UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
þ
 
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2017
OR
¨
 
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period from                        to                       .

Commission File Number: 1-12534

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
72-1133047
(State or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)
Identification Number)

4 Waterway Square Place
Suite 100
The Woodlands, Texas 77380
(Address and Zip Code of principal executive offices)

(281) 210-5100
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
     
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  þ  No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes þ  No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
 
Large accelerated filer  þ      
Accelerated filer  ¨    
Non-accelerated filer  ¨      
Smaller reporting company  ¨
Emerging growth company  ¨
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
     
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes  ¨  No  þ

As of April 27, 2017 , there were 199,194,558 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding.
 
 
 
 
 



TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




ii


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(In millions, except share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
ASSETS
Current assets:
 
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
469

 
$
555

Short-term investments
 
25

 
25

Accounts receivable, net
 
243

 
232

Inventories
 
25

 
16

Derivative assets
 
52

 
75

Other current assets
 
51

 
46

Total current assets
 
865

 
949

Oil and gas properties, net — full cost method ($1,240   and $1,238 were excluded from amortization at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively)
 
3,294

 
3,140

Other property and equipment, net
 
166

 
167

Derivative assets
 
2

 

Long-term investments
 
22

 
19

Restricted cash
 
28

 
25

Other assets
 
11

 
12

Total assets
 
$
4,388

 
$
4,312

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
 
 

 
 

Accounts payable
 
$
40

 
$
33

Accrued liabilities
 
434

 
498

Advances from joint owners
 
61

 
54

Asset retirement obligations
 
2

 
2

Derivative liabilities
 
46

 
97

Total current liabilities
 
583

 
684

Other liabilities
 
65

 
63

Derivative liabilities
 

 
3

Long-term debt
 
2,432

 
2,431

Asset retirement obligations
 
160

 
154

Deferred taxes
 
48

 
39

Total long-term liabilities
 
2,705

 
2,690

Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)
 
 
 
 
Stockholders' equity:
 
 

 
 

Preferred stock ($0.01 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued)
 

 

Common stock ($0.01 par value, 300,000,000 shares authorized at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016; 200,187,352 and 200,150,392 shares issued at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively)
 
2

 
2

Additional paid-in capital
 
3,263

 
3,247

Treasury stock (at cost, 1,220,606 and 1,195,809 shares at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively)
 
(45
)
 
(44
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
 
(2
)
 
(2
)
Retained earnings (deficit)
 
(2,118
)
 
(2,265
)
Total stockholders' equity
 
1,100

 
938

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
 
$
4,388

 
$
4,312


The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

1


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In millions, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
 
March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
Oil, gas and NGL revenues
 
$
417

 
$
284

 
 
 
 
 
Operating expenses:
 
 

 
 

Lease operating
 
56

 
61

Transportation and processing
 
72

 
63

Production and other taxes
 
14

 
10

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
106

 
177

General and administrative
 
47

 
44

Ceiling test and other impairments
 

 
506

Other
 
1

 
1

Total operating expenses
 
296

 
862

Income (loss) from operations
 
121

 
(578
)
 
 
 
 
 
Other income (expense):
 
 

 
 

Interest expense
 
(38
)
 
(41
)
Capitalized interest
 
16

 
9

Commodity derivative income (expense)
 
53

 
(17
)
Other, net
 
2

 
1

Total other income (expense)
 
33

 
(48
)
 
 
 
 
 
Income (loss) before income taxes
 
154

 
(626
)
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax provision (benefit):
 
 

 
 

Current
 
(2
)
 
(2
)
Deferred
 
9

 

Total income tax provision (benefit)
 
7

 
(2
)
Net income (loss)
 
$
147

 
$
(624
)
 
 
 
 
 
Earnings (loss) per share:
 
 

 
 

Basic
 
$
0.74

 
$
(3.52
)
Diluted
 
$
0.73

 
$
(3.52
)
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding for basic earnings (loss) per share
 
199

 
177

Weighted-average number of shares outstanding for diluted earnings (loss) per share
 
200

 
177

 
 
 
 
 
Comprehensive income (loss):
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
 
$
147

 
$
(624
)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
 

 

Comprehensive income (loss)
 
$
147

 
$
(624
)

The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

2


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)
(Unaudited)
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
 
March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
 
 
Net income (loss)
 
$
147

 
$
(624
)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
 
 

 
 

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
106

 
177

Deferred tax provision (benefit)
 
9

 

Stock-based compensation
 
12

 
8

Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative contracts
 
(33
)
 
99

Ceiling test and other impairments
 

 
506

Other, net
 
2

 
4

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
 
 

 
 

(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable
 
(11
)
 
15

Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued liabilities
 
(58
)
 
(102
)
Other items, net
 
(7
)
 
(11
)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
 
167

 
72

Cash flows from investing activities:
 
 

 
 

Additions to oil and gas properties
 
(239
)
 
(273
)
Acquisitions of oil and gas properties
 
(4
)
 
(1
)
Proceeds (purchase price adjustments) from sales of oil and gas properties
 
(5
)
 
3

Additions to other property and equipment
 
(3
)
 
(4
)
Redemptions of investments
 
25

 

Purchases of investments
 
(25
)
 

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
 
(251
)
 
(275
)
Cash flows from financing activities:
 
 

 
 

Proceeds from borrowings under credit arrangements
 

 
536

Repayments of borrowings under credit arrangements
 

 
(575
)
Proceeds from issuances of common stock, net
 

 
776

Purchases of treasury stock, net
 
(1
)
 
(2
)
Other
 
(1
)
 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
 
(2
)
 
735

Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
 
(86
)
 
532

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
 
555

 
5

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
 
$
469

 
$
537


The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

3


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(In millions)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
 
Retained Earnings
(Deficit)
 
Accumulated
Other
 Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
 
 Total
Stockholders' Equity
 
Common Stock
 
Treasury Stock
 
 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Amount
 
Shares
 
Amount
 
Balance, December 31, 2016
200.2

 
$
2

 
(1.2
)
 
$
(44
)
 
$
3,247

 
$
(2,265
)
 
$
(2
)
 
$
938

Stock-based compensation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16

 
 
 
 
 
16

Treasury stock, net
 
 
 
 

 
(1
)
 

 
 
 
 
 
(1
)
Net income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
147

 
 
 
147

Balance, March 31, 2017
200.2

 
$
2

 
(1.2
)
 
$
(45
)
 
$
3,263

 
$
(2,118
)
 
$
(2
)
 
$
1,100


The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

4



NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)

1 .      Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
   
Organization and Principles of Consolidation
     
We are an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Our U.S. operations are onshore and focus primarily on large scale, liquids-rich resource plays. Our principal areas of operation are the Anadarko and Arkoma basins of Oklahoma, the Williston Basin of North Dakota and the Uinta Basin of Utah. In addition, we have oil producing assets offshore China.

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries. We proportionately consolidate our interests in oil and natural gas exploration and production ventures and partnerships in accordance with industry practice. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, all references in these notes to "Newfield," "we," "us," "our" or the "Company" are to Newfield Exploration Company and its subsidiaries.

These unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect, in the opinion of our management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state our financial position as of, and results of operations, for the periods presented. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and, therefore, do not include all disclosures required for financial statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). Interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results of operations or cash flows for a full year.

These consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 .
  
Risks and Uncertainties

As an independent oil and natural gas producer, our revenue, profitability and future rate of growth are substantially dependent on prevailing prices for oil, natural gas and NGLs. Historically, the energy markets have been very volatile, and there can be no assurance that commodity prices will not be subject to wide fluctuations in the future. A substantial or extended decline in commodity prices could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows, access to capital and on the quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves that we can economically produce. Other risks and uncertainties that could affect us in the current commodity price environment include, but are not limited to, counterparty credit risk for our receivables, responsibility for decommissioning liabilities for offshore interests we no longer own, inability to access credit markets, regulatory risks and our ability to meet financial ratios and covenants in our financing agreements.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities; disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period; and the quantities and values of proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves used in calculating depletion and assessing impairment of our oil and gas properties. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Our most significant estimates are associated with the quantities of proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, the timing and amount of transfers of our unevaluated properties into our amortizable full cost pool, the recoverability of our deferred tax assets and the fair value of our derivative contracts.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior years' reported amounts in order to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications did not impact our net income (loss), stockholders' equity or cash flows.


5

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

New Accounting Requirements

In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance regarding the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires that a statement of cash flows explains the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents using a retrospective approach. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We are currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance regarding the accounting for leases. The guidance requires recognition of most leases on the balance sheet. The guidance requires lessees and lessors to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We are currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance regarding several broad topics related to the recognition and measurement of financial assets and liabilities. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We do not expect this guidance to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance regarding the accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and may be applied retrospectively or using a modified retrospective approach to adjust retained earnings (deficit). We are currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our financial statements.

2 .    Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable consisted of the following:
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
 
 
(In millions)
Revenue
 
$
149

 
$
163

Joint interest
 
78

 
53

Other
 
32

 
32

Reserve for doubtful accounts
 
(16
)
 
(16
)
Total accounts receivable, net
 
$
243

 
$
232


3.      Inventories
     
Inventories primarily consist of tubular goods and well equipment held for use in our oil and natural gas operations, and oil produced but not sold in our China operations. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , the crude oil inventory from our China operations consisted of approximately 239,000 and 11,500 barrels of crude oil, respectively.

4 .       Derivative Financial Instruments
     
Commodity Derivative Instruments
     
We utilize derivative strategies that consist of either a single derivative instrument or a combination of instruments to manage the variability in cash flows associated with the forecasted sale of our future domestic oil and natural gas production. While the use of derivative instruments may limit or partially reduce the downside risk of adverse commodity price movements, their use also may limit future income from favorable commodity price movements. Our derivative strategies are outlined in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 .

Our oil and gas derivative contracts are settled based upon reported prices on the NYMEX. The estimated fair value of these contracts is based upon various factors, including closing exchange prices on the NYMEX, over-the-counter quotations,

6

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

estimated volatility, non-performance risk adjustments using counterparty rates of default and time to maturity. The calculation of the fair value of options requires the use of an option-pricing model. See Note 5 , " Fair Value Measurements ."

At March 31, 2017 , we had outstanding derivative positions as set forth in the tables below.

Crude Oil
 
 
 
 
NYMEX Contract Price Per Bbl
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Collars
 
Estimated Fair Value
Asset (Liability)
Period and Type of Instrument
 
Volume in MBbls
 
Swaps
(Weighted Average)
 
Purchased Calls (Weighted Average) (2)
 
Sold Puts
(Weighted Average)
(1)
 
Floors
(Weighted Average)
 
Ceilings
(Weighted Average)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(In millions)
2017:
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Fixed-price swaps
 
4,675

 
$
45.43

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$
(29
)
Fixed-price swaps with sold puts:
 
3,118

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fixed-price swaps
 
 
 
87.99

 

 

 

 

 
112

Sold puts
 
 
 

 

 
73.09

 

 

 
(68
)
Collars with sold puts:
 
910

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Collars
 
 
 

 

 

 
90.00

 
95.69

 
36

Sold puts
 
 
 

 

 
75.00

 

 

 
(22
)
  Purchased calls
 
4,028

 

 
73.52

 

 

 

 
1

Total
 
$
30

_________________
(1)
For the volumes with sold puts, if the market prices remain below our sold puts at contract settlement, we will receive the market price plus the following:

the difference between our floors and our sold puts for collars with sold puts; or

the difference between our swaps and our sold puts for fixed-price swaps with sold puts.
We have effectively locked in the spreads noted above (less the deferred call premium) for all of the volumes with sold puts using purchased calls.
(2)
We deferred the premiums related to the purchased calls until contract settlement. At March 31, 2017 , the deferred premiums totaled $7 million .

Natural Gas
 
 
 
 
NYMEX Contract Price Per MMBtu
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Collars
 
Estimated Fair Value Asset (Liability)
Period and Type of Instrument
 
Volume in MMMBtus
 
Swaps (Weighted Average)
 
Floors (Weighted Average)
 
Ceilings (Weighted Average)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(In millions)
2017:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Fixed-price swaps
 
20,625

 
$
2.73

 
$

 
$

 
$
(12
)
Collars
 
41,260

 

 
2.82

 
3.23

 
(10
)
2018:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Fixed-price swaps
 
10,950

 
3.01

 

 

 

Collars
 
18,150

 

 
3.00

 
3.55

 

Total
 
$
(22
)

7

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)


Additional Disclosures about Derivative Financial Instruments

We had derivative financial instruments recorded in our consolidated balance sheet as assets (liabilities) at their respective estimated fair value, as set forth below.
 
 
Derivative Assets
 
Derivative Liabilities
 
 
Gross Fair Value
 
Offset in Balance Sheet
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
Gross Fair Value
 
Offset in Balance Sheet
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
 
 
 
Current
 
Noncurrent
 
 
 
Current
 
Noncurrent
 
 
(In millions)
 
(In millions)
March 31, 2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oil positions
 
$
156

 
$
(104
)
 
$
52

 
$

 
$
(126
)
 
$
104

 
$
(22
)
 
$

Natural gas positions
 
10

 
(8
)
 

 
2

 
(32
)
 
8

 
(24
)
 

Total
 
$
166

 
$
(112
)
 
$
52

 
$
2

 
$
(158
)
 
$
112

 
$
(46
)
 
$

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 31, 2016
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Oil positions
 
$
226

 
$
(151
)
 
$
75

 
$

 
$
(197
)
 
$
151

 
$
(46
)
 
$

Natural gas positions
 
10

 
(10
)
 

 

 
(64
)
 
10

 
(51
)
 
(3
)
Total
 
$
236

 
$
(161
)
 
$
75

 
$

 
$
(261
)
 
$
161

 
$
(97
)
 
$
(3
)
 
The amount of gain (loss) recognized in "Commodity derivative income (expense)" in our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income related to our derivative financial instruments follows:
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
(In millions)
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
 
 
 
 
Realized gain (loss) on oil positions
 
$
26

 
$
71

Realized gain (loss) on natural gas positions
 
(6
)
 
11

Total realized gain (loss)
 
20

 
82

Unrealized gain (loss) on oil positions
 
1

 
(83
)
Unrealized gain (loss) on natural gas positions
 
32

 
(16
)
Total unrealized gain (loss)
 
33

 
(99
)
Total
 
$
53

 
$
(17
)

The use of derivative transactions involves the risk that the counterparties, which generally are financial institutions, will be unable to meet the financial terms of such transactions. Our derivative contracts are with multiple counterparties to minimize our exposure to any individual counterparty, and we have netting arrangements with all of our counterparties that provide for offsetting payables against receivables from the separate derivative instruments with that counterparty. At March 31, 2017 , 10 of our 15 counterparties accounted for approximately 84% of our contracted volumes, with the largest counterparty accounting for approximately 13% .

At March 31, 2017 , approximately 83% of our volumes subject to derivative instruments are with lenders under our credit facility. Our credit facility, senior notes and substantially all of our derivative instruments contain provisions that provide for cross defaults and acceleration of those debt and derivative instruments in certain situations. 


8

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

5 .       Fair Value Measurements
     
Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). The authoritative guidance requires disclosure of the framework for measuring fair value and requires that fair value measurements be classified and disclosed in one of the following categories:

Level 1:
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. We consider active markets as those in which transactions for the assets or liabilities occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.
Level 2:
Quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. This category includes those derivative instruments that we value using observable market data. Substantially all of these inputs are observable in the marketplace throughout the full term of the derivative instrument, can be derived from observable data or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace. Instruments in this category include non-exchange traded derivatives such as over-the-counter commodity fixed-price swaps.
Level 3:
Measured based on prices or valuation models that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and less observable from objective sources (i.e., supported by little or no market activity). Level 3 instruments primarily include derivative instruments, such as commodity options (i.e., price collars, sold puts, purchased calls or swaptions).
We use a modified Black-Scholes option pricing valuation model for option and swaption derivative contracts that considers various inputs including: (a) forward prices for commodities, (b) time value, (c) volatility factors, (d) counterparty credit risk and (e) current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments.

Financial assets and liabilities are classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of the fair value of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy.

The determination of the fair values of our derivative contracts incorporates various factors, which include not only the impact of our non-performance risk on our liabilities but also the credit standing of the counterparties involved. We utilize counterparty rate of default values to assess the impact of non-performance risk when evaluating both our liabilities to, and receivables from, counterparties.


9

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

The following table summarizes the valuation of our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
 
 
Fair Value Measurement Classification
 
 
 
 
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets or Liabilities (Level 1)
 
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
 
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
 
Total
 
 
(In millions)
As of December 31, 2016:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Money market fund investments
 
$
320

 
$

 
$

 
$
320

Deferred compensation plan assets
 
6

 

 

 
6

Equity securities available-for-sale
 
9

 

 

 
9

Oil and gas derivative swap contracts
 

 
50

 

 
50

Oil and gas derivative option contracts
 

 

 
(75
)
 
(75
)
Stock-based compensation liability awards
 
(11
)
 

 

 
(11
)
Total
 
$
324

 
$
50

 
$
(75
)
 
$
299

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

As of March 31, 2017:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Money market fund investments
 
$
236

 
$

 
$

 
$
236

Deferred compensation plan assets
 
6

 

 

 
6

Equity securities available-for-sale
 
11

 

 

 
11

Oil and gas derivative swap contracts
 

 
71

 

 
71

Oil and gas derivative option contracts
 

 

 
(63
)
 
(63
)
Stock-based compensation liability awards
 
(12
)
 

 

 
(12
)
Total
 
$
241

 
$
71

 
$
(63
)
 
$
249



10

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of changes in the fair value of financial assets and liabilities classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy for the indicated periods.
 
 
Derivatives
 
 
(In millions)
Balance at January 1, 2016
 
$
(308
)
Unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings
 
(46
)
Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements:
 
 

Settlements
 
92

Transfers into Level 3
 

Transfers out of Level 3
 

Balance at March 31, 2016
 
$
(262
)
Change in unrealized gains or losses included in earnings relating to Level 3 instruments still held at March 31, 2016
 
$
(32
)
 
 
 
Balance at January 1, 2017
 
$
(75
)
Unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings
 
(6
)
Purchases, issuances, sales and settlements:
 
 

Settlements
 
18

Transfers into Level 3
 

Transfers out of Level 3
 

Balance at March 31, 2017
 
$
(63
)
Change in unrealized gains or losses included in earnings relating to Level 3 instruments still held at March 31, 2017
 
$
(4
)

Qualitative Disclosures about Unobservable Inputs for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

Derivatives.   The calculation of the fair value of our option contracts requires the use of an option-pricing model. The estimated future prices are compared to the strike prices fixed by our derivative contracts, and the resulting estimated future cash inflows or outflows over the contractual life are discounted to calculate the fair value. These pricing and discounting variables are sensitive to market volatility as well as changes in future price forecasts and interest rates. Significant increases (decreases) in the quoted forward prices for commodities generally lead to corresponding decreases (increases) in the fair value measurement of our oil and gas derivative contracts. Significant changes in the volatility factors utilized in our option-pricing model can cause significant changes in the fair value measurement of our oil and gas derivative contracts. Historically, we have not experienced significant changes in the fair value of our derivative contracts resulting from changes in counterparty credit risk as the counterparties for all of our derivative transactions have an "investment grade" credit rating. See Note 4 , " Derivative Financial Instruments ."
 


11

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Quantitative Disclosures about Unobservable Inputs for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements  
 
 
Estimated Fair Value Asset (Liability)
 
  Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
Instrument Type
 
Valuation   Technique
 
Unobservable Input
 
Range
 
 
(In millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oil option contracts
 
$
(53
)
 
Modified Black-Scholes
 
Oil price volatility
 
22.57
%
 
 
118.40%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit risk
 
0.01
%
 
 
1.25%
Natural gas option contracts
 
$
(10
)
 
Modified Black-Scholes
 
Natural gas price volatility
 
24.33
%
 
 
41.31%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit risk
 
0.01
%
 
 
1.25%

Fair Value of Debt
 
The estimated fair value of our notes, based on quoted prices in active markets (Level 1) as of the indicated dates, was as follows:
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
 
 
(In millions)
5¾% Senior Notes due 2022
 
$
796

 
$
789

5⅝% Senior Notes due 2024
 
1,054

 
1,044

5⅜% Senior Notes due 2026
 
731

 
714


Any amounts outstanding under our revolving credit facility and money market lines of credit as of the indicated dates are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. See Note 10 , "Debt."

6 .      Oil and Gas Properties

      Oil and gas properties consisted of the following:
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
 
 
(In millions)
Proved
 
$
22,253

 
$
21,998

Unproved
 
1,240

 
1,238

Gross oil and gas properties
 
23,493

 
23,236

Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
(9,690
)
 
(9,587
)
Accumulated impairment
 
(10,509
)
 
(10,509
)
Net oil and gas properties
 
$
3,294

 
$
3,140


Costs withheld from amortization as of March 31, 2017 consisted of the following:
 
 
Costs Incurred In
 
 
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014 & Prior
 
Total
 
 
(In millions)
 
 
Acquisition costs
 
$
40

 
$
532

 
$
339

 
$
196

 
$
1,107

Exploration costs
 

 
2

 

 

 
2

Capitalized interest
 
16

 
51

 
33

 
31

 
131

Total costs withheld from amortization
 
$
56

 
$
585

 
$
372

 
$
227

 
$
1,240



12

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

We capitalized approximately $33 million and $26 million of interest and direct internal costs during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , respectively.

At March 31, 2017 , the ceiling value of our reserves was calculated based upon SEC pricing of $47.65 per barrel for oil and $2.73 per MMBtu for natural gas. Using these prices, our ceiling for the U.S. exceeded the net capitalized costs of oil and gas properties and no ceiling test impairment was required at March 31, 2017 . Using SEC pricing, our ceiling for China exceeded the net capitalized costs of oil and gas properties and no ceiling test impairment was required at March 31, 2017 .

Future declines in SEC pricing or downward revisions to our estimated proved reserves could result in additional ceiling test impairments of our oil and gas properties in subsequent periods.
Bohai Bay (China) Sales Agreement
On January 23, 2017, we signed a sales agreement, subject to customary regulatory approval, with certain of our joint venture partners to divest our non-operated interest in the Bohai Bay field in China for approximately $39 million , subject to customary post-close adjustments. We expect that the sale will significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves for our China full cost pool, and as such, a gain or loss may be recognized upon closing. The transaction is scheduled to close in mid-2017.

7 .      Other Property and Equipment

      Other property and equipment consisted of the following:
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
 
 
(In millions)
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
 
$
153

 
$
150

Gathering systems and equipment
 
116

 
115

Accumulated depreciation and amortization
 
(103
)
 
(98
)
Net other property and equipment
 
$
166

 
$
167


8 .       Income Taxes

The effective tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were 4.5% and 0.3% , respectively.

Due to the ceiling test impairments of our oil and gas properties in 2015, we moved from a deferred tax liability position to a deferred tax asset position in most taxing jurisdictions. We consider it more likely than not that the related tax benefits will not be realized and therefore, we recorded a full valuation allowance on our domestic and China deferred tax assets.

As of March 31, 2017 , we did not have a liability for uncertain tax positions, and as such, we did not accrue related interest or penalties. The tax years 2013 through 2016 remain open to examination for federal income tax purposes and by the other major taxing jurisdictions to which we are subject.


13

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

9 .    Accrued Liabilities

Accrued liabilities consisted of the following:
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
 
 
(In millions)
Revenue payable
 
$
210

 
$
196

Accrued capital costs
 
96

 
92

Accrued lease operating expenses
 
31

 
37

Employee incentive expense
 
16

 
48

Accrued interest on debt
 
32

 
67

Taxes payable
 
13

 
15

Other
 
36

 
43

Total accrued liabilities
 
$
434

 
$
498


10 .      Debt
 
Our debt consisted of the following:
 
 
March 31, 
 2017
 
December 31, 
 2016
 
 
(In millions)
Senior unsecured debt:
 
 
 
 
5¾% Senior Notes due 2022
 
$
750

 
$
750

5⅝% Senior Notes due 2024
 
1,000

 
1,000

5⅜% Senior Notes due 2026
 
700

 
700

Total senior unsecured debt
 
2,450

 
2,450

Debt issuance costs
 
(18
)
 
(19
)
Total long-term debt
 
$
2,432

 
$
2,431

 
Credit Arrangements
     
We have a revolving credit facility that matures in June 2020 and provides borrowing capacity of $1.8 billion . As of March 31, 2017 , the largest individual loan commitment by any lender was 12% of total commitments.

Subject to compliance with restrictive covenants in our credit facility, our available borrowing capacity (before any amounts drawn) under our money market lines of credit with various institutions, the availability of which is at the discretion of those financial institutions, was $125 million at March 31, 2017 .

Loans under the credit facility bear interest, at our option, equal to (a) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus a margin that is based on a grid of our debt rating (100 basis points per annum at March 31, 2017 ) or (b) the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus a margin that is based on a grid of our debt rating (200 basis points per annum at March 31, 2017 ).

Under our credit facility, we pay commitment fees on available but undrawn amounts based on a grid of our debt rating (37.5 basis points per annum at March 31, 2017 ). We incurred aggregate commitment fees under our credit facility of approximately $2 million for each of the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , which were recorded in “Interest expense” on our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income. We incurred approximately $3 million of financing costs related to amending our revolving credit facility in March 2016, which were also included in "Interest expense" on our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income.


14

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Our credit facility has restrictive financial covenants that include the maintenance of a ratio of total debt to book capitalization not to exceed 0.6 to 1.0 and the maintenance of a ratio of net income before gain or loss on the disposition of assets, interest expense, income taxes and noncash items (such as depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, unrealized gains and losses on commodity derivatives and ceiling test impairments) to interest expense of at least 2.5 to 1.0. At March 31, 2017 , we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants.

As of March 31, 2017 , we had no letters of credit outstanding under our credit facility. Letters of credit are subject to a fronting fee of 20 basis points and annual fees based on a grid of our debt rating (200 basis points at March 31, 2017 ).     
 
The credit facility includes events of default relating to customary matters, including, among other things, nonpayment of principal, interest or other amounts; violation of covenants; inaccuracy of representations and warranties in any material respect when made; a change of control; or certain other material adverse changes in our business. Our senior notes also contain standard events of default. If any of the foregoing defaults were to occur, our lenders under the credit facility could terminate future lending commitments, and our lenders under both the credit facility and our notes could declare the outstanding borrowings due and payable. In addition, our credit facility, senior notes and substantially all of our derivative arrangements contain provisions that provide for cross defaults and acceleration of those debt and derivative instruments in certain situations.

