UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 24, 2009
NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
         
Delaware   001-07964   73-0785597
         
(State or other jurisdiction of   Commission   (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)   File Number   Identification No.)
     
100 Glenborough, Suite 100    
Houston, Texas   77067
     
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (281) 872-3100
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
o   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
 
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 

 


 

Item 8.01. Other Events.
     On February 27, 2009, Noble Energy, Inc. (the “Company”) completed an underwritten public offering of $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 8.25% senior notes due March 1, 2019 (the “Notes”). The Notes are governed by the terms of an Indenture, dated as of February 27, 2009, between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association as trustee (the “Indenture”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 27, 2009. The Notes are unsecured obligations of the Company. Substantially all of the net proceeds from the offering will be used to repay outstanding indebtedness under the Company’s revolving credit facility maturing 2012. The Notes have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR (Reg. No. 333-157406) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by the Company under the Act. The terms of the Notes are further described in the Company’s prospectus supplement dated February 25, 2009, as filed with the SEC under Rule 424(b)(5) of the Act on that date, which description is incorporated herein by reference.
     In connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes, the Company entered into an Underwriting Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2009, with Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.
     A copy of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the First Supplemental Indenture have been filed as Exhibits 1.1, 4.1 and 4.2, respectively, to this report and are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed as part of this report on Form 8-K:
  1.1   Underwriting Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2009, among Noble Energy, Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.
 
  4.1   Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009 between Noble Energy, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee, relating to senior debt securities of Noble Energy, Inc.
 
  4.2   First Supplemental Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009, to Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009 between Noble Energy, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee, relating to senior debt securities of Noble Energy, Inc. (including the form of 2019 Notes).

 


 

SIGNATURE
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
         
  NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
 
 
Date: February 27, 2009  By:   /s/ Arnold J. Johnson    
    Arnold J. Johnson   
    Senior Vice President, General Counsel &    Secretary   

 


 

         
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
     
Exhibit No.   Description
 
   
1.1
  Underwriting Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2009, among Noble Energy, Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.
 
   
4.1
  Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009 between Noble Energy, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee, relating to senior debt securities of Noble Energy, Inc.
 
   
4.2
  First Supplemental Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009, to Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009 between Noble Energy, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee, relating to senior debt securities of Noble Energy, Inc. (including the form of 2019 Notes).

 

Exhibit 1.1
NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
$1,000,000,000 8.250% Notes due 2019
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
February 24, 2009
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
60 Wall Street
New York, New York 10005
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.
745 7 th Avenue
New York, New York 10019
GREENWICH CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.
600 Steamboat Road
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
UBS SECURITIES LLC
677 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, Connecticut 06901
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
     Noble Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“Deutsche Bank”), J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. (“J.P. Morgan”), Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays Capital”), Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. (“Greenwich Capital”) and UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) and each of the other several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”, which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10) for whom Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, Barclays Capital, Greenwich Capital and UBS are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase, severally and not jointly, by the Underwriters of $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 8.250% Notes due 2019 (the “Notes”). The respective principal amounts of the Notes to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule A hereto. The Notes will be issued pursuant to an

 


 

indenture, to be dated as of February 27, 2009 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the First Indenture Supplement, to be dated as of February 27, 2009 (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). Notes issued in book-entry form will be issued to Cede & Co. as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) pursuant to a letter agreement between the Company and DTC.
     As the Representatives, you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A.
     In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
     SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
     (a)  Representations and Warranties by the Company . The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(a)(i)) and as of the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2(b)), and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
     (i) Filing of Registration Statement . An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-157406) in respect of the Notes, including a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), has been prepared and filed by the Company not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, in conformity with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations (the “1933 Act Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements of, and comply with the conditions for the use of, Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. Such registration statement, which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the 1933 Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement” and became effective under the 1933 Act upon filing with the Commission. If the Company has filed a registration statement pursuant to Rules 413(b) and 462(e) under the 1933 Act, then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such registration statement. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the form of prospectus relating to the Notes first filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act and in accordance with Section 3(a). The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by each preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Notes filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, including the documents incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing documents shall

2


 

be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission after the date of filing of the Prospectus under Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes by the Underwriters.
          (ii)  General Disclosure Package and Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus . As of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time, neither (i) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the Preliminary Prospectus filed prior to the first use of such Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein.
     As used in this Agreement:
     “Applicable Time” means 4:00 pm (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.
     “Statutory Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.
     “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act, relating to the Notes in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the 1933 Act.
     “General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule D to this Agreement.
     “Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
     (iii) No Stop Order . The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Notes, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act has been

3


 

instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and will conform to, the requirements of the 1933 Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), and the 1933 Act Regulations.
     (iv) Incorporated Documents . The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied or when so filed will comply, as the case may be, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), and, when read together with the other information in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, did not, does not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were or are made, not misleading. The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and; the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit and will not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were or are made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representation or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein.
     (v) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus . Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Notes, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus not superseded or modified or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference and any Prospectus Supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
     (vi) No Distribution of Other Offering Materials . The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the 1933 Act and consistent with Section 3(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) under the 1933 Act.

4


 

     (vii) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer . (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) under the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act and (D) at the date hereof, the Company is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration form.
     (viii) Ineligible Issuer . (A) At the earliest time after the filing the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the 1933 Act) of the Notes and (B) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause(ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the 1933 Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the 1933 Act with respect to the offering of the Notes as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
     (ix) Independent Accountants . KPMG LLP, who have certified the financial statements and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as part of, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the subsidiaries within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the applicable 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
     (x) Financial Statements . The financial statements, and the related notes thereto, and any supporting schedules of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the statement of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified. Said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein as of the dates indicated and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

5


 

     (xi) No Material Adverse Change in Business . Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as may otherwise be stated therein or contemplated thereby, (1) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (2) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (3) except for regular dividends on the common stock, par value $3.33- 1 / 3 per share, of the Company in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
     (xii) Good Standing of the Company . The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in the State of Texas and in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify and be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
     (xiii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries . Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the 1933 Act Regulations) (each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify and be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or ownership interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The Subsidiaries of the Company are as set forth in Schedule C hereto.

