets of the Partnership (in such manner as it determines) to arrive at a fair market value for individual properties.

     (ii) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), immediately prior to any actual or deemed distribution to a Partner of any Partnership property (other than a distribution of cash that is not in redemption or retirement of a Partnership Interest), the Capital Accounts of all Partners and the Carrying Value of all Partnership property shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership property, as if such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been recognized in a sale of such property immediately prior to such distribution for an amount equal to its fair market value, and had been allocated to the Partners, at such time, pursuant to Section 6.1(c) in the same manner as any item of gain or loss actually recognized during such period would have been allocated. In determining such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of all Partnership assets (including cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to a distribution shall (A) in the case of an actual distribution that is not made pursuant to Section 12.4 or in the case of a deemed distribution, be determined and allocated in the same manner as that provided in Section 5.5(d)(i) or (B) in the case of a liquidating distribution pursuant to Section 12.4, be determined and allocated by the Liquidator using such method of valuation as it may adopt.

     Section 5.6 Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities .

     (a) The Partnership may issue additional Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to the Partnership Securities for any Partnership purpose at any time and from time to time to such Persons for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as the General Partner shall determine, all without the approval of any Limited Partners.

     (b) Each additional Partnership Security authorized to be issued by the Partnership pursuant to Section 5.6(a) may be issued in one or more classes, or one or more series of any such classes, with such designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties (which may be senior to existing classes and series of Partnership Securities), as shall be fixed by the General Partner, including (i) the right to share in Partnership profits and losses or items thereof; (ii) the right to share in Partnership distributions; (iii) the rights