11 .    Commitments and Contingencies

We have various commitments for firm transportation, operating lease agreements for office space and other agreements. For further information, see Note 12, "Commitments and Contingencies," in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. There have been no material changes to the commitments disclosed at year-end 2016, other than noted below.

In March 2017, we signed an agreement for firm natural gas transportation capacity for production from the Anadarko Basin. The table below summarizes the value of the obligation by year as of March 31, 2017.
 
 
Total
 
2017
 
2018
 
2019
 
2020
 
2021
 
Thereafter
 
 
(In millions)
Firm transportation
 
$
186

 
$

 
$
9

 
$
18

 
$
18

 
$
18

 
$
123


We have been named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits and are involved in various other disputes, all arising in the ordinary course of our business, such as (a) claims from royalty owners for disputed royalty payments, (b) commercial disputes, (c) personal injury claims and (d) property damage claims. Although the outcome of these lawsuits and disputes cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect these matters to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

12.      Stockholders' Equity Activity
     
During the first quarter of 2016, we issued 34.5 million additional shares of common stock through a public equity offering for net proceeds of approximately $776 million . A portion of the proceeds was used to acquire additional properties in the Anadarko Basin STACK play and to repay borrowings under our credit facility and money market lines of credit. The remainder was available for general corporate purposes.


15

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

13.      Earnings Per Share
     
The following is the calculation of basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding and earnings per share (EPS) for the indicated periods.
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
(In millions, except per share data)
Net income (loss)
 
$
147

 
$
(624
)
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted-average shares (denominator):
 
 
 
 

Weighted-average shares — basic
 
199

 
177

Dilution effect of stock options and unvested restricted stock awards and restricted stock units outstanding at end of period
 
1

 

Weighted-average shares — diluted
 
200

 
177

Excluded due to anti-dilutive effect
 
1

 
1

 
 
 
 
 
Earnings (loss) per share:
 
 
 
 

Basic
 
$
0.74

 
$
(3.52
)
Diluted
 
$
0.73

 
$
(3.52
)

14 .      Stock-Based Compensation
     
Our stock-based compensation expense consisted of the following:
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
(In millions)
Equity awards
 
$
16

 
$
9

Liability awards — cash-settled restricted stock units
 
2

 
3

Total stock-based compensation
 
18

 
12

Capitalized in oil and gas properties
 
(5
)
 
(4
)
Net stock-based compensation expense
 
$
13

 
$
8


As of March 31, 2017 , we had approximately $76 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock-based compensation awards that vest within four years . On March 31, 2017 , the last reported sales price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $36.91 per share.

During the first quarter of 2017, we changed our qualified retirement requirements for existing market-based restricted stock units and all subsequently issued equity and liability awards. An employee becomes eligible for qualified retirement based on a combination of years of service and age. Qualified retirement allows an employee to continue vesting between 50% and 100% of awards with no additional service requirement beyond a six-month notification period. This change resulted in the accelerated recognition of stock-based compensation expense for awards issued to eligible employees.
Equity Awards

Equity awards consist of service-based and market-based restricted stock awards and restricted stock units, stock options and stock purchase options under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). At March 31, 2017 , we had approximately (1) 4.0 million shares available for issuance under our 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan, as amended (2011 Plan), if all future awards are stock options, or (2) 2.1 million shares available for issuance under our 2011 Plan if all future awards are restricted stock awards or restricted stock units.

16

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)


Restricted Stock. The following table provides information about restricted stock awards and restricted stock unit activity.
 
 
Service-Based
Shares
 
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
 
Market-Based
Shares (1)
 
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
 
Total
Shares
 
 
(In thousands, except per share data)
Non-vested shares outstanding at January 1, 2017
 
1,574

 
$
35.56

 
859

 
$
26.28

 
2,433

Granted
 
268

 
39.56

 
323

 
50.22

 
591

Forfeited
 
(19
)
 
18.70

 

 

 
(19
)
Vested
 
(37
)
 
25.38

 

 

 
(37
)
Non-vested shares outstanding at March 31, 2017
 
1,786

 
$
36.41

 
1,182

 
$
32.81

 
2,968

________
(1)
In February 2017, we granted approximately 323,000 restricted stock units, which based on achievement of certain criteria, could vest within a range of 0% to 200% of shares granted upon completion of the period ending December 31, 2019.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan. During the first three months of 2017 , options to purchase approximately 54,000 shares of our common stock were granted under our ESPP. The fair value of each option was $10.73 per share. The fair value of the options granted was determined using the Black-Scholes option valuation method assuming no dividends, a risk-free interest rate of 0.61% , an expected life of six months and weighted-average volatility of 40.2% .

Stock Options. As of March 31, 2017 , we had approximately 177,000 stock options outstanding and exercisable. These outstanding stock options expire in January 2018. No stock options have been granted since 2008, except for ESPP options as discussed above.

Liability Awards

Liability awards consist of service-based awards that are settled in cash instead of shares, as discussed below.

Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units. The value of the cash-settled restricted stock units, and the associated stock-based compensation expense, is based on the Company's stock price at the end of each period. As of March 31, 2017 , we had a liability of $12 million for estimated future cash settlement upon vesting of awards. The following table provides information about cash-settled restricted stock unit activity.
 
 
Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
 
(In thousands)
Non-vested units outstanding at January 1, 2017
 
460

Granted
 
235

Forfeited
 
(12
)
Vested
 
(26
)
Non-vested units outstanding at March 31, 2017
 
657



17

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

15 . Restructuring Costs

In April 2015 and May 2016, we announced plans to consolidate and reorganize domestic operating functions to our headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, which resulted in a reduction of employees and closure of our offices in Denver, Colorado; North Houston (Greenspoint), Texas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our decision to restructure the organization was primarily in response to the oil and gas commodity price environment. Substantially all restructuring-related costs have been recognized as expense as of December 31, 2016.

The following table summarizes our restructuring costs and related liability for the first quarter of 2017.
 
 
Severance and Related Benefit Costs
 
Office-lease Abandonment Costs (1)
 
Relocation Costs
 
Other Associated Costs
 
Total
 
 
(In millions)
Restructuring liability at January 1, 2017
 
$
1

 
$
14

 
$

 
$

 
$
15

Additions
 

 

 
1

 

 
1

Settlements
 
(1
)
 
(1
)
 
(1
)
 

 
(3
)
Revisions
 

 
(1
)
 

 

 
(1
)
Restructuring liability at March 31, 2017
 
$

 
$
12

 
$

 
$

 
$
12

Cumulative costs as of March 31, 2017
 
$
24

 
$
19

 
$
11

 
$
1

 
$
55

Expected total costs as of March 31, 2017
 
$
24

 
$
19

 
$
11

 
$
1

 
$
55

_________________
(1)
The office-lease abandonment liability will be relieved while lease payments are made and sublease income is received over the life of the lease ending 2022.

Restructuring costs recorded in our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income for office-lease abandonment costs and relocation costs are included in "Operating expenses - General and administrative."


18

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

16 .
Segment Information

While we only have operations in the oil and gas exploration and production industry, we are organizationally structured along geographic operating segments. Our current operating segments are the United States and China. The accounting policies of our operating segments are the same as those described in Note 1, "Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 .

The following tables provide the geographic operating segment information for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 . Income tax allocations have been determined based on statutory rates in the applicable geographic segment. Our income tax allocation of our China operations is based on the combined statutory rates for China and the United States.

 
 
Domestic
 
China
 
Total
 
 
(In millions)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2017:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oil, gas and NGL revenues
 
$
383

 
$
34

 
$
417

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease operating
 
48

 
8

 
56

Transportation and processing
 
72

 

 
72

Production and other taxes
 
14

 

 
14

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
96

 
10

 
106

General and administrative
 
46

 
1

 
47

Other
 
1

 

 
1

Allocated income tax (benefit)
 
39

 
9

 
 
Net income (loss) from oil and gas properties
 
$
67

 
$
6

 
 
Total operating expenses
 
 
 
 
 
296

Income (loss) from operations
 
 
 
 
 
121

Interest expense, net of interest income, capitalized interest and other
 
 
 
 
 
(20
)
Commodity derivative income (expense)
 
 
 
 
 
53

Income (loss) from operations before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
$
154

Total assets
 
$
4,248

 
$
140

 
$
4,388

Additions to long-lived assets
 
$
257

 
$

 
$
257



19

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
(Unaudited)

 
 
Domestic
 
China
 
Total
 
 
(In millions)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2016:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oil, gas and NGL revenues
 
$
235

 
$
49

 
$
284

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease operating
 
47

 
14

 
61

Transportation and processing
 
63

 

 
63

Production and other taxes
 
10

 

 
10

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
133

 
44

 
177

General and administrative
 
43

 
1

 
44

Ceiling test and other impairments
 
461

 
45

 
506

Other
 
1

 

 
1

Allocated income tax (benefit)
 
(194
)
 
(33
)
 


Net income (loss) from oil and gas properties
 
$
(329
)
 
$
(22
)
 
 
Total operating expenses
 
 
 
 
 
862

Income (loss) from operations
 
 
 
 
 
(578
)
Interest expense, net of interest income, capitalized interest and other
 
 
 
 
 
(31
)
Commodity derivative income (expense)
 
 
 
 
 
(17
)
Income (loss) from operations before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
$
(626
)
Total assets
 
$
4,540

 
$
237

 
$
4,777

Additions to long-lived assets
 
$
261

 
$

 
$
261


17 .    Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The following table presents information about investing and financing activities that affect recognized assets and liabilities but do not result in cash receipts or payments for the indicated periods.
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
(In millions)
Non-cash investing and financing activities excluded from the statement of cash flows:
 
 
 
 
(Increase) decrease in receivables for property sales
 
$

 
$
2

(Increase) decrease in accrued capital expenditures
 
(4
)
 
20

(Increase) decrease in asset retirement costs
 
(4
)
 



20


Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview
     
We are an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Our U.S. operations are onshore and focus primarily on large scale, liquids-rich resource plays. Our principal areas of operation are the Anadarko and Arkoma basins of Oklahoma, the Williston Basin of North Dakota and the Uinta Basin of Utah. In addition, we have oil producing assets offshore China.

Significant first quarter 2017 highlights include:

Anadarko Basin production was 7.9 MMBOE in the first quarter of 2017 , up 11% over the same period of 2016 ;

released results from upsized completions in the STACK play, showing productivity improvement in early production results. Newfield is implementing enhanced completions throughout all of its active drilling areas and is seeing positive early results;

broke ground on the Barton Creek Water Recycle Facility, a multi-million dollar wholly-owned water recycling facility located in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, which is expected to process approximately 30,000 barrels of water per day upon anticipated completion in early July 2017; and

entered into a sales agreement to divest our non-operated interest in the Bohai Bay field in China for approximately $39 million .

Results of Operations            
                                                            
Domestic Revenues and Production. Revenues during the first quarter of 2017 were $148 million higher than the same period of 2016 primarily attributable to increases in average realized crude oil, natural gas and NGL prices of 79%, 60% and 83%, respectively. Our domestic production for the first quarter of 2017 declined 7% versus the same quarter of 2016 due to reduced investments in all areas outside of STACK. Production from STACK increased 46% quarter over quarter.

China Revenues and Production/Liftings. Revenues during the first quarter of 2017 were $15 million lower than the same quarter of 2016 , primarily due to a 61% decrease in lifting volumes, despite a 78% increase in average crude oil prices. The lower lifting volumes resulted from natural production decline from the Pearl field, and a decrease in the net entitlement from the Pearl field, based on the cost recovery provisions of the production sharing contract.


21



The following table reflects our production/liftings and average realized commodity prices.


Three Months Ended 
 March 31,

Percentage
Increase (Decrease)
 

2017

2016

Production/Liftings:

 

 

 
Domestic: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crude oil and condensate (MBbls)

4,988


5,335


(6
)%
Natural gas (Bcf)

29.4


32.9


(11
)%
NGLs (MBbls)

2,454


2,476


(1
)%
Total (MBOE)

12,338


13,288


(7
)%
China: (2)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crude oil and condensate (MBbls)
 
643

 
1,643

 
(61
)%
Total:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crude oil and condensate (MBbls)
 
5,631

 
6,978

 
(19
)%
Natural gas (Bcf)
 
29.4

 
32.9

 
(11
)%
NGLs (MBbls)
 
2,454

 
2,476

 
(1
)%
Total (MBOE)
 
12,981

 
14,931

 
(13
)%
Average Realized Prices:

 


 


 

Domestic:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crude oil and condensate (per Bbl)

$
45.97


$
25.72


79
 %
Natural gas (per Mcf)

2.93


1.83


60
 %
NGLs (per Bbl)

27.03


14.75


83
 %
Crude oil equivalent (per BOE)

30.99


17.70


75
 %
China:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crude oil and condensate (per Bbl)
 
$
53.21

 
$
29.89

 
78
 %
Total:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crude oil and condensate (per Bbl)
 
$
46.79

 
$
26.70

 
75
 %
Natural gas (per Mcf)
 
2.93

 
1.83

 
60
 %
NGLs (per Bbl)
 
27.03

 
14.75

 
83
 %
Crude oil equivalent (per BOE)
 
32.09

 
19.04

 
69
 %
________________
(1)
Excludes natural gas produced and consumed in operations of 0.9 Bcf and 1.5 Bcf during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , respectively.
(2)
Represents our net share of volumes sold regardless of when produced.




22



Operating Expenses.

Three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to March 31, 2016

The following table presents information about our operating expenses.
 
 
Unit-of-Production
 
Total Amount
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
Percentage
Increase (Decrease)
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
Percentage
Increase (Decrease)
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
 
(Per BOE)
 
 
 
(In millions)
 
 
Domestic:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease operating
 
$
3.93

 
$
3.51

 
12
 %
 
$
48

 
$
47

 
4
 %
Transportation and processing
 
5.81

 
4.77

 
22
 %
 
72

 
63

 
13
 %
Production and other taxes
 
1.10

 
0.71

 
55
 %
 
14

 
10

 
44
 %
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
7.77

 
10.06

 
(23
)%
 
96

 
133

 
(28
)%
General and administrative
 
3.70

 
3.20

 
16
 %
 
46

 
43

 
7
 %
Ceiling test and other impairments
 

 
34.68

 
(100
)%
 

 
461

 
(100
)%
Other
 
0.09

 
0.05

 
80
 %
 
1

 
1

 
58
 %
Total operating expenses
 
22.40

 
56.98

 
(61
)%
 
277

 
758

 
(63
)%
China:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease operating
 
$
12.69

 
$
8.93

 
42
 %
 
$
8

 
$
14

 
(45
)%
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
14.85

 
26.75

 
(44
)%
 
10

 
44

 
(78
)%
General and administrative
 
2.06

 
0.85

 
142
 %
 
1

 
1

 
(5
)%
Ceiling test impairment
 

 
27.52

 
(100
)%
 

 
45

 
(100
)%
Total operating expenses
 
29.60

 
64.05

 
(54
)%
 
19

 
104

 
(82
)%
Total:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lease operating
 
$
4.35

 
$
4.08

 
7
 %
 
$
56

 
$
61

 
(7
)%
Transportation and processing
 
5.52

 
4.25

 
30
 %
 
72

 
63

 
13
 %
Production and other taxes
 
1.06

 
0.65

 
63
 %
 
14

 
10

 
43
 %
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
8.12

 
11.89

 
(32
)%
 
106

 
177

 
(41
)%
General and administrative
 
3.62

 
2.94

 
23
 %
 
47

 
44

 
7
 %
Ceiling test and other impairments
 

 
33.89

 
(100
)%
 

 
506

 
(100
)%
Other
 
0.09

 
0.06

 
50
 %
 
1

 
1

 
35
 %
Total operating expenses
 
22.76

 
57.76

 
(61
)%
 
296

 
862

 
(66
)%

Domestic Operations. The primary components within our operating expenses are as follows:

Lease operating expense per BOE increased 12% primarily due to higher well servicing costs in the Uinta Basin as shut-in wells were reactivated in response to improving oil prices. Additional costs were also incurred in the Williston Basin in the first quarter of 2017 due to winter weather (i.e. road clearing, labor and weather-related repairs) and to protect wells against offset hydraulic fracturing operations by other operators.

Transportation and processing expense per BOE increased 22% due to increased oil deficiency fees of $8 million in the Uinta Basin and higher utilization of oil pipelines in the STACK play, which allows us to transport oil to more favorable markets and thus receive a higher price.

Production and other taxes per BOE increased 55% primarily due to higher commodity prices in the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016. This increase was partially offset by current development activities occurring in areas with lower production tax rates.


23



Depreciation, depletion and amortization (DD&A) decreased 23% per BOE primarily due to the impact of ceiling test impairments during 2015 and the first half of 2016 .

General and administrative expenses increased 7% during the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016 primarily due to accelerated recognition of stock-based compensation expense resulting from a change in our qualified retirement requirements. These costs were offset by employee-related cost savings from workforce reductions.

No ceiling test impairment was required during the first quarter of 2017 . During the first quarter of 2016 , we recorded a ceiling test impairment of $461 million due to a net decrease in the discounted value of our proved reserves. The decrease primarily resulted from an 8% decrease in crude oil SEC pricing and a 7% decrease in natural gas SEC pricing during the first quarter of 2016 . These commodity price decreases were partially offset by the impact of service cost reductions in reserve estimates.

China Operations. The primary components within our operating expenses are as follows:

Lease operating expense per BOE increased 42% primarily due to lower lifting volumes and higher production handling fees per BOE, which increase as oil prices increase.

DD&A expense per BOE decreased 44% primarily due to a reduction of our DD&A rate as a result of the ceiling test impairments during 2015 and the first half of 2016 .

No ceiling test impairment was required during the first quarter of 2017 . During the first quarter of 2016 , we recorded a ceiling test impairment of $45 million due to a net decrease in the discounted value of our proved reserves. The decrease primarily resulted from an 8% decrease in crude oil SEC pricing during the first quarter of 2016 .

Interest Expense . The following table presents information about interest expense. Interest expense associated with unproved oil and gas properties is capitalized into oil and gas properties.
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
(In millions)
Gross interest expense:
 
 
 
 
Credit arrangements
 
$
3

 
$
6

Senior notes
 
35

 
35

Total gross interest expense
 
38

 
41

Capitalized interest
 
(16
)
 
(9
)
Net interest expense
 
$
22

 
$
32


Gross interest expense decreased for the three months ended March 31, 2017 , as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016 , due to $3 million of financing costs related to amending our revolving credit facility in March 2016.

Capitalized interest increased for the three months ended March 31, 2017 , as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016 , due to an increase in the average amount of unproved oil and gas properties resulting from the acquisition of unproved properties during the second quarter of 2016.

Commodity Derivative Income (Expense). The fluctuations in commodity derivative income (expense) from period to period are due to the volatility of oil and natural gas prices and changes in our outstanding derivative contracts during these periods. The amount of unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives is the result of the change in the total fair value of our derivative positions from the prior period.


24



Three months ended March 31, 2017

The $53 million gain recognized in “Commodity derivative income (expense)” in our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income is comprised of a $20 million realized gain and a $33 million unrealized gain. The components of the change in the fair value of our net derivative asset (liability) follow:
 
Positions Settled in the Three Months Ended 
 March 31, 2017
 
Positions Settling After March 31, 2017
 
Total
 
(In millions)
Net derivative asset (liability) at December 31, 2016
$
10

 
$
(35
)
 
$
(25
)
Change in fair value of settled positions
10

 

 
10

Realized settlements
(20
)
 

 
(20
)
Change in fair value of outstanding positions

 
43

 
43

Total unrealized gain (loss)
(10
)
 
43

 
33

Net derivative asset (liability) at March 31, 2017
$

 
$
8

 
$
8


Three months ended March 31, 2016

The $17 million loss recognized in “Commodity derivative income (expense)” in our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income is comprised of an $82 million realized gain and a $99 million unrealized loss. The components of the change in the fair value of our net derivative asset (liability) follow:
 
Positions Settled in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
 
Positions Settling After March 31, 2016
 
Total
 
(In millions)
Net derivative asset (liability) at December 31, 2015
$
82

 
$
285

 
$
367

Change in fair value of settled positions

 

 

Realized settlements
(82
)
 

 
(82
)
Change in fair value of outstanding positions

 
(17
)
 
(17
)
Total unrealized gain (loss)
(82
)
 
(17
)
 
(99
)
Net derivative asset (liability) at March 31, 2016
$

 
$
268

 
$
268


Taxes. Our effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 35% due to the change in valuation allowances, non-deductible expenses, state income taxes, the differences between international and U.S. federal statutory rates and the impact of taxation of our China earnings in both the U.S. and China. Our future effective tax rates may also be impacted by additional ceiling test impairments or other items which generate deferred tax assets, deferred tax asset valuation allowances, and/or reversal of such valuation allowances.

The effective tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were 4.5% and 0.3% , respectively.

See Note 8 , " Income Taxes ," to our consolidated financial statements earlier in this report for additional disclosures.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We establish a capital budget at the beginning of each calendar year and review it during the course of the year. Our capital budgets (excluding acquisitions) are based upon our estimate of internally generated sources of cash, as well as cash on hand and the available borrowing capacity of our revolving credit facility and money market lines of credit.

We expect our 2017 capital budget will be financed through our cash flows from operations and cash on hand. However, given the volatility and uncertainty of commodity prices, we may borrow under our credit facility, sell non-strategic assets or access the public debt and equity markets. Our updated 2017 capital budget, excluding estimated capitalized interest and direct internal costs of approximately $125 million, is expected to be approximately $1.1 billion. The capital budget increase relates to higher costs associated with enhanced completions, and increasing activity in areas operated by us and others.


25



Actual capital expenditure levels may vary significantly due to many factors, including drilling results; oil, natural gas and NGL prices; industry conditions; the prices and availability of goods and services; and the extent to which properties are acquired or non-strategic assets are sold. We continue to screen for attractive acquisition opportunities; however, the timing and size of acquisitions is unpredictable. We believe we have the operational flexibility to react quickly with our capital expenditures to changes in circumstances or fluctuations in our cash flows.

We continuously monitor our liquidity needs, coordinate our capital expenditure program with our expected cash flows and projected debt-repayment schedule, and evaluate our available alternative sources of liquidity, including accessing debt and equity capital markets in light of current and expected economic conditions. We believe that our liquidity position and ability to generate cash flows from our operations will be adequate to fund 2017 operations and continue to meet our other obligations. We may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for other debt or equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Credit Arrangements and Other Financing Activities. We have a revolving credit facility that matures in June 2020 and provides borrowing capacity of $1.8 billion . Subject to compliance with restrictive covenants in our credit facility, our available borrowing capacity under our money market lines of credit was $125 million at March 31, 2017 .

At March 31, 2017 , we had no borrowings under our money market lines of credit or revolving credit facility and had no letters of credit outstanding. We have no scheduled maturities of senior notes until 2022. For a more detailed description of the terms of our credit arrangements and senior notes, see Note 10 , "Debt," to our consolidated financial statements appearing earlier in this report.

As of April 27, 2017 , we had no borrowings under our money market lines of credit or revolving credit facility and had no letters of credit outstanding.

Working Capital. Our working capital balance fluctuates primarily as a result of the timing and amount of borrowings or repayments under our credit arrangements, changes in the fair value of our outstanding commodity derivative instruments as well as the timing of receiving reimbursement of amounts paid by us for the benefit of joint venture partners. At March 31, 2017 , we had positive working capital of $282 million compared to positive working capital of $265 million at December 31, 2016 .

Cash Flows from Operations. Our primary source of capital and liquidity is cash flows provided by operations, which are primarily affected by the sale of oil, natural gas and NGLs, as well as commodity prices.

Our net cash flows provided by operations were $167 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 , which increased compared to net cash flows from operations of $72 million for the same period in 2016 . The primary drivers of higher operating cash flows were higher revenues as a result of higher commodity prices, partially offset by lower realized derivative gains.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $ 251 million compared to $275 million for the same period in 2016 .

During the first quarter of 2017, we:

spent $239 million for capital additions to oil and gas properties, a reduction of $34 million compared to the same period of 2016 due to the timing of capital project activities; and

redeemed our $25 million short-term investment and subsequently reinvested the proceeds into a similar short-term investment.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities. Net cash used in financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $2 million compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $735 million for the same period in 2016 . During the three months ended March 31, 2016 , we issued 34.5 million additional shares of common stock through a public equity offering for net proceeds of approximately $776 million. No equity issuances occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2017 .

26




Restructuring

In April 2015 and May 2016, we announced plans to restructure our organization primarily in response to the commodity price environment and to improve margins, processes and cost efficiencies in operations. See Note 15 , "Restructuring Costs," to our consolidated financial statements in Item 1 of this report for additional details regarding our restructuring activities.

Contractual Obligations

We have various contractual obligations in the normal course of our operations. For further information, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Contractual Obligations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 . There have been no material changes to the disclosure since year-end 2016, other than noted below.

In March 2017, we signed an agreement for firm natural gas transportation capacity for production from the Anadarko Basin. See Note 11 , "Commitments and Contingencies," to our consolidated financial statements appearing earlier in this report.

Commitments under Joint Operating Agreements. Most of our properties are operated through joint ventures under joint operating or similar agreements. Typically, the operator under a joint operating agreement enters into contracts, such as drilling contracts, for the benefit of all joint venture partners. Through the joint operating agreement, the non-operators reimburse, and in some cases advance, the funds necessary to meet the contractual obligations entered into by the operator. These obligations are typically shared on a "working interest" basis. The joint operating agreement provides remedies to the operator if a non-operator does not satisfy its share of the contractual obligations. Occasionally, the operator is permitted by the joint operating agreement to enter into lease obligations and other contractual commitments that are then passed on to the non-operating joint interest owners as lease operating expenses, frequently without any identification as to the long-term nature of any commitments underlying such expenses.

Oil and Gas Derivatives
     
We use derivative contracts to manage the variability in cash flows caused by commodity price fluctuations associated with our anticipated oil and gas production. As of March 31, 2017 , we had no outstanding derivative contracts related to our NGL production. We do not use derivative instruments for trading purposes.

For a further discussion of our derivative activities, see " Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Prices " in Item 3 of this report. See the discussion and tables in Note 4 , " Derivative Financial Instruments ," and Note 5 , " Fair Value Measurements ," to our consolidated financial statements appearing earlier in this report for additional information regarding the accounting applicable to our oil and gas derivative contracts, a listing of open contracts and the estimated fair market value of those contracts as of March 31, 2017 .