6


 

     (xiv) Capitalization . All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
     (xv) Authorization of Agreement . This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
     (xvi) Qualification and Authorization of the Indenture . The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.
     (xvii) Authorization of the Notes . The Notes have been duly authorized and, at the Closing Time, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture.
     (xviii) Description of the Notes and the Indenture . The Notes and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the respective statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package and will be in substantially the respective forms filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as exhibits to the Registration Statement.
     (xix) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of them or their properties may be bound (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) where the consequences of such violation or default would result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Notes and

7


 

the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and under the Indenture and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and do not and will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary.
     (xx) Absence of Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent which would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
     (xxi) Absence of Proceedings . There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, which (1) could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (2) could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or (3) could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or under the Indenture and the Notes. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
     (xxii) Possession of Intellectual Property . The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable

8


 

decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
     (xxiii) Possession of Licenses and Permits . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any law, ordinance, governmental rule or regulation or court decree to which it may be subject or has failed to obtain any license, permit, franchise or other governmental authorization necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business, which violation or failure would materially adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; and the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess or have obtained all governmental licenses, permits, consents, orders, approvals and other authorizations and have properly filed with the appropriate authorities all notices, applications and other documents necessary to lease or own their respective properties and to carry on their respective businesses as presently conducted, except where the failure to possess such licenses or authorizations or make such filings would not materially adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.
     (xxiv) Title to Property . The Company and its subsidiaries have legal, valid and defensible title to all of their interests in oil and gas properties and to all other real and personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, security interests, claims, liens, encumbrances, restrictions and defects of any kind, except (a) such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) those that do not materially affect or interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties taken as a whole. Any property held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases or subleases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties taken as a whole by the Company and its subsidiaries or except such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice or knowledge of any claim of any sort that has been, or may be, asserted by anyone adverse to the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights as lessee or sublessee under any lease or sublease described above, or affecting or questioning the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease in conflict with the terms thereof except for such claims that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
     (xxv) Environmental Laws . Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land

9


 

surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances or petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
     (xxvi) Oil and Gas Reserve Estimates . The information underlying the estimates of oil and gas reserves as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects. Other than production of the reserves in the ordinary course of business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and intervening product price fluctuations, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the reserves or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Estimates of such reserves and present values comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Industry Guide 2 under the 1933 Act.
     (xxvii) Petroleum Engineers . The petroleum engineers who have consented to being named as having reviewed certain reserve data included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent engineers with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries.
     (xxviii) Investment Company Act . The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
     (xxix) Absence of Manipulation . Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Notes.
     (xxx) Absence of Further Requirements . No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or

10


 

governmental authority or agency is necessary or required in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Notes hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or for the due authorization, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, the Indenture or the Notes by the Company, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under state securities laws.
     (xxxi) Internal Control . The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the 1934 Act) that comply with the requirements of the 1934 Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, 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, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is aware of (A) any material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting or (B) change in internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
     (xxxii) Disclosure Controls . The Company has established and maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the 1934 Act) that complies with the requirements of the 1934 Act; the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the 1934 Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the 1934 Act with respect to such reports.

11


 

     (xxxiii) Sarbanes-Oxley . Solely to the extent that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the New York Stock Exchange thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) is applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
     (b)  Officer’s Certificates . Any certificate signed by any director or officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
     SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .
     (a)  Notes . On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the respective prices set forth in Schedule B, the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional principal amount of Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.
     (b)  Payment . Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Notes shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin llp at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).
     Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against delivery to Deutsche Bank for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Notes to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized Deutsche Bank, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Notes that it has agreed to purchase. Deutsche Bank, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
     (c)  Denominations; Registration . Certificates for the Notes shall be in such denominations ($1,000 or integral multiples thereof) and registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time. The certificates for the Notes will be made available for examination and packaging by the Representatives in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time.

12


 

     SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company . The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
     (a)  Filings . The Company will (A) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) under the 1933 Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the 1933 Act, (B) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or document incorporated by reference therein of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the 1933 Act Regulations and (C) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes by the Underwriters.
     (b)  Issuer Free Writing Prospectus . The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the 1933 Act unless the Representatives approve its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule D hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 163, 164 and 433 under the 1933 Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (iv) not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
     (c)  Final Term Sheet . The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) reflecting the final terms of the Notes, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and shall file such Final Term Sheet as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the 1933 Act prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall provide the Representatives with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
     (d) Amendments and Stop Order . The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (A) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Notes shall have become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (B) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (C) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package

13


 

or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for any additional information, and (D) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
     (e)  Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Ineligibility . If at any time when Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable (if such filing is not otherwise effective immediately pursuant to Rule 462 under the 1933 Act), and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the notice under Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Notes shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.
     (f)  Renewal Deadline Obligations . If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
     (g)  Filing Fees . The Company agrees to pay the required filing fees to the Commission relating to the Notes within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the 1933 Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act.
     (h) Delivery of Prospectus and Registration Statements . The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may

14


 

reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) is required under the 1933 Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as there-after amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Representatives at or before the Closing Time, four signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representatives such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.
     (i)  Compliance with Securities Laws . The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representatives, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the 1934 Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the law.
     (j)  Amendments or Supplements to the General Disclosure Package . If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Notes at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representatives, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the 1934 Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.
     (k) Earnings Statement . The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as

15


 

practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
     (l)  Blue Sky Qualifications . The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Representatives, to qualify the Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for as long as may be required for the distribution of the Notes; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Notes have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for as long as may be required for the distribution of the Notes.
     (m)  Use of Proceeds . The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Notes in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds”.
     (n)  Lock-up Period . During a period of 90 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, directly or indirectly, issue, sell or contract to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any debt securities of the Company.
     SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses .
     (a) The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including:
     (i) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, Statutory Prospectus, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto;
     (ii) the preparation, filing, reproduction and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, the Indenture and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Notes;
     (iii) the preparation, printing, issuance and delivery of the Notes to the Underwriters;
     (iv) the filing fees and expenses (including legal fees and disbursements) incident to securing any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (the “FINRA”) of the terms of the sale of the Notes;
     (v) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s accountants, counsel and other advisors;

16


 

     (vi) the qualification of the Notes under state and foreign securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(l), including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation and delivery of any Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto to the Underwriters;
     (vii) the fees and disbursements of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Notes;
     (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and, with the prior approval of the Company, the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show;
     (ix) any out-of-pocket expenses, excluding any legal expenses of the Underwriters (other than as set forth in subparagraph 4(a)(vi) above) incurred with the approval of the Company;
     (x) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Notes; and
     (xi) the cost of providing any CUSIP or other identification numbers for the Notes and having the Notes eligible for settlement, clearance and trading through the facilities of DTC.
     (b) If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a) or Section 10, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
     SECTION 5. Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters . The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the Notes at the Closing Time are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time or the Closing Time, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
     (a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Filing of Prospectus; Payment of Filing Fee . The Registration Statement has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing information that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to

