FOURTH AMENDED AND
RESTATED
dated as of April 28,
2009
WHITING PETROLEUM
CORPORATION,
as Parent Guarantor,
WHITING OIL AND GAS
CORPORATION,
as Borrower,
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent,
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
and
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.,
as Syndication Agents,
CALYON NEW YORK BRANCH and
COMPASS BANK,
as Documentation Agents,
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.,
Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner
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Page
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DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING
MATTERS
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Section 1.01 Terms Defined Above
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1
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Section 1.02 Certain Defined
Terms
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1
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Section 1.03 Types of Loans and
Borrowings
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23
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Section 1.04 Terms Generally; Rules of
Construction
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23
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Section 1.05 Accounting Terms and
Determinations; GAAP
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23
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23
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Section 2.02 Loans and
Borrowings
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24
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Section 2.03 Requests for
Borrowings
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25
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Section 2.04 Interest Elections
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26
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Section 2.05 Funding of
Borrowings
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28
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Section 2.06 Termination, Reduction and
Increase of Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
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28
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Section 2.07 Borrowing Base
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31
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Section 2.08 Letters of Credit
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33
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PAYMENTS OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST;
PREPAYMENTS; FEES
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Section 3.01 Repayment of Loans
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38
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38
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Section 3.03 Alternate Rate of
Interest
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39
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39
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41
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PAYMENTS; PRO RATA TREATMENT;
SHARING OF SET-OFFS
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Section 4.01 Payments Generally; Pro Rata
Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs
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42
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Section 4.02 Presumption of Payment by the
Borrower
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43
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Section 4.03 Payments and Deductions to a
Defaulting Lender
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43
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Section 4.04 Disposition of
Proceeds
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46
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INCREASED COSTS; BREAK FUNDING
PAYMENTS; TAXES; ILLEGALITY
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Section 5.01 Increased Costs
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46
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Section 5.02 Break Funding
Payments
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47
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48
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Section 5.04 Mitigation Obligations;
Replacement of Lenders
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49
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50
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i
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Page
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Section 6.01 Effective Date
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50
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Section 6.02 Each Credit Event
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52
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REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES
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Section 7.01 Organization;
Powers
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53
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Section 7.02 Authority;
Enforceability
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54
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Section 7.03 Approvals; No
Conflicts
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54
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Section 7.04 Financial Condition; No
Material Adverse Change
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54
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55
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Section 7.06 Environmental
Matters
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55
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Section 7.07 Compliance with the Laws and
Agreements; No Defaults
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56
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Section 7.08 Investment Company
Act
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57
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57
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57
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Section 7.11 Disclosure; No Material
Misstatements
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58
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58
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Section 7.13 Restriction on
Liens
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58
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Section 7.14 Subsidiaries; Foreign
Operations
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58
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Section 7.15 Location of Business and
Offices
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59
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Section 7.16 Properties; Titles,
Etc.
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59
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Section 7.17 Maintenance of
Properties
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60
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Section 7.18 Gas Imbalances,
Prepayments
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61
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Section 7.19 Marketing of
Production
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61
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Section 7.20 Swap Agreements
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61
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Section 7.21 Use of Loans and Letters of
Credit
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61
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61
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Section 7.23 Designated Senior
Indebtedness
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62
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Section 8.01 Financial Statements; Other
Information
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62
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Section 8.02 Notices of Material
Events
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65
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Section 8.03 Existence; Conduct of
Business
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65
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Section 8.04 Payment of
Obligations
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66
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Section 8.05 Operation and Maintenance of
Properties
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66
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67
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Section 8.07 Books and Records; Inspection
Rights
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67
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Section 8.08 Compliance with
Laws
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67
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Section 8.09 Environmental
Matters
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67
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Section 8.10 Further Assurances
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68
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Section 8.11 Reserve Reports
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69
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Section 8.12 Title Information
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70
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Section 8.13 Additional Collateral;
Additional Guarantors
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71
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ii
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Page
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Section 8.14 ERISA Compliance
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72
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Section 8.15 Swap Agreements
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72
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Section 8.16 Marketing
Activities
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72
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Section 8.17 Unrestricted
Subsidiaries
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73
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Section 9.01 Financial Covenants
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73
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74
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75
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Section 9.04 Dividends, Distributions and
Redemptions; Repayment of Senior Notes
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76
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Section 9.05 Investments, Loans and
Advances
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77
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Section 9.06 Nature of Business;
International Operations
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78
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Section 9.07 Proceeds of Notes
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78
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Section 9.08 ERISA Compliance
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79
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Section 9.09 Sale or Discount of
Receivables
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79
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Section 9.10 Mergers, Etc.
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79
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Section 9.11 Sale of Oil and Gas
Properties
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79
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Section 9.12 Environmental
Matters
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81
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Section 9.13 Transactions with
Affiliates
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81
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Section 9.14 Subsidiaries
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81
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Section 9.15 Negative Pledge Agreements;
Dividend Restrictions
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81
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Section 9.16 Swap Agreements
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82
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Section 9.17 Designation and Conversion of
Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries; Debt of Unrestricted
Subsidiaries
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83
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EVENTS OF DEFAULT;
REMEDIES
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Section 10.01 Events of Default
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84
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86
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Section 11.01 Appointment;
Powers
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87
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Section 11.02 Duties and Obligations of
Administrative Agent
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87
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Section 11.03 Action by Administrative
Agent
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88
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Section 11.04 Reliance by Administrative
Agent
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89
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89
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Section 11.06 Resignation or Removal of
Administrative Agent
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89
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Section 11.07 Agents as Lenders
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90
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Section 11.08 No Reliance
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90
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Section 11.09 Administrative Agent May File
Proofs of Claim
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90
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Section 11.10 Authority of Administrative
Agent to Release Collateral and Liens
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91
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Section 11.11 The Arranger, the Syndication
Agents and the Documentation Agents
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91
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iii
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Page
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91
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Section 12.02 Waivers;
Amendments
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92
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Section 12.03 Expenses, Indemnity; Damage
Waiver
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93
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Section 12.04 Successors and
Assigns
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96
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Section 12.05 Survival; Revival;
Reinstatement
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99
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Section 12.06 Counterparts; Integration;
Effectiveness
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100
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Section 12.07 Severability
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100
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Section 12.08 Right of Setoff
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100
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Section 12.09 GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION;
CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
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101
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102
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Section 12.11 Confidentiality
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102
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Section 12.12 Interest Rate
Limitation
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103
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Section 12.13 Collateral Matters; Swap
Agreements
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103
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Section 12.14 No Third Party
Beneficiaries
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104
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Section 12.15 USA Patriot Act
Notice
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104
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iv
ANNEXES, EXHIBITS AND
SCHEDULES
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List of Maximum
Credit Amounts
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Form of
Note
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Form of
Borrowing Request
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Form of
Interest Election Request
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Form of
Compliance Certificate
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Form of Legal
Opinion of Bruce R. DeBoer, General Counsel to the Parent Guarantor
and the Borrower
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Form of Legal
Opinion Issues of Foley & Lardner LLP, special counsel to
Parent Guarantor and the Borrower
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Form of Legal
Opinion of Local Counsel
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Security
Instruments
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Annex
F-1—List of Existing Mortgages, Deeds of Trust and Financing
Statements
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Form of
Guaranty and Pledge Agreement
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Form of
Assignment and Assumption
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Form of Maximum
Credit Amount Increase Agreement
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Form of
Additional Lender Agreement
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Form of Reserve
Report Certificate
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Existing
Letters of Credit
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Litigation
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Environmental
Matters
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Subsidiaries
and Partnerships
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Location of
Subsidiaries
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Gas
Imbalances
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Marketing
Contracts
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Swap
Agreements
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Existing
Debt
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Existing
Liens
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Existing
Investments
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v
THIS FOURTH
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of
April 28, 2009 is among: Whiting Petroleum Corporation, a
corporation duly formed and existing under the laws of the State of
Delaware (the “ Parent Guarantor ”); Whiting Oil
and Gas Corporation, a corporation duly formed and existing under
the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Borrower
”); each of the Lenders from time to time party hereto;
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (in its individual capacity, “
JPMorgan ”), as administrative agent for the Lenders
(in such capacity, together with its successors in such capacity,
the “ Administrative Agent ”); Banc of America
Securities, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as syndication agents
for the Lenders (collectively, in such capacity, together with its
successors in such capacity, the “ Syndication Agents
”); and Calyon New York Branch and Compass Bank as
documentation agents for the Lenders (collectively, in such
capacity, together with its successors in such capacity, the
“ Documentation Agents ”).
A. The
Borrower, as borrower, the Parent Guarantor, as parent guarantor,
JPMorgan, as administrative agent, and other financial institutions
named and defined therein as lenders and agents entered into that
certain Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of
August 31, 2005 (as heretofore amended, modified or
supplemented, the “ Existing Credit Agreement
”).
B. The Parent
Guarantor and the Borrower have requested that the Lenders provide
certain loans to and extensions of credit on behalf of the
Borrower.
C. The
Lenders have agreed to make such loans and extensions of credit
subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
D. In
consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein
contained and of the loans, extensions of credit and commitments
hereinafter referred to, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions and Accounting Matters
Section 1.01
Terms Defined Above . As used in this Agreement, each term
defined above has the meaning indicated above.
Section 1.02
Certain Defined Terms . As used in this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ ABR
”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to
whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are
bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate
Base Rate.
“
Additional Lender ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 2.06(c)(i).
“
Additional Lender Certificate ” has the meaning
assigned to such term in Section 2.06(c)(ii)(F).
“
Adjusted LIBO Rate ” means, with respect to any
Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per
annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%)
equal to the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by the
Statutory Reserve Rate.
“
Administrative Questionnaire ” means an Administrative
Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative
Agent.
“
Affected Loans ” has the meaning assigned such term in
Section 5.05.
“
Affiliate ” means, with respect to a specified Person,
another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common
Control with the Person specified.
“
Agents ” means, collectively, the Administrative
Agent, the Syndication Agents and the Documentation Agents; and
“Agent” shall mean either the Administrative Agent,
each of the Syndication Agents or each of the Documentation Agents,
as the context requires.
“
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts ” at any time shall
equal the sum of the Maximum Credit Amounts, as the same may be
increased, reduced or terminated pursuant to
Section 2.06.
“
Agreement ” means this Credit Agreement, as the same
may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or
restated.
“
Alternate Base Rate ” means, for any day, a rate per
annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on
such day, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on
such day plus 1 / 2
of 1.0% and (c) the Adjusted
LIBO Rate for a one month Interest Period on such day (or if such
day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day)
plus 1.0%. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in
the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Adjusted
LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date
of such change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate
or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively.
“
Applicable Margin ” means, for any day, with respect
to any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan, as the case may be, the rate
per annum set forth in the Borrowing Base Utilization Grid below
based upon the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage then in
effect:
Borrowing Base Utilization
Grid
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Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage
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<25
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%
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³
25% but <50%
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³
50% but <75%
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³
75% but <90%
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³
90
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%
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2.000
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%
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2.250
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%
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2.500
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%
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2.750
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%
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3.000
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%
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1.125
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%
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1.375
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%
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1.625
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%
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1.875
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%
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2.125
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%
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2
Each change in the
Applicable Margin shall apply during the period commencing on the
effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately
preceding the effective date of the next such change, provided,
however, that if at any time the Borrower fails to deliver a
Reserve Report pursuant to Section 8.11(a), and until such
Reserve Report is delivered, then the “ Applicable
Margin ” means the rate per annum set forth on the grid
when the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage is at its highest
level.
“
Applicable Percentage ” means, with respect to any
Lender, the percentage of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
represented by such Lender’s Maximum Credit Amount as such
percentage is set forth on Annex I; provided that if the
Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages
shall be determined based upon commitments most recently in
effect.
“
Approved Counterparty ” means (a) any Lender or
any Affiliate of a Lender, and (b) any other Person whose long
term senior unsecured debt rating is A-/A3 by S&P or
Moody’s (or their equivalent) or higher (at the time the Swap
Agreement is entered into).