Between April 1, 2017 and April 27, 2017 , we did not enter into additional derivative contracts.

Accounting for Derivative Activities. As our derivative contracts are not designated for hedge accounting, they are accounted for on a mark-to-market basis. We have in the past experienced, and are likely in the future to experience non-cash volatility in our reported earnings during periods of commodity price volatility. As of March 31, 2017 , we had net derivative assets of $8 million, of which 58%, based on total contracted volumes, was measured based upon a modified Black-Scholes valuation model and, as such, were classified as a Level 3 fair value measurement. The model considers various inputs including the following:

forward prices for commodities;
time value;
volatility factors;
counterparty credit risk; and
current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments.


27



As a result, the value of these contracts at their respective settlement dates could be significantly different than their fair value as of March 31, 2017 . We use counterparty rate of default values to assess the impact of non-performance risk when evaluating both our liabilities to and receivables from counterparties. See "— Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates — Commodity Derivative Activities" in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and Note 4 , " Derivative Financial Instruments ," and Note 5 , " Fair Value Measurements ," to our consolidated financial statements appearing earlier in this report for additional discussion of the accounting applicable to our oil and gas derivative contracts.

New Accounting Requirements

See Note  1 , "Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," to our consolidated financial statements in Item 1 of this report for a discussion of new accounting requirements.

Forward-Looking Information

This report contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). All statements, other than statements of historical facts included in this report, are forward-looking, including information relating to anticipated future events or results, such as planned capital expenditures, the availability and sources of capital resources to fund capital expenditures, estimates of reserves, projected production, estimates of operating costs, acquisitions and divestitures, planned exploratory or developed drilling, projected cash flows and liquidity, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by use of terms such as "may," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project," "target," "goal," "plan," "should," "will," "predict," "potential," "forecast," "outlook," "could," "budget," "objectives," "strategy" and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, this information is based upon assumptions and anticipated results that are subject to numerous uncertainties and risks. Actual results may vary significantly from those anticipated due to many factors, including but not limited to, the following:

oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids prices;
actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, its members and other state-controlled oil companies relating to oil price and production controls;
environmental liabilities that are not covered by an effective indemnity or insurance;
legislation or regulatory initiatives intended to address seismic activity;

the timing and our success in discovering, producing and estimating reserves;

sustained decline in commodity prices resulting in impairments of assets;

ability to develop existing reserves or acquire new reserves;
the availability and volatility of the securities, capital or credit markets and the cost of capital;
maintaining sufficient liquidity to fund our operations and business strategies;
the accuracy of and fluctuations in our reserves estimates due to sustained low commodity prices, incorrect assumptions and other causes;
operating hazards inherent in the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas;
general economic, financial, industry or business trends or conditions;
the impact of, and changes in, legislation, law and governmental regulations, including those related to hydraulic fracturing, climate change and over-the-counter derivatives;
land, legal, regulatory, and ownership complexities inherent in the U.S. and Chinese oil and gas industries;
the impact of regulatory approvals;

28



the ability and willingness of current or potential lenders, derivative contract counterparties, customers and working interest owners to fulfill their obligations to us or to enter into transactions with us in the future on terms that are acceptable to us, including the creditworthiness of such counterparties;
the prices and quantities of commodities reflected in our commodity derivative arrangements as compared to the actual prices or quantities of commodities we produce or use;
the volatility, instrument terms and liquidity in the commodity futures and commodity and financial derivatives markets;
drilling risks and results;
the prices and availability of goods and services;
the cost and availability of drilling rigs and other oilfield services;
global events that may impact our domestic and international operating contracts, markets and prices;
our ability to monetize non-strategic assets, repay or refinance our existing indebtedness and the impact of changes in our investment ratings;
labor conditions;
weather conditions;
competitive conditions;
terrorism or civil or political unrest in a region or country;
electronic, cyber or physical security breaches;
changes in tax rates;
inflation rates;
the effect of worldwide energy conservation measures;
the price and availability of, and demand for, competing energy sources;
our ability to successfully execute our business and financial plans and strategies;
the availability (or lack thereof) of acquisition, disposition or combination opportunities; and
the other factors affecting our business described under the caption " Risk Factors" and " Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" included in our 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Should one or more of the risks described above occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements in this report, as well as all other written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this section and elsewhere in this report. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could affect us. Use caution and common sense when considering these forward-looking statements. Unless securities laws require us to do so, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of changes in internal estimates or expectations, new information, subsequent events or circumstances or otherwise.


29


Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are exposed to market risk from changes in oil, natural gas and NGL prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates as discussed below.

Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Prices
     
Our decision on the quantity and price at which we choose to enter into derivative contracts is based in part on our view of current and future market conditions. While the use of derivative contracts can limit or reduce the downside risk of adverse price movements, their use also may limit future benefits from favorable price movements. In addition, the use of derivative contracts may involve basis risk. All of our derivative transactions have been carried out in the over-the-counter market. The use of derivative contracts also involves the risk that the counterparties, which generally are financial institutions, will be unable to meet the financial terms of such transactions. Our derivative contracts are with multiple counterparties to minimize our exposure to any individual counterparty. At March 31, 2017 , 10 of our 15 counterparties accounted for approximately 84% of our contracted volumes with the largest counterparty accounting for approximately 13% .

As of March 31, 2017 , 8,703 MBbls of our expected 2017 crude oil production were protected against price volatility using collars and swaps, over 46% which have associated sold puts. The sold puts limit our downward price protection below the weighted average of our sold puts of $73.52 per barrel. If the market price remains below $73.52 per barrel, we receive the market price for our associated production plus the difference between our sold puts and the associated floors or fixed-price swaps, which averages $14.92 per barrel. For 4,028 MBbls of our 2017 volumes, we have locked in an average minimum premium of $13.15 over the market price using purchased calls. The weighted average strike price of the purchased calls approximates the weighted average strike price of the sold puts, thereby effectively locking in the value.

For further discussion of our derivative activities, see the discussion and tables in Note 4 , " Derivative Financial Instruments ," and Note 5 , " Fair Value Measurements ," to our consolidated financial statements appearing earlier in this report. For further discussion of the types of derivative positions, refer to Note 4, "Derivative Financial Instruments," within Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 .

Interest Rates

We consider our interest rate exposure to be minimal as 100% of our debt obligations were at fixed rates at March 31, 2017 . A 10% increase in LIBOR would not impact our interest costs on debt outstanding at March 31, 2017 , but would decrease the fair value of our outstanding debt, as well as increase interest costs associated with future debt issuances or borrowings under our revolving credit facility and money market lines of credit.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rates
     
The functional currency for our China operations is the U.S. dollar. To the extent that business transactions in a foreign country are not denominated in the U.S. dollar, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk. We consider our current risk exposure to exchange rate movements, based on net cash flows, to be immaterial. We did not have any open derivative contracts related to foreign currencies at March 31, 2017 .

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures
     
As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2017 .


30



Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
     
As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, of our internal control over financial reporting to determine whether any changes occurred during the first quarter of 2017 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Based on that evaluation, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.


PART II

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

We have been named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits and are involved in various other disputes, all arising in the ordinary course of our business, such as (a) claims from royalty owners for disputed royalty payments, (b) commercial disputes, (c) personal injury claims and (d) property damage claims. Although the outcome of these lawsuits and disputes cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect these matters to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

In August 2016, the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDH) announced its intent to resolve alleged systemic violations of the North Dakota air pollution control laws, N.D.C.C. ch. 23-25, N.D. Admin. Code art. 33-15, the North Dakota State Implementation Plan, and those provisions of the federal Clean Air Act and its body of implementing regulations for which the NDDH has been delegated authority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at certain facilities in North Dakota, including facilities owned and operated by the Company, through a voluntary Consent Decree process. Companies that choose to enter into the Consent Decree do not admit any violations but choose to do so in order to avoid potentially harsher enforcement through subsequent inspections of operated facilities in North Dakota. The Company entered into a Consent Decree in February 2017 that includes a payment of civil penalties, imposes additional facility design review and, potentially, air permitting obligations, as well as enhanced maintenance and inspection program obligations. The Consent Decree was approved by the North Dakota District Court in Burleigh County on March 14, 2017. The Consent Decree is subject to termination upon consent from the NDDH that all obligations of the Consent Decree have been completed or after two years, a company may petition the court for termination . We do not anticipate that these penalties will exceed $1 million.
In addition, from time to time we receive notices of violation from governmental and regulatory authorities in areas in which we operate related to alleged violations of environmental statutes or rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. We cannot predict with certainty whether these notices of violation will result in fines or penalties, or if such fines or penalties are imposed, that they would individually or in the aggregate exceed $100,000. If any federal government fines or penalties are in fact imposed that are greater than $100,000, then we will disclose such fact in our subsequent filings. For a further discussion of our legal proceedings, see Note 11 , "Commitments and Contingencies," to our consolidated financial statements appearing earlier in this report.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

There have been no material changes with respect to the risk factors previously reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 .


31


Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to repurchases of our common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2017 .
Period
 
Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)
 
Average Price Paid per Share
 
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs
 
Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet be Purchased under the Plans or Programs
January 1 — January 31, 2017
 
1,348

 
$
40.71

 
 
February 1 — February 28, 2017
 
22,059

 
39.91

 
 
March 1 — March 31, 2017
 
1,390

 
36.38

 
 
Total
 
24,797

 
$
39.75

 
 
_______
(1)
All of the shares repurchased were surrendered by employees to pay tax withholding upon the vesting of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units. These repurchases were not part of a publicly announced program to repurchase shares of our common stock.


32



Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit Number
 
Description
3.1
 
Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Newfield Exploration Company dated July 22, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Newfield’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 27, 2015 (File No. 1-12534))
 
 
 
3.2
 
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Newfield (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Newfield’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (File No. 1-12534))
 
 
 
†*10.1
 
Form of 2017 Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award Total Stockholder Return (TSR) and Attached Terms and Conditions under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.2
 
Form of 2017 Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and Attached Terms and Conditions
 
 
 
†*10.3
 
Form of 2017 Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Attached Terms and Conditions (Officer Form) under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.4
 
Amendment to Total Stockholder Return (TSR) Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Attached Terms and Conditions under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.5
 
Form of 2017 Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Attached Terms and Conditions (for Supplemental Awards) under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.6
 
Form of 2017 Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and Attached Terms and Conditions (for Supplemental Awards)
 
 
 
*31.1
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*31.2
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*32.1
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*32.2
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*101.INS
 
XBRL Instance Document
 
 
 
*101.SCH
 
XBRL Schema Document
 
 
 
*101.CAL
 
XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
*101.LAB
 
XBRL Label Linkbase Document
 
 
 
*101.PRE
 
XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
*101.DEF
 
XBRL Definition Linkbase Document
_______
*
Filed or furnished herewith.
Identifies management contracts and compensatory plans or arrangements.

33



SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
 
 
 
Date: May 2, 2017
By:
/s/ LAWRENCE S. MASSARO
 
 
Lawrence S. Massaro
 
 
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)

34


Exhibit Index

Exhibit Number
 
Description
3.1
 
Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Newfield Exploration Company dated July 22, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Newfield’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 27, 2015 (File No. 1-12534))
 
 
 
3.2
 
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Newfield (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Newfield’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (File No. 1-12534))
 
 
 
†*10.1
 
Form of 2017 Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award Total Stockholder Return (TSR) and Attached Terms and Conditions under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.2
 
Form of 2017 Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and Attached Terms and Conditions
 
 
 
†*10.3
 
Form of 2017 Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Attached Terms and Conditions (Officer Form) under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.4
 
Amendment to Total Stockholder Return (TSR) Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Attached Terms and Conditions under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.5
 
Form of 2017 Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Attached Terms and Conditions (for Supplemental Awards) under the 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan
 
 
 
†*10.6
 
Form of 2017 Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and Attached Terms and Conditions (for Supplemental Awards)
 
 
 
*31.1
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*31.2
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*32.1
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*32.2
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Newfield Exploration Company pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
*101.INS
 
XBRL Instance Document
 
 
 
*101.SCH
 
XBRL Schema Document
 
 
 
*101.CAL
 
XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
*101.LAB
 
XBRL Label Linkbase Document
 
 
 
*101.PRE
 
XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
*101.DEF
 
XBRL Definition Linkbase Document
_______
*
Filed or furnished herewith.
Identifies management contracts and compensatory plans or arrangements.

35


Exhibit 10.1


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN

NOTICE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER RETURN (TSR)

 
Awardee
Date of Award:
                                              , 2017
Target Number of Restricted Stock Units:
________________
Awardee Position Type on Date of Award:
Officer
Effective as of the Date of Award set forth above (the Date of Award ), the Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “ Committee ”) of the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) of Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), hereby awards to you, the above-named Awardee, the target number of restricted stock units (the TSR Restricted Stock Units ) set forth above (the “ Target RSUs ”), on the terms and conditions of the Newfield Exploration Company 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan, as amended and restated May 15, 2015, as amended by the First Amendment dated April 12, 2016, and as may be further amended or restated from time to time (the “ Plan ”), the attached Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), and this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award Total Stockholder Return (TSR) (the “ Notice ”).
In signing below, and in accepting this award of TSR Restricted Stock Units, you are expressly agreeing to the confidentiality provisions contained within Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions and to the forfeiture conditions contained within Sections 3 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions. You acknowledge and agree that you are making such agreement knowingly and voluntarily after reviewing and considering the Terms and Conditions, including Sections 3 and 4 thereof.
The TSR Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the prohibitions and restrictions set forth herein with respect to the sale or other disposition of such TSR Restricted Stock Units and the obligation to forfeit and surrender such TSR Restricted Stock Units to the Company (the “ Forfeiture Restrictions ”). The Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse at the time and in the manner described in the attached Terms and Conditions, provided that your employment or engagement with the Company and, as applicable, its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Company Group ”) has not terminated prior to the end of the Performance Period. The number of TSR Restricted Stock Units that may become Earned RSUs in respect of this award upon lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions may range from 0% to 200% of the Target RSUs, as described in the Terms and Conditions.
In addition, your rights with respect to the TSR Restricted Stock Units are subject to forfeiture pursuant to Sections 3 and 4, as applicable, of the Terms and Conditions. If a Change of Control of the Company occurs or if you die or you incur a Separation from Service due to becoming Disabled or by reason of a Qualified Retirement, in each case, prior to the end of the Performance Period, your rights to the TSR Restricted Stock Units under this Notice will be determined as provided in the attached Terms and Conditions.







Following the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to the TSR Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall issue to you, at the time of payment and subject to the other conditions provided in the attached Terms and Conditions (including Sections 3 and 4), one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), in exchange for each such Earned RSU and thereafter you shall have no further rights with respect to any of the TSR Restricted Stock Units subject to this Notice, and such shares of the Common Stock shall, subject to the provisions of the attached Terms and Conditions, be transferable by you (except to the extent that any proposed transfer would, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company, constitute a violation of applicable federal or state securities law).
Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, shares of the Common Stock shall be transferred at the time(s) specified in this Notice and the Terms and Conditions.
Except as otherwise set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the TSR Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred, encumbered or disposed of by you (other than by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution). Any such attempted sale, assignment, pledge, exchange, hypothecation, transfer, encumbrance or disposition in violation of this Notice or the Terms and Conditions shall be void and the Company shall not be bound thereby. Any shares of the Common Stock issued to you in exchange for the Earned RSUs may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws. You also agree that (a) the Company may refuse to cause the transfer of any such shares of the Common Stock to be registered on the stock register of the Company if such proposed transfer would in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities law and (b) the Company may give related instructions to the transfer agent, if any, to stop registration of the transfer of such shares of the Common Stock.
Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Plan or the Terms and Conditions.
In accepting the award of the TSR Restricted Stock Units you accept and agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice and the Terms and Conditions. A copy of the Plan will be furnished to you upon request.






IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Committee has caused this Notice to be duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and Awardee has executed this Notice, all as of the date first above written.
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

By: ______________________________________________     
Name:
Title:

AWARDEE
                        
___________________________________________________________    
[Awardee]






NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.
DEFINITIONS. For purposes of these Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:

1.1    “ Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

1.2    “ Company Business ” means the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas within the Territory.

1.3    “ Competitive Activity ” means directly or indirectly carrying on or engaging in the Company Business (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group), including by owning an interest in, managing, operating, joining, participating in or otherwise becoming an officer, director, employee, advisor or consultant of, any entity engaged in the Company Business, in a capacity in which you have the same, similar or expanded responsibilities or duties as you had on behalf of any member of the Company Group within the 12 months prior to the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group; provided , however , that it shall not be “Competitive Activity” for you to (i) own solely as an investment and when taken together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of your Affiliates, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, provided that neither you nor your Affiliates has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct the management or affairs of any such entity or is involved in the management of such entity, (ii) own securities issued by the Company, (iii) provide services solely as a non-employee director of any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as long as, in the course of providing such services, you do not use or disclose Confidential Information, or (iv) provide services for any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as approved in writing by the Committee.






1






1.4    “ Confidential Information ” means all confidential, proprietary, competitively valuable or non-public information, designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or not, that are or have been conceived, made, developed or acquired by or disclosed to you, individually or in conjunction with others, during the period that you are or have been employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group (whether during business hours or otherwise and whether on Company premises or otherwise) that relate to any member of the Company Group’s businesses or properties, products or services (including all such information relating to drilling programs or wells drilled by the Company Group, reserves data, technical data, including seismic, geological, geophysical and engineering information, prospect or trend data and maps, potential, proposed or completed acquisitions, mergers, or other purchases or sales of oil and gas properties or seismic or other data or technology, financial information, including historical, current, and projected financial results, unless publicly announced, strategic plans or changes in the Company Group’s operations, liquidity, borrowings, security offerings, security repurchases or redemptions, or changes in previously disclosed financial information, computer programs or program code developed by the Company Group, legal matters (including matters relating to litigation), corporate opportunities, operations, future plans, methods of doing business, business plans, strategies for developing business and market share, research, financial and sales data, pricing terms, evaluations, opinions, interpretations, acquisition prospects, the identity of customers or their requirements, the identity of key contacts within customers’ organizations or within the organization of acquisition prospects, non-public lists of employees, employee applications, summaries of employee qualifications, employee compensation, employee matters, customer or marketing and merchandising decisions, techniques and strategies, prospective names and marks). For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, Confidential Information shall not include any information that (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of your public use, disclosure, or fault, (ii) was available to you on a non-confidential basis before its disclosure to you by the Company Group; or (iii) becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a source other than a member of the Company Group, so long as such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.

1.5    “ Disability ” means you (i) are unable to engage in the essential functions of your job (after accounting for reasonable accommodation, if applicable) by reason of any physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (ii) are, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving the maximum short-term disability benefit payable under the short-term disability policy of the Company Group in effect from time to time.

1.6    “ Earned RSUs ” means the number of TSR Restricted Stock Units earned for the Performance Period (or shortened Performance Period, in the event of a Change of Control), as determined and certified by the Committee based upon the level of attainment of the TSR Vesting Objective as outlined in these Terms and Conditions, subject to your satisfaction of the Continuous Employment Requirement, which shall be determined as follows:




2





 
TSR Rank
Percentage of Target RSUs that Become Earned RSUs
First Quartile
1-3
200%
4
180%
5
160%
Second Quartile
6
140%
7
130%
8
120%
9
110%
10
100%
Third Quartile
11
90%
12
80%
13
70%
14
60%
15
50%
Fourth Quartile
16-20
0%

Any TSR Restricted Stock Units that do not become Earned RSUs as of the end of the Performance Period shall terminate and be cancelled upon the expiration of the Performance Period.
1.7    “ Peer Company ” means (A) one of the following companies (or their publicly held successors, whether it be through a transaction involving cash, stock or any combination thereof, as of the closing date of such purchase, merger or combination thereof, or if the successor is not a publicly held successor ( e.g. , a private equity firm), the peer company shall be replaced by the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry Index, currently traded under the ticker symbol SPSIOP (the “ Replacement Index ”) as of the closing date of the purchase, merger or combination thereof), that (B) has had its primary common equity security listed or traded on a national securities exchange throughout the Performance Period:
Bill Barrett Corp.
Energen Corp.
PDC Energy, Inc.
Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc.
EP Energy
Pioneer Natural Resources Co.
Chesapeake Energy Corp.
Jones Energy
QEP Resources, Inc.
Cimarex Energy Co.
Marathon Oil Corp.
SM Energy Co.
Concho Resources Inc.
Matador Resources Co.
Whiting Petroleum Corp.
Continental Resources Inc.
Noble Energy, Inc.
WPX Energy, Inc.
Devon Energy Corp.
 
 

1.8    “ Performance Period ” means the period commencing January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2019.








3






1.9    “ Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.

1.10    “ Prohibited Customer Solicitation ” means (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group) directly or indirectly, soliciting, causing to be solicited, interfering with any member of the Company Group’s relationship with, or endeavoring to entice away from any member of the Company Group, any Person or Affiliate who was or is a material customer or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, any member of the Company Group and with whom or which you had personal contact, or about whom or which you obtained Confidential Information, during your employment or affiliation with the Company Group.

1.11    “ Prohibited Employee Solicitation ” means directly or indirectly, individually or through or on behalf of another Person, soliciting, hiring, recruiting, attempting to hire or recruit, contacting with a view to the engagement or employment of, or encouraging or inducing the termination of employment or engagement of, any person who is an officer, employee, consultant, director or contractor of the Company or any other member of the Company Group and with whom you had personal contact or who directly or indirectly reported to you during your employment or engagement with the Company or any other member of the Company Group.

1.12    “ Qualified Retirement ” means your voluntary Separation from Service with the Company Group when you (i) are at least age 55, (ii) have at least 5 years of Qualified Service and (iii) have provided the Requisite Notice.

1.13    “ Qualified Service ” means your continuous employment or engagement with the Company or another member of the Company Group, plus any additional service credit granted to you (or a group of employees of which you are a member) by the Board.

1.14    “ Requisite Notice ” means at least 6 months prior written notice to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and then to the Chairman of the Board (if you are an officer of the Company) or to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (if you are not an officer of the Company).

1.15    “ Separation from Service ” means a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A.

1.16    “ Specified Employee ” means an individual who is, as of his or her date of Separation from Service, a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A, taking into account any elections made and procedures established in resolutions adopted by the Committee.

1.17    “ Term ” means the period commencing on the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group and ending on the date that is (i) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in a position that would be classified as an “Officer” position type as set forth on Exhibit B , 24 months after such date, and (ii) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in any “Non-Officer Employee” position type as set forth on Exhibit B , 12 months after such date.



4






1.18    “ Territory ” means those geographic areas within any Canadian province or United States county in which any member of the Company Group, as of the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, (i) is engaged in the Company Business; or, (ii) is considering engaging in the Company Business (as evidenced by submission of a specific, written proposal to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company during the six-month period ending on the date you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group); and (iii) any county contiguous to a county described in clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 1.18.

1.19    “ Tier 1 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 1 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.
 
1.20    “ Tier 2 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 2 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.

1.21    “ Tier 3 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 3 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.

1.22    “ Total Stockholder Return ” for the Performance Period means the rate of return (expressed as a percentage) attained with respect to the Common Stock and the primary common equity security of each Peer Company (including the Replacement Index, if applicable): (A) if $100 was invested in each such security or index on January 1, 2017 assuming a purchase price equal to the average closing price of each such security or index for all the trading days during the month of January 2017; (B) if the record date for any dividend to be paid with respect to a particular security occurs during the Performance Period, such dividend was reinvested in such security as of the ex-dividend date for such dividend (using the closing price of such security on such ex-dividend date); and (C) if the valuation of such security or such index at the end of the Performance Period is assumed to be the average closing price of each such security or index for all of the trading days during the month of December 2019 (the “ Closing Value ”). For clarification purposes, if a Peer Company merges or is acquired by another publicly held company, or if a Peer Company is replaced by the Replacement Index, the calculation of Total Stockholder Return for such Peer Company shall be the Total Stockholder Return of such company through the closing date of the corresponding acquisition or merger, and after taking into account the applicable conversion into the successor publicly held company, the Total Stockholder Return of such successor publicly held company or Replacement Index on the trading date immediately following the closing date of the corresponding acquisition or merger going forward. In addition, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if a Peer Company ceases to be publicly traded at any time during the Performance Period due to or following its bankruptcy or de-listing or if the Replacement Index is discontinued, such company or index shall remain a Peer Company with its Total Stockholder Return automatically deemed to occupy the lowest available rank (e.g., if a Peer Company has been de-listed or has filed bankruptcy, then any subsequent Peer Company to be de-listed or to file bankruptcy will occupy the next to lowest rank) among the Peer Companies (including the Replacement Index, if applicable, and the Company) for the Performance Period.





5






1.23    “ Trade Secrets ” means: (i) all information and materials that satisfy the definition of a “trade secret” pursuant to the definitions applied by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act or the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act; or (ii) to the extent not addressed by the definitions referenced in clause (i), all Confidential Information and all other non-public information and materials with respect to the conduct or details of the business conducted by any member of the Company Group, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, data, financial or strategic information or plans, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, that (a) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and (b) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

1.24    “ TSR Rank ” means the Company’s rank from one to the number that is equal to one plus the total number of Peer Companies (including the Replacement Index, if applicable) at the end of the Performance Period, with the Company and each such Peer Company (including the Replacement Index, if applicable) together ranked from best to worst performance based on the Total Stockholder Return of the Company and each such Peer Company (including the Replacement Index, if applicable) for the Performance Period.

