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Energy Quest Inc.
2008 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION PLAN
1.1 Establishment. Energy Quest Inc. (the
“ Company ”), a Nevada corporation, hereby
establishes the Energy Quest Inc. 2008 Non-qualified Stock Option
Plan (the “ Plan ”) for employees, consultants,
directors, and other persons associated with the Company and any of
the Company’s subsidiaries, whom the Board wishes to incite
Energy Quest Inc., together with its affiliated corporations, as
defined in Section 2.1 hereafter, are referred to as the
“Company”, except where the context otherwise
requires.
1.2 Purposes. The purposes of this Plan are
to (i) attract and retain the best available personnel for
positions of responsibility within the Company (ii) provide
incentives to employees, officers, and management of the Company,
(iii) provide Directors, Consultants and Advisors of the Company
with an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in the
Company to encourage their continued provision of services to the
Company, and to provide such persons with incentives and rewards
for superior performance more directly linked to the profitability
of the Company's business and increases in shareholder value, and
(iv) generally to promote the success of the Company's business and
the interests of the Company and all of its stockholders, through
the grant of options to purchase shares of the Company's Common
Stock.
Incentive benefits
granted hereunder may be non-qualified stock options. The type of
options granted shall be determined by the board or the
Compensation Committee and reflected in the terms of written
agreements.
2.1 Definitions. The following terms will
have the meanings set forth below:
“ Affiliated Corporation” means
any corporation or other entity (including, but not limited to, a
partnership) which exercises control over the Company through stock
ownership or otherwise, and includes subsidiaries of the
Company.
“Board” means the Board of
Directors of the Company.
“Code” means the Internal
Revenue Code of the USA or the Income Tax Act of Canada, as it may
be amended form time to time, and as appropriate to the context and
as applies to the Eligible Participant.
“Effective Date” means the
effective date of the Plan, which will be upon approval of the
Board of Directors of the Company.
“Eligible Participants” means
any employees (including, without limitation, all officers),
directors, consultants and any other persons whom the Board wishes
to incite to contribute to the fortunes of the Company and
permitted by law or policy to receive options.
“Fair Value” means the value of
a Share of Stock as determined by the Stock Option Committee acting
in good faith and in its sole discretion in accordance with this
Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if the Stock is actively
traded in an established stock or quotation market, “ Fair
Value” will mean the officially quoted closing price of
the Stock on such exchange as the Company’s stock is listed
on, on a particular date selected by the Stock Option Committee in
establishing the purchase price of Shares of the Option.
“Stock Option Committee” means
the Compensation Committee of the Company, unless the Board strikes
a separate committee, and in the absence of an empowered committee
shall mean the Board.
“Non-Statutory Option” means an
Option granted under this Plan in accordance with the requirements
of the Code, as amended from time to time.
“Option” means a right to
purchase Stock of the Company granted under this Plan at a stated
price for a specified period of time.
“Option Price” means the price
at which shares of Stock subject to an Option may be purchased,
determined in accordance with this Agreement and as established by
the Stock Option Committee and contracted by the Option
contract.
“Option Holder” means an
Eligible Participant designated by the Stock Option Committee from
time to time during the term of the Plan to receive one or more
Options under the Plan.
“ Plan Limit” shall have the
meaning set forth in section 4.1. “Share” or
“Shares” means a share or shares of Stock.
“Stock” means the common stock of the
Company.
2.2 Gender and Number. Except where
otherwise indicated by the context, the masculine gender also will
include the feminine gender, and the definition of any term herein
in the singular also will include the plural.
SECTION 3
PLAN ADMINISTRATION |
3.1 Stock Option Committee. The Stock Option
Committee will administer the Plan. In accordance with the
provisions of the Plan, the Stock Option Committee will, in
accordance with policies ordered by the Board but in the absence of
board direction in its sole discretion, select the Eligible
Participants to whom Options will be granted, the form of each
Option, the amount of each Option, and any other terms and
conditions of each Option as the Stock Option Committee may deem
necessary and consistent with the terms of the Plan. The Stock
Option Committee will determine the form or forms of the agreements
with Option Holders. The agreements will evidence the particular
provisions, terms, conditions, rights and duties of the Company and
the Option Holders with respect to Options granted pursuant to the
Plan, which provisions need not be identical except as may be
provided herein. The Stock Option Committee may from time to time
adopt such rules and regulations for carrying out the purposes of
the Plan as it may deem proper and in the best interests of the
Company. The Stock Option Committee may correct any defect, supply
any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any
agreement entered into hereunder in the manner and to the extent it
may deem expedient and it will be the sole and final judge of such
expediency. No member of the Stock Option Committee will be liable
for any action or determination made in good faith, and all members
of the Committee will, in addition to their rights as directors, be
fully protected by the Company with respect to any such action,
determination or interpretation. The determinations,
interpretations and other actions of the Stock Option Committee
pursuant to the provisions of the Plan will be binding and
conclusive for all purposes and on all persons.