“
Approved Fund ” means any Person (other than a natural
person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing
in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary
course of its business and that is administered or managed by
(a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an
entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a
Lender.
“
Approved Petroleum Engineers ” means
(a) Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc., (b) Ryder Scott
Company Petroleum Consultants, L.P., (c) Cawley, Gillespie
& Associates, Inc. and (d) any other independent petroleum
engineers reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Agent.
“
Arranger ” means J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., in its
capacities as the sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner
hereunder.
“
Assignment and Assumption ” means an assignment and
assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the
consent of any party whose consent is required by Section
12.04(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of
Exhibit G or any other form approved by the Administrative
Agent.
“
Availability Period ” means the period from and
including the Effective Date to but excluding the Termination
Date.
“
Board ” means the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System of the United States of America or any successor
Governmental Authority.
“
Borrowing ” means Loans of the same Type, made,
converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of
Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in
effect.
3
“
Borrowing Base ” means at any time an amount equal to
the amount determined in accordance with Section 2.07, as the
same may be adjusted from time to time pursuant to Sections
2.07(e), 2.07(f), 8.12(c) or 9.11.
“
Borrowing Base Deficiency ” occurs if at any time the
total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the Borrowing Base then in
effect.
“
Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage ” means, as of
any day, the fraction expressed as a percentage, the numerator of
which is the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures of the Lenders
on such day, and the denominator of which is the Borrowing Base in
effect on such day.
“
Borrowing Request ” means a request by the Borrower
for a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03.
“
Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday,
Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or
Houston, Texas are authorized or required by law to remain closed;
and if such day relates to a Borrowing or continuation of, a
payment or prepayment of principal of or interest on, or a
conversion of or into, or the Interest Period for, a Eurodollar
Loan or a notice by the Borrower with respect to any such Borrowing
or continuation, payment, prepayment, conversion or Interest
Period, any day which is also a day on which banks are open for
dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank
market.
“ Capital
Leases ” means, in respect of any Person, all leases
which shall have been, or should have been, in accordance with
GAAP, recorded as capital leases on the balance sheet of the Person
liable (whether contingent or otherwise) for the payment of rent
thereunder.
“ Change
in Control ” means (a) the acquisition of ownership,
directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or
group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date
hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than thirty percent
(30.0%) of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the
issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent Guarantor,
(b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant
seats) on the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor by Persons
who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of
the Parent Guarantor nor (ii) appointed by directors so
nominated or (c) the failure of the Parent Guarantor to own,
directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding Equity
Interests of the Borrower.
“ Change
in Law ” means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or
regulation by any Governmental Authority after the date of this
Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in
the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental
Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance
by any Lender or the Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of
Section 5.01(b)), by any lending office of such Lender or by
such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company, if
any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not
having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or
issued after the date of this Agreement.
4
“
Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
“
Commitment ” means, with respect to each Lender, the
commitment of such Lender to make Loans and to acquire
participations in Letters of Credit hereunder, expressed as an
amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such
Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such
commitment may be (a) modified from time to time pursuant to
Section 2.06 and (b) modified from time to time pursuant
to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to
Section 12.04(b). The amount representing each Lender’s
Commitment shall at any time be the lesser of such Lender’s
Maximum Credit Amount and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage
of the then effective Borrowing Base.
“
Consolidated Net Income ” means with respect to the
Parent Guarantor and the Consolidated Subsidiaries, for any period,
the aggregate of the net income (or loss) of the Parent Guarantor
and the Consolidated Subsidiaries after allowances for taxes for
such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded from such net income
(to the extent otherwise included therein) the following (without
duplication): (a) the net income of any Person (including any
Unrestricted Subsidiary) in which the Parent Guarantor or any
Consolidated Subsidiary has an interest (which interest does not
cause the net income of such other Person to be consolidated with
the net income of the Parent Guarantor and the Consolidated
Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP), except to the extent of the
amount of dividends or distributions actually paid in cash during
such period by such other Person to the Parent Guarantor or to a
Consolidated Subsidiary, as the case may be; (b) the net
income (but not loss) during such period of any Consolidated
Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment of
dividends or similar distributions or transfers or loans by that
Consolidated Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by operation
of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument or
Governmental Requirement applicable to such Consolidated Subsidiary
or is otherwise restricted or prohibited, in each case determined
in accordance with GAAP; (c) the net income (or loss) of any
Person acquired in a pooling-of-interests transaction for any
period prior to the date of such transaction; (d) any
extraordinary non-cash gains or losses during such period and
(e) any gains or losses attributable to writeups or writedowns
of assets, including ceiling test writedowns; and provided further
that if the Parent Guarantor or any Consolidated Subsidiary shall
acquire or dispose of any Property during such period or a
Subsidiary shall be redesignated as either an Unrestricted
Subsidiary or a Restricted Subsidiary, then Consolidated Net Income
shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect to such
acquisition, disposition or redesignation, as if such acquisition,
disposition or redesignation had occurred on the first day of such
period. For the avoidance of doubt, the aggregate of the net income
(or loss) attributable to any Unrestricted Subsidiaries shall be
excluded in calculating Consolidated Net Income.
“
Consolidated Subsidiaries ” means each Restricted
Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor (whether now existing or
hereafter created or acquired) the financial statements of which
are consolidated with the financial statements of the Parent
Guarantor in accordance with GAAP.
“
Control ” means the possession, directly or
indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the
management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to
exercise
5
voting power,
by contract or otherwise. “ Controlling ” and
“ Controlled ” have meanings correlative
thereto.
“ Credit
Party ” means the Parent Guarantor and each of its
Restricted Subsidiaries, including the Borrower.
“
Debt ” means, for any Person, the sum of the following
(without duplication): (a) all obligations of such Person for
borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, bankers’ acceptances,
debentures, notes or other similar instruments; (b) all
obligations of such Person (whether contingent or otherwise) in
respect of letters of credit, surety or other bonds and similar
instruments; (c) all accounts payable and all accrued
expenses, liabilities or other obligations of such Person to pay
the deferred purchase price of Property or services (other than
accrued pension costs and other employee benefit and compensation
obligations arising in the ordinary course of business);
(d) all obligations under Capital Leases; (e) all
obligations under Synthetic Leases; (f) all Debt (as defined
in the other clauses of this definition) of others secured by (or
for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent
or otherwise to be secured by) a Lien on any Property of such
Person, whether or not such Debt has been assumed by such Person,
provided that the amount of Debt for purposes of clause
(f) shall be an amount equal to the lesser of the unpaid
amount of such Debt and the fair market value of the encumbered
Property; (g) all Debt (as defined in the other clauses of
this definition) of others guaranteed by such Person or in which
such Person otherwise assures a creditor against loss of the Debt
(howsoever such assurance shall be made) to the extent of the
lesser of the amount of such Debt and the maximum stated amount of
such guarantee or assurance against loss; (h) all obligations
or undertakings of such Person to maintain or cause to be
maintained the financial position or covenants of others or to
purchase the Debt or Property of others; (i) obligations to
deliver commodities, goods or services, including, without
limitation, Hydrocarbons, in consideration of one or more advance
payments, other than gas balancing arrangements in the ordinary
course of business; (j) any Debt of a partnership for which
such Person is liable either by agreement, by operation of law or
by a Governmental Requirement but only to the extent of such
liability; (k) Disqualified Capital Stock of such Person; and
(l) the undischarged balance of any production payment created
by such Person or for the creation of which such Person directly or
indirectly received payment. The Debt of any Person shall include
all obligations of such Person of the character described above to
the extent such Person remains legally liable in respect thereof
notwithstanding that any such obligation is not included as a
liability of such Person under GAAP. For the avoidance of doubt,
obligations under Swap Agreements and the obligations of the
Borrower and Equity Oil Company to make payments of net proceeds
from the sale of production of Hydrocarbons pursuant to the net
profits interest conveyed to the Trust pursuant to the Trust
Agreements shall not be considered “ Debt
”.
“
Default ” means any event or condition which
constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time
or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of
Default.
“
Defaulting Lender ” means any Lender, as reasonably
determined by the Administrative Agent that has (a) failed to
fund any portion of its Loans or participations in Letters of
Credit within three (3) Business Days of the date required to
be funded by it hereunder, (b) notified the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in writing
that it does not
6
intend to
comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement or
has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend
to comply with its funding obligations under this Agreement,
(c) failed within three (3) Business Days after request
by the Administrative Agent, to confirm that it will comply with
the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations to fund
prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of
Credit, (d) otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative
Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by
it hereunder within three Business Days of the date when due,
unless the subject of a good faith dispute, or (e) become the
subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a
receiver, conservator, trustee or custodian appointed for it, or
has a parent company that has become the subject of a bankruptcy or
insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee
or custodian appointed for it; provided that, a Lender shall not
become a Defaulting Lender solely as the result of the acquisition
or maintenance of an ownership interest in such Lender or Person
controlling such Lender or the exercise of control over a Lender or
Person controlling such Lender by a Governmental Authority or an
instrumentality thereof.
“
Disqualified Capital Stock ” means any Equity Interest
that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it
is convertible or for which it is exchangeable) or upon the
happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable for
any consideration other than other Equity Interests (which would
not constitute Disqualified Capital Stock), pursuant to a sinking
fund obligation or otherwise, or is convertible or exchangeable for
Debt or redeemable for any consideration other than other Equity
Interests (which would not constitute Disqualified Capital Stock)
at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or
prior to the date that is 91 days after the earlier of (a) the
Maturity Date and (b) the date on which there are no Loans, LC
Exposure or other obligations outstanding under this Agreement and
all of the Commitments are terminated.
“
dollars ” or “ $ ” refers to lawful
money of the United States of America.
“
Domestic Subsidiary ” means any Restricted Subsidiary
that is organized under the laws of the United States of America or
any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
“
EBITDAX ” means, for any period, the sum of
Consolidated Net Income for such period plus the following expenses
or charges to the extent deducted in calculating Consolidated Net
Income in such period but without duplication: interest, income
taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization, exploration expenses,
all non-cash charges arising from the write-off of intangible
assets and all other noncash charges or expenses minus all noncash
income included in the calculation of Consolidated Net Income in
such period.
“
Effective Date ” means the date on which the
conditions specified in Section 6.01 are satisfied (or waived
in accordance with Section 12.02).
“
Engineering Reports ” has the meaning assigned such
term in Section 2.07(c)(i).
“
Environmental Laws ” means any and all Governmental
Requirements pertaining in any way to the environment, the
preservation or reclamation of natural resources, or the
management, Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous
Materials, in effect in any and all jurisdictions in
7
which the
Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party is conducting, or at any
time has conducted, business, or where any Property of the Parent
Guarantor or any other Credit Party is located, including, the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (“ OPA ”), as amended, the
Clean Air Act, as amended, the Comprehensive Environmental,
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“
CERCLA ”), as amended, the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act, as amended, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of
1970, as amended, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of
1976 (“ RCRA ”), as amended, the Safe Drinking
Water Act, as amended, the Toxic Substances Control Act, as
amended, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986,
as amended, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Law, as amended,
and other environmental conservation or protection Governmental
Requirements.
“
Environmental Permit ” means any permit, registration,
license, notice, approval, consent, exemption, variance, or other
authorization required under or issued pursuant to applicable
Environmental Laws.
“ Equity
Interests ” means shares of capital stock, partnership
interests, membership interests in a limited liability company,
beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests
in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling
the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such Equity Interest
(other than any Debt security which by its terms is convertible at
the option of the holder into Equity Interests).
“
ERISA ” means the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended, and any successor statute.
“ ERISA
Affiliate ” means each trade or business (whether or not
incorporated) which together with the Parent Guarantor or any other
Credit Party would be deemed to be a “single employer”
within the meaning of section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA or subsections
(b), (c), (m) or (o) of section 414 of the
Code.