2.
VESTING AND PAYMENT OF RSUS. Provided your employment or engagement with the Company Group has continued through the last day of the Performance Period (the “ Continuous Employment Requirement ”), the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to the award evidenced by the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award Total Stockholder Return (TSR) (the “ Notice ”) to which these Terms and Conditions are attached shall lapse and you shall be entitled to receive the Common Stock in respect of Earned RSUs upon the Committee’s certification of its determination of the Company’s TSR Rank in respect of the Performance Period with regard to Total Stockholder Return as compared to the Total Stockholder Return of the Peer Companies as outlined in these Terms and Conditions (the “ TSR Vesting Objective ”). The Committee shall have the sole discretion for determining the level of attainment with respect to the TSR Vesting Objective and the resulting number of Earned RSUs, and any such determinations shall be conclusive. The Committee shall determine and certify the level of attainment of the TSR Vesting Objective as soon as administratively practicable following the end of the Performance Period (or shortened Performance Period, in the event of a Change of Control) and payment in respect of Earned RSUs shall be made to you as soon as practicable but no later than 60 days following the last day of the Performance Period (or shortened Performance Period, in the event of a Change of Control). As provided in the Notice, payment in settlement of Earned RSUs (including any TSR Restricted Stock Units that become Earned RSUs in accordance with the remaining provisions of this Section 2) shall be made in the form of one share of the Common Stock








6





in exchange for each Earned RSU, subject to compliance with the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions, as applicable, and satisfaction of applicable withholding and other taxes as provided in Section 5. Any TSR Restricted Stock Units that do not become Earned RSUs shall be forfeited to the Company for no consideration as of the end of the Performance Period. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the following provisions will apply in the event your Separation from Service with the Company Group, or a Change of Control of the Company, occurs, in each case, prior to the last day of the Performance Period:

2.1     Change of Control . The impact of a Change of Control of the Company on the TSR Restricted Stock Units shall be determined under the provisions of this Section 2.1 rather than under any provisions of the Plan dealing with vesting or the lapse of forfeiture restrictions. If a Change of Control of the Company occurs before the end of the Performance Period and your employment or engagement with the Company Group has not terminated before the date the Change of Control of the Company is consummated, then, if the Change of Control of the Company qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A, upon the consummation of such Change of Control of the Company, you shall be deemed to have earned a number of TSR Restricted Stock Units equal to the number of Earned RSUs you would have earned in accordance with the first paragraph of Section 2 if (a) the Performance Period ended on the date such Change of Control of the Company is consummated, (b) the determination of whether, and to what extent, the TSR Vesting Objective is attained is based on actual performance through the date such Change of Control of the Company is consummated, and (c) the Closing Value for the Company and each Peer Company (including the Replacement Index, if applicable) is equal to the average closing price of the Common Stock or the primary common equity security of each Peer Company, as applicable, for all trading days during the 30-day period ending on the date such Change of Control of the Company is consummated; provided , however , that the number of Earned RSUs you shall be deemed to have earned upon the consummation of such Change of Control of the Company pursuant to this Section 2.1 shall in no event be less than the number of Target RSUs awarded pursuant to the Notice. All remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Earned RSUs, determined in accordance with this Section 2.1, shall lapse as of, and payment in respect of Earned RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following, the date such Change of Control of the Company is consummated.

2.2     Termination Generally . If your employment or engagement with the Company Group terminates before the end of the Performance Period for any reason other than one of the reasons described in Section 2.3 through 2.5 below, the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to the TSR Restricted Stock Units shall not lapse and you shall, for no consideration, forfeit to the Company all TSR Restricted Stock Units to the extent then subject to the Forfeiture Restrictions.
  







7






2.3     Disability . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if before the end of the Performance Period you incur a Separation from Service due to your having incurred a Disability, then you shall be deemed to have satisfied the Continuous Employment Requirement and to have earned the number of Earned RSUs that you would have actually earned had you remained employed through the end of the Performance Period determined in accordance with the first paragraph of Section 2 as of the end of the Performance Period; provided , however , in the event a Change of Control of the Company occurs following your Separation from Service due to your having incurred a Disability but prior to the end of the Performance Period, then the number of Earned RSUs you shall be deemed to have earned shall be determined in accordance with Section 2.1. All remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Earned RSUs shall lapse as of, and payment in respect of such Earned RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the end of the Performance Period (or, in the case of a Change of Control as described in this Section 2.3, at the time specified in Section 2.1).
 
2.4     Death . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if you die before the end of the Performance Period and before you have otherwise terminated your employment or engagement with the Company Group, then you shall be deemed to have satisfied the Continuous Employment Requirement and to have earned the number of Earned RSUs that you would have actually earned had you remained employed through the end of the Performance Period determined in accordance with the first paragraph of Section 2 as of the end of the Performance Period; provided , however , in the event a Change of Control of the Company occurs following your Separation from Service due to your death but prior to the end of the Performance Period, then the number of Earned RSUs you shall be deemed to have earned shall be determined in accordance with Section 2.1. All remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Earned RSUs shall lapse as of, and payment in respect of such Earned RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the end of the Performance Period (or, in the case of a Change of Control as described in this Section 2.4, at the time specified in Section 2.1).

2.5     Qualified Retirement . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if before the end of the Performance Period you incur a Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement, then you shall be deemed to have satisfied the Continuous Employment Requirement and to have earned the number of Earned RSUs that you would have actually earned had you remained employed through the end of the Performance Period determined in accordance with the first paragraph of Section 2 as of the end of the Performance Period, but only to the extent of the following:

(i)    if you are a Tier 3 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and payment shall be made, with respect to 50% of the number of Earned RSUs for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the end of the Performance Period;



8






(ii)    if you are a Tier 2 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and payment shall be made, with respect to 75% of the number of Earned RSUs for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the end of the Performance Period; and

(iii)    if you are a Tier 1 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and payment shall be made, with respect to 100% of the number of Earned RSUs for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the end of the Performance Period.

In each case, the number of Earned RSUs described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this Section 2.5, as applicable, shall be referred to herein as the “ Retirement Adjusted RSUs .” Payment in respect of Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the end of the Performance Period. The excess of (A) the number of Earned RSUs with respect to which the Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed had your employment or engagement with the Company Group not terminated prior to the end of the Performance Period over (B) the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, shall be immediately forfeited as of the end of the Performance Period. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary (but subject to the terms of Sections 3 and 4 below), if a Change of Control of the Company that qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A, occurs following your Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement and before the end of the Performance Period, then the number of Retirement Adjusted RSUs you are entitled to receive shall be determined applying clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this Section 2.5 but with the number of Earned RSUs determined in accordance with, and payment made at the time specified in, Section 2.1. For the avoidance of doubt, payment(s) in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs and your right to retain the shares of the Common Stock received in settlement thereof (or any proceeds related to any sale thereof) are subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions.
3.    PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

3.1     Access to Information . In the course of your employment or engagement with the Company Group and in the performance of your duties on behalf of the Company Group, you will be provided with, and will have access to, Confidential Information.

3.2     Nondisclosure . You agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Trade Secrets both prior to and after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group. Except as expressly permitted by this Section 3, you will not disclose, divulge or furnish to any other Person or use for your own or any other Person’s benefit any Trade Secrets, other than as necessary and authorized in the course of your employment or engagement with any member of the Company Group and for the Company Group’s business purposes.

9





3.3     Security . You shall follow all Company Group policies and protocols regarding the physical security of all documents and other material constituting or containing Trade Secrets (regardless of the medium on which any Trade Secret is stored).

3.4     Return of Property . Upon the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, and at any other time upon request of the Company, you shall promptly surrender, and deliver to the Company all documents, files (including electronically stored information) and all copies thereof and all other materials of any nature containing or pertaining to all Trade Secrets in your possession, custody and control and you shall not retain any such documents or other materials. Within 10 days of any such request, you shall certify to the Company in writing that you have returned to the Company all such documents and materials.

3.5     Consequences of Breach . Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice, if it is determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion that you have violated any of the terms of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, whether before or after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, then your right to receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions, to the extent still outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. Such remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to each member of the Company Group, at law and equity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and each other member of the Company Group shall be entitled to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief to prevent or enjoin your breach or threatened breach of this Section 3 and shall be entitled to specifically enforce this Section 3, without proof of actual damages or the necessity of posting a bond or other security as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief. You agree not to dispute or resist any such application for relief on the basis that the Company or any other member of the Company Group has an adequate remedy at law or that damage arising from such non-performance or breach is not irreparable.

3.6     Disclosures Pursuant to Law or Legal Process; Permitted Disclosures. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, you may make disclosures for the purpose of complying with any applicable laws or regulatory requirements or that you are legally compelled to make by subpoena, civil investigative demand, order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or similar process, or otherwise by law. Nothing herein will prevent you from: (i) making a good faith report of possible violations of applicable law to any governmental agency or entity; or (ii) making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of applicable law. An individual (including you) shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that: (A) is made (1) in confidence to a federal, state or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (2) solely for the purpose








10





of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition, an individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer of reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (X) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (Y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.

3.7     Survival. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms of this Section 3 shall survive the termination of your employment or engagement with the Company Group, regardless of the reason for such termination.

4.
NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION FOLLOWING QUALIFIED RETIREMENT

4.1     Consequences for Engaging in Certain Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that your rights to: (i) receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs; and (ii) retain the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit received by you pursuant to the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, are expressly conditioned upon your promise that, during the Term, you shall not engage in: (x) any Competitive Activity in the Territory, (y) any Prohibited Customer Solicitation in the Territory, or (z) any Prohibited Employee Solicitation.

4.2     Disclosure of Business Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that, during the Term, you will: (a) inform the Company in writing of any business activity in which you engage or are materially planning to engage that relates to the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas; and (b) if you are unsure of whether the pursuit of a particular business opportunity would involve engaging in business within the Territory, you will make a written request to the Company to clarify whether the applicable geographic area related to the business opportunity is within the Territory. Any notices or requests under this Section 4.2 should be directed to the Company’s General Counsel.

4.3     Right to Cancellation and Recovery . You specifically acknowledge and agree that the Company has granted you the TSR Restricted Stock Units described in the Notice to reward you for your future efforts and loyalty to the Company Group, and that the TSR Restricted Stock Units provided to you give you the opportunity to participate in the potential future appreciation of the Company and further align your interests with the long-term interests of the Company Group. Accordingly, in the event that, during the Term, you engage in any of the activities described in parts (x), (y), or (z) of Section 4.1, then the Company may: (i) refuse to pay or deliver to you any shares





11





of the Common Stock in settlement of any unpaid Retirement Adjusted RSUs that would otherwise be paid or that are scheduled to be paid following the date you engage in such prohibited activity, and such Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall become automatically null and void; and (ii) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you continue to own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, either such shares of the Common Stock or an amount equal to the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of such date; and (iii) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you no longer own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, an amount equal to either (A) if such shares were disposed of in an open market transaction, the proceeds received from the disposition of such shares or (B) if such shares were disposed of other than in an open market transaction, the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity. If you do not pay any such shares or other amount over to the Company within 20 days of demand, such shares or amount may thereafter bear interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and you may be liable for all of the Company’s costs of collection, including reasonable legal fees.
 
5.
TAX WITHHOLDING .
 
5.1     Share Withholding . The issuance of shares of Common Stock under Section 2 above is subject to the Company’s collection of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company. Unless alternative arrangements are elected by you and permitted by the Committee, in order to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations related to the TSR Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall reduce the number of shares of the Common Stock deliverable hereunder with respect to any Earned RSUs by a number of shares of the Common Stock up to the number of shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of withholding that does not exceed the aggregate amount of such obligations determined based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in your jurisdiction that may be utilized without creating adverse accounting treatment with respect to the TSR Restricted Stock Units. In the event the Company subsequently determines that the aggregate Fair Market Value of any shares of the Common Stock withheld as payment of any tax withholding obligation is insufficient to discharge that tax withholding obligation, then you shall pay to the Company, immediately upon the Company’s request, the amount of that deficiency.

5.2     Early Tax Payments . To the extent permitted by Section 409A, payments may be made to you with respect to TSR Restricted Stock Units prior to the applicable scheduled payment dates provided in Section 2, on a pro-rata basis in respect of each scheduled payment date, if, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, it would be necessary to pay employment or other taxes imposed upon the TSR Restricted Stock Units prior to the scheduled payment date, including (i) the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax imposed under Sections 3121(a) and 3121(v)(2) of the Code (the “ FICA Amount ”), and (ii) the income tax at source on wages imposed under Section 3401 of the Code or the corresponding withholding provisions of applicable state, local or foreign




12





tax laws as a result of the payment of the FICA Amount and the additional income tax at source on wages attributable to the pyramiding of Section 3401 of the Code wages and taxes (together with the FICA Amount, the “ Taxes ”). For purposes of determining the amount of such Taxes, you will be considered to pay federal income taxes at the highest individual rate in effect in the year in which the Taxes will be paid.

6.
NON-TRANSFERABILITY. None of the TSR Restricted Stock Units, the Notice, or these Terms and Conditions is transferable by you other than by will or by the laws f descent and distribution.

7.
CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REORGANIZATIONS. The existence of the TSR Restricted Stock Units shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in its capital structure or its business, engage in any merger or consolidation, issue any debt or equity securities, dissolve or liquidate, or sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its assets or business, or engage in any other corporate act or proceeding.

8.
RSUs DO NOT AWARD ANY RIGHTS OF A STOCKHOLDER . You shall not have the voting rights or any of the other rights, powers or privileges of a holder of the Common Stock with respect to the TSR Restricted Stock Units that are awarded hereby. Only after a share of the Common Stock is issued in exchange for an Earned RSU will you have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to such share of the Common Stock issued in exchange for an Earned RSU.

9.
NO ADVICE REGARDING RSUs. You acknowledge and agree that (a) you are not relying upon any written or oral statement or representation of or from any member of the Company Group, or any member of the Company Group’s respective employees, directors, officers, fiduciaries, trustees, attorneys or agents (collectively, the “ Company Parties ”) regarding the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding of, the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to and the settlement of the TSR Restricted Stock Units, and (b) in deciding to accept the TSR Restricted Stock Units, you are relying on your own judgment and the judgment of the professionals of your choice with whom you have consulted. You hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Company Parties from all actions, causes of actions, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, on account of, arising out of, or in any way related to the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding of, the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to and the settlement of the TSR Restricted Stock Units.

10.
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. For purposes of the Notice and these Terms and Conditions, you shall be considered to be in the employment or engagement of the Company Group as long as you have an employment or independent contractor relationship with any member of the Company Group. The Committee shall determine any questions as to whether and when there has been a Separation from Service or other termination of your employment or other service relationship and the cause of such Separation from Service or termination under the Plan, and the Committee’s






13





determination shall be final and binding on all Persons. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine that if you are on leave of absence for any reason you will be considered to still be in the employ of, or providing services for, the Company or the Company Group, provided that rights to the TSR Restricted Stock Units during a leave of absence will be limited to the extent to which those rights were earned or vested when the leave of absence began. Records of the Company or other members of the Company Group regarding your period of service, Separation from Service and the reason(s) therefor, and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company to be incorrect.

11.
FURNISH INFORMATION . You agree to furnish to the Company all information requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed upon the Company or any other member of the Company Group by or under any applicable statute or regulation.

12.
NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT . The Notice and these Terms and Conditions are not an employment agreement, and no provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions shall be construed or interpreted to create an employment or other service relationship between you and any member of the Company Group or guarantee the right to remain employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group for any specified term.

13.
SECURITIES ACT LEGEND. If you are an officer or affiliate of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), you consent to the placing on any certificate for the shares of the Common Stock issued under the Notice an appropriate legend restricting resale or other transfer of such shares except in accordance with the Securities Act and all applicable rules thereunder.

14.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY . Under no circumstances will any member of the Company Group or any other Company Party be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost profits) of any form incurred by any Person, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the form of the act in which such a claim may be brought, with respect to the Plan. No member of the Company Group and no member of the Board shall be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Notice, the Terms and Conditions or the TSR Restricted Stock Units granted thereunder.

15.
EXECUTION OF RECEIPTS AND RELEASES . Any payment of cash or any issuance or transfer of shares of the Common Stock or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment or issuance to execute a release of claims and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.









14






16.
FUNDING. You shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any assets of the Company or any investments that the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Notice and the Terms and Conditions. Your right to receive payments under the Notice and the Terms and Conditions shall be no greater than the rights of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

17.
NO GUARANTEE OF INTERESTS . The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock of the Company from loss or depreciation.

18.
SUCCESSORS . These Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives, heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.

19.
SEVERABILITY . If any provision (or part thereof) of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions (or parts thereof) hereof, but such provision (or part thereof) shall be fully severable and these Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision (or part thereof) had never been included. The parties agree to cooperate in any revision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions that may be necessary to meet the requirements of the law. The parties further agree that a court may revise any provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to render the Notice or these Terms and Conditions enforceable to the maximum extent possible.

20.
GOVERNING LAW . All questions arising with respect to the provisions of these Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be determined by application of the laws of Delaware, without giving any effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware state law is preempted by federal law. The Company is incorporated in Delaware and Delaware has a substantial relationship to the Company and the issuance of the award provided pursuant to the Notice and these Terms and Conditions. There is a reasonable basis for this choice of Delaware law, as Delaware law is well known to the Company and well-developed with respect to the subject matters of the Notice and these Terms and Conditions. Further, the designation of Delaware law and the interpretation and application of these Terms and Conditions and the Notice consistent with principles of Delaware law assures uniformity, certainty, and predictability in the application of the Plan through which the TSR Restricted Stock Units are granted. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver the Common Stock is subject to applicable laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Common Stock.

21.
CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE . You hereby consent and agree that the state courts located in Montgomery County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper and exclusive venue with respect to any dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the TSR Restricted Stock Units, these Terms and Conditions, or the Notice. In any dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive, any objection or defense to such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.






15






22.
AMENDMENT . Except as provided in Section 19, these Terms and Conditions and the Notice may be amended or waived by the Committee in writing at any time (including for the avoidance of doubt, any provisions of Section 3 or 4 or any related definitions); provided , that no such amendment shall adversely affect the TSR Restricted Stock Units in any material way, without your written consent.

23.
MISCELLANEOUS . The Notice is awarded pursuant to and is subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan (including any amendments thereto) and these Terms and Conditions. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and Conditions, the Plan and the Notice, the Plan provisions will control. The term “ you ” and “ your ” refer to the Awardee named in the Notice. Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan or the Notice.

24.
INTERPRETATION. Titles and headings to Sections hereof are for the purpose of reference only and shall in no way limit, define or otherwise affect the provisions hereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references herein to an agreement, instrument or other document shall be deemed to refer to such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented, modified and restated from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof. The word “or” as used herein is not exclusive and is deemed to have the meaning “and/or.” The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and other compounds of the word “here” shall refer to the entire Notice, Plan and Terms and Conditions and not to any particular provision hereof. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter.




















16
    






EXHIBIT A
 
 
Years of Service
Age
 
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
55
Tier 3
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
56
 
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
57
 
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
58
 
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
59
 
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
60
 
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
61
 
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
62
 
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
63
 
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
64
 
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
65
Tier 2
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
66
 
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
67
 
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
68
 
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
69
 
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
70
Tier 1
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
Minimum age = 55; minimum years of service = 5
Individuals age 70 or older with at least 5 years of service qualify for Tier 1. Individuals with 20 years of service and at least age 55 qualify for Tier 1.





























A-1






EXHIBIT B
POSITION TYPE AND DURATION OF NON-COMPETITION &
NON-SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS

Position Type
Officer
All officers
Non-Officer Employee
All non-officer employees









































B-1







Exhibit 10.2


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

 
Awardee
Date of Award:
                             , 2017
Vesting Dates:
 
 
First Vesting Date:
                             , 2017
 
Second Vesting Date:
                             , 2018
 
Third Vesting Date:
                             , 2019
 
Fourth Vesting Date:
                             , 2020
Number of Restricted Stock Units:
________________
Awardee Position Type on Date of Award:
Officer
Effective as of the Date of Award set forth above (the Date of Award ), the Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “ Committee ”) of the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) of Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), hereby awards to you, the above-named Awardee, that number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units set forth above, on the terms and conditions of the attached Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”) and this Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “ Agreement ”).
In signing below, and in accepting this award of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, you are expressly agreeing to the confidentiality provisions contained within Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions and to the forfeiture conditions contained within Sections 3 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions. You acknowledge and agree that you are making such agreement knowingly and voluntarily after reviewing and considering the Terms and Conditions, including Sections 3 and 4 thereof.
A Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit is a right to receive a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), on the applicable vesting date.
The Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the prohibitions and restrictions set forth herein with respect to the sale or other disposition of such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units and the obligation to forfeit and surrender such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units to the Company (the “ Forfeiture Restrictions ”). The Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse in accordance with the following schedule, provided that your employment or engagement with the Company and, as applicable, its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Company Group ”) has not terminated prior to the applicable Vesting Date:
(a)
on the First Vesting Date, the Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse as to one-fourth of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units subject to this Agreement; and






(b)
on each succeeding Vesting Date, the Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse as to an additional one-fourth of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units subject to this Agreement, so that on the Fourth Vesting Date the Forfeiture Restrictions shall have lapsed as to all of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units subject to this Agreement.
In addition, your rights with respect to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units are subject to forfeiture pursuant to Sections 3 and 4, as applicable, of the Terms and Conditions. If a Change of Control of the Company occurs or if you die or you incur a Separation from Service due to becoming Disabled or by reason of a Qualified Retirement, in each case, before the Fourth Vesting Date, your rights to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units under this Agreement will be determined as provided in the attached Terms and Conditions.
Following the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to a Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit, the Company shall pay to you, at the time of payment and subject to the other conditions provided in the attached Terms and Conditions (including Sections 3 and 4), an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of the Common Stock on the applicable vesting date in exchange for each such vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit and thereafter you shall have no further rights with respect to such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit.
Except as otherwise set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred, encumbered or disposed of by you (other than by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution). Any such attempted sale, assignment, pledge, exchange, hypothecation, transfer, encumbrance or disposition in violation of this Agreement or the Terms and Conditions shall be void and the Company shall not be bound thereby.
If during the period in which you hold the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, the Company pays a dividend in shares of the Common Stock with respect to the outstanding shares of the Common Stock, then the Company will increase the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that have not then been previously exchanged by the Company for the payment described above by an amount equal to the product of (a) the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that have not been forfeited to or exchanged by the Company and (b) the number of shares of the Common Stock paid by the Company per share of the Common Stock (collectively, the “ Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Units ”). Each Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Unit will be subject to same Forfeiture Restrictions and other restrictions, limitations and conditions applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit for which such Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Unit was awarded and will be exchanged for the payment described above at the same time and on the same basis as such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit.
Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Terms and Conditions.
In accepting the award of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, you accept and agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Terms and Conditions.






IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Committee has caused this Agreement to be duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and Awardee has executed this Agreement, all as of the date first above written.

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY



By:______________________________________         
Name:
Title:


AWARDEE
                        
_________________________________________________            
[Awardee]








NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.
DEFINITIONS. For purposes of these Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:

1.1    “ Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

1.2    “ Change of Control ” means the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the Company is not the surviving Person in any merger, consolidation or other reorganization (or survives only as a subsidiary of another Person), (ii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with another Person and as a result of such merger or consolidation less than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving or resulting corporation will be issued in respect of the capital stock of the Company, (iii) the Company sells, leases or exchanges all or substantially all of its assets to any other Person, (iv) the Company is to be dissolved and liquidated, (v) any Person, including a “group” as contemplated by Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, acquires or gains ownership or control (including the power to vote) of more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding shares of the Company’s voting stock (based upon voting power) or (vi) as a result of or in connection with a contested election of directors, the individuals who were directors of the Company before such election cease to constitute a majority of the Board. The definition of “Change of Control” shall be limited to the extent necessary to comply with the definition of “change in the ownership or effective control” of the corporation, or “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the corporation, within the meaning of section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the final Department of Treasury Regulations issued thereunder (“ Section 409A ”).

1.3    “ Company Business ” means the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas within the Territory.






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1.4    “ Competitive Activity ” means directly or indirectly carrying on or engaging in the Company Business (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group), including by owning an interest in, managing, operating, joining, participating in or otherwise becoming an officer, director, employee, advisor or consultant of, any entity engaged in the Company Business, in a capacity in which you have the same, similar or expanded responsibilities or duties as you had on behalf of any member of the Company Group within the 12 months prior to the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group; provided , however , that it shall not be “Competitive Activity” for you to (i) own solely as an investment and when taken together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of your Affiliates, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, provided that neither you nor your Affiliates has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct the management or affairs of any such entity or is involved in the management of such entity, (ii) own securities issued by the Company, (iii) provide services solely as a non-employee director of any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as long as, in the course of providing such services, you do not use or disclose Confidential Information, or (iv) provide services for any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as approved in writing by the Committee.
  
1.5    “ Confidential Information ” means all confidential, proprietary, competitively valuable or non-public information, designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or not, that are or have been conceived, made, developed or acquired by or disclosed to you, individually or in conjunction with others, during the period that you are or have been employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group (whether during business hours or otherwise and whether on Company premises or otherwise) that relate to any member of the Company Group’s businesses or properties, products or services (including all such information relating to drilling programs or wells drilled by the Company Group, reserves data, technical data, including seismic, geological, geophysical and engineering information, prospect or trend data and maps, potential, proposed or completed acquisitions, mergers, or other purchases or sales of oil and gas properties or seismic or other data or technology, financial information, including historical, current, and projected financial results, unless publicly announced, strategic plans or changes in the Company Group’s operations, liquidity, borrowings, security offerings, security repurchases or redemptions, or changes in previously disclosed financial information, computer programs or program code developed by the Company Group, legal matters (including matters relating to litigation), corporate opportunities, operations, future plans, methods of doing business, business plans, strategies for developing business and market share, research, financial and sales data, pricing terms, evaluations, opinions, interpretations, acquisition prospects, the identity of customers or their requirements, the identity of key contacts within customers’ organizations or within the organization of acquisition prospects, non-public lists of employees, employee applications, summaries of employee qualifications, employee compensation, employee matters, customer or marketing and merchandising decisions, techniques and strategies, prospective names and marks). For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, Confidential Information shall not include any information that (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of your public use, disclosure, or fault,




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(ii) was available to you on a non-confidential basis before its disclosure to you by the Company Group; or (iii) becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a source other than a member of the Company Group, so long as such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.

1.6    “ Disability ” means you (i) are unable to engage in the essential functions of your job (after accounting for reasonable accommodation, if applicable) by reason of any physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (ii) are, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving the maximum short-term disability benefit payable under the short-term disability policy of the Company Group in effect from time to time.

1.7    “ Fair Market Value ” means, as of any specified date, if the Common Stock is traded on a national stock exchange, (i) the mean of the high and low sales prices of the Common Stock reported on the stock exchange composite tape on that date (or such other reporting service approved by the Committee); or (ii) if no prices are reported on that date, on the last preceding date on which such prices of the Common Stock were so reported. If the Common Stock is traded over the counter at the time a determination of its Fair Market Value is required to be made hereunder, its Fair Market Value shall be deemed to be equal to the average between (A) the reported high and low price or (B) the closing bid and asked prices, as applicable, of Common Stock on the most recent date on which Common Stock was publicly traded. If the Common Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its Fair Market Value is required to be made hereunder, the determination of its Fair Market Value shall be made by the Committee in such manner as it deems appropriate, which method or manner shall comply with the requirements of a reasonable valuation method as described under Section 409A.

1.8    “ Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.