17


 

be part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B). The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(1)(i) under the 1933 Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).
     (b)  Opinions of Counsel for Company . At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of each of (1) Thompson & Knight, counsel for the Company, and (2) Arnold J. Johnson, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Exhibits A and B, respectively and to such further effect as the Representatives may reasonably request.
     (c)  Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters . At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Sidley Austin LLP , counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives. In giving such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to matters governed by jurisdictions other than the federal law of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
     (d)  Officers’ Certificate . At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer, President or a Vice President of the Company and of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time and (iii) the Company has performed or complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time.
     (e) Accountants’ Comfort Letters . At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial

18


 

statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
     (f)  Bring-down Comfort Letter . At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the respective letters furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time.
     (g)  Maintenance of Rating . At Closing Time, the Notes shall be rated at least Baa2 by Moody’s Investors Service and BBB by Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and the Company shall have delivered to the Representatives a letter dated the Closing Time, from each such entity, or other evidence satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that the Notes have such ratings; and subsequent to the earlier of (i) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred a downgrading in the rating assigned to the Notes or any of the other debt securities or preferred stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, and no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the Notes or any of the other debt securities or preferred stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
     (h)  Additional Documents . At Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained, and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.
     (i)  Termination of Agreement . If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
     SECTION 6. Indemnification .
     (a)  Indemnification of Underwriters . The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each of its officers and directors, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
     (i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the

19


 

omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
     (ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid, in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; and
     (iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
     (b)  Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers . Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
     (c) Actions against Parties; Notification . Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action (including any governmental investigation) commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in

20


 

the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
     SECTION 7. Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
     The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Notes as set forth on such cover.
     The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
     The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation

21


 

which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
     The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
     Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
     No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
     For purposes of this Section 7, each officer and director of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
     SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery . All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Notes.
     SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement .
     (a) Termination; General . The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial

22


 

markets, any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (ii), is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or a national securities exchange, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq Stock Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by either of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (iv) if a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal, New York, Delaware or Texas authorities, or (v) there has been a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States.
     (b)  Liabilities . If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
     SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters . If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time to purchase the Notes that it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Notes”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Notes in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
     (a) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Notes does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder (as set forth in Schedule A) bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
     (b) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Notes exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
     No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
     In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other

23


 

documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a Underwriter under this Section 10.
     SECTION 11. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility . The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that any Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
     SECTION 12. Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, attention of Debt Capital Markets and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 100 Glenborough Drive, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77067, attention of William McKown.
     SECTION 13. Parties . This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Notes from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
     SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
     SECTION 15. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
     SECTION 16. Effect of Headings . The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

24


 

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
         
  Very truly yours,

NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
 
 
  By:   /s/ Chris Tong    
    Name:   Chris Tong   
    Title:   Senior Vice President   
 
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
     as of the date first above written:
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.
GREENWICH CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.
UBS SECURITIES LLC
By:       DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
                 
    By:   /s/ Ben-Zion Smilchensky    
             
 
      Name:   Ben-Zion Smilchensky    
 
      Title:   Managing Director    
 
               
    By:   /s/ Jared Birnbaum    
             
 
      Name:   Jared Birnbaum    
 
      Title:   Director    
 
               
By:       J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
                 
    By:   /s/ Maria Sramek    
             
 
      Name:   Maria Sramek    
 
      Title:   Executive Director    
For themselves and as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto


 

SCHEDULE A
         
    Principal Amount  
Name of Underwriter   of Notes  
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
  $ 143,080,000  
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
    143,080,000  
Barclays Capital Inc.
    143,080,000  
Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc.
    143,080,000  
UBS Securities LLC
    143,080,000  
Banc of America Securities LLC
    35,575,000  
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
    35,575,000  
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
    35,575,000  
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
    35,575,000  
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
    35,575,000  
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International plc.
    35,575,000  
Mizuho Securities USA Inc.
    35,575,000  
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
    35,575,000  
 
     
Total
  $ 1,000,000,000  
 
     

Sch A-1


 

SCHEDULE B
NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
$1,000,000,000 8.250% Notes due 2019
1.   The initial public offering price of the Notes shall be 99.529% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest, if any, from the Closing Time.
2.   The purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters for the Notes shall be 98.879% of the principal amount thereof.
3.   The interest rate on the Notes shall be 8.250% per annum.
4.   The stated maturity date of the Notes is March 1, 2019 and the notes are subject to redemption prior to maturity.

Sch B-1


 

SCHEDULE C
Samedan of North Africa, Inc.
Noble Energy (Europe) Limited

Sch C-1


 

SCHEDULE D
Final Term Sheet relating to the Notes filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the 1933 Act

Sch D-1

Exhibit 4.1
NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
TO
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
INDENTURE
Dated as of February 27, 2009

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page
 
       
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    1  
 
       
SECTION 1.01 Rules of Interpretation; Definitions
    1  
SECTION 1.02 Compliance Certificates and Opinions
    10  
SECTION 1.03 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee
    10  
SECTION 1.04 Acts of Holders
    11  
SECTION 1.05 Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company
    13  
SECTION 1.06 Notice to Holders of Debt Securities; Waiver
    13  
SECTION 1.07 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act
    14  
SECTION 1.08 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents
    14  
SECTION 1.09 Successors and Assigns
    14  
SECTION 1.10 Separability Clause
    14  
SECTION 1.11 Benefits of Indenture
    14  
SECTION 1.12 Governing Law
    14  
SECTION 1.13 Legal Holidays
    15  
 
       
ARTICLE II DEBT SECURITY FORMS
    15  
 
       
SECTION 2.01 Forms Generally
    15  
SECTION 2.02 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication
    15  
SECTION 2.03 Debt Securities Issuable in the Form of a Global Security
    16  
 
       
ARTICLE III THE DEBT SECURITIES
    18  
 
       
SECTION 3.01 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series
    18  
SECTION 3.02 Denominations
    22  
SECTION 3.03 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating
    22  
SECTION 3.04 Temporary Debt Securities
    24  
SECTION 3.05 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange
    25  
SECTION 3.06 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Debt Securities
    26  
SECTION 3.07 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved
    27  
SECTION 3.08 Persons Deemed Owners
    28  
SECTION 3.09 Cancellation by Debt Security Registrar
    28  
SECTION 3.10 Computation of Interest
    29  
SECTION 3.11 Payment to be in Proper Currency
    29  

i


 