“
Eurodollar ”, when used in reference to any Loan or
Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising
such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by
reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“ Event
of Default ” has the meaning assigned such term in
Section 10.01.
“
Excepted Liens ” means: (a) Liens on any
Property, including Oil and Gas Properties, for Taxes, assessments
or other governmental charges or levies which are not delinquent or
which are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and
for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with
GAAP; (b) Liens in connection with workers’
compensation, unemployment insurance or other social security, old
age pension or public liability obligations which are not
delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by
appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been
maintained in accordance with GAAP; (c) statutory
landlord’s liens, operators’, vendors’,
carriers’, warehousemen’s, repairmen’s,
mechanics’, suppliers’, workers’,
materialmen’s, construction, customs authorities or other
like Liens on Property (including Oil and Gas Properties), arising
by operation of law in the ordinary course of business or incident
to the exploration, development, operation and
8
maintenance of
Oil and Gas Properties each of which is in respect of obligations
that are not more than 90 days past due or delinquent or which
are being contested in good faith by appropriate action and for
which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with
GAAP; (d) the terms of the oil and gas leases and lease
burdens payable to third parties which are deducted in the
calculation of discounted present value in the Reserve Report
including, without limitation, any royalty, overriding royalty, net
profits interest, production payment, carried interest or
reversionary working interest; (e) contractual Liens on
Property (including Oil and Gas Properties), which arise in the
ordinary course of business under operating agreements, joint
venture agreements, oil and gas partnership agreements, oil and gas
leases, farm-out agreements, division orders, contracts for the
sale, transportation or exchange of oil and natural gas,
unitization and pooling declarations and agreements, area of mutual
interest agreements, overriding royalty agreements, marketing
agreements, processing agreements, net profits agreements,
development agreements, gas balancing or deferred production
agreements, injection, repressuring and recycling agreements, salt
water or other disposal agreements, seismic or other geophysical
permits or agreements, and other agreements which are usual and
customary in the oil and gas business and are for claims which are
not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by
appropriate action and for which adequate reserves have been
maintained in accordance with GAAP, provided that any such Lien
referred to in this clause does not materially impair the use of
the Property covered by such Lien for the purposes for which such
Property is held by the Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party
or materially impair the value of such Property subject thereto;
(f) Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common
law provision relating to banker’s liens, rights of set-off
or similar rights and remedies and burdening only deposit accounts
or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution,
provided that no such deposit account is a dedicated cash
collateral account or is subject to restrictions against access by
the depositor in excess of those set forth by regulations
promulgated by the Board and no such deposit account is intended by
the Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party to provide
collateral to the depository institution; (g) easements,
restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions, covenants,
exceptions or reservations in any Property, including any Oil and
Gas Property, of the Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party for
the purpose of roads, pipelines, transmission lines, transportation
lines, distribution lines for the removal of gas, oil, coal or
other minerals or timber, and other like purposes, or for the joint
or common use of real estate, rights of way, facilities and
equipment, that do not secure any monetary obligations and which in
the aggregate do not materially impair the use of such Property for
the purposes of which such Property is held by the Parent Guarantor
or any other Credit Party or materially impair the value of such
Property subject thereto; (h) Liens on cash or securities
pledged to secure performance of tenders, surety and appeal bonds,
government contracts, performance and return of money bonds, bids,
trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, regulatory
obligations and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the
ordinary course of business; (i) judgment and attachment Liens
on any Property, including Oil and Gas Properties, not giving rise
to an Event of Default; (j) consents to assignment,
preferential rights to purchase, and similar contractual provisions
regarding Oil and Gas Properties; and (k) Liens on Property,
including Oil and Gas Properties, arising from precautionary UCC
filings; provided, further that no intention to subordinate the
first priority Lien granted in favor of the Administrative Agent
and the Lenders is to be hereby implied or expressed by the
permitted existence of such Excepted Liens.
9
“
Excluded Subsidiaries ” means Whiting Programs, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation.
“
Excluded Taxes ” means, with respect to the
Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other
recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any
obligation of the Borrower or any Guarantor hereunder or under any
other Loan Document, (a) income or franchise taxes imposed on (or
measured by) its net income by the United States of America or such
other jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is
organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the
case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is
located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United
States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other
jurisdiction in which the Borrower or any Guarantor is located and
(c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee
pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section 5.04(a)),
any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such
Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to
this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is
attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to comply with
Section 5.03(d), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender
(or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation
of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional
amounts with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to
Section 5.03(a) or Section 5.03(b).
“
Existing Letters of Credit ” means those letters of
credit set forth on Schedule 2.01.
“
Existing Senior Notes ” means, collectively, the
following senior subordinated notes issued by the Parent Guarantor:
those certain $250.0 million 7% Senior Subordinated Notes due
2014; $220.0 million 7 1 / 4
% Senior Subordinated Notes due
2013; and $150.0 million 7 1 / 4
% Senior Subordinated Notes due
2012.
“ Federal
Funds Effective Rate ” means, for any day, the weighted
average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of
the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of
the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as
published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for
any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if
necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day
for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from
three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by
it.
“
Financial Officer ” means, for any Person, the chief
financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or
controller of such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all
references herein to a Financial Officer means a Financial Officer
of the Parent Guarantor.
“
Financial Statements ” means the financial statement
or statements of the Parent Guarantor and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries referred to in Section 7.04(a).
“ Foreign
Lender ” means any Lender that is organized under the
laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is
located. For purposes of this definition, the United States of
America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be
deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
10
“ Foreign
Subsidiary ” means any Restricted Subsidiary that is not
a Domestic Subsidiary.
“
GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles
in the United States of America as in effect from time to time
subject to the terms and conditions set forth in
Section 1.05.
“
Governmental Authority ” means the government of the
United States of America, any other nation or any political
subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency,
authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or
other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing,
regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining
to government.
“
Governmental Requirement ” means any law, statute,
code, ordinance, order, determination, rule, regulation, judgment,
decree, injunction, franchise, permit, certificate, license, rules
of common law, authorization or other directive or requirement,
whether now or hereinafter in effect, of any Governmental
Authority.
“
Guarantors ” means the Parent Guarantor and each
Subsidiary Guarantor.
“
Guaranty Agreement ” means an agreement executed by
the Guarantors in substantially the form of Exhibit F-2
unconditionally guarantying on a joint and several basis, payment
of the Indebtedness, as the same may be amended, modified or
supplemented from time to time.
“
Hazardous Material ” means any substance regulated or
as to which liability might arise under any applicable
Environmental Law including: (a) any chemical, compound,
material, product, byproduct, substance or waste defined as or
included in the definition or meaning of “hazardous
substance,” “hazardous material,”
“hazardous waste,” “solid waste,”
“toxic waste,” “extremely hazardous
substance,” “toxic substance,”
“contaminant,” “pollutant,” or words of
similar meaning or import found in any applicable Environmental
Law; (b) Hydrocarbons, petroleum products, petroleum
substances, natural gas, oil, oil and gas waste, crude oil, and any
components, fractions, or derivatives thereof; and
(c) radioactive materials, explosives, asbestos or asbestos
containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon, infectious
or medical wastes.
“ Highest
Lawful Rate ” means, with respect to each Lender, the
maximum nonusurious interest rate, if any, that at any time or from
time to time may be contracted for, taken, reserved, charged or
received on the Notes or on other Indebtedness under laws
applicable to such Lender which are presently in effect or, to the
extent allowed by law, under such applicable laws which may
hereafter be in effect and which allow a higher maximum nonusurious
interest rate than applicable laws allow as of the date
hereof.
“
Hydrocarbon Interests ” means all rights, titles,
interests and estates now or hereafter acquired in and to oil and
gas leases, oil, gas and mineral leases, or other liquid or gaseous
hydrocarbon leases, mineral fee interests, overriding royalty and
royalty interests, net profit interests and production payment
interests, including any reserved or residual interests of whatever
nature.
11
“
Hydrocarbons ” means oil, gas, casinghead gas, drip
gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid
hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all products refined or
separated therefrom.
“
Indebtedness ” means any and all amounts owing or to
be owing by the Borrower or any Guarantor (whether direct or
indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or
contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter
arising): (a) to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or
any Lender under any Loan Document; (b) to any Person under
any Swap Agreement between the Parent Guarantor, the Borrower or
any other Credit Party and such Person if either (i) at the
time such Swap Agreement was entered into, such Person was a Lender
or Affiliate of a Lender hereunder or (ii) such Swap Agreement
was in effect on the Effective Date and such Person or its
Affiliate was a Lender on the Effective Date, in each case, after
giving effect to all netting arrangements relating to such Swap
Agreements; (c) obligations under all Treasury Management
Agreements with any Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender; and
(d) all renewals, extensions and/or rearrangements of any of
the above.
“
Indemnified Taxes ” means Taxes other than Excluded
Taxes.
“
Indentures ” means, collectively, that certain
Indenture dated as of May 11, 2004 among the Parent Guarantor,
the guarantors party thereto and J.P. Morgan Trust Company,
National Association, as trustee, governing those 7
1 / 4
% Senior Subordinated Notes due
2012; that certain Indenture dated as of April 19, 2005 (as
amended, supplemented and otherwise modified by that certain First
Supplemental Indenture dated April 19, 2005) among the Parent
Guarantor, the guarantors party thereto and J.P. Morgan Trust
Company, National Association, as trustee, governing those 7
1 / 4
% Senior Subordinated Notes due
2013; that certain Indenture dated as of October 4, 2005 among
the Parent Guarantor, the guarantors party thereto and J.P. Morgan
Trust Company, National Association, as trustee, governing those 7%
Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014, in each case, as further
amended by 9.04(b); and the indentures, supplemental indentures or
other agreements under or pursuant to which the Senior Notes are
issued.
“ Initial
Reserve Report ” means the report of Cawley, Gillespie
& Associates, Inc. dated as of January 12, 2009, with
respect to certain Oil and Gas Properties of the Parent Guarantor
and the Credit Parties as of December 31, 2008.
“
Interest Election Request ” means a request by the
Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with
Section 2.04.
“
Interest Expense ” means, for any period, the sum
(determined without duplication) of the aggregate gross interest
expense of the Parent Guarantor and the Consolidated Subsidiaries
for such period, including to the extent included in interest
expense under GAAP: (a) amortization of debt discount,
(b) capitalized interest and (c) the portion of any
payments or accruals under Capital Leases allocable to interest
expense, plus the portion of any payments or accruals under
Synthetic Leases allocable to interest expense whether or not the
same constitutes interest expense under GAAP.
12
“
Interest Payment Date ” means (a) with respect to
any ABR Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and
December and (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last
day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which
such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with
an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each
day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at
intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of
such Interest Period.
“
Interest Period ” means with respect to any Eurodollar
Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and
ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month
that is one, two, three or six months (or, with the consent of each
Lender, nine or twelve months) thereafter, as the Borrower may
elect; provided, that (a) if any Interest Period would end on
a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be
extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next
succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in
which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding
Business Day and (b) any Interest Period pertaining to a
Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a
calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically
corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest
Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar
month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a
Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is
made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent
conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.
“ Interim
Redetermination ” has the meaning assigned such term in
Section 2.07(b).
“ Interim
Redetermination Date ” means the date on which a
Borrowing Base that has been redetermined pursuant to an Interim
Redetermination becomes effective as provided in Section
2.07(d).
“
Investment ” means, for any Person: (a) the
acquisition (whether for cash, Property, services or securities or
otherwise) of Equity Interests of any other Person; (b) the
making of any loan or capital contribution to, assumption of Debt
of, purchase or other acquisition of any other Debt or equity
participation or interest in any other Person (including the
purchase of Property from another Person subject to an
understanding or agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such
Property to such Person, but excluding any such advance, loan or
extension of credit having a term not exceeding ninety
(90) days representing the purchase price of inventory or
supplies sold by such Person in the ordinary course of business);
or (c) the entering into of any guarantee of, or other
contingent obligation (including the deposit of any Equity
Interests to be sold) with respect to, Debt of any other
Person.