1.9    “ Prohibited Customer Solicitation ” means (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group) directly or indirectly, soliciting, causing to be solicited, interfering with any member of the Company Group’s relationship with, or endeavoring to entice away from any member of the Company Group, any Person or Affiliate who was or is a material customer or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, any member of the Company Group and with whom or which you had personal contact, or about whom or which you obtained Confidential Information, during your employment or affiliation with the Company Group.

1.10    “ Prohibited Employee Solicitation ” means directly or indirectly, individually or through or on behalf of another Person, soliciting, hiring, recruiting, attempting to hire or recruit, contacting with a view to the engagement or employment of, or encouraging or inducing the termination of employment or engagement of, any person who is an officer, employee, consultant, director or






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contractor of the Company or any other member of the Company Group and with whom you had personal contact or who directly or indirectly reported to you during your employment or engagement with the Company or any other member of the Company Group.

1.11    “ Qualified Retirement ” means your voluntary Separation from Service with the Company Group when you (i) are at least age 55, (ii) have at least 5 years of Qualified Service and (iii) have provided the Requisite Notice.

1.12    “ Qualified Service ” means your continuous employment or engagement with the Company or another member of the Company Group, plus any additional service credit granted to you (or a group of employees of which you are a member) by the Board.

1.13    “ Requisite Notice ” means at least 6 months prior written notice to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and then to the Chairman of the Board (if you are an officer of the Company) or to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (if you are not an officer of the Company).

1.14    “ Separation from Service ” means a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A.

1.15    “ Specified Employee ” means an individual who is, as of his or her date of Separation from Service, a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A, taking into account any elections made and procedures established in resolutions adopted by the Committee.

1.16    “ Term ” means the period commencing on the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group and ending on the date that is (i) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in a position that would be classified as an “Officer” position type as set forth on Exhibit B , 24 months after such date, and (ii) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in any “Non-Officer Employee” position type as set forth on Exhibit B , 12 months after such date.

1.17    “ Territory ” means those geographic areas within any Canadian province or United States county in which any member of the Company Group, as of the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, (i) is engaged in the Company Business; or, (ii) is considering engaging in the Company Business (as evidenced by submission of a specific, written proposal to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company during the six-month period ending on the date you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group); and (iii) any county contiguous to a county described in clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 1.17.

1.18    “ Tier 1 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 1 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.







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1.19    “ Tier 2 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 2 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.
 
1.20    “ Tier 3 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 3 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.

1.21    “ Trade Secrets ” means: (i) all information and materials that satisfy the definition of a “trade secret” pursuant to the definitions applied by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act or the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act; or (ii) to the extent not addressed by the definitions referenced in clause (i), all Confidential Information and all other non-public information and materials with respect to the conduct or details of the business conducted by any member of the Company Group, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, data, financial or strategic information or plans, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, that (a) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and (b) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

2.
VESTING AND PAYMENT OF RSUS. Provided your employment or engagement with the Company Group has not previously terminated, payment in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days following, each Vesting Date on which the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units lapse as specified in the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “ Agreement ”) to which these Terms and Conditions are attached. As provided in the Agreement, payment in settlement of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units (including any Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that become vested in accordance with the remaining provisions of this Section 2) shall be made in the form of cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of the Common Stock on the applicable vesting date, subject to compliance with the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions, as applicable, and satisfaction of applicable withholding and other taxes as provided in Section 5. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the following provisions will apply in the event your Separation from Service with the Company Group, or a Change of Control of the Company, occurs, in each case, prior to the Fourth Vesting Date specified in the Agreement:

2.1     Change of Control . If a Change of Control of the Company occurs before the Fourth Vesting Date and your employment or engagement with the Company Group has not terminated before the date the Change of Control of the Company is consummated, then all remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall lapse on, and payment in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following, the date the Change of Control of the Company is consummated if the Change of Control of the Company qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A.




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2.2     Termination Generally . If your employment or engagement with the Company Group terminates before the Fourth Vesting Date for any reason other than one of the reasons described in Sections 2.3 through 2.5 below, the Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall not lapse and the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units then subject to the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be forfeited to the Company on the date of such termination.

2.3     Disability . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if before the Fourth Vesting Date you incur a Separation from Service due to your having incurred a Disability, then all remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall immediately lapse on, and payment in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following, the date of your Separation from Service; provided , that, if you are a Specified Employee, payment in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall instead be made on the date that is 6 months and 1 day following your Separation from Service; provided, however, that if you die before the expiration of such 6-month delay period (if applicable) then payment shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death.

2.4     Death . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if you die before the Fourth Vesting Date and before you have otherwise terminated your employment or engagement with the Company Group, then all remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall immediately lapse on, and payment in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death.

2.5     Qualified Retirement . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if before the Fourth Vesting Date you incur a Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement, then the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall lapse (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and payment(s) in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following each remaining Vesting Date specified in the Agreement that is scheduled to occur following the date of your Qualified Retirement, but only to the extent of the following:

(i)    if you are a Tier 3 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and such payment(s) shall be made, with respect to 50% of the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on each remaining Vesting Date if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the Fourth Vesting Date;






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(ii)    if you are a Tier 2 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and such payment(s) shall be made, with respect to 75% of the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on each remaining Vesting Date if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the Fourth Vesting Date; and

(iii)    if you are a Tier 1 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and such payment(s) shall be made, with respect to 100% of the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on each remaining Vesting Date if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the Fourth Vesting Date.

In each case, the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this Section 2.5, as applicable, shall be referred to herein as the “ Retirement Adjusted RSUs .” The excess of (A) the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units with respect to which the Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on the remaining Vesting Date(s) had your employment or engagement with the Company Group not terminated prior to the Fourth Vesting Date over (B) the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, shall be immediately forfeited on the date of your Separation from Service that occurs due to your Qualified Retirement. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary (but subject to the terms of Sections 3 and 4 below), (I) if you die following your Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement and before receiving all payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, then all remaining payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death, or (II) if a Change of Control of the Company that qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A, occurs following your Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement and before you have received all payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, then all remaining payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of such Change of Control, in each case, without regard to the remaining Vesting Date(s) specified in the Agreement that remain scheduled to occur following the date of your death or of such Change of Control, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, (x) the cash payment in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSU shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of the Common Stock on the applicable Vesting Date, and (y) payment(s) in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs and your right to retain the cash payments received in settlement thereof are subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions.



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3.
PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

3.1     Access to Information . In the course of your employment or engagement with the Company Group and in the performance of your duties on behalf of the Company Group, you will be provided with, and will have access to, Confidential Information.

3.2     Nondisclosure . You agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Trade Secrets both prior to and after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group. Except as expressly permitted by this Section 3, you will not disclose, divulge or furnish to any other Person or use for your own or any other Person’s benefit any Trade Secrets, other than as necessary and authorized in the course of your employment or engagement with any member of the Company Group and for the Company Group’s business purposes.

3.3     Security . You shall follow all Company Group policies and protocols regarding the physical security of all documents and other material constituting or containing Trade Secrets (regardless of the medium on which any Trade Secret is stored).

3.4     Return of Property . Upon the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, and at any other time upon request of the Company, you shall promptly surrender, and deliver to the Company all documents, files (including electronically stored information) and all copies thereof and all other materials of any nature containing or pertaining to all Trade Secrets in your possession, custody and control and you shall not retain any such documents or other materials. Within 10 days of any such request, you shall certify to the Company in writing that you have returned to the Company all such documents and materials.

3.5     Consequences of Breach . Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or the Agreement, if it is determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion that you have violated any of the terms of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, whether before or after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, then your right to receive any cash payments in respect of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions, to the extent still outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. Such remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to each member of the Company Group, at law and equity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and each other member of the Company Group shall be entitled to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief to prevent or enjoin your breach or threatened breach of this Section 3 and shall be entitled to specifically enforce this Section 3, without proof of actual damages or the necessity of posting a bond or other security as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief. You agree not to dispute or resist any such application for relief on the basis that the Company or any other member of the Company Group has an adequate remedy at law or that damage arising from such non-performance or breach is not irreparable.




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3.6     Disclosures Pursuant to Law or Legal Process; Permitted Disclosures. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, you may make disclosures for the purpose of complying with any applicable laws or regulatory requirements or that you are legally compelled to make by subpoena, civil investigative demand, order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or similar process, or otherwise by law. Nothing herein will prevent you from: (i) making a good faith report of possible violations of applicable law to any governmental agency or entity; or (ii) making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of applicable law. An individual (including you) shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that: (A) is made (1) in confidence to a federal, state or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (2) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition, an individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer of reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (X) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (Y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.

3.7     Survival. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms of this Section 3 shall survive the termination of your employment or engagement with the Company Group, regardless of the reason for such termination.

4.
NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION FOLLOWING QUALIFIED RETIREMENT

4.1     Consequences for Engaging in Certain Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that your rights to: (i) receive any cash payments or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs; and (ii) retain the cash payments or any other payment or benefit received by you pursuant to the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, are expressly conditioned upon your promise that, during the Term, you shall not engage in: (x) any Competitive Activity in the Territory, (y) any Prohibited Customer Solicitation in the Territory, or (z) any Prohibited Employee Solicitation.

4.2     Disclosure of Business Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that, during the Term, you will: (a) inform the Company in writing of any business activity in which you engage or are materially planning to engage that relates to the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas; and (b) if you are unsure of whether the pursuit of a particular business opportunity would involve







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engaging in business within the Territory, you will make a written request to the Company to clarify whether the applicable geographic area related to the business opportunity is within the Territory. Any notices or requests under this Section 4.2 should be directed to the Company’s General Counsel.

4.3     Right to Cancellation and Recovery . You specifically acknowledge and agree that the Company has granted you the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units described in the Agreement to reward you for your future efforts and loyalty to the Company Group, and that the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units provided to you give you the opportunity to participate in the potential future appreciation of the Company and further align your interests with the long-term interests of the Company Group. Accordingly, in the event that, during the Term, you engage in any of the activities described in parts (x), (y), or (z) of Section 4.1, then the Company may: (i) refuse to pay or deliver any cash payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs that would otherwise be paid on or in connection with a remaining Vesting Date specified in the Agreement that is scheduled to occur following the date you engage in such prohibited activity, and such Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall become automatically null and void; and (ii) recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, an amount equal to the aggregate cash payments previously received by you in settlement of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs. If you do not pay any such amount over to the Company within 20 days of demand, such amount may thereafter bear interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and you may be liable for all of the Company’s costs of collection, including reasonable legal fees.
 
5.
TAX WITHHOLDING .

5.1     Withholding . Payments in settlement of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units under Section 2 above are subject to the Company’s collection of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company. Unless alternative arrangements are elected by you and permitted by the Committee, in order to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations related to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall withhold from any amounts payable to you in settlement of vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units hereunder or from any cash or stock remuneration or other payment then or thereafter payable to you any tax required to be withheld by reason of such taxable income, wages or compensation including shares of Common Stock sufficient to satisfy the withholding obligation.
 
5.2     Early Tax Payments . To the extent permitted by Section 409A, payments may be made to you with respect to Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units prior to the applicable scheduled payment dates provided in Section 2, on a pro-rata basis in respect of each scheduled payment date, if, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, it would be necessary to pay employment or other taxes imposed upon the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units prior to the scheduled payment date, including (i) the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax imposed under Sections 3121(a) and 3121(v)(2) of the Code (the “ FICA Amount ”), and (ii) the income tax at source on wages imposed under Section 3401 of the Code or the corresponding withholding provisions of applicable state, local






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or foreign tax laws as a result of the payment of the FICA Amount and the additional income tax at source on wages attributable to the pyramiding of Section 3401 of the Code wages and taxes (together with the FICA Amount, the “ Taxes ”). For purposes of determining the amount of such Taxes, you will be considered to pay federal income taxes at the highest individual rate in effect in the year in which the Taxes will be paid.

6.
NON-TRANSFERABILITY. None of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, the Agreement, or these Terms and Conditions is transferable by you other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. The community interest, if any, of any spouse of Awardee in any of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to all of the terms, conditions and restrictions of the Agreement and the Terms and Conditions, and shall be forfeited and surrendered to the Company upon the occurrence of any of the events requiring Awardee’s interest in such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units to be so forfeited and surrendered pursuant to the Agreement or the Terms and Conditions.

7.
CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REORGANIZATIONS.

7.1    The existence of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in its capital structure or its business, engage in any merger or consolidation, issue any debt or equity securities, dissolve or liquidate, or sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its assets or business, or engage in any other corporate act or proceeding.

7.2    If the Company shall effect a subdivision or consolidation of the Common Stock or other capital readjustment or other increase or reduction of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding (other than the payment of a stock dividend with respect to the Common Stock), without receiving compensation therefor in money, services or property, then the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units awarded under the Agreement shall be appropriately adjusted in the same manner as if you were the holder of an equivalent number of shares of the Common Stock immediately prior to the event requiring the adjustment.

8.
RSUs DO NOT AWARD ANY RIGHTS OF A STOCKHOLDER . You shall not have the voting rights or any of the other rights, powers or privileges of a holder of the Common Stock with respect to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that are awarded hereby.

9.
NO ADVICE REGARDING RSUs. You acknowledge and agree that (a) you are not relying upon any written or oral statement or representation of or from any member of the Company Group, or any member of the Company Group’s respective employees, directors, officers, fiduciaries, trustees, attorneys or agents (collectively, the “ Company Parties ”) regarding the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding of, the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to and the settlement of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, and (b) in deciding to accept the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, you are relying on your own judgment and the judgment of the professionals of your




11






choice with whom you have consulted. You hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Company Parties from all actions, causes of actions, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, on account of, arising out of, or in any way related to the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding of, the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to and the settlement of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units.

10.
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. For purposes of the Agreement and these Terms and Conditions, you shall be considered to be in the employment or engagement of the Company Group as long as you have an employment or independent contractor relationship with any member of the Company Group. The Committee shall determine any questions as to whether and when there has been a Separation from Service or other termination of your employment or other service relationship and the cause of such Separation from Service or termination, and the Committee’s determination shall be final and binding on all Persons. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine that if you are on leave of absence for any reason you will be considered to still be in the employ of, or providing services for, the Company or the Company Group, provided that rights to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units during a leave of absence will be limited to the extent to which those rights were earned or vested when the leave of absence began. Records of the Company or other members of the Company Group regarding your period of service, Separation from Service and the reason(s) therefor, and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company to be incorrect.

11.
FURNISH INFORMATION . You agree to furnish to the Company all information requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed upon the Company or any other member of the Company Group by or under any applicable statute or regulation.

12.
NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT . The Agreement and these Terms and Conditions are not an employment agreement, and no provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions shall be construed or interpreted to create an employment or other service relationship between you and any member of the Company Group or guarantee the right to remain employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group for any specified term.

13.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY . Under no circumstances will any member of the Company Group or any other Company Party be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost profits) of any form incurred by any Person, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the form of the act in which such a claim may be brought. No member of the Company Group and no member of the Board shall be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Agreement, the Terms and Conditions or the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units granted thereunder.









12







14.
EXECUTION OF RECEIPTS AND RELEASES . Any payment of cash or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment, to execute a release of claims and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.

15.
FUNDING. You shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any assets of the Company or any investments that the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Agreement and the Terms and Conditions. Your right to receive payments under the Agreement and the Terms and Conditions shall be no greater than the rights of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

16.
NO GUARANTEE OF INTERESTS . The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock of the Company underlying the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units from loss or depreciation.

17.
SUCCESSORS . These Terms and Conditions and the Agreement shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives, heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.

18.
SEVERABILITY . If any provision (or part thereof) of these Terms and Conditions or the Agreement is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions (or parts thereof) hereof, but such provision (or part thereof) shall be fully severable and these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision (or part thereof) had never been included. The parties agree to cooperate in any revision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions that may be necessary to meet the requirements of the law. The parties further agree that a court may revise any provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to render the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions enforceable to the maximum extent possible.
  
19.
GOVERNING LAW . All questions arising with respect to the provisions of these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement shall be determined by application of the laws of Delaware, without giving any effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware state law is preempted by federal law. The Company is incorporated in Delaware and Delaware has a substantial relationship to the Company and the issuance of the award provided pursuant to the Agreement and these Terms and Conditions. There is a reasonable basis for this choice of Delaware law, as Delaware law is well known to the Company and well-developed with respect to the subject matters of the Agreement and these Terms and Conditions. Further, the designation of Delaware law and the interpretation and application of these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement consistent with principles of Delaware law assures uniformity, certainty, and predictability in application.

20.
CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE . You hereby consent and agree that the state courts located in Montgomery County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper and exclusive venue with respect to any




13






dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, these Terms and Conditions, or the Agreement. In any dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive, any objection or defense to such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.

21.
AMENDMENT . Except as provided in Section 18, these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement may be amended or waived by the Committee in writing at any time (including for the avoidance of doubt, any provisions of Section 3 or 4 or any related definitions); provided , that no such amendment shall adversely affect the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units in any material way, without your written consent.

22.
MISCELLANEOUS . The term “ you ” and “ your ” refer to the Awardee named in the Agreement. Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

23.
INTERPRETATION. Titles and headings to Sections hereof are for the purpose of reference only and shall in no way limit, define or otherwise affect the provisions hereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references herein to an agreement, instrument or other document shall be deemed to refer to such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented, modified and restated from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof. The word “or” as used herein is not exclusive and is deemed to have the meaning “and/or.” The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and other compounds of the word “here” shall refer to the entire Agreement and Terms and Conditions and not to any particular provision hereof. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter.
    




















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EXHIBIT A
 
 
Years of Service
Age
 
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
55
Tier 3
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
56
 
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
57
 
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
58
 
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
59
 
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
60
 
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
61
 
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
62
 
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
63
 
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
64
 
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
65
Tier 2
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
66
 
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
67
 
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
68
 
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
69
 
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
70
Tier 1
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
Minimum age = 55; minimum years of service = 5
Individuals age 70 or older with at least 5 years of service qualify for Tier 1. Individuals with 20 years of service and at least age 55 qualify for Tier 1.

    



























A-1






EXHIBIT B
POSITION TYPE AND DURATION OF NON-COMPETITION &
NON-SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS

Position Type
Officer
All officers
Non-Officer Employee
All non-officer employees








































B-1




Exhibit 10.3

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN

NOTICE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD
    
 
Awardee
Date of Award:
                                   , 2017
Vesting Dates:
 
 
First Vesting Date:
                                   , 2017
 
Second Vesting Date:
                                   , 2018
 
Third Vesting Date:
                                   , 2019
 
Fourth Vesting Date:
                                   , 2020
Number of Restricted Stock Units:
________________
Awardee Position Type on Date of Award:
Officer
Effective as of the Date of Award set forth above (the Date of Award ), the Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “ Committee ”) of the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) of Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), hereby awards to you, the above-named Awardee, that number of restricted stock units set forth above (the RSUs ), on the terms and conditions of the Newfield Exploration Company 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan, as amended and restated May 15, 2015, as amended by the First Amendment dated April 12, 2016, and as may be further amended or restated from time to time (the “ Plan ”), the attached Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), and this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award (the “ Notice ”).
In signing below, and in accepting this award of RSUs, you are expressly agreeing to the confidentiality provisions contained within Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions and to the forfeiture conditions contained within Sections 3 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions. You acknowledge and agree that you are making such agreement knowingly and voluntarily after reviewing and considering the Terms and Conditions, including Sections 3 and 4 thereof.
The RSUs shall be subject to the prohibitions and restrictions set forth herein with respect to the sale or other disposition of such RSUs and the obligation to forfeit and surrender such RSUs to the Company (the “ Forfeiture Restrictions ”). The Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse in accordance with the following schedule, provided that your employment or engagement with the Company and, as applicable, its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Company Group ”) has not terminated prior to the applicable Vesting Date:
(a)
on the First Vesting Date, the Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse as to one-fourth of the RSUs subject to this Notice; and
(b)
on each succeeding Vesting Date, the Forfeiture Restrictions shall lapse as to an additional one-fourth of the RSUs subject to this Notice, so that on the Fourth Vesting Date the Forfeiture Restrictions shall have lapsed as to all of the RSUs subject to this Notice.






In addition, your rights with respect to the RSUs are subject to forfeiture pursuant to Sections 3 and 4, as applicable, of the Terms and Conditions. If a Change of Control of the Company occurs or if you die or you incur a Separation from Service due to becoming Disabled or by reason of a Qualified Retirement, in each case, before the Fourth Vesting Date, your rights to the RSUs under this Notice will be determined as provided in the attached Terms and Conditions.
Following the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to the RSUs, the Company shall issue to you, at the time of payment and subject to the other conditions provided in the attached Terms and Conditions (including Sections 3 and 4), one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), in exchange for each such vested RSU and thereafter you shall have no further rights with respect to such RSU, and such shares of the Common Stock shall, subject to the provisions of the attached Terms and Conditions, be transferable by you (except to the extent that any proposed transfer would, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company, constitute a violation of applicable federal or state securities law).
Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, shares of the Common Stock shall be transferred at the time(s) specified in this Notice and the Terms and Conditions.
Except as otherwise set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the RSUs may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred, encumbered or disposed of by you (other than by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution). Any such attempted sale, assignment, pledge, exchange, hypothecation, transfer, encumbrance or disposition in violation of this Notice or the Terms and Conditions shall be void and the Company shall not be bound thereby. Any shares of the Common Stock issued to you in exchange for the RSUs may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws. You also agree that (a) the Company may refuse to cause the transfer of any such shares of the Common Stock to be registered on the stock register of the Company if such proposed transfer would in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities law and (b) the Company may give related instructions to the transfer agent, if any, to stop registration of the transfer of such shares of the Common Stock.
Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Plan or the Terms and Conditions.
In accepting the award of the RSUs you accept and agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice and the Terms and Conditions. A copy of the Plan will be furnished to you upon request.







IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Committee has caused this Notice to be duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and Awardee has executed this Notice, all as of the date first above written.
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

By:______________________________________________
Name:
Title:

AWARDEE
                        
___________________________________________________________    
[Awardee]






NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.
DEFINITIONS. For purposes of these Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:

1.1    “ Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

1.2    “ Company Business ” means the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas within the Territory.

1.3    “ Competitive Activity ” means directly or indirectly carrying on or engaging in the Company Business (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group), including by owning an interest in, managing, operating, joining, participating in or otherwise becoming an officer, director, employee, advisor or consultant of, any entity engaged in the Company Business, in a capacity in which you have the same, similar or expanded responsibilities or duties as you had on behalf of any member of the Company Group within the 12 months prior to the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group; provided , however , that it shall not be “Competitive Activity” for you to (i) own solely as an investment and when taken together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of your Affiliates, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, provided that neither you nor your Affiliates has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct the management or affairs of any such entity or is involved in the management of such entity, (ii) own securities issued by the Company, (iii) provide services solely as a non-employee director of any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as long as, in the course of providing such services, you do not use or disclose Confidential Information, or (iv) provide services for any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as approved in writing by the Committee.







1
 





1.4    “ Confidential Information ” means all confidential, proprietary, competitively valuable or non-public information, designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or not, that are or have been conceived, made, developed or acquired by or disclosed to you, individually or in conjunction with others, during the period that you are or have been employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group (whether during business hours or otherwise and whether on Company premises or otherwise) that relate to any member of the Company Group’s businesses or properties, products or services (including all such information relating to drilling programs or wells drilled by the Company Group, reserves data, technical data, including seismic, geological, geophysical and engineering information, prospect or trend data and maps, potential, proposed or completed acquisitions, mergers, or other purchases or sales of oil and gas properties or seismic or other data or technology, financial information, including historical, current, and projected financial results, unless publicly announced, strategic plans or changes in the Company Group’s operations, liquidity, borrowings, security offerings, security repurchases or redemptions, or changes in previously disclosed financial information, computer programs or program code developed by the Company Group, legal matters (including matters relating to litigation), corporate opportunities, operations, future plans, methods of doing business, business plans, strategies for developing business and market share, research, financial and sales data, pricing terms, evaluations, opinions, interpretations, acquisition prospects, the identity of customers or their requirements, the identity of key contacts within customers’ organizations or within the organization of acquisition prospects, non-public lists of employees, employee applications, summaries of employee qualifications, employee compensation, employee matters, customer or marketing and merchandising decisions, techniques and strategies, prospective names and marks). For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, Confidential Information shall not include any information that (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of your public use, disclosure, or fault, (ii) was available to you on a non-confidential basis before its disclosure to you by the Company Group; or (iii) becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a source other than a member of the Company Group, so long as such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.

1.5    “ Disability ” means you (i) are unable to engage in the essential functions of your job (after accounting for reasonable accommodation, if applicable) by reason of any physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (ii) are, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving the maximum short-term disability benefit payable under the short-term disability policy of the Company Group in effect from time to time.

1.6    “ Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.









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1.7    “ Prohibited Customer Solicitation ” means (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group) directly or indirectly, soliciting, causing to be solicited, interfering with any member of the Company Group’s relationship with, or endeavoring to entice away from any member of the Company Group, any Person or Affiliate who was or is a material customer or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, any member of the Company Group and with whom or which you had personal contact, or about whom or which you obtained Confidential Information, during your employment or affiliation with the Company Group.

1.8    “ Prohibited Employee Solicitation ” means directly or indirectly, individually or through or on behalf of another Person, soliciting, hiring, recruiting, attempting to hire or recruit, contacting with a view to the engagement or employment of, or encouraging or inducing the termination of employment or engagement of, any person who is an officer, employee, consultant, director or contractor of the Company or any other member of the Company Group and with whom you had personal contact or who directly or indirectly reported to you during your employment or engagement with the Company or any other member of the Company Group.

1.9    “ Qualified Retirement ” means your voluntary Separation from Service with the Company Group when you (i) are at least age 55, (ii) have at least 5 years of Qualified Service and (iii) have provided the Requisite Notice.
 
1.10    “ Qualified Service ” means your continuous employment or engagement with the Company or another member of the Company Group, plus any additional service credit granted to you (or a group of employees of which you are a member) by the Board.

1.11    “ Requisite Notice ” means at least 6 months prior written notice to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and then to the Chairman of the Board (if you are an officer of the Company) or to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (if you are not an officer of the Company).

1.12    “ Separation from Service ” means a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A.

1.13    “ Specified Employee ” means an individual who is, as of his or her date of Separation from Service, a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A, taking into account any elections made and procedures established in resolutions adopted by the Committee.
 
1.14    “ Term ” means the period commencing on the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group and ending on the date that is (i) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in a position that would be classified as an “Officer” position type as set forth on Exhibit B , 24 months after such date, and (ii) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in any “Non-Officer Employee” position type as set forth on Exhibit B , 12 months after such date.