         
    Page
 
       
SECTION 3.12 CUSIP Numbers
    29  
 
       
ARTICLE IV REDEMPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
    29  
 
       
SECTION 4.01 Applicability of Article
    29  
SECTION 4.02 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee
    30  
SECTION 4.03 Selection of Debt Securities to be Redeemed
    30  
SECTION 4.04 Notice of Redemption
    31  
SECTION 4.05 Debt Securities Payable on Redemption Date
    31  
SECTION 4.06 Debt Securities Redeemed in Part
    32  
SECTION 4.07 Purchase of Debt Securities
    32  
 
       
ARTICLE V SINKING FUNDS
    32  
 
       
SECTION 5.01 Applicability of Article
    32  
SECTION 5.02 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Debt Securities
    33  
SECTION 5.03 Redemption of Debt Securities for Sinking Fund
    33  
 
       
ARTICLE VI COVENANTS
    34  
 
       
SECTION 6.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest
    34  
SECTION 6.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency
    34  
SECTION 6.03 Money for Debt Securities Payments to be Held in Trust
    35  
SECTION 6.04 Corporate Existence
    36  
SECTION 6.05 Annual Officer’s Certificate as to Compliance
    36  
SECTION 6.06 Limitation on Liens
    36  
SECTION 6.07 Waiver of Certain Covenants
    38  
 
       
ARTICLE VII SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
    39  
 
       
SECTION 7.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture
    39  
SECTION 7.02 Application of Trust Money
    40  
SECTION 7.03 Reinstatement
    40  
 
       
ARTICLE VIII EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES
    40  
 
       
SECTION 8.01 Events of Default
    40  
SECTION 8.02 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment
    42  
SECTION 8.03 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee
    43  
SECTION 8.04 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim
    43  
SECTION 8.05 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Debt Securities
    44  
SECTION 8.06 Application of Money Collected
    44  
SECTION 8.07 Limitation on Suits
    45  

ii


 

         
    Page
 
       
SECTION 8.08 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest
    45  
SECTION 8.09 Restoration of Rights and Remedies
    45  
SECTION 8.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative
    46  
SECTION 8.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver
    46  
SECTION 8.12 Control by Holders of Debt Securities
    46  
SECTION 8.13 Waiver of Past Defaults
    47  
SECTION 8.14 Undertaking for Costs
    47  
SECTION 8.15 Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws
    47  
 
       
ARTICLE IX THE TRUSTEE
    48  
 
       
SECTION 9.01 Certain Duties and Responsibilities
    48  
SECTION 9.02 Notice of Defaults
    49  
SECTION 9.03 Certain Rights of Trustee
    49  
SECTION 9.04 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Debt Securities
    50  
SECTION 9.05 May Hold Debt Securities
    51  
SECTION 9.06 Money Held in Trust
    51  
SECTION 9.07 Compensation and Reimbursement
    51  
SECTION 9.08 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests
    52  
SECTION 9.09 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility
    52  
SECTION 9.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor
    53  
SECTION 9.11 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor
    54  
SECTION 9.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business
    55  
SECTION 9.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company
    56  
SECTION 9.14 Co-trustees and Separate Trustees
    56  
SECTION 9.15 Appointment of Authenticating Agent
    57  
 
       
ARTICLE X HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
    59  
 
       
SECTION 10.01 Lists of Holders
    59  
SECTION 10.02 Reports by Trustee
    59  
SECTION 10.03 Reports by Company
    59  
 
       
ARTICLE XI CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE OR OTHER TRANSFER
    60  
 
       
SECTION 11.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms
    60  
SECTION 11.02 Successor Person Substituted
    60  
 
       
ARTICLE XII SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
    61  

iii


 

         
    Page
 
       
SECTION 12.01 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders
    61  
SECTION 12.02 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders
    62  
SECTION 12.03 Execution of Supplemental Indentures
    63  
SECTION 12.04 Effect of Supplemental Indentures
    64  
SECTION 12.05 Conformity With Trust Indenture Act
    64  
SECTION 12.06 Reference in Debt Securities to Supplemental Indentures
    64  
SECTION 12.07 Execution of Supplemental Indentures
    64  
 
       
ARTICLE XIII DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
    64  
 
       
SECTION 13.01 Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance
    64  
SECTION 13.02 Defeasance and Discharge
    65  
SECTION 13.03 Covenant Defeasance
    65  
SECTION 13.04 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance
    66  
SECTION 13.05 Deposited Money and Government Obligations To Be Held In Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions
    67  
SECTION 13.06 Reinstatement
    68  
 
       
ARTICLE XIV IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
    68  
 
       
SECTION 14.01 Liability Solely Corporate
    68  

iv


 

     INDENTURE, dated as of February 27, 2009, between NOBLE ENERGY, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), having its principal office at 100 Glenborough Drive, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77067-3610, and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, having its principal corporate trust office at 201 Main Street, Suite 301, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, as Trustee (as further defined in Section 1.01, the “Trustee”).
RECITAL OF THE COMPANY
     The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the “Debt Securities”) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount, to be issued in one or more series as contemplated herein; and all acts necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company have been performed.
     For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in Article I of this Indenture.
     NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
     For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Debt Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Debt Securities or of series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER
PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
     SECTION 1.01 Rules of Interpretation; Definitions.
     For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
     (a) the terms defined in this Article I have the meanings assigned to them in this Article I and include the plural as well as the singular, and, whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms;
     (b) all terms used herein without definition which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
     (c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with GAAP;

 


 

     (d) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision;
     (e) the words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”;
     (f) the word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall,” unless the context requires otherwise;
     (g) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein);
     (h) unless otherwise specified, any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns;
     (i) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Indenture;
     (j) any reference to any law herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time;
     (k) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights;\
     (l) except as specified otherwise, references to any document, instrument, or agreement shall include:
     (i) all exhibits, schedules, and other attachments thereto, and
     (ii) all documents, instruments, or agreements issued or executed in replacement thereof;
     (m) the phrases “this Section” and “this subsection” and similar phrases refer only to the section or subsection hereof in which such phrases occur; and
     (n) the word “or” is not exclusive.
     Certain terms, used in certain Articles, are defined in those Articles.
     “Act,” when used with respect to any Holder of a Debt Security, has the meaning specified in Section 1.04.