“ Issuing
Bank ” means JPMorgan, in its capacity as the issuer of
Letters of Credit hereunder. The Issuing Bank may, in its
discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued
by Affiliates of the Issuing Bank, in which case the term “
Issuing Bank ” shall include any such Affiliate with
respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate.
“ LC
Commitment ” at any time means Fifty Million dollars
($50,000,000) or, if less, the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts.
13
“ LC
Disbursement ” means a payment made by the Issuing Bank
pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
“ LC
Exposure ” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the
aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at
such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC
Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of
the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any
time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at
such time.
“
Lenders ” means the Persons listed on Annex I and any
Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an
Assignment and Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases
to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, and
any Person that shall have become a party hereto as an Additional
Lender pursuant to Section 2.06(c).
“ Letter
of Credit ” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to
this Agreement.
“ Letter
of Credit Agreements ” means all letter of credit
applications and other agreements (including any amendments,
modifications or supplements thereto) submitted by the Borrower, or
entered into by the Borrower, with the Issuing Bank relating to any
Letter of Credit.
“ LIBO
Rate ” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing
for any Interest Period, the rate (rounded upwards, if necessary,
to the next 1/100 of 1%) appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page
(or on any successor or substitute page of such service, or any
successor to or substitute for such service, providing rate
quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of
such service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time
to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates
applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at
approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior
to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar
deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period. In the
event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason,
then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurodollar
Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate (rounded
upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) at which dollar
deposits of an amount comparable to such Eurodollar Borrowing and
for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by
the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in
immediately available funds in the London interbank market at
approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior
to the commencement of such Interest Period.
“
Lien ” means any interest in Property securing an
obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person other than the owner of
the Property, whether such interest is based on the common law,
statute or contract, and whether such obligation or claim is fixed
or contingent, and including but not limited to (a) the lien
or security interest arising from a mortgage, encumbrance, pledge,
security agreement, conditional sale or trust receipt or a
financing lease, consignment or bailment for security purposes or
(b) production payments and the like payable out of Oil and
Gas Properties. The term “ Lien ” shall include
easements, restrictions, servitudes, permits, conditions,
covenants, exceptions or reservations; and for the avoidance of
doubt, “ Lien ” shall not include customary gas
balancing agreements. For the purposes of this Agreement, the
Parent Guarantor and the Credit Parties shall be deemed to be the
owner of any Property which it has
14
acquired or
holds subject to a conditional sale agreement or leases under a
financing lease pursuant to which title to the Property has been
retained by or vested in some other Person in a transaction
intended to create a financing.
“ Loan
Documents ” means this Agreement, the Notes, if any, the
Letter of Credit Agreements, the Letters of Credit and the Security
Instruments.
“
Loans ” means the loans made by the Lenders to the
Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
“
Majority Lenders ” means, at any time while no Loans
or LC Exposure are outstanding, Lenders having more than fifty
percent (50.0%) of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts;
and at any time
while any Loans or LC Exposure are outstanding, Lenders holding
more than fifty percent (50.0%) of the outstanding aggregate
principal amount of the Loans and participation interests in
Letters of Credit (without regard to any sale by a Lender of a
participation in any Loan under Section 12.04(c)).
“
Material Adverse Effect ” means a material adverse
change in, or material adverse effect on (a) the business,
operations, Property or financial condition of the Parent Guarantor
and the other Credit Parties taken as a whole, (b) the ability
of the Borrower or any Guarantor to perform any of its obligations
under any Loan Document to which it is a party, (c) the
validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or (d) the
rights and remedies of or benefits available to the Administrative
Agent, any other Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender under any
Loan Document; provided, however, no Material Adverse Effect shall
result from changes or effects in connection with events or
circumstances disclosed in any annual report on Form 10-K,
quarterly report on Form 10-Q or current report on Form 8-K filed
with the SEC at least one (1) Business Day prior to the
Effective Date.
“
Material Domestic Subsidiary ” means, as of any date,
any Domestic Subsidiary that (a) is a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and
(b) together with its Subsidiaries, owns Property which
represents more than 3% of the consolidated assets of the Credit
Parties or which is responsible for more than 3% of the quarterly
revenues of the Credit Parties, in each case, as would be shown in
the most recent delivered consolidated quarterly financial
statements of the Credit Parties but excluding the value of the
Equity Interests of all of its Domestic Subsidiaries and
intercompany debt owed to such Domestic Subsidiary from any other
Domestic Subsidiary, the Parent or the Borrower.
“
Material Indebtedness ” means Debt (other than the
Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or
more Swap Agreements, of any one or more Credit Parties in an
aggregate principal amount exceeding $50,000,000 but excludes Debt
to the extent permitted by Section 9.02(c) and
Section 9.02(e). For purposes of determining Material
Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations
of the Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party in respect of any
Swap Agreement at any time shall be the Swap Termination
Value.
“
Maturity Date ” means April 28, 2012.
15
“ Maximum
Credit Amount ” means, as to each Lender, the amount set
forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex I under the
caption “Maximum Credit Amount”, as the same may be
(a) reduced or terminated from time to time in connection with
a reduction or termination of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
pursuant to Section 2.06(b), (b) increased from time to
time pursuant to Section 2.06(c) or (c) modified from
time to time pursuant to any assignment permitted by Section
12.04(b).
“ Maximum
Credit Amount Increase Certificate ” has the meaning
assigned to such term in Section 2.06(c)(ii)(E).
“
Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service,
Inc. and any successor thereto that is a nationally recognized
rating agency.
“
Mortgaged Property ” means any Property owned by the
Borrower or any Guarantor which is subject to the Liens under the
terms of the Security Instruments.
“ New
Borrowing Base Notice ” has the meaning assigned such
term in Section 2.07(d).
“
Non-Defaulting Lender ” means, at any time, each
Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.
“
Non-Recourse Debt ” means any Debt of any Unrestricted
Subsidiary, in each case in respect of which: (a) the holder
or holders thereof (i) shall have recourse only to, and shall
have the right to require the obligations of such Unrestricted
Subsidiary to be performed, satisfied, and paid only out of, the
Property of such Unrestricted Subsidiary and/or one or more of its
Subsidiaries and (ii) shall have no direct or indirect
recourse (including by way of guaranty, support or indemnity) to
any Credit Party or to any Property of any Credit Party, whether
for principal, interest, fees, expenses or otherwise; and
(b) the terms and conditions relating to the non-recourse
nature of such Debt are in form and substance reasonably acceptable
to the Administrative Agent.
“
Notes ” means the promissory notes of the Borrower
described in Section 2.02(d) and being substantially in the
form of Exhibit A, together with all amendments,
modifications, replacements, extensions and rearrangements
thereof.
“ Oil and
Gas Properties ” means (a) Hydrocarbon Interests;
(b) the Properties now or hereafter pooled or unitized with
Hydrocarbon Interests; (c) all presently existing or future
unitization, pooling agreements and declarations of pooled units
and the units created thereby (including without limitation all
units created under orders, regulations and rules of any
Governmental Authority) which may affect all or any portion of the
Hydrocarbon Interests; (d) all operating agreements, contracts
and other agreements, including production sharing contracts and
agreements, which relate to any of the Hydrocarbon Interests or the
production, sale, purchase, exchange or processing of Hydrocarbons
from or attributable to such Hydrocarbon Interests; (e) all
Hydrocarbons in and under and which may be produced and saved or
attributable to the Hydrocarbon Interests, including all oil in
tanks, and all rents, issues, profits, proceeds, products, revenues
and other incomes from or attributable to the
Hydrocarbon
16
Interests;
(f) all tenements, hereditaments, appurtenances and Properties
in any manner appertaining, belonging, affixed or incidental to the
Hydrocarbon Interests and (g) all Properties, rights, titles,
interests and estates described or referred to above, including any
and all Property, real or personal, now owned or hereafter acquired
and situated upon, used, held for use or useful in connection with
the operating, working or development of any of such Hydrocarbon
Interests or Property (excluding drilling rigs, automotive
equipment, rental equipment or other personal Property which may be
on such premises for the purpose of drilling a well or for other
similar temporary uses) and including any and all oil wells, gas
wells, injection wells or other wells, buildings, structures, fuel
separators, liquid extraction plants, plant compressors, pumps,
pumping units, field gathering systems, tanks and tank batteries,
fixtures, valves, fittings, machinery and parts, engines, boilers,
meters, apparatus, equipment, appliances, tools, implements,
cables, wires, towers, casing, tubing and rods, surface leases,
rights-of-way, easements and servitudes together with all
additions, substitutions, replacements, accessions and attachments
to any and all of the foregoing.
“
Organizational Documents ” means, with respect to any
Person, (a) in the case of any corporation, the certificate of
incorporation and by-laws (or similar documents) of such Person,
(b) in the case of any limited liability company, the
certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement
(or similar documents) of such Person, (c) in the case of any
limited partnership, the certificate of formation and limited
partnership agreement (or similar documents) of such Person,
(d) in the case of any general partnership, the partnership
agreement (or similar document) of such Person and (e) in any
other case, the functional equivalent of the foregoing.
“ Other
Taxes ” means any and all present or future stamp or
documentary taxes or any other excise or Property taxes, charges or
similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the
execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect
to, this Agreement and any other Loan Document other than Excluded
Taxes.
“
Participant ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 12.04(c)(i).
“
Permitted Additional Senior Notes ” means any
unsecured senior or senior subordinated notes issued after the
Effective Date by the Parent Guarantor under
Section 9.02(g).
“
Permitted Refinancing Debt ” means Debt (for purposes
of this definition, “ new Debt ”) incurred in
exchange for, or proceeds of which are used to refinance, all of
any other Debt (the “ Refinanced Debt ”);
provided that (a) such new Debt is in an aggregate principal
amount not in excess of the sum of (i) the aggregate principal
amount then outstanding of the Refinanced Debt (or, if the
Refinanced Debt is exchanged or acquired for an amount less than
the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a
declaration of acceleration thereof, such lesser amount) and
(ii) an amount necessary to pay any fees and expenses,
including premiums, related to such exchange or refinancing;
(b) such new Debt has a stated maturity no earlier than the
stated maturity of the Refinanced Debt and an average life no
shorter than the average life of the Refinanced Debt; (c) such
new Debt has a market rate of interest; (d) the covenants of
such new Debt, when taken as a whole, are not materially more
onerous to the Parent Guarantor and the Credit Parties than those
imposed by the Refinanced Debt; (e) such new Debt is issued by
the
17
same Person who
issued such Refinanced Debt; and (f) if the Refinanced Debt
was subordinated in right of payment, such new Debt (and any
guarantees thereof) is subordinated in right of payment to the
Indebtedness (or, if applicable, the Guaranty Agreement) to at
least the same extent as the Refinanced Debt and is otherwise
subordinated on terms substantially the same as those in the
Refinanced Debt or otherwise reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent.
“
Person ” means any natural person, corporation,
limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association,
company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other
entity.
“
Plan ” means any employee pension benefit plan, as
defined in section 3(2) of ERISA, which (a) is currently or
hereafter sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the Borrower,
a Subsidiary or an ERISA Affiliate or (b) was at any time
during the six calendar years preceding the date hereof, sponsored,
maintained or contributed to by the Parent Guarantor or any other
Credit Party or an ERISA Affiliate.
“ Prime
Rate ” means the rate of interest per annum publicly
announced from time to time by the Administrative Agent as its
prime rate in effect at its principal office in New York City; each
change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the
date such change is publicly announced as being effective. Such
rate is set by the Administrative Agent as a general reference rate
of interest, taking into account such factors as the Administrative
Agent may deem appropriate; it being understood that many of the
Administrative Agent’s commercial or other loans are priced
in relation to such rate, that it is not necessarily the lowest or
best rate actually charged to any customer and that the
Administrative Agent may make various commercial or other loans at
rates of interest having no relationship to such rate.
