11
3
/ 4 %
Senior Notes due 2016
Credit Suisse Securities
(USA) LLC
Banc of America Securities
LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc.
Wachovia Capital Markets,
LLC
Citigroup Global Markets
Inc.,
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters,
c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y.
10010-3629
1.
Introductory . Mariner Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(“ Company ”), agrees with the several
Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (“
Underwriters ”) to issue and sell to the several
Underwriters $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its
11 3
/ 4 % senior
notes due 2016 (“ Offered Securities ”), to be
issued under an indenture, dated as of June 10, 2009 (the
“ Base Indenture ”), among the Company, the
subsidiary guarantors party thereto (the “ Subsidiary
Guarantors ”) and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as trustee (the
“ Trustee ”), as supplemented by a First
Supplemental Indenture relating to the Offered Securities (the
“ Supplemental Indenture ” and, together with
the Base Indenture, the “ Indenture ”) to be
dated the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) among the Company,
the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee. The Company’s
obligations under the Offered Securities, including the due and
punctual payment of interest on the Offered Securities, will be
unconditionally guaranteed (“ Guarantees ”) by
the Subsidiary Guarantors. As used herein the term “Offered
Securities” shall include the Guarantees, unless the context
other requires.
2.
Representations and Warranties of the Company and each
Subsidiary Guarantor . The Company and each of the Subsidiary
Guarantors, jointly and severally represent and warrant to, and
agree with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) Filing and
Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms
. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration
statement on Form S-3ASR (No. 333-159682), including a related
prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the
Offered Securities under the Act, which has become effective.
“ Registration Statement ” at any particular
time means such registration statement in the form then filed with
the Commission, including any amendment thereto, all exhibits
thereto (but not including the Statement of Eligibility of Trustee
on Form T-1), any document incorporated by reference therein and
all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to such
registration statement, that in any case has not been superseded or
modified. “ Registration Statement ” without
reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the
Effective Time. For purposes of this definition, 430B Information
shall be considered to be included in the Registration Statement as
of the time specified in Rule 430B.
1
For purposes of
this underwriting agreement (this “ Agreement
”):
“ 430B
Information ” means information included in a prospectus
then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to
Rule 430B(e) or retroactively deemed to be a part of the
Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(f).
“ 430C
Information ” means information included in a prospectus
then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to
Rule 430C.
“ Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“
Applicable Time ” means 9:30 pm (Eastern time) on the
date of this Agreement.
“ Closing
Date ” has the meaning defined in Section 3
hereof.
“
Commission ” means the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
“
Effective Time ” of the Registration Statement
relating to the Offered Securities means the time of the first
contract of sale for the Offered Securities.
“
Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended.
“ Final
Prospectus ” means the Statutory Prospectus that
discloses the public offering price, other 430B Information and
other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies
Section 10(a) of the Act.
“ General
Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution
to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so specified in
Schedule B to this Agreement.
“ Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus ” means any “issuer free
writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to
the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed
with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form
retained in the Company’s records pursuant to
Rule 433(g).
“ Limited
Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus.
“ Rules
and Regulations ” means the rules and regulations of the
Commission.
“
Securities Laws ” means, collectively, the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“ Sarbanes-Oxley ”),
the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act, the Rules and
Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and
practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as
defined in Sarbanes-Oxley) promulgated or approved by the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the rules of
the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market (“
Exchange Rules ”).
“
Statutory Prospectus ” with reference to any
particular time means the prospectus relating to the Offered
Securities that is included in the Registration Statement
immediately prior to that time, including all 430B Information and
all 430C Information with respect to the Registration Statement.
For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430B Information shall be
considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus only as of
the actual time that the form of prospectus (including a prospectus
supplement) is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
and not retroactively.
“ Trust
Indenture Act ” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
Unless otherwise
specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated
rule under the Act.