2


 

     “Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
     “Authenticating Agent” means any Person (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 9.15 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate one or more series of Debt Securities or any Tranche thereof.
     “Authorized Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Vice President or any other duly authorized officer of the Company.
     “Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act or any director or directors and/or officer or officers of the Company to whom that board or committee shall have duly delegated its authority in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
     “Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
     “Business Day,” when used with respect to a Place of Payment or any other particular location specified in the Debt Securities or this Indenture, means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, which is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in such Place of Payment or other location are generally authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed, except as may be otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01.
     “Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or, if at any time after the date of execution and delivery of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body, if any, performing such duties at such time.
     “Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter the “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
     “Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by an Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.
     “Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means the total of all assets included in a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, prepared in accordance with GAAP (and as of a date not more than 90 days prior to the date as of which Consolidated Net Tangible Assets are to be determined), less the sum of the following items each as included in such balance sheet:

3


 

     (a) all current liabilities;
     (b) all depreciation, depletion, valuation and other reserves;
     (c) all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and other like intangibles;
     (d) investments in and advances to Subsidiaries that are not Restricted Subsidiaries; and
     (e) minority interests in the equity of Restricted Subsidiaries.
     “Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date of execution and delivery of this Indenture is located at 201 Main Street, Suite 301, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, Attention: Corporate Trust Services.
     “Corporation” means a corporation, association, partnership, company, limited liability company, joint stock company, business trust or equivalent type of any such entity formed under the laws of any jurisdiction.
     “Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.03.
     “Debt” has the meaning specified in Section 6.06.
     “Debt Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
     “Debt Security Register” and “Debt Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.05.
     “Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07.
     “Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.02.
     “Defeasible Series” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01.
     “Depositary” means, with respect to Debt Securities of any series, for which the Company shall determine that such Debt Securities will be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to Section 2.03(c).
     “Discount Debt Security” means any Debt Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 8.02. “Interest” with respect to a Discount Debt Security means interest, if any, borne by such Debt Security at a Stated Interest Rate.

4


 

     “Dollar” or “$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
     “Eligible Obligations” means:
     (a) with respect to Debt Securities denominated in Dollars, Government Obligations; and
     (b) with respect to Debt Securities denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, such other obligations or instruments as shall be specified with respect to such Debt Securities, as contemplated by Section 3.01.
     “Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.
     “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
     “GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States as set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession of the United States, as in effect from time to time.
     “Global Security” means a Debt Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with this Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.
     “Government Obligations” means:
     (f) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States entitled to the benefit of the full faith and credit thereof; and
     (g) certificates, depositary receipts or other instruments which evidence a direct ownership interest in obligations described in clause (a) above or in any specific interest or principal payments due in respect thereof; provided however, that the custodian of such obligations or specific interest or principal payments shall be a bank or trust company (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) subject to federal or state supervision or examination with a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000; and provided further, that except as may be otherwise required by law, such custodian shall be obligated to pay to the holders of such certificates, depositary receipts or other instruments the full amount received by such custodian in respect of such obligations or specific payments and shall not be permitted to make any deduction therefrom.
     “Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or of any State or Territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or of any county, municipality or other political

5


 

subdivision of any thereof, or any department, agency, authority or other instrumentality of any of the foregoing.
     “Holder” means a Person in whose name a Debt Security is registered in the Debt Security Register.
     “Hydrocarbons” means oil, gas and other liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons.
     “Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed and delivered and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures or Officers’ Certificates supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall include the terms of particular series of Debt Securities established as contemplated by Section 3.01; provided however, that, if at any time more than one Person is acting as Trustee under this instrument, “Indenture” shall mean, with respect to any one or more series of Debt Securities for which such Person is Trustee, this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall include the terms of the series of Debt Securities for which such Person is Trustee established as contemplated by Section 3.01, exclusive, however, of any provisions or terms that relate solely to other series of Debt Securities for which such Person is not Trustee, regardless of when such terms or provisions were adopted, and exclusive of any provisions or terms adopted by means of one or more indentures supplemental hereto executed and delivered after such Person had become such Trustee but to which such Person, as such Trustee, was not a party.
     “Interest Payment Date,” when used with respect to any Debt Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Debt Security.
     “Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
     “Maturity,” when used with respect to any Debt Security, means the date on which the principal of such Debt Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in such Debt Security or in this Indenture, whether at the Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, upon call for redemption or otherwise.
     “Mineral Interests” mean leasehold and other interests of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in or under oil, gas or other Hydrocarbon fee interests, overriding royalty and royalty interests and any other interest in Hydrocarbons in place, wherever located, and classified by the Board of Directors of the Company as capable of producing Hydrocarbons by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, except any Mineral Interest which in the opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.
     “Mortgage” means any mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest, charge, conditional sale or other title retention agreement or other similar encumbrance.
     “Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by any two Authorized Officers and delivered to the Trustee.

6


 

     “Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be an employee of the Company.
     “Outstanding,” when used with respect to Debt Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Debt Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
     (h) Debt Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or the Debt Security Registrar or delivered to the Trustee or the Debt Security Registrar for cancellation;
     (i) Debt Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Debt Securities in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; provided however, that if such Debt Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;
     (j) Debt Securities as to which defeasance has been effective pursuant to Section 13.02; and
     (k) Debt Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 3.06 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Debt Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Debt Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it and the Company that such Debt Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser or purchasers in whose hands such Debt Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
provided however, that in determining whether or not the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Debt Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series or Tranche, have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder:
     (x) Debt Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor (unless the Company, such Affiliate or such obligor owns all Debt Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or all Outstanding Debt Securities of that series or Tranche, as the case may be, determined without regard to this clause (x)) shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Debt Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded; provided however, that Debt Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Debt Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor; and

7


 

     (y) the principal amount of a Discount Debt Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 8.02; provided further, that, in the case of any Debt Security, the principal of which is payable from time to time without presentment or surrender, the principal amount of such Debt Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding at any time for all purposes of this Indenture shall be the original principal amount thereof less the aggregate amount of principal thereof theretofore paid.
     “Paying Agent” means any Person, including the Company, authorized by the Company to pay the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Securities on behalf of the Company.
     “Periodic Offering” means an offering of Debt Securities of a series from time to time any or all of the specific terms of which Debt Securities, including the rate or rates of interest, if any, thereon, the Stated Maturity or Maturities thereof and the redemption provisions, if any, with respect thereto, are to be determined by the Company or its agents upon the issuance of such Debt Securities.
     “Person” means any individual, Corporation, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization or any Governmental Authority.
     “Place of Payment,” when used with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or Tranche thereof, means the place or places, specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, at which, subject to Section 6.02, principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of that series or Tranche are payable.
     “Predecessor Debt Security” of any particular Debt Security means every previous Debt Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Debt Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Debt Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.06 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security shall be deemed (to the extent lawful) to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security.
     “Redemption Date,” when used with respect to any Debt Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
     “Redemption Price,” when used with respect to any Debt Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
     “Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Debt Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01.
     “Required Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 3.11.