“
Property ” means any interest in any kind of property
or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or
intangible, including, without limitation, cash, securities,
accounts and contract rights.
“
Proposed Borrowing Base ” has the meaning assigned to
such term in Section 2.07(c)(i).
“
Proposed Borrowing Base Notice ” has the meaning
assigned to such term in Section 2.07(c)(ii).
“
Redemption ” means with respect to any Debt, the
repurchase, redemption, prepayment, repayment, defeasance or any
other acquisition or retirement for value (or the segregation of
funds with respect to any of the foregoing) of such Debt. “
Redeem ” has the correlative meaning
thereto.
“
Redetermination Date ” means, with respect to any
Scheduled Redetermination or any Interim Redetermination, the date
that the redetermined Borrowing Base related thereto becomes
effective pursuant to Section 2.07(d).
“
Refinanced Debt ” has the meaning assigned such term
in the definition of “Permitted Refinancing
Debt”.
“
Register ” has the meaning assigned such term in
Section 12.04(b)(iv).
18
“
Regulation D ” means Regulation D of the
Board, as the same may be amended, supplemented or replaced from
time to time.
“ Related
Parties ” means, with respect to any specified Person,
such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors,
officers, employees, agents and advisors (including attorneys,
accountants and experts) of such Person and such Person’s
Affiliates.
“
Release ” means any depositing, spilling, leaking,
pumping, pouring, placing, emitting, discarding, abandoning,
emptying, discharging, migrating, injecting, escaping, leaching,
dumping, or disposing.
“
Remedial Work ” has the meaning assigned such term in
Section 8.09(a).
“
Required Lenders ” means, at any time while no Loans
or LC Exposure are outstanding, Lenders having at least sixty six
and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts; and at any time while any Loans or LC Exposure are
outstanding, Lenders holding at least sixty six and two-thirds
percent (66-2/3%) of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of
the Loans or participation interests in such Letters of Credit
(without regard to any sale by a Lender of a participation in any
Loan under Section 12.04(c)).
“ Reserve
Report ” means a report, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, setting forth, as of each
January 1st or July 1st (or such other date in the event of an
Interim Redetermination) the oil and gas reserves attributable to
the Oil and Gas Properties of the Parent Guarantor and the Credit
Parties, together with a projection of the rate of production and
future net income, taxes, operating expenses and capital
expenditures with respect thereto as of such date, based upon the
economic assumptions consistent with the Administrative
Agent’s lending requirements at the time.
“ Reserve
Report Certificate ” means a certificate of a Responsible
Officer in substantially the form of Exhibit I attached hereto
certifying as the matters set forth in Section 8.11(c).
“
Responsible Officer ” means, as to any Person, the
Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Financial Officer or
any Vice President of such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all
references to a Responsible Officer herein shall mean a Responsible
Officer of the Parent Guarantor.
“
Restricted Payment ” means any dividend or other
distribution (whether in cash, securities or other Property) with
respect to any Equity Interests in the Parent Guarantor or any
other Credit Party, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or
other Property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on
account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition,
cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the
Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party.
“
Restricted Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the
Parent Guarantor that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
19
“
Revolving Credit Exposure ” means, with respect to any
Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of
such Lender’s Loans and its LC Exposure at such
time.
“
Scheduled Redetermination ” has the meaning assigned
such term in Section 2.07(b).
“
Scheduled Redetermination Date ” means the date on
which a Borrowing Base that has been redetermined pursuant to a
Scheduled Redetermination becomes effective as provided in Section
2.07(d).
“ SEC
” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
successor Governmental Authority.
“
Security Instruments ” means the Guaranty Agreement,
mortgages, deeds of trust and other agreements, instruments or
certificates described or identified to in Exhibit F-1, and
any and all other agreements or instruments, now or hereafter
executed and delivered by the Borrower or any Guarantor (other than
Swap Agreements and Treasury Management Agreements) as security for
the payment or performance of the Indebtedness, the Notes, this
Agreement, or reimbursement obligations under the Letters of
Credit, as such agreements may be amended, modified, supplemented
or restated from time to time.
“ Senior
Secured Debt ” means the sum of the total Revolving
Credit Exposure and all other secured Debt for borrowed money of
the Parent Guarantor and its Restricted Subsidiaries that is not
contractually subordinated in right of payment to the
Indebtedness.
“ Senior
Notes ” means the Existing Senior Notes, any Permitted
Additional Senior Notes and any Permitted Refinancing Debt in
respect thereof.
“
S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and any
successor thereto that is a nationally recognized rating
agency.
“
Statutory Reserve Rate ” means a fraction (expressed
as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the
denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the
maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special,
emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal
established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is
subject with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency
funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency
Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board). Such reserve
percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such
Regulation D. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute
eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements
without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets
that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such
Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory
Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the
effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.
“
subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any
other Person of which Equity Interests representing more than 50%
of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power
(irrespective of whether or not at the time Equity Interests of any
other class or classes of such Person shall have or might have
voting power by reason of the happening of any
20
contingency)
or, in the case of a partnership, any general partnership interests
are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held.
“
Subsidiary ” means any subsidiary of the Parent
Guarantor.
“
Subsidiary Guarantor ” means:
(a) Equity
Oil Company, a Colorado corporation; and
(b) each
Domestic Subsidiary that guarantees the Indebtedness pursuant to
Section 8.13(b); but
(c) excludes
any Person whose guarantee has been released pursuant to the terms
of the Guaranty Agreement and each Excluded Subsidiary.
“ Swap
Agreement ” means any agreement with respect to any swap,
forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar
agreement, whether exchange traded, “over-the-counter”
or otherwise, involving, or settled by reference to, one or more
rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or
securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures
of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar
transaction or any combination of these transactions.
“ Swap
Termination Value ” means, in respect of any one or more
Swap Agreements, after taking into account the effect of any
legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap
Agreements, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap
Agreements have been closed out and termination value(s) determined
in accordance therewith, such termination value(s) and (b) for
any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s)
determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Agreements,
as determined by the counterparties to such Swap
Agreements.
“
Synthetic Leases ” means, in respect of any Person,
all leases which shall have been, or should have been, in
accordance with GAAP, treated as operating leases on the financial
statements of the Person liable (whether contingently or otherwise)
for the payment of rent thereunder and which were properly treated
as indebtedness for borrowed money for purposes of U.S. federal
income taxes, if the lessee in respect thereof is obligated to
either purchase for an amount in excess of, or pay upon early
termination an amount in excess of, 80% of the residual value of
the Property subject to such operating lease upon expiration or
early termination of such lease.
“
Taxes ” means any and all present or future taxes,
levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings
imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“
Termination Date ” means the earlier of the Maturity
Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.
“ Total
Debt ” means, at any date, all Debt of the Parent
Guarantor and the Consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis, excluding (i) non-cash obligations under or as a result
of the
21
application of
FAS 133 or otherwise and (ii) accounts payable and other
accrued expenses and liabilities (for the deferred purchase price
of Property or services) from time to time incurred in the ordinary
course of business which are not greater than ninety (90) days
past the date of invoice or delinquent or which are being contested
in good faith by appropriate action and for which adequate reserves
have been maintained in accordance with GAAP.
“
Transactions ” means, with respect to (a) the
Borrower, the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower
of this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which it is a
party, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and
the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder, and the grant of Liens
by the Borrower on Mortgaged Properties and other Properties
pursuant to the Security Instruments and (b) each Guarantor,
the execution, delivery and performance by such Guarantor of each
Loan Document to which it is a party, the guaranteeing of the
Indebtedness and the other obligations under the Guaranty Agreement
by such Guarantor and such Guarantor’s grant of the security
interests and provision of collateral under the Security
Instruments, and the grant of Liens by such Guarantor on Mortgaged
Properties and other Properties pursuant to the Security
Instruments.
“
Treasury Management Agreements ” means any agreements
regarding bank services provided to any Credit Party for commercial
credit cards and treasury management services, including, without
limitation, controlled disbursement, automated clearinghouse
transactions, return items, overdrafts and interstate depository
network services.
“
Trust ” means Whiting USA Trust I, a Delaware
statutory trust.
“ Trust
Agreements ” means (i) the Amended and Restated
Trust Agreement, dated April 30, 2008, among Borrower, Equity
Oil Company, Trustee and Wilmington Trust Company, (ii) the
Conveyance of Net Profits Interest, dated April 30, 2008, from
Borrower and Equity Oil Company to Trustee, (iii) the
Administrative Services Agreement, dated April 30, 2008, by
and between Borrower and Trustee and (iv) the Registration
Rights Agreement, dated April 30, 2008, by and between Parent
Guarantor and Trustee.
“
Trustee ” means The Bank of New York Mellon Trust
Company, N.A.
“
Type ”, when used in reference to any Loan or
Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or
on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference
to the Alternate Base Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“
Unrestricted Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the
Parent Guarantor designated as such on Schedule 7.14 or which
the Parent Guarantor has designated in writing to the
Administrative Agent to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to
Section 9.17.
“
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of
which all of the outstanding Equity Interests (other than any
directors’ qualifying shares mandated by applicable law), on
a fully-diluted basis, are owned by the Borrower or one or more of
the Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries or are owned by the Borrower and one
or more of the Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries.
22
Section 1.03
Types of Loans and Borrowings . For purposes of this
Agreement, Loans and Borrowings, respectively, may be classified
and referred to by Type (e.g., a “ Eurodollar Loan
” or a “ Eurodollar Borrowing
”).
Section 1.04
Terms Generally; Rules of Construction . The definitions of
terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms
of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun
shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter
forms. The words “include”, “includes” and
“including” as used in this Credit Agreement shall be
deemed to be followed by the phrase “without
limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed
to have the same meaning and effect as the word
“shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any
definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other
document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement,
instrument or other document as from time to time amended,
supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on
such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth in the Loan
Documents), (b) any reference herein to any law shall be
construed as referring to such law as amended, modified, codified
or reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect from time to time,
(c) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to
include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to the
restrictions contained in the Loan Documents), (d) the words
“herein”, “hereof” and
“hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any
particular provision hereof, (e) with respect to the
determination of any time period, the word “from” means
“from and including” and the word “to”
means “to and including” and (f) any reference
herein to Articles, Sections, Annexes, Exhibits and Schedules shall
be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Annexes,
Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement. No provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be interpreted or
construed against any Person solely because such Person or its
legal representative drafted such provision.
Section 1.05
Accounting Terms and Determinations; GAAP . Unless otherwise
specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be
interpreted, all determinations with respect to accounting matters
hereunder shall be made, and all financial statements and
certificates and reports as to financial matters required to be
furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders hereunder
shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP, applied on a basis
consistent with the Financial Statements except for changes in
which Parent Guarantor’s independent certified public
accountants concur and which are disclosed therein; provided that,
unless the Borrower and the Majority Lenders shall otherwise agree
in writing, no such change shall modify or affect the manner in
which compliance with the covenants contained herein is computed,
such that all such computations shall be conducted utilizing
financial information presented consistently with prior
periods.
Section 2.01
Commitments .
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to
make Loans to the Borrower during the Availability Period in an
aggregate principal amount that will not result in (a) such
Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such
Lender’s
23
Commitment or
(b) the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total
Commitments. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms
and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, repay and
reborrow the Loans.