(b) Compliance
with Securities Act Requirements . (i) (A) At the time the
Registration Statement initially became effective, (B) at the
time of each amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with
Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether by post-effective
amendment, incorporated report or form of prospectus), (C) at
the Effective Time relating to the Offered Securities and
(D) on the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed
and will conform in all material
2
respects to the
requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the Rules and
Regulations thereunder and did not and will not include any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading; and (ii) (A) on its date, (B) at
the time of filing the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and
(C) on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in
all material respects to the requirements of the Act, the Trust
Indenture Act and the Rules and Regulations, and will not include
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does
not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document
based upon written information furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use
therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such
information is that described as such in Section 8(b)
hereof.
(c) Automatic
Shelf Registration Statement . (i) Well-Known Seasoned
Issuer Status . (A) At the time of initial filing of the
Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent
amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with
Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by
post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of
prospectus), and (C) at the time the Company or any person
acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of
Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Offered Securities
in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163, the Company was a
“well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405,
including not having been an “ineligible issuer” as
defined in Rule 405.
|
|
(ii)
|
|
Effectiveness of Automatic Shelf
Registration Statement . The Registration Statement is an
“automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in
Rule 405, that initially became effective within three years
prior to the date of this Agreement. If immediately prior to the
Renewal Deadline (as hereinafter defined), any of the Offered
Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will
prior to the Renewal Deadline file, if it has not already done so
and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration
statement relating to the Offered Securities, in a form
satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is no longer
eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the
Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already
done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the
Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives,
and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration
statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the
Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary
or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the
Offered Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired
registration statement relating to the Offered Securities. “
Renewal Deadline ” means the third anniversary of the
initial effective time of the Registration Statement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(iii)
|
|
Eligibility to Use Automatic Shelf
Registration Form . The Company has not received from
the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) objecting
to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. If at
any time when Offered Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters
the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to
Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the
automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will
(i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly
file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on
the proper form relating to the Offered Securities, in a form
satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its reasonable
best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective
amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable, and
(iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such
effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or
appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Offered
Securities to continue as
|
3
|
|
|
|
contemplated in the registration
statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for
which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References
herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new
registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may
be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(iv)
|
|
Filing Fees . The Company has paid or shall pay
the required Commission filing fees relating to the Offered
Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without
regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with
Rules 456(b) and 457(r).
|
(d) Ineligible
Issuer Status . (i) At the earliest time after the filing
of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering
participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of
Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Offered Securities and (ii) at the
date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an
“ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405,
including (x) the Company or any other subsidiary in the
preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or
misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or
administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and
(y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been
the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar
proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject
of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the
subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in
connection with the offering of the Securities, all as described in
Rule 405.
(e) General
Disclosure Package . As of the Applicable Time, neither
(i) any General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued
at or prior to the Applicable Time, the preliminary prospectus
supplement relating to the Offered Securities, dated June 2,
2009, including the base prospectus, dated June 2, 2009 (which
is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors
generally) (the “ Preliminary Prospectus ”), and
the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this
Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all
considered together (collectively, the “ General
Disclosure Package ”), nor (ii) any individual
Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered
together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions
from any preliminary prospectus supplement referenced above, any
Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives
specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that
the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of
the information described as such in Section 8(b)
hereof.
(f) Issuer Free
Writing Prospectuses . Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as
of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the
completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities
or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the
Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does
not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts
or will conflict with the information then contained in the
Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or
development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then
contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which
such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately
following such event or development, would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will
promptly notify the Representatives and (ii) the Company has
promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict,
untrue statement or omission. The foregoing two sentences do not
apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus in reliance upon and in
4
conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being
understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by
any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in
Section 8(b) hereof.
(g) Good
Standing of the Company . The Company has been duly
incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of
the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own
its properties and conduct its business as described in the General
Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do
business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other
jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the
conduct of its business requires such qualification (except such
failures to qualify that would not reasonably be expected to
constitute, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect (as defined below)).