SECTION 4
STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND EXCEPTIONS
4.1 Plan limit. A maximum of 1,000,000
Shares (“ Plan Limit ”) are authorized for
issuance under the Plan in accordance with the provisions of the
Plan. Shares that are issued upon the exercise of Options will be
deducted from the Plan Limit and such Plan Limit shall not be
increased without approval of the board or, if shareholders of the
Company have so required, without approval of the shareholders of
the Company. While any Options are outstanding, the Company will
retain as authorized and unissued Stock at least the number of
Shares from time to time required under the provisions of the Plan
or otherwise assure itself of its ability to perform its
obligations hereunder.
4.2 Unused and Forfeited Stock. Any Shares
that are subject to an Option under this Plan that are not used
because the terms and conditions of the Option are not met or any
Shares that are used for full or partial payment of the purchase
price of Shares with respect to which an Option is exercised or any
Shares retained by the Company for any purpose of this Plan
automatically will be returned to the Plan Limit and become
available for again for use under the Plan.
4.3 Adjustments for Stock Split, Stock Dividend,
Etc. If the Company at any time increases or decreases the
number of its outstanding Shares of Stock, or changes in any way
the rights and privileges of such Shares by means of the Payment of
a Stock dividend or any other distribution upon such Shares payable
in Stock, or through a stock split, subdivision, consolidation,
combination, reclassification or recapitalization involving the
Stock, then, in relation to the Stock that is affected by the above
events, the provisions of this Section 4.3 will apply. In such
event, the numbers, rights and privileges of the following will be
increased, decreased or changed in like manner as if such shares
had been issued and outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable at
the time of such event:
(i) adjustment to the Shares of Stock as to which
Options may be granted under the Plan; and
(ii) adjustment to the exercise price of each
outstanding Option granted hereunder.
4.4 General Adjustment Rules. If any
adjustment or substitution provided for in this Section 4 will
result in the creation of a fractional Share under any Option, the
number of Shares subject to the Option will be rounded to the next
higher Share.
4.5 Determination by Stock Option Committee,
Etc. Adjustments under this Section 4 will be made by the Stock
Option Committee, whose determinations with regard thereto will be
final and binding upon all parties.
4.6 Options Exceptional to Plan. With the
concurrence of the board, the Stock Option Committee may grant
Options outside the Plan or within the Plan but in excess of the
Plan Limit, such that the available Plan Limit is not diminished,
for exceptional circumstances or to acquire or retain personnel or
achieve important goals or strategic targets considered important
to the Company but which cannot reasonably be fit into the Plan
Limit or the Plan due to insufficiency of available Plan Options,
legal impediments whereby the recipient cannot or is best not
included in the Plan, or other purposes or reasons considered
appropriate to the board.
4.7 Limitations on Issuance . The Stock
Option Committee shall not, nor does it have the authority to,
issue any Stock Options under this Plan for service related to
investor relations or capital raising activities.
SECTION 5
REORGANIZATION OR LIQUIDATION |
5.1 Reorganization and Options. In the event
that the Company is merged or consolidated with another corporation
(other than a merger or consolidation in which the Company is the
continuing corporation and that does not result in any
reclassification or change of outstanding Shares), or if all or
substantially all of the assets or control of the outstanding
voting stock of the Company is acquired by any other corporation,
business entity or person (other than by a sale or conveyance in
which the Company continues as a holding company of an entity or
entities that conduct the business of businesses formerly conducted
by the Company), or in case of a reorganization (other than a
reorganization under the United States Bankruptcy Code) or
liquidation of the Company, the Stock Option Committee will have
the power and discretion to prescribe the terms and conditions for
the exercise or modification of any outstanding Options granted
hereunder. By way of illustration, and not by way of limitation,
the Stock Option Committee may provide for the complete or partial
acceleration of the dates of exercise of the Options, or may
provide that such Options will be exchanged or converted into
options to acquire securities of the surviving or acquiring
cooperation, or may provide for a payment or distribution in
respect of outstanding Options (or the portion thereof that
currently is exercisable) in cancellation
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