8


 

     “Responsible Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
     “Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary the assets of which comprise in excess of 15% of total consolidated assets of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as included in the latest audited consolidated balance sheet contained in the latest annual report sent to the Company’s shareholders.
     “Special Record Date” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07.
     “Stated Interest Rate” means a rate (whether fixed or variable) at which an obligation by its terms is stated to bear interest. Any calculation or other determination to be made under this Indenture by reference to the Stated Interest Rate on a Debt Security shall be made without regard to the effective interest cost to the Company of such Debt Security and without regard to the Stated Interest Rate on, or the effective cost to the Company of, any other indebtedness in respect of which the Company’s obligations are evidenced or secured in whole or in part by such Debt Security.
     “Stated Maturity,” when used with respect to any obligation or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date on which the principal of such obligation or such installment of principal or interest is stated to be due and payable (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension).
     “Subsidiary” means a Corporation more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock or other voting or managing ownership interest of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting stock” means stock which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
     “Tranche” means a group of Debt Securities which (a) are of the same series and (b) have identical terms except as to principal amount.
     “Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force and effect as of the date of execution of this Indenture; provided however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is succeeded by another statute or is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” shall mean such successor statute or the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as so amended, to the extent such successor statute or amendment is applicable to this Indenture or to the actions of the Company or the Trustee under or pursuant to this Indenture.
     “Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such with respect to one or more series of Debt Securities pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee”

9


 

shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Debt Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Debt Securities of that series.
     “United States” means the United States of America, its territories, its possessions and other areas subject to its political jurisdiction.
     SECTION 1.02 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
     Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
     Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:
     (a) a statement that each Person signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
     (b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
     (c) a statement that, in the opinion of each such Person, such Person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
     (d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
     SECTION 1.03 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
     In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
     Any certificate of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon an Opinion of Counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable

10


 

care should know, that the certificate or Opinion of Counsel or representations with respect to the matters upon which such officer’s certificate or Opinion of Counsel are based are erroneous. Any such Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or Opinion of Counsel or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
     Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
     Whenever, subsequent to the receipt by the Trustee of any Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or other document or instrument, a clerical, typographical or other inadvertent or unintentional error or omission shall be discovered therein, a new document or instrument may be substituted therefor in corrected form with the same force and effect as if originally filed in the corrected form and, irrespective of the date or dates of the actual execution and/or delivery thereof, such substitute document or instrument shall be deemed to have been executed and/or delivered as of the date or dates required with respect to the document or instrument for which it is substituted. Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if any such corrective document or instrument indicates that action has been taken by or at the request of the Company which could not have been taken had the original document or instrument not contained such error or omission, the action so taken shall not be invalidated or otherwise rendered ineffective but shall be and remain in full force and effect, (except to the extent that such action was a result of willful misconduct or bad faith or had or could be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Holders of any Debt Securities issued hereunder). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Debt Securities issued under the authority of such defective document or instrument shall nevertheless be the valid obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of this Indenture equally and ratably with all other Outstanding Debt Securities.
     SECTION 1.04 Acts of Holders.
     (a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and any such record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or of the holding by any Person of a Debt Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 9.01) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section 1.04.

11


 

     (b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof or may be proved in any other manner which the Trustee and the Company deem sufficient. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.
     (c) The principal amount (except as otherwise contemplated in clause (y) of the proviso to the definition of Outstanding) and serial numbers of Debt Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Debt Security Register.
     (d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act of a Holder shall bind every future Holder of the same Debt Security and the Holder of every Debt Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Debt Security.
     (e) Until such time as written instruments shall have been delivered to the Trustee with respect to the requisite percentage of principal amount of Debt Securities for the action contemplated by such instruments, any such instrument executed and delivered by or on behalf of a Holder may be revoked with respect to any or all of such Debt Securities by written notice by such Holder or any subsequent Holder, proven in the manner in which such instrument was proven.
     (f) Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, authenticated and delivered after any Act of Holders may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any action taken by such Act of Holders. If the Company shall so determine, new Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to such action may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Debt Securities of that series or Tranche.
     (g) If the Company shall solicit from Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of the Outstanding Debt Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the Outstanding Debt Securities shall be computed as of the record date.

12


 

     SECTION 1.05 Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company.
     Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with, the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company, or the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder, shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and delivered personally to an officer or other responsible employee of the addressee, or transmitted by facsimile transmission or other direct written electronic means to such telephone number or other electronic communications address as the parties hereto shall from time to time designate, or transmitted by certified or registered mail, charges prepaid, to the applicable address set opposite such party’s name below or to such other address as either party hereto may from time to time designate:
     If to the Trustee, to:
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
201 Main Street, Suite 301, MAC: T5441-030
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Attn: Corporate Trust Services
     If to the Company, to:
Noble Energy, Inc.
100 Glenborough Drive, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77067-3610
Attn: Treasurer
     with a copy to:
Noble Energy, Inc.
100 Glenborough Drive, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77067-3610
Attn: General Counsel
     Any communication contemplated herein shall be deemed to have been made, given, furnished and filed if personally delivered, on the date of delivery, if transmitted by facsimile transmission or other direct written electronic means, upon date of receipt of the transmission, and if transmitted by certified or registered mail, on the date of receipt.
     SECTION 1.06 Notice to Holders of Debt Securities; Waiver.
     Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given, and shall be deemed given, to Holders if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Debt Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.