(h) Subsidiary
Guarantors . Each Subsidiary Guarantor has been duly
incorporated or formed, as the case may be, and is existing and in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation or formation, with power and authority (corporate and
other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described
in the General Disclosure Package; and each Subsidiary Guarantor is
duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation or limited
liability company, as applicable, in good standing in all other
jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the
conduct of its business requires such qualification (except such
failures to qualify that would not reasonably be expected to
constitute, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect); all of the issued and outstanding shares and
limited liability company interests, as applicable, of each
Subsidiary Guarantor have been duly authorized and validly issued
in accordance with the organizational documents of such subsidiary
and is fully paid (to the extent required under such
subsidiary’s organization documents) and nonassessable,
except as such non-assessability may be affected by
Section 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited
Liability Company Act; and the shares and limited liability company
interests owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries,
are owned free from liens, encumbrances and defects other than
(i) as described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and (ii) those created
by or arising in connection with the Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement, dated as of March 2, 2006, as amended, among the
Company and Mariner Energy Resources, Inc., as borrowers, the
lenders party thereto from time to time and Union Bank of
California, N.A, as administrative agent and issuing
lender.
(i) Execution
and Delivery of Indenture . The Company and each Subsidiary
Guarantor have full power and authority to authorize, issue and
deliver the Offered Securities as contemplated by this Agreement;
the Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and each
Subsidiary Guarantor, has been duly qualified under the Trust
Indenture Act and conforms with the requirements of the Trust
Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; the Offered
Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when the
Offered Securities are delivered and paid for pursuant to this
Agreement and executed and authenticated by the Trustee in
accordance with the provisions of the Indenture, on the Closing
Date, the Indenture will have been duly executed and delivered and
will conform in all material respects to the description thereof in
the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, such
Offered Securities will have been duly authorized, validly
executed, authenticated, issued and delivered, will conform in all
material respects to the information in the General Disclosure
Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained
in the Final Prospectus and the Indenture and such Offered
Securities will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of
the Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor (with respect to the
Indenture), enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or
affecting creditors’ rights, by general equitable principles
(regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a
proceeding in equity or at law), by public policy, by applicable
law relating to indemnification and contribution and by an implied
covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
5
(j) Execution
and Delivery of Guarantees . Each Subsidiary Guarantor has full
power and authority to authorize, issue and deliver the Guarantees
as contemplated by this Agreement; the Guarantees have been duly
authorized by the Subsidiary Guarantors and, when the Guarantees
are duly executed and delivered by the Subsidiary Guarantors in
accordance with the terms of the Indenture and upon the due
execution, authentication and delivery of the Offered Securities in
accordance with the terms of the Indenture and the issuance of the
Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement on the Closing Date,
the Guarantees will have been duly executed and delivered, will
conform in all material respects to the information in the General
Disclosure Package and to the description of such Guarantees
contained in the Final Prospectus and the Indenture and such
Guarantees will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of
the Subsidiary Guarantors, enforceable in accordance with their
terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer,
reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general
applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights, by
general equitable principles (regardless of whether such
enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law),
by public policy, by applicable law relating to indemnification and
contribution and by an implied covenant of good faith and fair
dealing.
(k) No
Finder’s Fee . There are no contracts, agreements or
understandings among the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor and any
person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid
claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage
commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with
the offering and sale of the Offered Securities.
(l)
Registration Rights . Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package and except for those agreements listed on
Schedule E to this Agreement, there are no contracts,
agreements or understandings between the Company and any person
granting such person the right to require the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor to file a registration statement under the Act
with respect to any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary
Guarantor owned or to be owned by such person or to require the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to include such securities in
the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or
in any securities being registered pursuant to any other
registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary
Guarantor under the Act (collectively, “ registration
rights ”), and any person to whom the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor has granted registration rights has agreed not
to or is not entitled to exercise such rights until 60 days
after the date of this Agreement.
(m) Absence of
Further Requirements . No consent, approval, authorization or
order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any
governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or
the Indenture in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of
the Offered Securities by the Company, except such as have been
obtained, or made and such as may be required under state
securities laws.