(b) On
the Effective Date (or as soon as practicable with respect to
(iii)):
(i)
the Borrower shall pay all accrued and unpaid commitment fees,
break funding fees under Section 5.02 and all other fees that
are outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement for the account
of each “Lender” under the Existing Credit Agreement;
and
(ii)
all loans, Existing Letters Of Credit, and other Indebtedness,
obligations and liabilities outstanding under the Existing Credit
Agreement on such date shall continue to constitute Loans, Letters
of Credit and other Indebtedness, obligations and liabilities under
this Agreement; and
(iii)
the Administrative Agent shall use reasonable efforts to cause each
“Lender” under the Existing Credit Agreement to deliver
to the Borrower as soon as practicable after the Effective Date the
Note issued by the Borrower to it under the Existing Credit
Agreement, marked “canceled” or an affidavit that such
note has been lost and (in any event) has been canceled;
It is the
intent of the parties hereto that this Agreement amends and
restates in its entirety the Existing Credit Agreement and
re-evidences the obligations of the Borrower outstanding
thereunder. The commitments of the lenders under the Existing
Credit Agreement are reallocated among the Lenders under this
Agreement as set forth on Annex I. This Agreement does not
constitute a novation of the obligations and liabilities under the
Existing Credit Agreement or evidence repayment of any such
obligations and liabilities. All loans, letters of credit and other
indebtedness, obligations and liabilities outstanding under the
Existing Credit Agreement on such date shall continue to constitute
Loans, Letters of Credit and other Indebtedness, obligations and
liabilities under this Agreement. The “Lenders” in the
Existing Credit Agreement that are Lenders waive notice under
Section 15.1 of the Existing Credit Agreement to the extent
that such notice relates to voluntary prepayments under
Section 3.7 of the Existing Credit Agreement.
Section 2.02
Loans and Borrowings .
(a)
Borrowings; Several Obligations . Each Loan shall be made as
part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans made by the Lenders ratably
in accordance with their respective Commitments. The failure of any
Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve
any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the
Commitments are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any
other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.
(b)
Types of Loans . Subject to Section 3.03, each
Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar
Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each
Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing
any
24
domestic or
foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan;
provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the
obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement.
(c)
Minimum Amounts; Limitation on Number of Borrowings . At the
commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing,
such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral
multiple of $500,000 and not less than $2,000,000. At the time that
each ABR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate
amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than
$1,000,000; provided that an ABR Borrowing may be in a lesser
aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the
total Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement
of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.08(e).
Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same
time, provided that there shall not at any time be more than a
total of eight (8) Eurodollar Borrowings outstanding.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower
shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or
continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with
respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
(d)
Notes . If requested by a Lender, the Loans made by each
Lender shall be evidenced by a single promissory note of the
Borrower in substantially the form of Exhibit A, dated, in the
case of (i) any Lender party hereto as of the date of this
Agreement, as of the date of this Agreement, (ii) any Lender
that becomes a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and
Assumption, as of the effective date of the Assignment and
Assumption, or (iii) any Lender that becomes a party hereto in
connection with an increase in the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
pursuant to Section 2.06(c), as of the effective date of such
increase, payable to the order of such Lender in a principal amount
equal to its Maximum Credit Amount as in effect on such date, and
otherwise duly completed. In the event that any Lender’s
Maximum Credit Amount increases or decreases for any reason
(whether pursuant to Section 2.06, Section 12.04(b) or
otherwise), the Borrower shall deliver or cause to be delivered on
the effective date of such increase or decrease, a new Note payable
to the order of such Lender in a principal amount equal to its
Maximum Credit Amount after giving effect to such increase or
decrease, and otherwise duly completed. The date, amount, Type,
interest rate and, if applicable, Interest Period of each Loan made
by each Lender, and all payments made on account of the principal
thereof, shall be recorded by such Lender on its books for its
Note, and, prior to any transfer, may be endorsed by such Lender on
a schedule attached to such Note or any continuation thereof or on
any separate record maintained by such Lender. Failure to make any
such notation or to attach a schedule shall not affect any
Lender’s or the Borrower’s rights or obligations in
respect of such Loans or affect the validity of such transfer by
any Lender of its Note.
Section 2.03
Requests for Borrowings . To request a Borrowing, the
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by
telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later
than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three Business Days before the
date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR
Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on
the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that no such notice
shall be required for any deemed request of an ABR Borrowing to
finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in
Section 2.08(e). Each such Borrowing Request shall be
irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or
telecopy to the Administrative
25
Agent of a
written Borrowing Request in substantially the form of
Exhibit B and signed by the Parent Guarantor and the Borrower.
Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify
the following information in compliance with
Section 2.02:
(i) the
aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii) the
date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether
such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar
Borrowing;
(iv) in
the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to
be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the
definition of the term “Interest Period”;
(v) the
amount of the then effective Borrowing Base, the current total
Revolving Credit Exposures (without regard to the requested
Borrowing) and the pro form a total Revolving Credit
Exposures (giving effect to the requested Borrowing);
and
(vi) the
location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds
are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of
Section 2.05.
If no election
as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested
Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is
specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Borrowing, then
the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of
one month’s duration. Each Borrowing Request shall constitute
a representation that the amount of the requested Borrowing shall
not cause the total Revolving Credit Exposures to exceed the total
Commitments (i.e., the lesser of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts and the then effective Borrowing Base).
Promptly
following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this
Section 2.03, the Administrative Agent shall advise each
Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such
Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested
Borrowing.
Section 2.04
Interest Elections .
(a)
Conversion and Continuance . Each Borrowing initially shall
be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and,
in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, shall have an initial
Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter,
the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different
Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar
Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in
this Section 2.04. The Borrower may elect different options
with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in
which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the
Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans
comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate
Borrowing.
26
(b)
Interest Election Requests . To make an election pursuant to
this Section 2.04, the Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that
a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if
the Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from
such election to be made on the effective date of such election.
Each such Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall
be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the
Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in
substantially the form of Exhibit C and signed by the
Borrower.
(c)
Information in Interest Election Requests . Each telephonic
and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following
information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the
Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if
different options are being elected with respect to different
portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each
resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified
pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(iii) and (iv) shall be specified
for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the
effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest
Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether
the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar
Borrowing; and
(iv) if
the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest
Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such
election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of
the term “Interest Period”.
If any such
Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does
not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed
to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s
duration.
(d)
Notice to Lenders by the Administrative Agent . Promptly
following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the
Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details
thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting
Borrowing.
(e)
Effect of Failure to Deliver Timely Interest Election Request
and Events of Default and Borrowing Base Deficiencies on Interest
Election . If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest
Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Borrowing prior to
the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless
such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such
Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR
Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an
Event of Default or a Borrowing Base Deficiency has occurred and is
continuing: (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to
or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing (and any Interest Election
Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or
continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be
ineffective) and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Borrowing
shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest
Period applicable thereto.
27
Section 2.05
Funding of Borrowings .
(a)
Funding by Lenders . Each Lender shall make each Loan to be
made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer
of immediately available funds by 2:00 p.m., New York City time, to
the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by
it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders. The Administrative
Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly
crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of
the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in Chicago,
Illinois and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing
Request; provided that ABR Loans made to finance the reimbursement
of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.08(e) shall be
remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing Bank. Nothing
herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds
for its Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a
representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain
the funds for its Loan in any particular place or
manner.
(b)
Presumption of Funding by the Lenders . Unless the
Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior
to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not
make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s
share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that
such Lender has made such share available on such date in
accordance with Section 2.05(a) and may, in reliance upon such
assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount.
In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the
applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then
the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to
the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding
amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the
date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding
the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case
of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and
a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with
banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in
the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to the Type
of such Borrowing. If such Lender pays such amount to the
Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such
Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
Section 2.06
Termination, Reduction and Increase of Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts .
(a)
Scheduled Termination of Commitments . Unless previously
terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
If at any time the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts or the
Borrowing Base is terminated or reduced to zero, then the
Commitments shall terminate on the effective date of such
termination or reduction.
(b)
Optional Termination and Reduction of Aggregate Credit
Amounts .
(i) The
Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce,
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts; provided that (A) each
reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be in an
amount that is an integral multiple of $10,000,000 and (B) the
Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Maximum
Credit
28
Amounts if,
after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in
accordance with Section 3.04(b), the total Revolving Credit
Exposures would exceed the total Commitments.
(ii) The
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to
terminate or reduce the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts under
Section 2.06(b)(i) at least three Business Days prior to the
effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such
election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt
of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of
the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to this Section 2.06(b)(ii) shall be irrevocable; provided
that a notice of reduction or termination of the Aggregate Maximum
Credit Amounts delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice
is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities,
in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by at
least one Business Day’s prior notice to the Administrative
Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such
condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be permanent and may not be
reinstated except pursuant to Section 2.06(c). Except for
termination of a Defaulting Lender under Section 5.04(b), each
reduction of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be made
ratably among the Lenders in accordance with each Lender’s
Applicable Percentage.
(c)
Optional Increase in Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts
.
(i) Subject
to the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(c)(ii), the
Borrower may from time to time increase the Aggregate Maximum
Credit Amounts then in effect without the prior consent of the
Lenders, but with the prior written consent of the Administrative
Agent, by increasing the Maximum Credit Amount of one or more
Lenders or by causing a Person that at such time is not a Lender to
become a Lender (an “ Additional Lender
”).
(ii) Any
increase in the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be subject
to the following additional conditions:
(A) such
increase shall not be less than $50,000,000 unless the
Administrative Agent otherwise consents, and no such increase shall
be permitted if after giving effect thereto the Aggregate Maximum
Credit Amounts would exceed $1,400,000,000;
(B) no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing
at the effective date of such increase;
(C) on
the effective date of such increase, no Eurodollar Borrowings shall
be outstanding or if any Eurodollar Borrowings are outstanding,
then the effective date of such increase shall be the last day of
the Interest Period in respect of such Eurodollar Borrowings unless
the Borrower pays compensation required by
Section 5.02;
(D) no
Lender’s Maximum Credit Amount may be increased without the
consent of such Lender;
29
(E) if
the Borrower elects to increase the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts by increasing the Maximum Credit Amount of a Lender, the
Administrative Agent, the Parent Guarantor, the Borrower and such
Lender shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit H-1 (a
“ Maximum Credit Amount Increase Certificate ”),
together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, and, if
requested, the Borrower shall deliver a new Note payable to the
order of such Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum
Credit Amount after giving effect to such increase, and otherwise
duly completed; and
(F) if
the Borrower elects to increase the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts by causing an Additional Lender to become a party to this
Agreement, then the Administrative Agent, the Parent Guarantor, the
Borrower and such Additional Lender shall execute and deliver to
the Administrative Agent a certificate substantially in the form of
Exhibit H-2 (an “ Additional Lender Certificate
”), together with an Administrative Questionnaire and a
processing and recordation fee of $3,500, and, if requested, the
Borrower shall deliver a Note payable to the order of such
Additional Lender in a principal amount equal to its Maximum Credit
Amount, and otherwise duly completed.
(iii) Subject
to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to
Section 2.06(c)(iv), from and after the effective date
specified in the Maximum Credit Amount Increase Certificate or the
Additional Lender Certificate (or if any Eurodollar Borrowings are
outstanding, then the last day of the Interest Period in respect of
such Eurodollar Borrowings, unless the Borrower has paid
compensation required by Section 5.02): (A) the amount of
the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts shall be increased as set
forth therein, and (B) in the case of an Additional Lender
Certificate, any Additional Lender party thereto shall be a party
to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and have the rights
and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents. In addition, the Lender or the Additional Lender, as
applicable, shall purchase a pro rata portion of the outstanding
Loans (and participation interests in Letters of Credit) of each of
the other Lenders (and such Lenders hereby agree to sell and to
take all such further action to effectuate such sale) such that
each Lender (including any Additional Lender, if applicable) shall
hold its Applicable Percentage of the outstanding Loans (and
participation interests) after giving effect to the increase in the
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.
(iv) Upon
its receipt of a duly completed Maximum Credit Amount Increase
Certificate or an Additional Lender Certificate, executed by the
Borrower and the Lender or the Borrower and the Additional Lender
party thereto, as applicable, the processing and recording fee
referred to in Section 2.06(c)(ii), the Administrative
Questionnaire referred to in Section 2.06(c)(ii), if
applicable, and the written consent of the Administrative Agent to
such increase required by Section 2.06(c)(i), the
Administrative Agent shall accept such Maximum Credit Amount
Increase Certificate or Additional Lender Certificate and record
the information contained therein in the Register required to be
maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to
Section 12.04(b)(iv). No increase in the Aggregate Maximum
Credit Amounts shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement
unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this
Section 2.06(c)(iv).