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1.15    “ Territory ” means those geographic areas within any Canadian province or United States county in which any member of the Company Group, as of the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, (i) is engaged in the Company Business; or, (ii) is considering engaging in the Company Business (as evidenced by submission of a specific, written proposal to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company during the six-month period ending on the date you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group); and (iii) any county contiguous to a county described in clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 1.15.

1.16    “ Tier 1 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 1 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.

1.17    “ Tier 2 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 2 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.

1.18    “ Tier 3 Retiree ” means your combined age and years of Qualified Service place you in Tier 3 reflected on Exhibit A attached hereto as of the date of your Qualified Retirement.

1.19    “ Trade Secrets ” means: (i) all information and materials that satisfy the definition of a “trade secret” pursuant to the definitions applied by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act or the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act; or (ii) to the extent not addressed by the definitions referenced in clause (i), all Confidential Information and all other non-public information and materials with respect to the conduct or details of the business conducted by any member of the Company Group, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, data, financial or strategic information or plans, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, that (a) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and (b) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

2.
VESTING AND PAYMENT OF RSUS. Provided your employment or engagement with the Company Group has not previously terminated, payment in respect of vested RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days following, each Vesting Date on which the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to such RSUs lapse as specified in the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award (the “ Notice ”) to which these Terms and Conditions are attached. As provided in the Notice, payment in settlement of vested RSUs (including any RSUs that become vested in accordance with the remaining provisions of this Section 2) shall be made in the form of one share of the Common Stock in exchange for each vested RSU, subject to compliance with the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions, as applicable, and satisfaction of applicable withholding and other taxes as provided in Section 5. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the







4






following provisions will apply in the event your Separation from Service with the Company Group, or a Change of Control of the Company, occurs, in each case, prior to the Fourth Vesting Date specified in the Notice:

2.1     Change of Control . The impact of a Change of Control of the Company on the RSUs shall be determined under the provisions of this Section 2.1 rather than under any provisions of the Plan dealing with vesting or the lapse of forfeiture restrictions. If a Change of Control of the Company occurs before the Fourth Vesting Date and your employment or engagement with the Company Group has not terminated before the date the Change of Control of the Company is consummated, then all remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the RSUs shall lapse on, and payment in respect of vested RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following, the date the Change of Control of the Company is consummated if the Change of Control of the Company qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A.

2.2     Termination Generally . If your employment or engagement with the Company Group terminates before the Fourth Vesting Date for any reason other than one of the reasons described in Sections 2.3 through 2.5 below, the Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the RSUs shall not lapse and the number of RSUs then subject to the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be forfeited to the Company on the date of such termination.

2.3     Disability . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if before the Fourth Vesting Date you incur a Separation from Service due to your having incurred a Disability, then all remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the RSUs shall immediately lapse on, and payment in respect of vested RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following, the date of your Separation from Service; provided , that, if you are a Specified Employee, payment in respect of vested RSUs shall instead be made on the date that is 6 months and 1 day following your Separation from Service; provided, however, that if you die before the expiration of such 6-month delay period (if applicable) then payment shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death.

2.4     Death . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if you die before the Fourth Vesting Date and before you have otherwise terminated your employment or engagement with the Company Group, then all remaining Forfeiture Restrictions then applicable to the RSUs shall immediately lapse on, and payment in respect of vested RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death.

2.5     Qualified Retirement . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary, if before the Fourth Vesting Date you incur a Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement, then the Forfeiture Restrictions applicable to the RSUs shall lapse (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and payment(s) in respect of vested RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following each remaining Vesting Date specified in the Notice that is scheduled to occur following the date of your Qualified Retirement, but only to the extent of the following:


5






(i)    if you are a Tier 3 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and such payment(s) shall be made, with respect to 50% of the number of RSUs for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on each remaining Vesting Date if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the Fourth Vesting Date;

(ii)    if you are a Tier 2 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and such payment(s) shall be made, with respect to 75% of the number of RSUs for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on each remaining Vesting Date if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the Fourth Vesting Date; and

(iii)    if you are a Tier 1 Retiree, then the Forfeiture Restrictions shall be deemed to have lapsed (other than any forfeiture restrictions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions), and such payment(s) shall be made, with respect to 100% of the number of RSUs for which Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on each remaining Vesting Date if your employment or engagement with the Company Group had not terminated and you had remained continuously employed or engaged through the Fourth Vesting Date.

In each case, the number of RSUs described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this Section 2.5, as applicable, shall be referred to herein as the “ Retirement Adjusted RSUs .” The excess of (A) the number of RSUs with respect to which the Forfeiture Restrictions would have otherwise lapsed on the remaining Vesting Date(s) had your employment or engagement with the Company Group not terminated prior to the Fourth Vesting Date over (B) the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, shall be immediately forfeited on the date of your Separation from Service that occurs due to your Qualified Retirement. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary (but subject to the terms of Sections 3 and 4 below), (I) if you die following your Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement and before receiving all payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, then all remaining payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death, or (II) if a Change of Control of the Company that qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A, occurs following your Separation from Service as a result of your Qualified Retirement and before you have received all payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, then all remaining payments in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of such Change of Control, in each




6






case, without regard to the remaining Vesting Date(s) specified in the Notice that remain scheduled to occur following the date of your death or of such Change of Control, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, payment(s) in respect of the Retirement Adjusted RSUs and your right to retain the shares of the Common Stock received in settlement thereof (or any proceeds related to any sale thereof) are subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions.
3.
PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

3.1     Access to Information . In the course of your employment or engagement with the Company Group and in the performance of your duties on behalf of the Company Group, you will be provided with, and will have access to, Confidential Information.

3.2     Nondisclosure . You agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Trade Secrets both prior to and after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group. Except as expressly permitted by this Section 3, you will not disclose, divulge or furnish to any other Person or use for your own or any other Person’s benefit any Trade Secrets, other than as necessary and authorized in the course of your employment or engagement with any member of the Company Group and for the Company Group’s business purposes.

3.3     Security . You shall follow all Company Group policies and protocols regarding the physical security of all documents and other material constituting or containing Trade Secrets (regardless of the medium on which any Trade Secret is stored).

3.4     Return of Property . Upon the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, and at any other time upon request of the Company, you shall promptly surrender, and deliver to the Company all documents, files (including electronically stored information) and all copies thereof and all other materials of any nature containing or pertaining to all Trade Secrets in your possession, custody and control and you shall not retain any such documents or other materials. Within 10 days of any such request, you shall certify to the Company in writing that you have returned to the Company all such documents and materials.

3.5     Consequences of Breach . Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice, if it is determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion that you have violated any of the terms of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, whether before or after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, then your right to receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions, to the extent still outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. Such remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to each member of the Company Group, at law and equity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and each other member of the Company Group shall be entitled to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief to prevent or enjoin your breach or threatened breach of this Section 3 and shall be entitled to specifically enforce this Section 3, without proof of actual damages or the



7






necessity of posting a bond or other security as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief. You agree not to dispute or resist any such application for relief on the basis that the Company or any other member of the Company Group has an adequate remedy at law or that damage arising from such non-performance or breach is not irreparable.

3.6     Disclosures Pursuant to Law or Legal Process; Permitted Disclosures. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, you may make disclosures for the purpose of complying with any applicable laws or regulatory requirements or that you are legally compelled to make by subpoena, civil investigative demand, order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or similar process, or otherwise by law. Nothing herein will prevent you from: (i) making a good faith report of possible violations of applicable law to any governmental agency or entity; or (ii) making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of applicable law. An individual (including you) shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that: (A) is made (1) in confidence to a federal, state or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (2) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition, an individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer of reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (X) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (Y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.

3.7     Survival. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms of this Section 3 shall survive the termination of your employment or engagement with the Company Group, regardless of the reason for such termination.

4.
NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION FOLLOWING QUALIFIED RETIREMENT

4.1     Consequences for Engaging in Certain Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that your rights to: (i) receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs; and (ii) retain the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit received by you pursuant to the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, are expressly conditioned upon your promise that, during the Term, you shall not engage in: (x) any Competitive Activity in the Territory, (y) any Prohibited Customer Solicitation in the Territory, or (z) any Prohibited Employee Solicitation.

4.2     Disclosure of Business Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that, during the Term, you will: (a) inform the Company in writing of any business activity in which you




8






engage or are materially planning to engage that relates to the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas; and (b) if you are unsure of whether the pursuit of a particular business opportunity would involve engaging in business within the Territory, you will make a written request to the Company to clarify whether the applicable geographic area related to the business opportunity is within the Territory. Any notices or requests under this Section 4.2 should be directed to the Company’s General Counsel.
 
4.3     Right to Cancellation and Recovery . You specifically acknowledge and agree that the Company has granted you the RSUs described in the Notice to reward you for your future efforts and loyalty to the Company Group, and that the RSUs provided to you give you the opportunity to participate in the potential future appreciation of the Company and further align your interests with the long-term interests of the Company Group. Accordingly, in the event that, during the Term, you engage in any of the activities described in parts (x), (y), or (z) of Section 4.1, then the Company may: (i) refuse to pay or deliver to you any shares of the Common Stock in settlement of any unpaid Retirement Adjusted RSUs that would otherwise be paid on or in connection with a remaining Vesting Date specified in the Notice that is scheduled to occur following the date you engage in such prohibited activity, and such Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall become automatically null and void; and (ii) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you continue to own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, either such shares of the Common Stock or an amount equal to the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of such date; and (iii) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you no longer own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, an amount equal to either (A) if such shares were disposed of in an open market transaction, the proceeds received from the disposition of such shares or (B) if such shares were disposed of other than in an open market transaction, the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity. If you do not pay any such shares or other amount over to the Company within 20 days of demand, such shares or amount may thereafter bear interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and you may be liable for all of the Company’s costs of collection, including reasonable legal fees.

5.
TAX WITHHOLDING .

5.1     Share Withholding . The issuance of shares of Common Stock under Section 2 above is subject to the Company’s collection of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company. Unless alternative arrangements are elected by you and permitted by the Committee, in order to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations related to the RSUs, the Company shall reduce the number of shares of the Common Stock deliverable hereunder with respect to the RSUs by a number of shares of the Common Stock up to the number of shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of withholding that does not exceed the aggregate amount of such obligations determined based on the maximum statutory





9






withholding rates in your jurisdiction that may be utilized without creating adverse accounting treatment with respect to the RSUs. In the event the Company subsequently determines that the aggregate Fair Market Value of any shares of the Common Stock withheld as payment of any tax withholding obligation is insufficient to discharge that tax withholding obligation, then you shall pay to the Company, immediately upon the Company’s request, the amount of that deficiency.

5.2     Early Tax Payments . To the extent permitted by Section 409A, payments may be made to you with respect to RSUs prior to the applicable scheduled payment dates provided in Section 2, on a pro-rata basis in respect of each scheduled payment date, if, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, it would be necessary to pay employment or other taxes imposed upon the RSUs prior to the scheduled payment date, including (i) the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax imposed under Sections 3121(a) and 3121(v)(2) of the Code (the “ FICA Amount ”), and (ii) the income tax at source on wages imposed under Section 3401 of the Code or the corresponding withholding provisions of applicable state, local or foreign tax laws as a result of the payment of the FICA Amount and the additional income tax at source on wages attributable to the pyramiding of Section 3401 of the Code wages and taxes (together with the FICA Amount, the “ Taxes ”). For purposes of determining the amount of such Taxes, you will be considered to pay federal income taxes at the highest individual rate in effect in the year in which the Taxes will be paid.

6.
NON-TRANSFERABILITY. None of the RSUs, the Notice, or these Terms and Conditions is transferable by you other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

7.
CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REORGANIZATIONS. The existence of the RSUs shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in its capital structure or its business, engage in any merger or consolidation, issue any debt or equity securities, dissolve or liquidate, or sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its assets or business, or engage in any other corporate act or proceeding.

8.
RSUs DO NOT AWARD ANY RIGHTS OF A STOCKHOLDER . You shall not have the voting rights or any of the other rights, powers or privileges of a holder of the Common Stock with respect to the RSUs that are awarded hereby. Only after a share of the Common Stock is issued in exchange for a RSU will you have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to such share of the Common Stock issued in exchange for a RSU.

9.
NO ADVICE REGARDING RSUs. You acknowledge and agree that (a) you are not relying upon any written or oral statement or representation of or from any member of the Company Group, or any member of the Company Group’s respective employees, directors, officers, fiduciaries, trustees, attorneys or agents (collectively, the “ Company Parties ”) regarding the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding of, the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to and the settlement of the RSUs, and (b) in deciding to accept the RSUs, you are relying on your own judgment and the





10






judgment of the professionals of your choice with whom you have consulted. You hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Company Parties from all actions, causes of action, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, on account of, arising out of, or in any way related to the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding of, the lapse of the Forfeiture Restrictions with respect to and the settlement of the RSUs.

10.
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. For purposes of the Notice and these Terms and Conditions, you shall be considered to be in the employment or engagement of the Company Group as long as you have an employment or independent contractor relationship with any member of the Company Group. The Committee shall determine any questions as to whether and when there has been a Separation from Service or other termination of your employment or other service relationship and the cause of such Separation from Service or termination under the Plan, and the Committee’s determination shall be final and binding on all Persons. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine that if you are on leave of absence for any reason you will be considered to still be in the employ of, or providing services for, the Company or the Company Group, provided that rights to the RSUs during a leave of absence will be limited to the extent to which those rights were earned or vested when the leave of absence began. Records of the Company or other members of the Company Group regarding your period of service, Separation from Service and the reason(s) therefor, and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company to be incorrect.

11.
FURNISH INFORMATION . You agree to furnish to the Company all information requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed upon the Company or any other member of the Company Group by or under any applicable statute or regulation.
 
12.
NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT . The Notice and these Terms and Conditions are not an employment agreement, and no provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions shall be construed or interpreted to create an employment or other service relationship between you and any member of the Company Group or guarantee the right to remain employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group for any specified term.

13.
SECURITIES ACT LEGEND. If you are an officer or affiliate of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), you consent to the placing on any certificate for the shares of the Common Stock issued under the Notice an appropriate legend restricting resale or other transfer of such shares except in accordance with the Securities Act and all applicable rules thereunder.

14.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY . Under no circumstances will any member of the Company Group or any other Company Party be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost profits) of any form incurred by any Person, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the form of the act in which such a claim may be brought, with respect to the Plan. No member





11






of the Company Group and no member of the Board shall be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Notice, the Terms and Conditions or the RSUs granted thereunder.

15.
EXECUTION OF RECEIPTS AND RELEASES . Any payment of cash or any issuance or transfer of shares of the Common Stock or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment or issuance to execute a release of claims and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.

16.
FUNDING. You shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any assets of the Company or any investments that the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Notice and the Terms and Conditions. Your right to receive payments under the Notice and the Terms and Conditions shall be no greater than the rights of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

17.
NO GUARANTEE OF INTERESTS . The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock of the Company from loss or depreciation.

18.
SUCCESSORS . These Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives, heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.

19.
SEVERABILITY . If any provision (or part thereof) of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions (or parts thereof) hereof, but such provision (or part thereof) shall be fully severable and these Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision (or part thereof) had never been included. The parties agree to cooperate in any revision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions that may be necessary to meet the requirements of the law. The parties further agree that a court may revise any provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to render the Notice or these Terms and Conditions enforceable to the maximum extent possible.

20.
GOVERNING LAW . All questions arising with respect to the provisions of these Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be determined by application of the laws of Delaware, without giving any effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware state law is preempted by federal law. The Company is incorporated in Delaware and Delaware has a substantial relationship to the Company and the issuance of the award provided pursuant to the Notice and these Terms and Conditions. There is a reasonable basis for this choice of Delaware law, as Delaware law is well known to the Company and well-developed with respect to the subject matters of the Notice and these Terms and Conditions. Further, the designation of Delaware law and the interpretation and application of these Terms and Conditions and the Notice consistent with principles of Delaware law





12






assures uniformity, certainty, and predictability in the application of the Plan through which the RSUs are granted. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver the Common Stock is subject to applicable laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Common Stock.

21.
CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE . You hereby consent and agree that the state courts located in Montgomery County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper and exclusive venue with respect to any dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the RSUs, these Terms and Conditions, or the Notice. In any dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive, any objection or defense to such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.

22.
AMENDMENT . Except as provided in Section 19, these Terms and Conditions and the Notice may be amended or waived by the Committee in writing at any time (including for the avoidance of doubt, any provisions of Section 3 or 4 or any related definitions); provided , that no such amendment shall adversely affect the RSUs in any material way, without your written consent.

23.
MISCELLANEOUS . The Notice is awarded pursuant to and is subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan (including any amendments thereto) and these Terms and Conditions. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and Conditions, the Plan and the Notice, the Plan provisions will control. The term “ you ” and “ your ” refer to the Awardee named in the Notice. Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan or the Notice.

24.
INTERPRETATION. Titles and headings to Sections hereof are for the purpose of reference only and shall in no way limit, define or otherwise affect the provisions hereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references herein to an agreement, instrument or other document shall be deemed to refer to such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented, modified and restated from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof. The word “or” as used herein is not exclusive and is deemed to have the meaning “and/or.” The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and other compounds of the word “here” shall refer to the entire Notice, Plan and Terms and Conditions and not to any particular provision hereof. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter.










13








    
EXHIBIT A
 
 
Years of Service
Age
 
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
55
Tier 3
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
56
 
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
57
 
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
58
 
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
59
 
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
60
 
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
61
 
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
62
 
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
63
 
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
64
 
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
65
Tier 2
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
66
 
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
67
 
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
68
 
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
69
 
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
70
Tier 1
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
Minimum age = 55; minimum years of service = 5
Individuals age 70 or older with at least 5 years of service qualify for Tier 1. Individuals with 20 years of service and at least age 55 qualify for Tier 1.

























A-1






EXHIBIT B
POSITION TYPE AND DURATION OF NON-COMPETITION &
NON-SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS

Position Type
Officer
All officers
Non-Officer Employee
All non-officer employees








































B-1




        
Exhibit 10.4

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN
AMENDMENT TO TOTAL STOCKHOLDER RETURN (TSR) NOTICE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AND ATTACHED TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This Amendment (the “ Amendment ”) to the Notice(s) of Total Stockholder Return (TSR) Restricted Stock Unit Award and attached Terms and Conditions previously granted under the Newfield Exploration Company 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan, as the same may be amended and restated from time to time (the “ Plan ”), is hereby made by and between Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and you (the “ Awardee ”), to be effective as of January 1, 2017 (the “ Effective Date ”).
WHEREAS , the Company granted TSR Restricted Stock Units to the Awardee on February 10, 2016, February 11, 2015 and/or February 10, 2012, in each case as applicable, pursuant to a Notice of TSR Restricted Stock Unit Award (the “ Notice ”) and the Terms and Conditions attached thereto (the “ Terms and Conditions ” and, together with each such Notice, the “ Agreement ”);
WHEREAS , capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Plan or in the applicable Agreement;
WHEREAS , the Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “ Committee ”) of the Board of Directors of the Company may amend each Agreement at any time without the written consent of the Awardee; provided, however, that no such amendment may adversely affect in any material manner any right of the Awardee, without his or her written consent;
WHEREAS , the Amendment enhances the benefits provided to Awardee and further aligns Awardee’s interests with the long-term interests of the Company, as it maintains the grant(s) of TSR Restricted Stock Units provided to Awardee, but lowers the age and service requirements for eligibility for “Qualified Retirement” under each Agreement, which “Qualified Retirement” makes Awardee eligible for certain enhanced benefits under each Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Amendment is favorable to Awardee, as it eliminates the requirement that, as a condition to Qualified Retirement, Awardee execute a standalone non-compete agreement that was attached to the applicable Agreement(s), and instead memorializes certain requirements with respect to confidentiality and post-Qualified Retirement business activities that will be conditions to receiving and retaining the applicable Common Stock and other benefits pursuant to Retirement Adjusted RSUs;
WHEREAS, the Amendment also documents that early payment under each Agreement is permitted as necessary to satisfy certain tax obligations related to the TSR Restricted Stock Units; and
WHEREAS , the Committee and the Awardee desire to amend each Agreement as described below, effective as of the Effective Date.
NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the foregoing, effective as of the Effective Date, each Agreement is hereby amended as follows:
1.
The definition of “Qualified Retirement” included in the Terms and Conditions shall be deleted and the following shall be substituted therefor:

1




Qualified Retirement means your voluntary Separation from Service with the Company Group when you (i) are at least age 55, (ii) have at least 5 years of Qualified Service and (iii) provide the Requisite Notice.”
2.
The definition of “Qualified Service” included in the Terms and Conditions shall be deleted and the following shall be substituted therefor:

Qualified Service means your continuous employment or engagement with the Company or another member of the Company Group, plus any additional service credit granted to you (or a group of employees of which you are a member) by the Board of Directors of the Company.”
3.
The definition of “Requisite Notice” included in the Terms and Conditions shall be deleted and the following shall be substituted therefor:

Requisite Notice means at least 6 months prior written notice to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and then to the Chairman of the Board (if you are an officer of the Company) or to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (if you are not an officer of the Company).”
4.
With respect to TSR Restricted Stock Units granted on February 10, 2016, the period at the end of Section 4 of the Terms and Conditions shall be deleted and the following shall be substituted therefor:

provided, however , that the number of Earned Restricted Stock Units you shall be deemed to have earned upon the consummation of such Change of Control of the Company pursuant to this Section 4 shall in no event be less than the number of Target Restricted Stock Units awarded pursuant to the Notice.”
5.
The Section entitled “Prohibited Activity” included in the Terms and Conditions shall be deleted and the following shall be substituted therefor:

“(a)      PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
(i)      Access to Information . In the course of your employment or engagement with the Company Group and in the performance of your duties on behalf of the Company Group, you have been provided with, and you will continue to be provided with, and have access to, Confidential Information.
(ii)      Nondisclosure . You agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Trade Secrets both prior to and after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group. Except as expressly permitted by this Section entitled “Protection of Confidential Information,” you will not disclose, divulge or furnish to any other Person or use for your own or any other Person’s benefit any Trade Secrets, other than as necessary and authorized in the course of your employment or engagement with any member of the Company Group and for the Company Group’s business purposes.

2




(iii)      Security . You shall follow all Company Group policies and protocols regarding the physical security of all documents and other material constituting or containing Trade Secrets (regardless of the medium on which any Trade Secret is stored).
(iv)      Return of Property . Upon the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, and at any other time upon request of the Company, you shall promptly surrender, and deliver to the Company all documents, files (including electronically stored information) and all copies thereof and all other materials of any nature containing or pertaining to all Trade Secrets in your possession, custody and control and you shall not retain any such documents or other materials. Within 10 days of any such request, you shall certify to the Company in writing that you have returned to the Company all such documents and materials.
(v)      Consequences of Breach . Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice, if it is determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion that you have violated any of the terms of this Section entitled “Protection of Confidential Information” of these Terms and Conditions, whether before or after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, then your right to receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions, to the extent still outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. Such remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to each member of the Company Group, at law and equity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and each other member of the Company Group shall be entitled to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief to prevent or enjoin your breach or threatened breach of this Section and shall be entitled to specifically enforce this Section, without proof of actual damages or the necessity of posting a bond or other security as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief. You agree not to dispute or resist any such application for relief on the basis that the Company or any other member of the Company Group has an adequate remedy at law or that damage arising from such non-performance or breach is not irreparable.
(vi)      Disclosures Pursuant to Law or Legal Process; Permitted Disclosures . Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section entitled “Protection of Confidential Information” of these Terms and Conditions, you may make disclosures for the purpose of complying with any applicable laws or regulatory requirements or that you are legally compelled to make by subpoena, civil investigative demand, order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or similar process, or otherwise by law. Nothing herein will prevent you from: (1) making a good faith report of possible violations of applicable law to any governmental agency or entity; or (2) making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of applicable law. An individual (including you) shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that: (A) is made (1) in confidence to a federal, state or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (2) solely for the purpose of reporting or

3



investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition, an individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer of reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (x) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
(vii)      Survival . For the avoidance of doubt, the terms of this Section entitled “Protection of Confidential Information” shall survive the termination of your employment or engagement with the Company Group, regardless of the reason for such termination.
(b)      CONSEQUENCES OF CERTAIN COMPETITION OR SOLICITATION FOLLOWING QUALIFIED RETIREMENT
(i)      Consequences for Engaging in Certain Activities Following a Qualified Retirement . If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that your rights to: (1) receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs; and (2) retain the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit received by you pursuant to the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Retirement Adjusted RSUs, are expressly conditioned upon your promise that, during the Term, you shall not engage in: (x) any Competitive Activity in the Territory, (y) any Prohibited Customer Solicitation in the Territory, or (z) any Prohibited Employee Solicitation.
(ii)      Disclosure of Business Activities Following a Qualified Retirement . If your employment or engagement with the Company Group ends due to your Qualified Retirement, then you agree that, during the Term, you will: (1) inform the Company in writing of any business activity in which you engage or are materially planning to engage that relates to the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas; and (2) if you are unsure of whether the pursuit of a particular business opportunity would involve engaging in business within the Territory, you will make a written request to the Company to clarify whether the applicable geographic area related to the business opportunity is within the Territory. Any notices or requests under this paragraph (ii) should be directed to the Company’s General Counsel.
(iii)      Right to Cancellation and Recovery . You specifically acknowledge and agree that the Company has granted you the TSR Restricted Stock Units described in the Notice, and as enhanced by the Amendment, to reward you for your future efforts and loyalty to the Company Group, and that the TSR Restricted Stock Units provided to you give you the opportunity to participate in the potential future appreciation of the Company and further align your interests with the long-term interests of the Company Group. Accordingly, in the event that, during the Term, you engage in any of the activities described in parts (x), (y), or