(n) Title to
Property . The Company or its subsidiaries have legal, valid
and defensible title to substantially all the interests in oil and
gas properties underlying the Company’s estimates of its net
proved reserves contained in the General Disclosure Package and to
substantially all other real and personal property reflected in the
General Disclosure Package as assets owned by them, in each case
free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except such
as are described in the General Disclosure Package or as would not
be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and any
other real property and buildings held under lease by the Company
or its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do
not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made
of such property and buildings by the Company or its subsidiaries;
and the care taken by the Company and its subsidiaries with respect
to acquiring or otherwise procuring such leases, options to lease,
drilling rights and concessions or other property interests was
generally consistent with standard industry practices in the areas
in which the Company operates for acquiring or procuring leases and
interests therein to explore, develop or produce
hydrocarbons.
6
(o) Absence of
Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction . The
execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture and this
Agreement, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and
compliance with the terms and provisions hereof and thereof (i)
will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and
provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment
Triggering Event (as defined below) under any indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors
is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiary
Guarantors is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
the Company or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors is subject,
(ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the
charter or by-laws, limited liability company agreement,
partnership agreement or similar organizational document of the
Company or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors or (iii) will not
violate any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court
or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company
or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors or any of their properties or
assets; except, in the case of clauses (i) and
(iii) above, as would not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect; a “ Debt Repayment Triggering
Event ” means any event or condition that gives, or with
the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any
note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person
acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the
repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such
indebtedness by the Company or any the Subsidiary
Guarantors.
(p) Absence of
Existing Defaults and Conflicts . Neither the Company nor any
of the Subsidiary Guarantors is (i) in violation of its
respective charter, by-laws, certificate of formation or limited
liability company agreement, (ii) in default (or with the
giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any
existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in
any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement
or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of
them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is
subject or (iii) in violation of any law, ordinance,
governmental rule, regulation or court decree to which it or its
property or assets may be subject or has failed to obtain or
maintain any material license, permit, certificate, franchise or
other governmental authorization or permit necessary to the
ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business except,
in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse
effect on the condition (financial or otherwise),
stockholders’ equity, results of operations, business or
properties of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors taken as a
whole (“ Material Adverse Effect ”).
(q) No
Restrictions on Subsidiaries . Except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package, no
subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or
indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is
a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company,
from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s
capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances
to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of
such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any
other subsidiary of the Company.
(r)
Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each
Subsidiary Guarantor.
(s) Absence of
Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of
the Company, is imminent that in either case would reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t)
Environmental Laws . Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, (i)(A) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has received any notice that has not been resolved
alleging that it is in violation of any federal, state, local or
foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or
any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including
any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment,
pertaining to pollution
7
or protection
of human health, the environment (including, without limitation,
ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface
strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and
regulations pertaining to the release or threatened release of
chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances,
hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products,
asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “
Hazardous Materials ”) or to the manufacture,
processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “
Environmental Laws ”), (ii) the Company and its
subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals
required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in
compliance with their requirements, (iii) there are no pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative,
regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters,
claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation
or proceedings under any Environmental Law against the Company, or
any of its subsidiaries, and (iv) to the knowledge of the
Company, there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably
be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or
remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party
or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or
any of its subsidiaries pertaining to Hazardous Materials or under
any Environmental Laws.
(u) Accurate
Disclosure . The statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and
the Final Prospectus under the heading “Description of Senior
Notes,” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of
the terms of the Indenture and the Offered Securities, and the
statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus
under the heading “Certain U.S. Federal Income and Estate Tax
Considerations,” insofar as they purport to describe the
provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are
accurate in all material respects.
(v) Absence of
Manipulation . The Company has not taken, directly or
indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted
or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered
Securities.