30
Section 2.07
Borrowing Base .
(a)
Initial Borrowing Base . For the period from and including
the Effective Date to but excluding the first Redetermination Date,
the amount of the Borrowing Base shall be $1,100,000,000.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrowing Base may be subject to
further adjustments from time to time pursuant to
Section 2.07(e), Section 2.07(f), Section 8.12(c) or
Section 9.11.
(b)
Scheduled and Interim Redeterminations . Except as set forth
in the following sentence, the Borrowing Base shall be redetermined
semi-annually in accordance with this Section 2.07 (a “
Scheduled Redetermination ”), and, subject to
Section 2.07(d), such redetermined Borrowing Base shall become
effective and applicable to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent,
the Issuing Bank and the Lenders on May 1st and November 1st of
each year, commencing November 1 , 20 09. In addition, the Borrower
may, by notifying the Administrative Agent thereof, and the
Administrative Agent may, at the direction of the Required Lenders,
by notifying the Borrower thereof, one time during any period of 12
consecutive calendar months, to elect to cause the Borrowing Base
to be redetermined between Scheduled Redeterminations (an “
Interim Redetermination ”) in accordance with this
Section 2.07.
(c)
Scheduled and Interim Redetermination Procedure .
(i) Each
Scheduled Redetermination and each Interim Redetermination shall be
effectuated as follows: Upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of
(A) the Reserve Report and the Reserve Report Certificate, and
(B) such other reports, data and supplemental information,
including, without limitation, the information provided pursuant to
Section 8.11(c), as may, from time to time, be reasonably
requested by the Majority Lenders (the Reserve Report, such
certificate and such other reports, data and supplemental
information being the “ Engineering Reports ”),
the Administrative Agent shall evaluate the information contained
in the Engineering Reports and shall in good faith propose a new
Borrowing Base (the “ Proposed Borrowing Base ”)
based upon such information and such other information (including,
without limitation, the status of title information with respect to
the Oil and Gas Properties as described in the Engineering Reports
and the existence of any other Debt) as the Administrative Agent
deems appropriate exercising reasonable commercial standards and
consistent with its normal and customary oil and gas lending
criteria as it exists at the particular time.
(ii) The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of
the Proposed Borrowing Base (the “ Proposed Borrowing Base
Notice ”):
(A) in
the case of a Scheduled Redetermination (1) if the
Administrative Agent shall have received the Engineering Reports
required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section
8.11(a) and (c) in a timely manner, then on or before the
March 15th and September 15th of such year following the
date of delivery or (2) if the Administrative Agent shall not
have received the Engineering Reports required to be delivered by
the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.11(a) and (c) in a
timely manner, then promptly after the Administrative Agent has
received complete Engineering Reports from the Borrower and has had
a reasonable
31
opportunity to
determine the Proposed Borrowing Base in accordance with
Section 2.07(c)(i); and
(B) in
the case of an Interim Redetermination, promptly, and in any event,
within fifteen (15) days after the Administrative Agent has
received the required Engineering Reports.
(iii) Any
Proposed Borrowing Base that would increase the Borrowing Base then
in effect must be approved or deemed to have been approved by all
of the Lenders consistent with each such Lender’s normal and
customary oil and gas lending criteria as it exists at the
particular time as provided in this Section 2.07(c)(iii); and
any Proposed Borrowing Base that would decrease or maintain the
Borrowing Base then in effect must be approved or be deemed to have
been approved by the Required Lenders and consistent with each such
Lender’s normal and customary oil and gas lending criteria as
it exists at the particular time as provided in this
Section 2.07(c)(iii). Upon receipt of the Proposed Borrowing
Base Notice, each Lender shall have fifteen (15) days to agree
with the Proposed Borrowing Base or disagree with the Proposed
Borrowing Base by proposing an alternate Borrowing Base. If at the
end of such fifteen (15) days, any Lender has not communicated
its approval or disapproval in writing to the Administrative Agent,
such silence shall be deemed to be an approval of the Proposed
Borrowing Base. If, at the end of such 15-day period, all of the
Lenders, in the case of a Proposed Borrowing Base that would
increase the Borrowing Base then in effect, or the Required
Lenders, in the case of a Proposed Borrowing Base that would
decrease or maintain the Borrowing Base then in effect, have
approved or deemed to have approved, as aforesaid, then the
Proposed Borrowing Base shall become the new Borrowing Base,
effective on the date specified in Section 2.07(d). If,
however, at the end of such 15-day period, all of the Lenders or
the Required Lenders, as applicable, have not approved or deemed to
have approved, as aforesaid, then the Administrative Agent shall
poll the Lenders to ascertain the highest Borrowing Base then
acceptable to all of the Lenders or a number of Lenders sufficient
to constitute the Required Lenders, as applicable, and, so long as
such amount does not increase the Borrowing Base then in effect,
such amount shall become the new Borrowing Base, effective on the
date specified in Section 2.07(d).
(d)
Effectiveness of a Redetermined Borrowing Base . After a
redetermined Borrowing Base is approved or is deemed to have been
approved by all of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as
applicable, pursuant to Section 2.07(c)(iii), the
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of
the amount of the redetermined Borrowing Base (the “ New
Borrowing Base Notice ”), and such amount shall become
the new Borrowing Base, effective and applicable to the Borrower,
the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the
Lenders:
(i) in
the case of a Scheduled Redetermination, (A) if the
Administrative Agent shall have received the Engineering Reports
required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section
8.11(a) and (c) in a timely and complete manner, then on the
April 1st or October 1st, as applicable, following such notice, or
(B) if the Administrative Agent shall not have received the
Engineering Reports required to be delivered by the
Borrower
32
pursuant to
Section 8.11(a) and (c) in a timely and complete manner,
then on the Business Day next succeeding delivery of such notice;
and
(ii) in
the case of an Interim Redetermination, on the Business Day next
succeeding delivery of such notice.
Such amount shall
then become the Borrowing Base until the next Scheduled
Redetermination Date, the next Interim Redetermination Date or the
next adjustment to the Borrowing Base under Section 2.07(e),
Section 2.07(f), Section 8.12(c) or Section 9.11,
whichever occurs first. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Scheduled
Redetermination or Interim Redetermination shall become effective
until the New Borrowing Base Notice related thereto is received by
the Borrower.
(e)
Reduction of Borrowing Base Upon Issuance of Permitted
Additional Senior Notes . Upon the issuance of any Permitted
Additional Senior Notes in accordance with Section 9.02(g)
(other than Senior Notes constituting Permitted Refinancing Debt up
to the original principal amount of the refinanced Senior Notes),
the Borrowing Base then in effect shall be reduced by an amount
equal to the product of 0.30 multiplied by the stated principal
amount of such Permitted Additional Senior Notes (without regard to
any initial issue discount), and the Borrowing Base as so reduced
shall become the new Borrowing Base immediately upon the date of
such issuance, effective and applicable to the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders on such date
until the next redetermination or modification thereof
hereunder.
(f)
Reduction of Borrowing Base Upon Termination of Hedge
Positions . If a Credit Party shall terminate any hedge
positions or create any off-setting positions (whether evidenced by
a floor, put or Swap Agreement) upon which the Lenders relied in
determining the Borrowing Base, then the Borrowing Base shall be
reduced in an amount determined by the Required Lenders equal to
the economic value of such hedge positions.
Section 2.08
Letters of Credit .
(a)
General . Subject to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, the Borrower may request the issuance of dollar denominated
Letters of Credit for its own account or for the account of any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries, in a form reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and from
time to time during the Availability Period; provided that the
Borrower may not request the issuance, amendment (to extend the
term or increase the amount), renewal or extension of Letters of
Credit hereunder, and the Issuing Bank shall not issue, amend (to
extend the term or increase the amount), renew or extend a Letter
of Credit, if a Borrowing Base Deficiency exists at such time or
would exist as a result thereof or if the LC Exposure would exceed
the LC Commitment after giving effect thereto. Subject to the terms
and conditions set forth herein, the Issuing Bank shall then
arrange for the Letter of Credit to be issued on the
Borrower’s behalf. In the event of any inconsistency between
the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and
conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other
agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into
by
33
the Borrower
with, the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms
and conditions of this Agreement shall control.
(b)
Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain
Conditions . To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or
the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of
Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit
by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been
approved by the Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the
Administrative Agent (not less than five (5) Business Days in
advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or
extension) a notice:
(i) requesting
the issuance of a Letter of Credit or identifying the Letter of
Credit to be amended, renewed or extended;
(ii) specifying
the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall
be a Business Day);
(iii) specifying
the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall
comply with Section 2.08(c));
(iv) specifying
the amount of such Letter of Credit;
(v) specifying
the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other
information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or
extend such Letter of Credit; and
(vi) specifying
the amount of the then effective Borrowing Base and whether a
Borrowing Base Deficiency exists at such time, the current total
Revolving Credit Exposures (without regard to the requested Letter
of Credit or the requested amendment, renewal or extension of an
outstanding Letter of Credit) and the pro forma total
Revolving Credit Exposures (giving effect to the requested Letter
of Credit or the requested amendment, renewal or extension of an
outstanding Letter of Credit).
Each notice shall
constitute a representation that after giving effect to the
requested issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, as applicable,
(i) the LC Exposure shall not exceed the LC Commitment and
(ii) the total Revolving Credit Exposures shall not exceed the
total Commitments (i.e. the lesser of the Aggregate Maximum Credit
Amounts and the then effective Borrowing Base).
If requested by
the Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit
application in a form acceptable to the Issuing Bank in connection
with any request for a Letter of Credit.
(c)
Expiration Date . Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or
prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date
one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit
(or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year
after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is
five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date; provided
that
34
any Letter of
Credit with a one-year term may provide for the renewal thereof for
additional one-year periods (which shall in no event extend beyond
the date referred to in clause (ii)).
(d)
Participations . By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or
an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof)
and without any further action on the part of the Issuing Bank or
the Lenders, the Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and
each Lender hereby acquires from the Issuing Bank, a participation
in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such
Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the
foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees
to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing
Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC
Disbursement made by the Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the
Borrower on the date due as provided in Section 2.08(e), or of
any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower
for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its
obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this
Section 2.08(d) in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute
and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance
whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any
Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default,
the existence of a Borrowing Base Deficiency or reduction or
termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be
made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction
whatsoever.
(e)
Reimbursement . If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC
Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit prior to
11:00 a.m., New York time, then the Borrower shall reimburse
such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an
amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 4:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the same Business Day, if the Borrower shall
have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 12:00 noon,
New York City time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been
received by the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not
later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the Business Day
immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such
notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the
day of receipt; provided that if such LC Disbursement is not less
than $1,000,000, the Borrower shall, subject to the conditions to
Borrowing set forth herein, be deemed to have requested, and the
Borrower does hereby request under such circumstances, that such
payment be financed with an ABR Borrowing in an equivalent amount
and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to
make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting
ABR Borrowing. If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due,
the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable
LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect
thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof.
Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to
the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment
then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as provided in
Section 2.05 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and
Section 2.05 shall apply, mutatis mutandis , to the
payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent
shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by
it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the
Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to
this Section 2.08(e), the Administrative Agent shall
distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that
Lenders have made payments pursuant to this Section 2.08(e) to
reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing
Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender
pursuant to this Section 2.08(e) to reimburse the
Issuing
35
Bank for any LC
Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Loans as contemplated
above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the
Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC
Disbursement.