4



(z) of paragraph (i) of this Section entitled “Consequences of Certain Competition or Solicitation Following Qualified Retirement,” then the Company may: (1) refuse to pay or deliver to you any shares of the Common Stock in settlement of any unpaid Retirement Adjusted RSUs that would otherwise be paid or that are scheduled to be paid following the date you engage in such prohibited activity, and such Retirement Adjusted RSUs shall become automatically null and void; and (2) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you continue to own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, either such shares of the Common Stock or an amount equal to the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of such date; and (3) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you no longer own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any Retirement Adjusted RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, an amount equal to either (A) if such shares were disposed of in an open market transaction, the proceeds received from the disposition of such shares or (B) if such shares were disposed of other than in an open market transaction, the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity. If you do not pay any such shares or other amount over to the Company within 20 days of demand, such shares or amount may thereafter bear interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and you may be liable for all of the Company’s costs of collection, including reasonable legal fees.
(iv)      Revision . The parties agree that a court may revise any provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to render the Notice or these Terms and Conditions enforceable to the maximum extent possible.
(c)      DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Section entitled “Prohibited Activity,” the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:
(i)      Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.
(ii)      Company Business ” means the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas within the Territory.
(iii)      Competitive Activity ” means directly or indirectly carrying on or engaging in the Company Business (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group), including

5



by owning an interest in, managing, operating, joining, participating in or otherwise becoming an officer, director, employee, advisor or consultant of, any entity engaged in the Company Business, in a capacity in which you have the same, similar or expanded responsibilities or duties as you had on behalf of any member of the Company Group within the 12 months prior to the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that it shall not be “Competitive Activity” for you to (1) own solely as an investment and when taken together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of your Affiliates, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, provided that neither you nor your Affiliates has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct the management or affairs of any such entity or is involved in the management of such entity, (2) own securities issued by the Company, (3) provide services solely as a non-employee director of any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as long as, in the course of providing such services, you do not use or disclose Confidential Information, or (4) provide services for any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as approved in writing by the Committee.
(iv)      Confidential Information ” means all confidential, proprietary, competitively valuable or non-public information, designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or not, that are or have been conceived, made, developed or acquired by or disclosed to you, individually or in conjunction with others, during the period that you are or have been employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group (whether during business hours or otherwise and whether on Company premises or otherwise) that relate to any member of the Company Group’s businesses or properties, products or services (including all such information relating to drilling programs or wells drilled by the Company Group, reserves data, technical data, including seismic, geological, geophysical and engineering information, prospect or trend data and maps, potential, proposed or completed acquisitions, mergers, or other purchases or sales of oil and gas properties or seismic or other data or technology, financial information, including historical, current, and projected financial results, unless publicly announced, strategic plans or changes in the Company Group’s operations, liquidity, borrowings, security offerings, security repurchases or redemptions, or changes in previously disclosed financial information, computer programs or program code developed by the Company Group, legal matters (including matters relating to litigation), corporate opportunities, operations, future plans, methods of doing business, business plans, strategies for developing business and market share, research, financial and sales data, pricing terms, evaluations, opinions, interpretations, acquisition prospects, the identity of customers or their requirements, the identity of key contacts within customers’ organizations or within the organization of acquisition prospects, non-public lists of employees, employee applications, summaries of employee qualifications, employee compensation, employee matters, customer or marketing and merchandising decisions, techniques and strategies, prospective names and marks). For purposes of these

6



Terms and Conditions, Confidential Information shall not include any information that (1) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of your public use, disclosure, or fault, (2) was available to you on a non-confidential basis before its disclosure to you by the Company Group; or (3) becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a source other than a member of the Company Group, so long as such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.
(v)      Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.
(vi)      Prohibited Customer Solicitation ” means (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group) directly or indirectly, soliciting, causing to be solicited, interfering with any member of the Company Group’s relationship with, or endeavoring to entice away from any member of the Company Group, any Person or Affiliate who was or is a material customer or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, any member of the Company Group and with whom or which you had personal contact, or about whom or which you obtained Confidential Information, during your employment or affiliation with the Company Group.
(vii)      Prohibited Employee Solicitation” means directly or indirectly, individually or through or on behalf of another Person, soliciting, hiring, recruiting, attempting to hire or recruit, contacting with a view to the engagement or employment of, or encouraging or inducing the termination of employment or engagement of, any person who is an officer, employee, consultant, director or contractor of the Company or any other member of the Company Group and with whom you had personal contact or who directly or indirectly reported to you during your employment or engagement with the Company or any other member of the Company Group.
(viii)      Term ” means the period commencing on the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group and ending on the date that is (1) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in a position that would be classified as an “Officer” position type as set forth on the exhibit entitled “Position Type and Duration of Non-Competition & Non-Solicitation Requirements” attached hereto, 24 months after such date, and (2) if, immediately prior to such date, you were providing services to the Company Group in a position that would be classified as a “Non-Officer Employee” position type as set forth on the exhibit entitled “Position Type and Duration of Non-Competition & Non-Solicitation Requirements” attached hereto, 12 months after such date.
(ix)      Territory ” means those geographic areas within any Canadian province or United States county in which any member of the Company Group, as of the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, (1) is engaged in the Company Business; or, (2) is considering engaging in the Company Business (as evidenced

7



by submission of a specific, written proposal to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company during the six-month period ending on the date you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group); and (3) any county contiguous to a county described in clause (1) or (2) of this paragraph (ix).
(x)      Trade Secrets ” means: (1) all information and materials that satisfy the definition of a “trade secret” pursuant to the definitions applied by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act or the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act; or (2) to the extent not addressed by the definitions referenced in clause (1), all Confidential Information and all other non-public information and materials with respect to the conduct or details of the business conducted by any member of the Company Group, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, data, financial or strategic information or plans, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, that (A) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and (B) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.”
6.
The exhibit entitled “Position Type and Duration of Non-Competition & Non-Solicitation Requirements” attached hereto shall be added as a new exhibit to the Agreement.

7.
The section of the Terms and Conditions entitled “Tax Withholding” shall be deleted and the following shall be substituted therefor:

TAX WITHHOLDING .
Share Withholding . The issuance of shares of Common Stock hereunder is subject to the Company’s collection of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company. Unless alternative arrangements are elected by you and permitted by the Committee, in order to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations related to the TSR Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall reduce the number of shares of the Common Stock deliverable hereunder with respect to any Earned RSUs by a number of shares of the Common Stock up to the number of shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of withholding that does not exceed the aggregate amount of such obligations determined based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in your jurisdiction that may be utilized without creating adverse accounting treatment with respect to the TSR Restricted Stock Units. In the event the Company subsequently determines that the aggregate Fair Market Value of any shares of the Common Stock withheld as payment of any tax withholding obligation is insufficient to discharge that tax withholding obligation, then you shall pay to the Company, immediately upon the Company’s request, the amount of that deficiency.
Early Tax Payments . To the extent permitted by Section 409A, payments may be made to you with respect to TSR Restricted Stock Units prior to the applicable scheduled payment dates otherwise provided, on a pro-rata basis in respect of each scheduled payment date, if, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, it would be necessary to pay employment

8



or other taxes imposed upon the TSR Restricted Stock Units prior to the scheduled payment date, including (i) the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax imposed under Sections 3121(a) and 3121(v)(2) of the Code (the “FICA Amount”), and (ii) the income tax at source on wages imposed under Section 3401 of the Code or the corresponding withholding provisions of applicable state, local or foreign tax laws as a result of the payment of the FICA Amount and the additional income tax at source on wages attributable to the pyramiding of Section 3401 of the Code wages and taxes (together with the FICA Amount, the “Taxes”). For purposes of determining the amount of such Taxes, you will be considered to pay federal income taxes at the highest individual rate in effect in the year in which the Taxes will be paid.”
8.
Except as expressly amended hereby, each Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and each Agreement and the TSR Restricted Stock Units granted thereby are specifically ratified and reaffirmed in their entirety.

In signing below, and in accepting this Amendment, you are expressly agreeing to the confidentiality provisions and the forfeiture conditions contained within. You acknowledge and agree that you are making such agreement knowingly and voluntarily after reviewing and considering the Amendment, including Section 5 hereof.
[Signature Page Follows]

9





IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Company has caused the execution of this Amendment by its duly authorized officer, and Awardee has executed this Amendment, all effective as provided herein.

NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

By:      ________________________________
Name:
Title:
ACCEPTED AND AGREED:

______________________________________
[Awardee]
Date:






















SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT TO TOTAL STOCKHOLDER RETURN (TSR)
NOTICE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AND ATTACHED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

10




EXHIBIT
POSITION TYPE AND DURATION OF NON-COMPETITION &
NON-SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS

Position Type
Officer
All officers
Non-Officer Employee
All non-officer employees




11


Exhibit 10.5


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN

NOTICE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD

 
Awardee
Date of Agreement:
___________, 2017
Vesting Dates:
100% Vested at Grant Date
Number of Restricted Stock Units:
________________
Awardee Position Type on Date of Agreement:
[Officer/Non-Officer]
Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), previously granted you Restricted Stock Units on [February 10, 2016, February 11, 2015 or February 12, 2014], pursuant to a Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award and the Terms and Conditions attached thereto, as amended (collectively, the “ Prior Agreements ”), and you and the Company agree that you intend to retire on [] (the “ Retirement Date ”). In connection therewith, the Company is entering into this arrangement with you on the Date of Agreement set forth above, whereby the Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “ Committee ”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) hereby awards to you, the above-named Awardee, a number of fully vested restricted stock units set forth above (the RSUs ), effective as of, and immediately prior to, the Retirement Date (the “ Grant Date ”), on the terms and conditions of the Newfield Exploration Company 2011 Omnibus Stock Plan, as amended and restated May 15, 2015, as amended by the First Amendment dated April 12, 2016, and as may be further amended or restated from time to time (the “ Plan ”), the attached Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), and this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award (the “ Notice ”). By entering into this arrangement, you are receiving the opportunity to receive an award of additional, fully vested RSUs to which you are not otherwise entitled pursuant to the terms of the Prior Agreements. If your employment terminates prior to the Retirement Date, then the grant of RSUs hereunder shall not become effective, and the RSUs shall be null and void.
In signing below, and in accepting this award of RSUs, you are expressly agreeing to the confidentiality provisions contained within Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions and to the forfeiture conditions contained within Sections 3 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions. You acknowledge and agree that you are making such agreement knowingly and voluntarily after reviewing and considering the Terms and Conditions, including Sections 3 and 4 thereof.
The Company shall issue to you, at the time of payment and subject to the other conditions provided in this Notice and the attached Terms and Conditions (including Sections 3 and 4), one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), in exchange for each RSU and thereafter you shall have no further rights with respect to such RSU, and such shares of the Common Stock shall, subject to the provisions of the attached Terms and Conditions, be transferable by you (except to the extent that any proposed transfer would, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company, constitute a violation of applicable federal or state securities law).






Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, shares of the Common Stock shall be transferred at the time(s) specified in this Notice and the Terms and Conditions.
Except as otherwise set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the RSUs may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred, encumbered or disposed of by you (other than by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution). Any such attempted sale, assignment, pledge, exchange, hypothecation, transfer, encumbrance or disposition in violation of this Notice or the Terms and Conditions shall be void and the Company shall not be bound thereby. Any shares of the Common Stock issued to you in exchange for the RSUs may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws. You also agree that (a) the Company may refuse to cause the transfer of any such shares of the Common Stock to be registered on the stock register of the Company if such proposed transfer would in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities law and (b) the Company may give related instructions to the transfer agent, if any, to stop registration of the transfer of such shares of the Common Stock.
Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Plan or the Terms and Conditions.
In accepting the award of the RSUs you accept and agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice and the Terms and Conditions. A copy of the Plan will be furnished to you upon request.







IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Committee has caused this Notice to be duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and Awardee has executed this Notice, all as of the date first above written.
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

By:_____________________________________________         
Name:
Title:

AWARDEE
                        
__________________________________________________________    
[Awardee]
    






NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
2011 OMNIBUS STOCK PLAN

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.
DEFINITIONS. For purposes of these Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:

1.1    “ Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

1.2    “ Company Business ” means the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas within the Territory.

1.3    “ Company Group ” means the Company and, as applicable, its direct and indirect subsidiaries.

1.4    “ Competitive Activity ” means directly or indirectly carrying on or engaging in the Company Business (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group), including by owning an interest in, managing, operating, joining, participating in or otherwise becoming an officer, director, employee, advisor or consultant of, any entity engaged in the Company Business, in a capacity in which you have the same, similar or expanded responsibilities or duties as you had on behalf of any member of the Company Group within the 12 months prior to the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group; provided , however , that it shall not be “Competitive Activity” for you to (i) own solely as an investment and when taken together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of your Affiliates, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, provided that neither you nor your Affiliates has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct the management or affairs of any such entity or is involved in the management of such entity, (ii) own securities issued by the Company, (iii) provide services solely as a non-employee director of any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as long as, in the course of providing such services, you do not use or disclose Confidential Information, or (iv) provide services for any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as approved in writing by the Committee.






1






 
1.5    “ Confidential Information ” means all confidential, proprietary, competitively valuable or non-public information, designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or not, that are or have been conceived, made, developed or acquired by or disclosed to you, individually or in conjunction with others, during the period that you are or have been employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group (whether during business hours or otherwise and whether on Company premises or otherwise) that relate to any member of the Company Group’s businesses or properties, products or services (including all such information relating to drilling programs or wells drilled by the Company Group, reserves data, technical data, including seismic, geological, geophysical and engineering information, prospect or trend data and maps, potential, proposed or completed acquisitions, mergers, or other purchases or sales of oil and gas properties or seismic or other data or technology, financial information, including historical, current, and projected financial results, unless publicly announced, strategic plans or changes in the Company Group’s operations, liquidity, borrowings, security offerings, security repurchases or redemptions, or changes in previously disclosed financial information, computer programs or program code developed by the Company Group, legal matters (including matters relating to litigation), corporate opportunities, operations, future plans, methods of doing business, business plans, strategies for developing business and market share, research, financial and sales data, pricing terms, evaluations, opinions, interpretations, acquisition prospects, the identity of customers or their requirements, the identity of key contacts within customers’ organizations or within the organization of acquisition prospects, non-public lists of employees, employee applications, summaries of employee qualifications, employee compensation, employee matters, customer or marketing and merchandising decisions, techniques and strategies, prospective names and marks). For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, Confidential Information shall not include any information that (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of your public use, disclosure, or fault, (ii) was available to you on a non-confidential basis before its disclosure to you by the Company Group; or (iii) becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a source other than a member of the Company Group, so long as such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.

1.6    “ Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.

1.7    “ Prohibited Customer Solicitation ” means (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group) directly or indirectly, soliciting, causing to be solicited, interfering with any member of the Company Group’s relationship with, or endeavoring to entice away from any member of the Company Group, any Person or Affiliate who was or is a material customer or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, any member of the Company Group and with whom or which you had personal contact, or about whom or which you obtained Confidential Information, during your employment or affiliation with the Company Group.







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1.8    “ Prohibited Employee Solicitation ” means directly or indirectly, individually or through or on behalf of another Person, soliciting, hiring, recruiting, attempting to hire or recruit, contacting with a view to the engagement or employment of, or encouraging or inducing the termination of employment or engagement of, any person who is an officer, employee, consultant, director or contractor of the Company or any other member of the Company Group and with whom you had personal contact or who directly or indirectly reported to you during your employment or engagement with the Company or any other member of the Company Group.

1.9    “ Term ” means the period commencing on the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group and ending on the date that is [24 months after such date] [12 months after such date].

1.10    “ Territory ” means those geographic areas within any Canadian province or United States county in which any member of the Company Group, as of the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, (i) is engaged in the Company Business; or, (ii) is considering engaging in the Company Business (as evidenced by submission of a specific, written proposal to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company during the six-month period ending on the date you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group); and (iii) any county contiguous to a county described in clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 1.10.
  
1.11     “ Trade Secrets ” means: (i) all information and materials that satisfy the definition of a “trade secret” pursuant to the definitions applied by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act or the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act; or (ii) to the extent not addressed by the definitions referenced in clause (i), all Confidential Information and all other non-public information and materials with respect to the conduct or details of the business conducted by any member of the Company Group, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, data, financial or strategic information or plans, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, that (a) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and (b) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

2.
PAYMENT OF RSUS. Payment in respect of RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days following:

[If 4 vesting dates remain:]
Payment Dates:
RSUs Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
25% of RSUs
 
[Vesting Date 2]
25% of RSUs
 
[Vesting Date 3]
25% of RSUs
 
[Vesting Date 4]
25% of RSUs







3





[If 3 vesting dates remain:]
Payment Dates:
RSUs Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
1/3 of RSUs
 
[Vesting Date 2]
1/3 of RSUs
 
[Vesting Date 3]
1/3 of RSUs

[If 2 vesting dates remain:]
Payment Dates:
RSUs Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
50% of RSUs
 
[Vesting Date 2]
50% of RSUs

[If 1 vesting date remains:]
Payment Date:
RSUs Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
100% of RSUs

As provided in the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Award to which these Terms and Conditions are attached (the “ Notice ”), payment in settlement of RSUs shall be made in the form of one share of the Common Stock in exchange for each RSU, subject to compliance with the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions, as applicable, and satisfaction of applicable withholding and other taxes as provided in Section 5. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary (but subject to the terms of Sections 3 and 4 below), (i) if you die following the Grant Date and before receiving all payments in respect of the RSUs, then all remaining payments in respect of the RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death, or (ii) if a Change of Control of the Company that qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A, occurs following the Grant Date and before you have received all payments in respect of the RSUs, then all remaining payments in respect of the RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of such Change of Control, in each case, without regard to the remaining Payment Dates scheduled to occur following the date of your death or of such Change of Control, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, payment(s) in respect of the RSUs and your right to retain the shares of the Common Stock received in settlement thereof (or any proceeds related to any sale thereof) are subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions.
3.
PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

3.1     Access to Information . In the course of your employment or engagement with the Company Group and in the performance of your duties on behalf of the Company Group, you have been provided with, and you will continue to be provided with, and have access to, Confidential Information.

3.2     Nondisclosure . You agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Trade Secrets both prior to and after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company



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Group. Except as expressly permitted by this Section 3, you will not disclose, divulge or furnish to any other Person or use for your own or any other Person’s benefit any Trade Secrets, other than as necessary and authorized in the course of your employment or engagement with any member of the Company Group and for the Company Group’s business purposes.

3.3     Security . You shall follow all Company Group policies and protocols regarding the physical security of all documents and other material constituting or containing Trade Secrets (regardless of the medium on which any Trade Secret is stored).

3.4     Return of Property . Upon the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, and at any other time upon request of the Company, you shall promptly surrender, and deliver to the Company all documents, files (including electronically stored information) and all copies thereof and all other materials of any nature containing or pertaining to all Trade Secrets in your possession, custody and control and you shall not retain any such documents or other materials. Within 10 days of any such request, you shall certify to the Company in writing that you have returned to the Company all such documents and materials.

3.5     Consequences of Breach . Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice, if it is determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion that you have violated any of the terms of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, whether before or after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, then your right to receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions, to the extent still outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. Such remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to each member of the Company Group, at law and equity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and each other member of the Company Group shall be entitled to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief to prevent or enjoin your breach or threatened breach of this Section 3 and shall be entitled to specifically enforce this Section 3, without proof of actual damages or the necessity of posting a bond or other security as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief. You agree not to dispute or resist any such application for relief on the basis that the Company or any other member of the Company Group has an adequate remedy at law or that damage arising from such non-performance or breach is not irreparable.

3.6     Disclosures Pursuant to Law or Legal Process; Permitted Disclosures. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, you may make disclosures for the purpose of complying with any applicable laws or regulatory requirements or that you are legally compelled to make by subpoena, civil investigative demand, order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or similar process, or otherwise by law. Nothing herein will prevent you from: (i) making a good faith report of possible violations of applicable law to any governmental agency or entity; or (ii) making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of applicable law. An individual (including you) shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that: (A) is made (1) in confidence to a federal, state or






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local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (2) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition, an individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer of reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (X) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (Y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.

3.7     Survival. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms of this Section 3 shall survive the termination of your employment or engagement with the Company Group, regardless of the reason for such termination.

4.
CONSEQUENCES OF CERTAIN COMPETITION AND SOLICITATION FOLLOWING QUALIFIED RETIREMENT

4.1     Consequences for Engaging in Certain Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. You agree that your rights to: (i) receive the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the RSUs; and (ii) retain the shares of the Common Stock or any other payment or benefit received by you pursuant to the Notice or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the RSUs, are expressly conditioned upon your promise that, during the Term, you shall not engage in: (x) any Competitive Activity in the Territory, (y) any Prohibited Customer Solicitation in the Territory, or (z) any Prohibited Employee Solicitation.

4.2     Disclosure of Business Activities. You agree that, during the Term, you will: (a) inform the Company in writing of any business activity in which you engage or are materially planning to engage that relates to the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas; and (b) if you are unsure of whether the pursuit of a particular business opportunity would involve engaging in business within the Territory, you will make a written request to the Company to clarify whether the applicable geographic area related to the business opportunity is within the Territory. Any notices or requests under this Section 4.2 should be directed to the Company’s General Counsel.

4.3     Right to Cancellation and Recovery . You specifically acknowledge and agree that the Company has granted you the RSUs described in the Notice to reward you for your future efforts and loyalty to the Company Group, and that the RSUs provided to you give you the opportunity to participate in the potential future appreciation of the Company and further align your interests with the long-term interests of the Company Group. Accordingly, in the event that, during the Term, you engage in any of the activities described in parts (x), (y), or (z) of Section 4.1, then the Company may: (i) refuse to pay or deliver to you any shares of the Common Stock in settlement of any unpaid RSUs that would otherwise be paid on or in connection with a remaining payment date specified herein that is scheduled to occur following the date you engage in such prohibited activity, and such






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RSUs shall become automatically null and void; and (ii) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you continue to own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, either such shares of the Common Stock or an amount equal to the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of such date; and (iii) if, as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity, you no longer own any such shares of the Common Stock previously received in settlement of any RSUs, recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, an amount equal to either (A) if such shares were disposed of in an open market transaction, the proceeds received from the disposition of such shares or (B) if such shares were disposed of other than in an open market transaction, the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of the Common Stock as of the date you engage in such prohibited activity. If you do not pay any such shares or other amount over to the Company within 20 days of demand, such shares or amount may thereafter bear interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and you may be liable for all of the Company’s costs of collection, including reasonable legal fees.

5.
TAX WITHHOLDING .

5.1     Share Withholding . The issuance of shares of Common Stock under Section 2 above is subject to the Company’s collection of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company. Unless alternative arrangements are elected by you and permitted by the Committee, in order to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations related to the RSUs, the Company shall reduce the number of shares of the Common Stock deliverable hereunder with respect to the RSUs by a number of shares of the Common Stock up to the number of shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of withholding that does not exceed the aggregate amount of such obligations determined based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in your jurisdiction that may be utilized without creating adverse accounting treatment with respect to the RSUs. In the event the Company subsequently determines that the aggregate Fair Market Value of any shares of the Common Stock withheld as payment of any tax withholding obligation is insufficient to discharge that tax withholding obligation, then you shall pay to the Company, immediately upon the Company’s request, the amount of that deficiency.

5.2     Early Tax Payments . To the extent permitted by Section 409A, payments may be made to you with respect to RSUs prior to the applicable scheduled payment dates provided in Section 2, on a pro-rata basis in respect of each scheduled payment date, if, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, it would be necessary to pay employment or other taxes imposed upon the RSUs prior to the scheduled payment date, including (i) the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax imposed under Sections 3121(a) and 3121(v)(2) of the Code (the “ FICA Amount ”), and (ii) the income tax at source on wages imposed under Section 3401 of the Code or the corresponding withholding provisions of applicable state, local or foreign tax laws as a result of the payment of the FICA Amount and the additional income tax at source on wages attributable to the pyramiding of Section 3401 of the Code wages and taxes (together with the FICA Amount, the “ Taxes ”). For purposes of determining the amount of such Taxes, you will be considered to pay federal income taxes at the highest individual rate in effect in the year in which the Taxes will be paid.






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6.
NON-TRANSFERABILITY. None of the RSUs, the Notice, or these Terms and Conditions is transferable by you other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

7.
CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REORGANIZATIONS. The existence of the RSUs shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in its capital structure or its business, engage in any merger or consolidation, issue any debt or equity securities, dissolve or liquidate, or sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its assets or business, or engage in any other corporate act or proceeding.

8.
RSUs DO NOT AWARD ANY RIGHTS OF A STOCKHOLDER . You shall not have the voting rights or any of the other rights, powers or privileges of a holder of the Common Stock with respect to the RSUs that are awarded hereby. Only after a share of the Common Stock is issued in exchange for a RSU will you have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to such share of the Common Stock issued in exchange for a RSU.

9.
NO ADVICE REGARDING RSUs. You acknowledge and agree that (a) you are not relying upon any written or oral statement or representation of or from any member of the Company Group, or any member of the Company Group’s respective employees, directors, officers, fiduciaries, trustees, attorneys or agents (collectively, the “ Company Parties ”) regarding the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding and the settlement of the RSUs, and (b) in deciding to accept the RSUs, you are relying on your own judgment and the judgment of the professionals of your choice with whom you have consulted. You hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Company Parties from all actions, causes of actions, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, on account of, arising out of, or in any way related to the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding and the settlement of the RSUs.

10.
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. Records of the Company or other members of the Company Group regarding your period of service, separation from service and the reason(s) therefor, and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company to be incorrect.

11.
FURNISH INFORMATION . You agree to furnish to the Company all information requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed upon the Company or any other member of the Company Group by or under any applicable statute or regulation.

12.
NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT . The Notice and these Terms and Conditions are not an employment agreement, and no provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions shall be construed or interpreted to create an employment or other service relationship between you and any member of the Company Group or guarantee the right to remain employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group for any specified term.





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13.
SECURITIES ACT LEGEND. If you are an officer or affiliate of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), you consent to the placing on any certificate for the shares of the Common Stock issued under the Notice an appropriate legend restricting resale or other transfer of such shares except in accordance with the Securities Act and all applicable rules thereunder.

14.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY . Under no circumstances will any member of the Company Group or any other Company Party be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost profits) of any form incurred by any Person, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the form of the act in which such a claim may be brought, with respect to the Plan. No member of the Company Group and no member of the Board shall be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Notice, the Terms and Conditions or the RSUs granted thereunder.

15.
EXECUTION OF RECEIPTS AND RELEASES . Any payment of cash or any issuance or transfer of shares of the Common Stock or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment or issuance to execute a release of claims and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.

16.
FUNDING. You shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any assets of the Company or any investments that the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Notice and the Terms and Conditions. Your right to receive payments under the Notice and the Terms and Conditions shall be no greater than the rights of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

17.
NO GUARANTEE OF INTERESTS . The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock of the Company from loss or depreciation.

18.
SUCCESSORS . These Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives, heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.