13


 

     In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders.
     Any notice required by this Indenture may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event otherwise to be specified therein, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
     SECTION 1.07 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
     If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by, or is otherwise governed by, any of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, such other provision shall control; and if any provision hereof otherwise conflicts with the Trust Indenture Act, the Trust Indenture Act shall control.
     SECTION 1.08 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
     The Article and Section headings in this Indenture and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
     SECTION 1.09 Successors and Assigns.
     All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
     SECTION 1.10 Separability Clause.
     In case any provision in this Indenture or the Debt Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
     SECTION 1.11 Benefits of Indenture.
     Nothing in this Indenture or the Debt Securities, express or implied, shall give any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture to any Person other than (i) the parties hereto; (ii) their successors hereunder; and (iii) the Holders.
     SECTION 1.12 Governing Law.
     This Indenture and the Debt Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

14


 

     SECTION 1.13 Legal Holidays.
     In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Debt Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (other than to the extent provided otherwise in the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or in the indenture supplemental hereto, or Board Resolution in or pursuant to which the terms of the Debt Securities of that series or Tranche are established) payment of interest or principal and premium, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day.
ARTICLE II
DEBT SECURITY FORMS
     SECTION 2.01 Forms Generally.
     The definitive Debt Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form or forms thereof established in an indenture supplemental hereto or in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Debt Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Debt Securities. If the form or forms of Debt Securities of any series are established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, such Officers’ Certificate, if any, shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 3.03 for the authentication and delivery of such Debt Securities. Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Sections 3.01 or 12.01(g), the Debt Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons. The definitive Debt Securities shall be produced in such manner as shall be determined by the officers executing such Debt Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof.
     SECTION 2.02 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
     The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the form set forth below:
     This is one of the Debt Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
     
Dated:                     
  Wells Fargo Bank, National Association,
 
  as Trustee

15


 

             
 
  By:        
 
     
 
Authorized Representative
   
     SECTION 2.03 Debt Securities Issuable in the Form of a Global Security .
     (a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 3.01 that the Debt Securities of a particular series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 3.03 and the Company Order delivered to the Trustee thereunder, authenticate and deliver such Global Security or Securities, which (i) shall represent and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series or Tranche thereof to be represented by such Global Security or Securities, (ii) may provide that the aggregate amount of Outstanding Debt Securities represented thereby may from time to time be increased or reduced to reflect exchanges, (iii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities or its nominee, (iv) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction and (v) shall bear a legend in accordance with the requirements of the Depositary.
     (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.03 or of Section 3.05, except as contemplated by the provisions of paragraphs (c) and (d) below, unless the terms of a Global Security expressly permit such Global Security to be exchanged in whole or in part for individual Debt Securities, a Global Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 3.05, only to a nominee of the Depositary for such Global Security, or to the Depositary, or to a successor Depositary for such Global Security selected or approved by the Company, or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.
     (c) If at any time the Depositary for a Global Security notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as the Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time the Depositary for the Debt Securities for that series shall no longer be eligible or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary with respect to such Global Security. If a successor Depositary for such Global Security is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Company will execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, in the form of definitive certificates in exchange for such Global Security, will authenticate and deliver, without service charge, Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche thereof, in the form of definitive certificates of like tenor and terms in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security in exchange for such Global Security. Such Debt Securities will be issued to and registered in the name of such Person or Persons as are specified by the Depositary.
     (d) The Company may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that the Debt Securities of any series issued or issuable in the form of one or more Global Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Securities. In any such event the Company will

16


 

execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Request for the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities in the form of definitive certificates in exchange in whole or in part for such Global Security, will authenticate and deliver without service charge to each Person specified by the Depositary Debt Securities in the form of definitive certificates of like tenor and terms in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Global Security representing that series, or the aggregate principal amount of such Global Securities representing that series, in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.
     (e) If specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to Debt Securities issued or issuable in the form of a Global Security and subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified by Section 3.01, the Depositary for such Global Security may surrender such Global Security in exchange in whole or in part for Debt Securities in the form of definitive certificates of like tenor and terms on such terms as are acceptable to the Company and such Depositary. Thereupon the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, without service charge, (i) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new Debt Security or Debt Securities of the same series of like tenor and terms and any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security and (ii) to such Depositary a new Global Security of like tenor and terms and in an authorized denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities delivered to Holders thereof.
     (f) In any exchange provided for in any of the preceding three subparagraphs, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver Debt Securities in the form of definitive certificates in authorized denominations. Upon the exchange of the entire principal amount of a Global Security for Debt Securities in the form of definitive certificates, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Except as provided in the immediately preceding subparagraph, Debt Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.03 shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, acting pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. Provided that the Company and the Trustee have so agreed, the Trustee shall deliver such Debt Securities to the Persons in whose names the Debt Securities are so to be registered.
     (g) Any endorsement of a Global Security to reflect the principal amount thereof, or any increase or decrease in such principal amount, or changes in the rights of Holders of Outstanding Debt Securities represented thereby shall be made in such manner and by such Person or Persons as shall be specified in or pursuant to any applicable letter of representations or other arrangement entered into with, or procedures of, the Depositary with respect to such Global Security or in the Company Order delivered or to be delivered pursuant to Section 3.03 with respect thereto. Subject to the provisions of Section 3.03, the Trustee shall deliver and redeliver any such Global Security in the manner and upon instructions given by the Person or Persons specified in or pursuant to any applicable letter of representations or other arrangement entered into with, or procedures of, the Depositary with respect to such Global Security or in any applicable Company Order. If a Company Order pursuant to Section 3.03 is so delivered, any instructions by the Company with respect to such Global Security contained therein shall be in

17


 

writing but need not be accompanied by or contained in an Officers’ Certificate and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel.
     (h) The Depositary or, if there be one, its nominee, shall be the Holder of a Global Security for all purposes under this Indenture; and beneficial owners with respect to such Global Security shall hold their interests pursuant to applicable procedures of such Depositary. The Company, the Trustee and the Debt Security Registrar shall be entitled to deal with such Depositary or nominee for all purposes of this Indenture relating to such Global Security (including the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest and the giving of instructions or directions by or to the beneficial owners of such Global Security) as the sole Holder of such Global Security and shall have no obligations to the beneficial owners thereof (including any direct or indirect participants in such Depositary). None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Debt Security Registrar shall have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security in or pursuant to any applicable letter of representations or other arrangement entered into with, or procedures of, the Depositary with respect to such Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
ARTICLE III
THE DEBT SECURITIES
     SECTION 3.01 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
     The aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
     The Debt Securities may be issued in one or more series and Tranches thereof. Subject to the last paragraph of this Section 3.01, prior to the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities of any series there shall be established by specification in a supplemental indenture or in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate:
     (a) the title of the Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche thereof (which shall distinguish the Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche thereof from Debt Securities of all other series);
     (b) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche thereof which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Debt Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Debt Securities of the series pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 4.06 or 12.06 and, except for any Debt Securities which, pursuant to Section 3.03, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
     (c) the Person or Persons (without specific identification) to whom interest on Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable on any Interest Payment Date, if other than the Persons in whose names such Debt Securities (or one or