(w) Internal
Controls and Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act . Except as
set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company, its
subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the
“ Board ”) are in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley
and all applicable Exchange Rules. The Company maintains a system
of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure
controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters
and financial reporting, an internal audit function and legal and
regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “ Internal
Controls ”) that comply with the Securities Laws and are
sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that
(i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations,
(ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. General
Accepted Accounting Principles and to maintain accountability for
assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance
with management’s general or specific authorization and
(iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action
is taken with respect to any differences. The Internal Controls
are, or upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities
will be, overseen by the Audit Committee (the “ Audit
Committee ”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange
Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the
Audit Committee or the Board a material weakness, change in
Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees
who have a significant role in Internal Controls, any violation of,
or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter
which, if determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect. Within the next 90 days the
Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report
to the Audit Committee or the Board a material weakness, change in
Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees
who have a significant role in Internal Controls, any violation of,
or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter
which, if determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware
of
8
any significant
deficiency that it reasonably expects to publicly disclose or
report to the Audit Committee of the Board within the next
90 days.
(x)
Litigation . Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure
Package, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which
any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
the subject that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse
Effect, and to the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary
Guarantor, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by
governmental authorities or threatened by others.
(y) Financial
Statements . The historical financial statements (including the
related notes and schedules) included or incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package
present fairly in all material respects the financial position of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown
and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods
shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States applied on a consistent basis, except in each case as
set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the
General Disclosure Package.
(z) No Material
Adverse Change in Business . Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, since the end of the period covered by the
latest audited financial statements included in the General
Disclosure Package (i) there has been no change, nor any
development or event involving a prospective change, in the
condition (financial or otherwise), stockholders’ equity,
results of operations, business or properties of the Company and
its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that is material and adverse,
(ii) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General
Disclosure Package, there has been no dividend or distribution of
any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or any Subsidiary
Guarantor on any class of their capital stock and (iii) except
as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package,
there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock,
short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets
or net assets of the Company and any Subsidiary
Guarantor.
(aa) Investment
Company Act . The Company is not and, after giving effect to
the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application
of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure
Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “
Investment Company Act ”).
(bb)
Ratings . No “nationally recognized statistical rating
organization” as such term is defined for purposes of
Rule 436(g)(2) (i) has imposed (or has informed the
Company that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial
or otherwise) on the Company’s retaining any rating assigned
to the Company or any securities of the Company or (ii) has
indicated to the Company that it is considering any of the actions
described in Section 7(c)(ii) hereof.
(cc)
Independent Accountants . Deloitte & Touche LLP, who
have certified certain financial statements of the Company, whose
report is incorporated by reference into the General Disclosure
Package, were independent registered public accountants as required
by the Act and rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and the
rules and regulations promulgated by the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board during the periods covered by the financial
statements on which they reported contained in the General
Disclosure Package.
(dd)
Independent Reserve Engineers . Ryder Scott Company, L.P.
(“ Ryder Scott ”), whose reports are referenced
in the General Disclosure Package (collectively, the “
Reserve Reports ”) was, as of the date of each of the
Reserve Reports, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent
reserve engineer with respect to the Company. No information has
come to the
9
attention of
the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, to Ryder Scott,
that would reasonably be expected to cause Ryder Scott to withdraw
its Reserve Reports.
(ee) Reserve
Reports . The oil and gas reserve estimates of the Company and
its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006
contained in the General Disclosure Package are based on estimates
made in reserve reports prepared by an independent petroleum
engineering firm as set forth in the General Disclosure Package,
such reserve estimates fairly reflect the oil and gas reserves of
the Company and its subsidiaries at the dates indicated in the
General Disclosure Package and are in accordance with Commission
guidelines applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods
involved. The information underlying the estimates described above
that was supplied to Ryder Scott for the purposes of preparing the
reserve report and audit referred to above, including production
and costs of operation, was true and correct in all material
respects on the dates such estimates were made, and such
information was supplied and was prepared in accordance with
customary industry practices; other than normal production of the
reserves, product price fluctuations, fluctuations of demand for
such products, hurricanes, loop currents and other adverse weather
conditions, unavailability or increased costs of rigs, equipment,
supplies or personnel, the timing of third party operations and
other factors disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the
Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would
result in a material adverse change in the aggregate net reserves,
or the present value of the future net cash flows therefrom as
described in the General Disclosure Package and as reflected in the
reserve reports; the estimates of such reserves and present value
as described in the General Disclosure Package and reflected in the
reserve reports referenced therein have been prepared in a manner
that complies with the applicable requirements of the rules under
the Act with respect to proved reserves.