19.
SEVERABILITY . If any provision (or part thereof) of these Terms and Conditions or the Notice is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions (or parts thereof) hereof, but such provision (or part thereof) shall be fully severable and these Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision (or part thereof) had never been included. The parties agree to cooperate in any revision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions that may be necessary to meet the requirements of the law. The parties further agree that a court may revise any provision of the Notice or these Terms and Conditions to render the Notice or these Terms and Conditions enforceable to the maximum extent possible.






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20.
GOVERNING LAW . All questions arising with respect to the provisions of these Terms and Conditions and the Notice shall be determined by application of the laws of Delaware, without giving any effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware state law is preempted by federal law. The Company is incorporated in Delaware and Delaware has a substantial relationship to the Company and the issuance of the award provided pursuant to the Notice and these Terms and Conditions. There is a reasonable basis for this choice of Delaware law, as Delaware law is well known to the Company and well-developed with respect to the subject matters of the Notice and these Terms and Conditions. Further, the designation of Delaware law and the interpretation and application of these Terms and Conditions and the Notice consistent with principles of Delaware law assures uniformity, certainty, and predictability in the application of the Plan through which the RSUs are granted. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver the Common Stock is subject to applicable laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Common Stock.
 
21.
CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE . You hereby consent and agree that the state courts located in Montgomery County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper and exclusive venue with respect to any dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the RSUs, these Terms and Conditions, or the Notice. In any dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive, any objection or defense to such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.
   
22.
AMENDMENT . Except as provided in Section 19, these Terms and Conditions and the Notice may be amended or waived by the Committee in writing at any time (including for the avoidance of doubt, any provisions of Section 3 or 4 or any related definitions); provided , that no such amendment shall adversely affect the RSUs in any material way, without your written consent.

23.
MISCELLANEOUS . The Notice is awarded pursuant to and is subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan (including any amendments thereto) and these Terms and Conditions. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and Conditions, the Plan and the Notice, the Plan provisions will control. The term “ you ” and “ your ” refer to the Awardee named in the Notice. Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan or the Notice.

24.
INTERPRETATION. Titles and headings to Sections hereof are for the purpose of reference only and shall in no way limit, define or otherwise affect the provisions hereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references herein to an agreement, instrument or other document shall be deemed to refer to such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented, modified and restated from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof. The word “or” as






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used herein is not exclusive and is deemed to have the meaning “and/or.” The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and other compounds of the word “here” shall refer to the entire Notice, Plan and Terms and Conditions and not to any particular provision hereof. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter.







































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Exhibit 10.6


NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

 
Awardee
Date of Agreement:
___________, 2017
Vesting Dates:
100% Vested at Grant Date
Number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units:
________________
Awardee Position Type on Date of Agreement:
[Officer/Non-Officer]
Newfield Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), previously granted you Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units on [February 10, 2016, February 11, 2015 or February 12, 2014] pursuant to a Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and the Terms and Conditions attached thereto, as amended (collectively, the “ Prior Agreements ”), and you and the Company agree that you intend to retire on [] (the “ Retirement Date ”). In connection therewith, the Company is entering into this arrangement with you on the Date of Agreement set forth above, whereby the Compensation & Management Development Committee (the “ Committee ”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) hereby awards to you, the above-named Awardee, a number of fully vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units set forth above (the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units ), effective as of, and immediately prior to, the Retirement Date (the “ Grant Date ”), on the terms and conditions of the attached Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), and this Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “ Agreement ”). By entering into this arrangement, you are receiving the opportunity to receive an award of additional, fully-vested Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units to which you are not otherwise entitled pursuant to the terms of the Prior Agreements. If your employment terminates prior to the Retirement Date, then the grant of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units hereunder shall not become effective, and the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be null and void.
In signing below, and in accepting this award of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, you are expressly agreeing to the confidentiality provisions contained within Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions and to the forfeiture conditions contained within Sections 3 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions. You acknowledge and agree that you are making such agreement knowingly and voluntarily after reviewing and considering the Terms and Conditions, including Sections 3 and 4 thereof.
A Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit is a right to receive a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), on the applicable Payment Date.
The Company shall pay to you, at the time of payment and subject to the other conditions provided in this Agreement and the attached Terms and Conditions (including Sections 3 and 4), an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of the Common Stock on the applicable Payment Date in exchange





for each such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit and thereafter you shall have no further rights with respect to such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit.
Except as otherwise set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred, encumbered or disposed of by you (other than by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution). Any such attempted sale, assignment, pledge, exchange, hypothecation, transfer, encumbrance or disposition in violation of this Agreement or the Terms and Conditions shall be void and the Company shall not be bound thereby.
If during the period in which you hold the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, the Company pays a dividend in shares of the Common Stock with respect to the outstanding shares of the Common Stock, then the Company will increase the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that have not then been previously exchanged by the Company for the payment described above by an amount equal to the product of (a) the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that have not been forfeited to or exchanged by the Company and (b) the number of shares of the Common Stock paid by the Company per share of the Common Stock (collectively, the “ Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Units ”). Each Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Unit will be subject to same restrictions, limitations and conditions applicable to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit for which such Stock Dividend Restricted Stock Unit was awarded and will be exchanged for the payment described above at the same time and on the same basis as such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit.
Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Terms and Conditions.
In accepting the award of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units you accept and agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Terms and Conditions.






IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Committee has caused this Agreement to be duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and Awardee has executed this Agreement, all as of the date first above written.
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

By:_____________________________________________     
Name:
Title:

AWARDEE
                        
_________________________________________________________        
[Awardee]
    






NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.    DEFINITIONS. For purposes of these Terms and Conditions (the “ Terms and Conditions ”), the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:

1.1    “ Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person and, if such specified Person is a natural person, the immediate family members of such specified Person. “Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, as general partner or manager, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

1.2    “ Change of Control ” means the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the Company is not the surviving Person in any merger, consolidation or other reorganization (or survives only as a subsidiary of another Person), (ii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with another Person and as a result of such merger or consolidation less than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving or resulting corporation will be issued in respect of the capital stock of the Company, (iii) the Company sells, leases or exchanges all or substantially all of its assets to any other Person, (iv) the Company is to be dissolved and liquidated, (v) any Person, including a “group” as contemplated by Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, acquires or gains ownership or control (including the power to vote) of more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding shares of the Company’s voting stock (based upon voting power) or (vi) as a result of or in connection with a contested election of directors, the individuals who were directors of the Company before such election cease to constitute a majority of the Board. The definition of “Change of Control” shall be limited to the extent necessary to comply with the definition of “change in the ownership or effective control” of the corporation, or “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the corporation, within the meaning of section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the final Department of Treasury Regulations issued thereunder (“ Section 409A ”).

1.3    “ Company Business ” means the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas within the Territory.

1.4    “ Company Group ” means the Company and, as applicable, its direct and indirect subsidiaries.






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1.5    “ Competitive Activity ” means directly or indirectly carrying on or engaging in the Company Business (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group), including by owning an interest in, managing, operating, joining, participating in or otherwise becoming an officer, director, employee, advisor or consultant of, any entity engaged in the Company Business, in a capacity in which you have the same, similar or expanded responsibilities or duties as you had on behalf of any member of the Company Group within the 12 months prior to the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group; provided , however , that it shall not be “Competitive Activity” for you to (i) own solely as an investment and when taken together with the ownership, directly or indirectly, of all of your Affiliates, up to 5% of any class of securities of any Person if such securities are listed on any national securities exchange or traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, provided that neither you nor your Affiliates has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct the management or affairs of any such entity or is involved in the management of such entity, (ii) own securities issued by the Company, (iii) provide services solely as a non-employee director of any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as long as, in the course of providing such services, you do not use or disclose Confidential Information, or (iv) provide services for any entity or organization (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an entity engaged in the Company Business) as approved in writing by the Committee.
  
1.6    “ Confidential Information ” means all confidential, proprietary, competitively valuable or non-public information, designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or not, that are or have been conceived, made, developed or acquired by or disclosed to you, individually or in conjunction with others, during the period that you are or have been employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group (whether during business hours or otherwise and whether on Company premises or otherwise) that relate to any member of the Company Group’s businesses or properties, products or services (including all such information relating to drilling programs or wells drilled by the Company Group, reserves data, technical data, including seismic, geological, geophysical and engineering information, prospect or trend data and maps, potential, proposed or completed acquisitions, mergers, or other purchases or sales of oil and gas properties or seismic or other data or technology, financial information, including historical, current, and projected financial results, unless publicly announced, strategic plans or changes in the Company Group’s operations, liquidity, borrowings, security offerings, security repurchases or redemptions, or changes in previously disclosed financial information, computer programs or program code developed by the Company Group, legal matters (including matters relating to litigation), corporate opportunities, operations, future plans, methods of doing business, business plans, strategies for developing business and market share, research, financial and sales data, pricing terms, evaluations, opinions, interpretations, acquisition prospects, the identity of customers or their requirements, the identity of key contacts within customers’ organizations or within the organization of acquisition prospects, non-public lists of employees, employee applications, summaries of employee qualifications, employee compensation, employee matters, customer or marketing and merchandising decisions, techniques and strategies, prospective names and marks). For purposes of






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these Terms and Conditions, Confidential Information shall not include any information that (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of your public use, disclosure, or fault, (ii) was available to you on a non-confidential basis before its disclosure to you by the Company Group; or (iii) becomes available to you on a non-confidential basis from a source other than a member of the Company Group, so long as such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement or otherwise prohibited from transmitting the information by a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.

1.7    “ Fair Market Value ” means, as of any specified date, if the Common Stock is traded on a national stock exchange, (i) the mean of the high and low sales prices of the Common Stock reported on the stock exchange composite tape on that date (or such other reporting service approved by the Committee); or (ii) if no prices are reported on that date, on the last preceding date on which such prices of the Common Stock were so reported. If the Common Stock is traded over the counter at the time a determination of its Fair Market Value is required to be made hereunder, its Fair Market Value shall be deemed to be equal to the average between (A) the reported high and low price or (B) the closing bid and asked prices, as applicable, of Common Stock on the most recent date on which Common Stock was publicly traded. If the Common Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its Fair Market Value is required to be made hereunder, the determination of its Fair Market Value shall be made by the Committee in such manner as it deems appropriate, which method or manner shall comply with the requirements of a reasonable valuation method as described under Section 409A.

1.8    “ Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.

1.9    “ Prohibited Customer Solicitation ” means (other than on behalf of any member of the Company Group) directly or indirectly, soliciting, causing to be solicited, interfering with any member of the Company Group’s relationship with, or endeavoring to entice away from any member of the Company Group, any Person or Affiliate who was or is a material customer or material supplier of, or who has maintained a material business relationship with, any member of the Company Group and with whom or which you had personal contact, or about whom or which you obtained Confidential Information, during your employment or affiliation with the Company Group.

1.10    “ Prohibited Employee Solicitation ” means directly or indirectly, individually or through or on behalf of another Person, soliciting, hiring, recruiting, attempting to hire or recruit, contacting with a view to the engagement or employment of, or encouraging or inducing the termination of employment or engagement of, any person who is an officer, employee, consultant, director or contractor of the Company or any other member of the Company Group and with whom you had personal contact or who directly or indirectly reported to you during your employment or engagement with the Company or any other member of the Company Group.









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1.11    “ Term ” means the period commencing on the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group and ending on the date that is [24 months after such date] [12 months after such date].

1.12    “ Territory ” means those geographic areas within any Canadian province or United States county in which any member of the Company Group, as of the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, (i) is engaged in the Company Business; or, (ii) is considering engaging in the Company Business (as evidenced by submission of a specific, written proposal to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company during the six-month period ending on the date you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group); and (iii) any county contiguous to a county described in clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 1.12.

1.13    “ Trade Secrets ” means: (i) all information and materials that satisfy the definition of a “trade secret” pursuant to the definitions applied by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act or the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act; or (ii) to the extent not addressed by the definitions referenced in clause (i), all Confidential Information and all other non-public information and materials with respect to the conduct or details of the business conducted by any member of the Company Group, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, data, financial or strategic information or plans, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, that (a) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and (b) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

2.
PAYMENT OF CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. Payment in respect of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days following:

[If 4 vesting dates remain:]
Payment Dates:
Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
25% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
[Vesting Date 2]
25% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
[Vesting Date 3]
25% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
[Vesting Date 4]
25% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units

[If 3 vesting dates remain:]
Payment Dates:
Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
1/3 of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
[Vesting Date 2]
1/3 of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
[Vesting Date 3]
1/3 of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units

[If 2 vesting dates remain:]
Payment Dates:
Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
50% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units
 
[Vesting Date 2]
50% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units



4






[If 1 vesting date remains:]
Payment Date:
Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units Payable:
 
[Vesting Date 1]
100% of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units

As provided in the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement to which these Terms and Conditions are attached (the “ Agreement ”), payment in settlement of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made in the form of cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of the Common Stock on the applicable Payment Date, subject to compliance with the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions, as applicable, and satisfaction of applicable withholding and other taxes as provided in Section 5. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to the contrary (but subject to the terms of Sections 3 and 4 below), (i) if you die following the Grant Date and before receiving all payments in respect of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, then all remaining payments in respect of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of your death, or (ii) if a Change of Control of the Company that qualifies as a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, within the meaning of Section 409A, occurs following the Grant Date and before you have received all payments in respect of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, then all remaining payments in respect of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be made as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) following the date of such Change of Control, in each case, without regard to the remaining Payment Dates scheduled to occur following the date of your death or of such Change of Control, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, cash payment(s) in respect of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units and your right to retain the cash payments received in settlement thereof are subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of these Terms and Conditions.
3.
PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

3.1     Access to Information . In the course of your employment or engagement with the Company Group and in the performance of your duties on behalf of the Company Group, you have been provided with, and you will continue to be provided with, and have access to, Confidential Information.

3.2     Nondisclosure . You agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Trade Secrets both prior to and after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group. Except as expressly permitted by this Section 3, you will not disclose, divulge or furnish to any other Person or use for your own or any other Person’s benefit any Trade Secrets, other than as necessary and authorized in the course of your employment or engagement with any member of the Company Group and for the Company Group’s business purposes.








5







3.3     Security . You shall follow all Company Group policies and protocols regarding the physical security of all documents and other material constituting or containing Trade Secrets (regardless of the medium on which any Trade Secret is stored).

3.4     Return of Property . Upon the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, and at any other time upon request of the Company, you shall promptly surrender, and deliver to the Company all documents, files (including electronically stored information) and all copies thereof and all other materials of any nature containing or pertaining to all Trade Secrets in your possession, custody and control and you shall not retain any such documents or other materials. Within 10 days of any such request, you shall certify to the Company in writing that you have returned to the Company all such documents and materials.

3.5     Consequences of Breach . Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions or the Agreement, if it is determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion that you have violated any of the terms of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, whether before or after the date that you are no longer employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group, then your right to receive any cash payments in respect of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions, to the extent still outstanding at that time, shall be completely forfeited. Such remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to each member of the Company Group, at law and equity. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and each other member of the Company Group shall be entitled to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief to prevent or enjoin your breach or threatened breach of this Section 3 and shall be entitled to specifically enforce this Section 3, without proof of actual damages or the necessity of posting a bond or other security as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief. You agree not to dispute or resist any such application for relief on the basis that the Company or any other member of the Company Group has an adequate remedy at law or that damage arising from such non-performance or breach is not irreparable.

3.6     Disclosures Pursuant to Law or Legal Process; Permitted Disclosures. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions, you may make disclosures for the purpose of complying with any applicable laws or regulatory requirements or that you are legally compelled to make by subpoena, civil investigative demand, order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or similar process, or otherwise by law. Nothing herein will prevent you from: (i) making a good faith report of possible violations of applicable law to any governmental agency or entity; or (ii) making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of applicable law. An individual (including you) shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that: (A) is made (1) in confidence to a federal, state or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (2) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. In addition, an individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer of reporting a suspected violation of law





6





may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (X) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (Y) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.

3.7     Survival. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms of this Section 3 shall survive the termination of your employment or engagement with the Company Group, regardless of the reason for such termination.

4.
CONSEQUENCES OF CERTAIN COMPETITION AND SOLICITATION FOLLOWING QUALIFIED RETIREMENT

4.1     Consequences for Engaging in Certain Activities Following a Qualified Retirement. You agree that your rights to: (i) receive any cash payments or any other payment or benefit provided to you under the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units; and (ii) retain the cash payments or any other payment or benefit received by you pursuant to the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions with respect to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, are expressly conditioned upon your promise that, during the Term, you shall not engage in: (x) any Competitive Activity in the Territory, (y) any Prohibited Customer Solicitation in the Territory, or (z) any Prohibited Employee Solicitation.

4.2     Disclosure of Business Activities. You agree that, during the Term, you will: (a) inform the Company in writing of any business activity in which you engage or are materially planning to engage that relates to the acquisition or development of, or exploration for, crude oil or natural gas or any rights in, or with respect to, crude oil or natural gas; and (b) if you are unsure of whether the pursuit of a particular business opportunity would involve engaging in business within the Territory, you will make a written request to the Company to clarify whether the applicable geographic area related to the business opportunity is within the Territory. Any notices or requests under this Section 4.2 should be directed to the Company’s General Counsel.

4.3     Right to Cancellation and Recovery . You specifically acknowledge and agree that the Company has granted you the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units described in the Agreement to reward you for your future efforts and loyalty to the Company Group, and that the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units provided to you give you the opportunity to participate in the potential future appreciation of the Company and further align your interests with the long-term interests of the Company Group. Accordingly, in the event that, during the Term, you engage in any of the activities described in parts (x), (y), or (z) of Section 4.1, then the Company may: (i) refuse to pay or deliver any cash payments in respect of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that would otherwise be paid on or in connection with a remaining Payment Date specified herein that is scheduled to occur following the date you engage in such prohibited activity, and such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall become automatically null and void; and (ii) recover from you, and you shall pay to the Company, an amount equal to the aggregate cash payments previously received by you in settlement of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units. If you do not pay any such amount over to the Company






7





within 20 days of demand, such amount may thereafter bear interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and you may be liable for all of the Company’s costs of collection, including reasonable legal fees.

5.
TAX WITHHOLDING .

5.1     Withholding . Payments in settlement of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units under Section 2 above are subject to the Company’s collection of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company. Unless alternative arrangements are elected by you and permitted by the Committee, in order to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations related to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall withhold from any amounts payable to you in settlement of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units hereunder or from any cash or stock remuneration or other payment then or thereafter payable to you any tax required to be withheld by reason of such taxable income, wages or compensation including shares of Common Stock sufficient to satisfy the withholding obligation.

5.2     Early Tax Payments . To the extent permitted by Section 409A, payments may be made to you with respect to Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units prior to the applicable scheduled Payment Dates provided in Section 2, on a pro-rata basis in respect of each scheduled Payment Date, if, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, it would be necessary to pay employment or other taxes imposed upon the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units prior to the scheduled Payment Date, including (i) the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax imposed under Sections 3121(a) and 3121(v)(2) of the Code (the “ FICA Amount ”), and (ii) the income tax at source on wages imposed under Section 3401 of the Code or the corresponding withholding provisions of applicable state, local or foreign tax laws as a result of the payment of the FICA Amount and the additional income tax at source on wages attributable to the pyramiding of Section 3401 of the Code wages and taxes (together with the FICA Amount, the “ Taxes ”). For purposes of determining the amount of such Taxes, you will be considered to pay federal income taxes at the highest individual rate in effect in the year in which the Taxes will be paid.

6.
NON-TRANSFERABILITY. None of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, the Agreement, or these Terms and Conditions is transferable by you other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. The community interest, if any, of any spouse of Awardee in any of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to all of the terms, conditions and restrictions of the Agreement and the Terms and Conditions, and shall be forfeited and surrendered to the Company upon the occurrence of any of the events requiring Awardee’s interest in such Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units to be so forfeited and surrendered pursuant to the Agreement or the Terms and Conditions.

7.
CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REORGANIZATIONS.

7.1    The existence of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in its capital structure or its business, engage in any merger or consolidation, issue any debt or equity securities, dissolve or liquidate, or sell, lease, exchange or




8





otherwise dispose of all or any part of its assets or business, or engage in any other corporate act or proceeding.

7.2    If the Company shall effect a subdivision or consolidation of the Common Stock or other capital readjustment or other increase or reduction of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding (other than the payment of a stock dividend with respect to the Common Stock), without receiving compensation therefor in money, services or property, then the number of Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units awarded under the Agreement shall be appropriately adjusted in the same manner as if you were the holder of an equivalent number of shares of the Common Stock immediately prior to the event requiring the adjustment.

8.
CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS DO NOT AWARD ANY RIGHTS OF A STOCKHOLDER . You shall not have the voting rights or any of the other rights, powers or privileges of a holder of the Common Stock with respect to the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units that are awarded hereby.
  
9.
NO ADVICE REGARDING CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. You acknowledge and agree that (a) you are not relying upon any written or oral statement or representation of or from any member of the Company Group, or any member of the Company Group’s respective employees, directors, officers, fiduciaries, trustees, attorneys or agents (collectively, the “ Company Parties ”) regarding the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding and the settlement of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, and (b) in deciding to accept the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, you are relying on your own judgment and the judgment of the professionals of your choice with whom you have consulted. You hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Company Parties from all actions, causes of actions, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, on account of, arising out of, or in any way related to the tax effects associated with your receipt and holding and the settlement of the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units.

10.
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP. Records of the Company or other members of the Company Group regarding your period of service, separation from service and the reason(s) therefor, and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company to be incorrect.

11.
FURNISH INFORMATION . You agree to furnish to the Company all information requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed upon the Company or any other member of the Company Group by or under any applicable statute or regulation.

12.
NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT . The Agreement and these Terms and Conditions are not an employment agreement, and no provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions shall be construed or interpreted to create an employment or other service relationship between you







9






and any member of the Company Group or guarantee the right to remain employed or engaged by any member of the Company Group for any specified term.

13.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY . Under no circumstances will any member of the Company Group or any other Company Party be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost profits) of any form incurred by any Person, whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the form of the act in which such a claim may be brought, with respect to the Agreement, these Terms and Conditions and the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units granted thereby. No member of the Company Group and no member of the Board shall be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Agreement, the Terms and Conditions or the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units granted thereunder.

14.
EXECUTION OF RECEIPTS AND RELEASES . Any payment of cash or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment to execute a release of claims and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.

15.
FUNDING. You shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any assets of the Company or any investments that the Company may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Agreement and the Terms and Conditions. Your right to receive payments under the Agreement and the Terms and Conditions shall be no greater than the rights of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

16.
NO GUARANTEE OF INTERESTS . The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock of the Company underlying the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units from loss or depreciation.

17.
SUCCESSORS . These Terms and Conditions and the Agreement shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives, heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.

18.
SEVERABILITY . If any provision (or part thereof) of these Terms and Conditions or the Agreement is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions (or parts thereof) hereof, but such provision (or part thereof) shall be fully severable and these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision (or part thereof) had never been included. The parties agree to cooperate in any revision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions that may be necessary to meet the requirements of the law. The parties further agree that a court may revise any provision of the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions to render the Agreement or these Terms and Conditions enforceable to the maximum extent possible.

19.
GOVERNING LAW . All questions arising with respect to the provisions of these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement shall be determined by application of the laws of Delaware, without





10





giving any effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware state law is preempted by federal law. The Company is incorporated in Delaware and Delaware has a substantial relationship to the Company and the issuance of the award provided pursuant to the Agreement and these Terms and Conditions. There is a reasonable basis for this choice of Delaware law, as Delaware law is well known to the Company and well-developed with respect to the subject matters of the Agreement and these Terms and Conditions. Further, the designation of Delaware law and the interpretation and application of these Terms and Conditions and the Agreement consistent with principles of Delaware law assures uniformity, certainty, and predictability in application.

20.
CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE . You hereby consent and agree that the state courts located in Montgomery County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper and exclusive venue with respect to any dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units, these Terms and Conditions, or the Agreement. In any dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive, any objection or defense to such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.
  
21.
AMENDMENT . Except as provided in Section 18, these Terms and Conditions and the Notice may be amended or waived by the Committee in writing at any time (including for the avoidance of doubt, any provisions of Section 3 or 4 or any related definitions); provided , that no such amendment shall adversely affect the Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units in any material way, without your written consent.

22.
MISCELLANEOUS . The term “ you ” and “ your ” refer to the Awardee named in the Agreement. Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

23.
INTERPRETATION. Titles and headings to Sections hereof are for the purpose of reference only and shall in no way limit, define or otherwise affect the provisions hereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references herein to an agreement, instrument or other document shall be deemed to refer to such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented, modified and restated from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof. The word “or” as used herein is not exclusive and is deemed to have the meaning “and/or.” The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and other compounds of the word “here” shall refer to the entire Agreement and Terms and Conditions and not to any particular provision hereof. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter.







11




Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION OF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
PURSUANT TO 15 U.S.C. SECTION 7241, AS ADOPTED
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Lee K. Boothby, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017 of Newfield Exploration Company (the “Registrant”);
2.
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant and have:
a.
designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b.
designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c.
evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d.
disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s Board of Directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a.
all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b.
any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: May 2, 2017
By:
/s/ LEE K. BOOTHBY
 
 
Lee K. Boothby
 
 
President and Chief Executive Officer
 
 
(Principal Executive Officer)




Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION OF
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
OF NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
PURSUANT TO 15 U.S.C. SECTION 7241, AS ADOPTED
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Lawrence S. Massaro, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017 of Newfield Exploration Company (the “Registrant”);
2.
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant and have:
a.
designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b.
designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c.
evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d.
disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s Board of Directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a.
all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b.
any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: May 2, 2017
By:
/s/ LAWRENCE S. MASSARO
 
 
Lawrence S. Massaro
 
 
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
 
 
(Principal Financial Officer)




Exhibit 32.1




CERTIFICATION OF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED
PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


In connection with the accompanying quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Lee K. Boothby, President and Chief Executive Officer of Newfield Exploration Company (the “Company”), hereby certify, to my knowledge, that:
1.
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
2.
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.


Date: May 2, 2017
  /s/ LEE K. BOOTHBY
 
  Lee K. Boothby
 
    (Principal Executive Officer)




Exhibit 32.2




CERTIFICATION OF
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
OF NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED
PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


In connection with the accompanying quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Lawrence S. Massaro, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Newfield Exploration Company (the “Company”), hereby certify, to my knowledge, that:
1.
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
2.
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: May 2, 2017
/s/ LAWRENCE S. MASSARO
 
Lawrence S. Massaro
 
(Principal Financial Officer)