(f)
Obligations Absolute . The Borrower’s obligation to
reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in Section 2.08(e)
shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be
performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of
(i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of
Credit, any Letter of Credit Agreement or this Agreement, or of any
term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document
presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent
or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or
inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the Issuing Bank under
a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other
document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of
Credit or any Letter of Credit Agreement, or (iv) any other
event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of
the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this
Section 2.08(f), constitute a legal or equitable discharge of,
or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s
obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the
Lenders nor the Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties
shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in
connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or
any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective
of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence),
or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission
or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or
relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required
to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of
technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the
control of the Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not
be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from liability to the
Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to
consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived
by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered
by the Borrower that are caused by the Issuing Bank’s failure
to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other
documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms
thereof. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the
generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to
documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial
compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank
may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon
such documents without responsibility for further investigation,
regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse
to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents
are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of
Credit.
(g)
Disbursement Procedures . The Issuing Bank shall, promptly
following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to
represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. The
Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the
Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such demand for
payment and whether the Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC
Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay
in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its
obligation to reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Lenders with
respect to any such LC Disbursement.
(h)
Interim Interest . If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC
Disbursement, then, until the Borrower shall have reimbursed the
Issuing Bank for such LC Disbursement
36
(either with
its own funds or a Borrowing under Section 2.08(e)), the
unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and
including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding
the date that the Borrower reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the
rate per annum then applicable to ABR Loans. Interest accrued
pursuant to this Section 2.08(h) shall be for the account of
the Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the
date of payment by any Lender pursuant to Section 2.08(e) to
reimburse the Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender
to the extent of such payment.
(i)
Cash Collateralization . If (i) any Event of Default
shall occur and be continuing and the Borrower receives notice from
the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders demanding the
deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this Section 2.08(i),
or (ii) the Borrower is required to pay to the Administrative
Agent the excess attributable to an LC Exposure in connection with
any prepayment pursuant to Section 3.04(b), then the Borrower
shall deposit, in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the
name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the
Lenders, an amount in cash equal to, in the case of an Event of
Default, the LC Exposure, and in the case of a payment required by
Section 3.04(b), the amount of such excess as provided in
Section 3.04(b), as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid
interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash
collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit
shall become promptly due and payable, without demand or other
notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default
with respect to the Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party
described in Section 10.01(h), Section 10.01(i) or
Section 10.01(j). The Borrower hereby grants to the
Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Issuing Bank and the
Lenders, an exclusive first priority and continuing perfected
security interest in and Lien on such account and all cash, checks,
drafts, certificates and instruments, if any, from time to time
deposited or held in such account, all deposits or wire transfers
made thereto, any and all investments purchased with funds
deposited in such account, all interest, dividends, cash,
instruments, financial assets and other Property from time to time
received, receivable or otherwise payable in respect of, or in
exchange for, any or all of the foregoing, and all proceeds,
products, accessions, rents, profits, income and benefits
therefrom, and any substitutions and replacements therefor. The
Borrower’s obligation to deposit amounts pursuant to this
Section 2.08(i) shall be absolute and unconditional, without
regard to whether any beneficiary of any such Letter of Credit has
attempted to draw down all or a portion of such amount under the
terms of a Letter of Credit, and, to the fullest extent permitted
by applicable law, shall not be subject to any defense or be
affected by a right of set-off, counterclaim or recoupment which
the Parent Guarantor or any other Credit Party may now or hereafter
have against any such beneficiary, the Issuing Bank, the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders or any other Person for any
reason whatsoever. Such deposit shall be held as collateral
securing the payment and performance of the Borrower’s and
the Guarantor’s obligations under this Agreement and the
other Loan Documents and shall be utilized to satisfy the
Borrower’s obligation to reimburse the Administrative Agent
for drawings under Section 2.08(e). The parties hereto
expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct on the part of the Issuing Bank (as finally determined
by a court of competent jurisdiction), the Issuing Bank shall be
deemed to have exercised all requisite care in each such
determination. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive
dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal,
over such account. Other than any interest earned on the investment
of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and
sole discretion of the Administrative
37
Agent and at
the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear
interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall
accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied
by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Bank for LC
Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the
extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the
reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at
such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, be
applied to satisfy other obligations of the Borrower and the
Guarantors under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents. If on
any date of determination after the Borrower has posted cash
collateral, the amount of such cash collateral exceeds the LC
Exposure, then the Administrative Agent shall release such excess
to the Borrower within three (3) Business Days of its receipt
of a request for such release.
(j)
Outstanding Letters of Credit . If requested by any Lender,
the Administrative Agent shall provide the requesting Lender with a
list of all outstanding Letters of Credit.
ARTICLE III
Payments of Principal and Interest; Prepayments;
Fees
Section 3.01
Repayment of Loans . The Borrower hereby unconditionally
promises to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Loan on the
Termination Date.
(a)
ABR Loans . The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing shall
bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable
Margin, but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful
Rate.
(b)
Eurodollar Loans . The Loans comprising each Eurodollar
Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the
Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable
Margin, but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful
Rate.
(c)
Post-Default Rate . Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or if any
principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount
payable by the Borrower or any Guarantor hereunder or under any
other Loan Document is not paid when due, whether at stated
maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, then at the direction of
the Majority Lenders, all Loans outstanding, in the case of an
Event of Default, and such overdue amount, in the case of a failure
to pay amounts when due, shall bear interest, after as well as
before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to two percent (2%) plus
the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in
Section 3.02(a), but in no event to exceed the Highest Lawful
Rate.
(d)
Interest Payment Dates . Accrued interest on each Loan shall
be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan
and on the Termination Date; provided that (i) interest
accrued pursuant to Section 3.02(c) shall be payable on
demand, (ii) in the event of
38
any repayment
or prepayment of any Loan (other than an optional prepayment of an
ABR Loan prior to the Termination Date), accrued interest on the
principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of
such repayment or prepayment, and (iii) in the event of any
conversion of any Eurodollar Loan prior to the end of the current
Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be
payable on the effective date of such conversion.
(e)
Interest Rate Computations . All interest hereunder shall be
computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, unless such
computation would exceed the Highest Lawful Rate, in which case
interest shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days
(or 366 days in a leap year), except that interest computed by
reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate
Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis
of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and
in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed
(including the first day but excluding the last day). The
applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate
shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such
determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and be
binding upon the parties hereto.
Section 3.03
Alternate Rate of Interest . If prior to the commencement of
any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:
(a) the
Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be
conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable
means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the
LIBO Rate for such Interest Period; or
(b) the
Administrative Agent is advised by the Majority Lenders that the
Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest
Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such
Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such
Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then the
Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and
the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable
thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the
Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such
notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that
requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any
Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and
(ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing,
such Borrowing shall be made either as an ABR Borrowing or at an
alternate rate of interest determined by the Majority Lenders as
their cost of funds.
Section 3.04
Prepayments .
(a)
Optional Prepayments . Subject to any break funding costs
payable pursuant to Section 5.02 and prior notice in
accordance with Section 3.04(b), the Borrower shall have the
right at any time and from time to time to (i) prepay any ABR
Borrowing in whole in or in part, in a minimum aggregate amount of
$1,000,000 or any integral multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof
or if less than $1,000,000, the remaining balance of the ABR Loans,
and (ii)
39
prepay any
Eurodollar Borrowing in whole in or in part, in a minimum aggregate
amount of $2,000,000 or any integral multiple of $500,000 in excess
thereof or if less than $2,000,000, the remaining balance of such
Eurodollar Borrowing.
(b)
Notice and Terms of Optional Prepayment . The Borrower shall
notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by
telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of
prepayment of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon,
New York City time, three Business Days before the date of
prepayment, or (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR
Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, one
Business Day before the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall
be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the
principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be
prepaid. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to
a Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of
the contents thereof. Each optional prepayment of a Borrowing shall
be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing.
Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent
required by Section 3.02.
(c)
Mandatory Prepayments .
(i) If,
after giving effect to any termination or reduction of the
Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts pursuant to Section 2.06(b),
the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the total Commitments,
then the Borrower shall immediately (and in any event on the
Business Day of such termination or reduction) (A) prepay the
Borrowings on the date of such termination or reduction in an
aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and (B) if
any excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a
result of an LC Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf
of the Lenders an amount equal to such excess to be held as cash
collateral as provided in Section 2.08(i).
(ii) Upon
any redetermination of or adjustment to the amount of the Borrowing
Base in accordance with Section 2.07 (other than in accordance
with Section 2.07(e) or (f)) or Section 8.12(c), if the total
Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the redetermined or adjusted
Borrowing Base, then the Borrower shall (A) prepay the
Borrowings in an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess,
and (B) if any excess remains after prepaying all of the
Borrowings as a result of an LC Exposure, pay to the Administrative
Agent on behalf of the Lenders an amount equal to such excess to be
held as cash collateral as provided in Section 2.08(i). The
Borrower shall be obligated to make such prepayments in six
substantially equal monthly installments, the first of which shall
be due on the thirtieth day following receipt of the New Borrowing
Base Notice in accordance with Section 2.07(d); provided that
all payments required to be made pursuant to this
Section 3.04(c)(ii) must be made on or prior to the
Termination Date.
(iii) Upon
any adjustment to the Borrowing Base pursuant to
Section 2.07(e), Section 2.07(f) or Section 9.11, if
the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the Borrowing Base as
adjusted, then the Borrower shall (A) prepay the Borrowings in
an aggregate principal amount equal to such excess, and (B) if
any excess remains after prepaying all of the Borrowings as a
result of an LC Exposure, pay to the Administrative Agent on behalf
of the Lenders an amount equal to such excess to be held as cash
collateral as provided in Section
40
2.08(i). The
Borrower shall be obligated to make such prepayment and/or deposit
of cash collateral either on the date it or any Subsidiary receives
cash proceeds as a result of such disposition or on the date the
Permitted Additional Senior Notes are issued or hedge positions are
terminated, as applicable; provided that all payments required to
be made pursuant to this Section 3.04(c)(iii) must be made on
or prior to the Termination Date.
(iv) Each
prepayment of Borrowings pursuant to this Section 3.04(c)
shall be applied, first, ratably to any ABR Borrowings then
outstanding, and, second, to any Eurodollar Borrowings then
outstanding, and if more than one Eurodollar Borrowing is then
outstanding, to each such Eurodollar Borrowing in order of priority
beginning with the Eurodollar Borrowing with the least number of
days remaining in the Interest Period applicable thereto and ending
with the Eurodollar Borrowing with the most number of days
remaining in the Interest Period applicable thereto.
(v) Each
prepayment of Borrowings pursuant to this Section 3.04(c)
shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid
Borrowings. Prepayments pursuant to this Section 3.04(c) shall
be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by
Section 3.02.
(d)
No Premium or Penalty . Prepayments permitted or required
under this Section 3.04 shall be without premium or penalty,
except as required under Section 5.02.
(a)
Commitment Fees . The Borrower agrees to pay to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment
fee, which shall accrue at the rate per annum of 0.50% on the
average daily amount of the unused amount of each Lender’s
Applicable Percentage of the aggregate Commitments during the
period from and including the date of this Agreement to but
excluding the Termination Date. Accrued commitment fees shall be
payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and
December of each year and on the Termination Date, commencing on
the first such date to occur after the date hereof. All commitment
fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and
shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including
the first day but excluding the last day).
(b)
Letter of Credit Fees . The Borrower agrees to pay
(i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender
a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters
of Credit, which shall accrue at a rate equal to the Applicable
Margin used to determine the interest rate applicable from time to
time to Eurodollar Loans on the average daily amount of such
Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof
attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period
from and including the date of this Agreement to but excluding the
later of the date on which such Lender’s Commitment
terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC
Exposure, (ii) to the Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall
accrue at the rate of 0.125% per annum on the average daily amount
of the LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to
unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including
the date of this Agreement to but excluding the later of the date
of termination of the Commitments and the date on which there
ceases to be any LC
41
Exposure,
provided that in no event shall such fee be less than $500 during
any quarter, and (iii) to the Issuing Bank, for its own
account, its standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment,
renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of
drawings thereunder. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued
through and including the last day of March, June, September and
December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day
following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur
after the date of this Agreement; provided that all such fees shall
be payable on the Termination Date and any such fees accruing
aft
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