(ff) Taxes
. The Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor has filed all federal,
state and local tax returns that are required to be filed through
the date hereof or have requested extensions thereof (except in any
case in which the failure so to file would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect); and, except as set
forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and each
Subsidiary Guarantor have paid all taxes (including any
assessments, fines or penalties) required to be paid by them,
except for any such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties
currently being contested in good faith or as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(gg)
Insurance . The Company and each of the Subsidiary
Guarantors carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and
covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their
respective businesses and the value of their respective properties
and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in
similar industries.
(hh) ERISA
. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all
presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and
published interpretations thereunder (“ ERISA
”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA)
has occurred with respect to any “pension plan” (as
defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor
would have any liability; neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
Guarantor has incurred or expects to incur liability under
(i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or
withdrawal from, any “pension plan” or
(ii) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, including the regulations and published
interpretations thereunder (the “ Code ”); and
each “pension plan” for which the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor would have any liability that is intended to
be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in
all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action
or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such
qualification.
(ii) Additional
Obligations . Since the latest date as of which information is
given in the General Disclosure Package through the date hereof,
and except as may otherwise be disclosed in the General Disclosure
Package, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary Guarantor has
(i) issued
10
or granted any
securities (other than issuances of restricted stock or options
under the Company’s equity plans), (ii) incurred any
liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than
liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary
course of business, (iii) entered into any transaction not in
the ordinary course of business or (iv) declared or paid any
dividend on its capital stock.
(jj) Margin
Rules. None of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
(including, without limitation, the use of the proceeds from the
sale of the Offered Securities), will violate or result in a
violation of Section 7 of the Exchange Act, or any regulation
promulgated thereunder, including, without limitation, Regulations
T, U and X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System.
3.
Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities . On the
basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to
sell to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters
agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at
a purchase price of 95.18% of the principal amount thereof plus
accrued interest, if any, from June 10, 2009 to the Closing
Date, the respective principal amounts of Offered Securities set
forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A
hereto.
The Company will
deliver the Offered Securities to, or as instructed by, the
Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a
form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment
of the aggregate purchase price described in the preceding
paragraph by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by wire
transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives
drawn to the order of the Company at the office of Akin Gump
Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on
June 10, 2009, or at such other time not later than seven full
business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company
determine, such time being herein referred to as the “
Closing Date ”. For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under
the Exchange Act, the Closing Date (if later than the otherwise
applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for
payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered
Securities sold pursuant to the offering. The Offered Securities so
to be delivered or evidence of their issuance will be made
available for checking at the above office at least 24 hours prior
to the Closing Date.
The Company hereby
confirms its engagement of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
(“ Credit Suisse ”) as, and Credit Suisse hereby
confirms its agreement with the Company to render services as, a
“qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning
of Rule 2720 of the Conduct Rules of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “ NASD ”) with
respect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities. Credit
Suisse, solely in its capacity as qualified independent underwriter
and not otherwise, is referred to herein as the “
Independent Underwriter ”.
4.
Offering by Underwriters . It is understood that the several
Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to
the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
5.
Certain Agreements of the Company and the Subsidiary
Guarantors . The Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor, jointly
and severally, agree with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Filing of
Prospectuses. The Company has filed or will file each Statutory
Prospectus (including the Final Prospectus) pursuant to and in
accordance with Rule 424(b) not later than the second business day
following the earlier of the date it is first used or the execution
and delivery of this Agreement. The Company has complied and will
comply with Rule 433.
(b) Filing of
Amendments; Response to Commission Requests . The Company will
promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or
supplement the Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus
at any time and will offer the Representatives a reasonable
opportunity to comment on any such amendment or supplement; and the
Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of
(i) the filing of an
|