18


 

more Predecessor Debt Securities) are registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;
     (d) the date or dates on which the principal of the Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche thereof, is payable or any formula or other method or other means by which such date or dates shall be determined, by reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture or otherwise (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension);
     (e) the rate or rates at which the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, shall bear interest, if any (including (i) the rate or rates at which overdue principal shall bear interest, if different from the rate or rates at which such Debt Securities shall bear interest prior to Maturity and (ii) if applicable, the rate or rates at which overdue premium shall bear interest, if any), the period or periods during which such rate or rates shall be applicable, or any formula or other method or other means by which such rate or rates, and any period or periods, shall be determined, by reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture or otherwise; the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue; the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date, if any, for the interest payable on such Debt Securities on any Interest Payment Date; and the basis of computation of interest, if other than as provided in Section 3.10;
     (f) the place or places at which or methods by which (i) the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable, (ii) registration of transfer of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected, (iii) exchanges of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected and (iv) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, and this Indenture may be served; the Debt Security Registrar for that series; and if such is the case, that the principal of such Debt Securities shall be payable without presentment or surrender thereof;
     (g) the period or periods within which, or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company and any restrictions on such redemptions, including but not limited to a restriction on a partial redemption by the Company of the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, resulting in delisting of such Debt Securities from any national exchange;
     (h) the obligation or obligations or options, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, pursuant to any sinking fund or other mandatory redemption or tender provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which such Debt Securities shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and

19


 

applicable exceptions to the requirements of Section 4.04 in the case of mandatory redemption or redemption at the option of the Holder;
     (i) the denominations in which Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be issuable if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
     (j) the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable (if other than in Dollars);
     (k) if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a coin or currency other than that in which the Debt Securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made;
     (l) if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, or are to be payable at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in securities or other property, the type and amount of such securities or other property, or the formula or other method or other means by which such amount shall be determined, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, any such election may be made;
     (m) if the amount payable in respect of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, may be determined with reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside this Indenture, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined to the extent not established pursuant to clause (e) of this paragraph;
     (n) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 8.02;
     (o) any addition to or change in the Events of Default specified in Section 8.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, any addition to or change in the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, and any addition to or change in the terms specified in Article XIII pursuant to which any covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, are subject to defeasance;
     (p) the terms, if any, pursuant to which the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, may be converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or any other Person;

20


 

     (q) the obligations or instruments, if any, which shall be considered to be Eligible Obligations in respect of the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, and any additional or alternative provisions for the reinstatement of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of such Debt Securities after the satisfaction and discharge thereof as provided in Section 7.01;
     (r) whether the Debt Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a Global Security or Securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for certificated Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, and of like tenor of any authorized denomination and the circumstances under which such exchange may occur, if other than in the manner provided for in Section 2.03; the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities; and the form of any legend or legends to be borne by any such Global Security in addition to or in lieu of the legend referred to in Section 2.03;
     (s) if the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issuable in bearer form, any and all matters incidental thereto which are not specifically addressed in a supplemental indenture as contemplated by clause (g) of Section 12.01;
     (t) to the extent not established pursuant to clause (r) of this paragraph, any limitations on the rights of the Holders of the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, to transfer or exchange such Debt Securities or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof; and if a service charge will be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, the amount or terms thereof;
     (u) any exceptions to Section 1.13, or variation in the definition of Business Day, with respect to the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof;
     (v) any collateral security, assurance or guarantee for that series of Debt Securities;
     (w) any credit enhancement applicable to the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof; and
     (x) any other terms of the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture;
     With respect to Debt Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the indenture supplemental hereto establishing the terms of such series, or the Board Resolution in or pursuant to which the terms of such series are established and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, as the case may be, may provide general terms or parameters for Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, and provide either that the specific terms of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be specified in a Company Order or that such terms shall be determined by the Company or its agents in accordance with procedures specified in a Company Order as contemplated by clause (b) of the third paragraph of Section 3.03.

21


 

     SECTION 3.02 Denominations.
     Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Debt Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Debt Securities of each series or Tranche shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
     SECTION 3.03 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
     Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Debt Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Debt Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer and may have the corporate seal of the Company affixed thereto or reproduced thereon and attested by any other Authorized Officer. The signature of any or all of these officers on the Debt Securities may be manual or facsimile.
     Debt Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at the time of execution Authorized Officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Debt Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Debt Securities.
     The Trustee shall authenticate and deliver Debt Securities of a series, for original issue, at one time or from time to time in accordance with the Company Order referred to below, upon receipt by the Trustee of:
     (a) the instrument or instruments establishing the form or forms and terms of that series, or any Tranche thereof, as provided in Sections 2.01 and 3.01;
     (b) a Company Order requesting the authentication and delivery of such Debt Securities which, in the case of Debt Securities of a series or Tranche subject to a Periodic Offering, specifies procedures, acceptable to the Trustee, by which the terms of such particular Debt Securities are to be established in accordance with the instrument or instruments delivered pursuant to clause (a) above;
     (c) the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer;
     (d) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:
     (i) the form or forms of such Debt Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
     (ii) the terms of such Debt Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
     (iii) assuming authentication and delivery by the Trustee and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, such Debt Securities will

22


 

have been duly issued under this Indenture and will be legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to customary qualifications with respect to bankruptcy and similar matters and general principles of equity and such other qualifications as may be customary; provided however, that, (A) with respect to Debt Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive such Opinion of Counsel only once at or prior to the time of the first authentication of such Debt Securities (provided that such Opinion of Counsel addresses the authentication and delivery of all Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof) and (B) in lieu of the opinions described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above Counsel may opine that:
     (x) when the terms of such Debt Securities shall have been established pursuant to a Company Order or Orders or pursuant to such procedures (acceptable to the Trustee) as may be specified from time to time by a Company Order or Orders, all as contemplated by and in accordance with the instrument or instruments delivered pursuant to clause (a) above, such terms will have been duly authorized by the Company and will have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
     (y) such Debt Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in accordance with this Indenture and the Company Order or Orders or specified procedures referred to in paragraph (x) above and issued and delivered by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture, and enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to laws relating to or affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights, including, bankruptcy and insolvency laws and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
     With respect to Debt Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the authorization by the Company of any of such Debt Securities, the form and terms thereof and the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability thereof, upon the Opinion of Counsel and other documents delivered pursuant to Sections 2.01 and 3.01 and this Section 3.03, as applicable, at or prior to the time of the first authentication of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, unless and until such opinion or other documents have been superseded or revoked or expire by their terms. In connection with the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume that the Company’s instructions to authenticate and deliver such Debt Securities do not violate any rules, regulations or orders of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company.

23


 

     If the form or terms of the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate as permitted by Sections 2.01 or 3.01, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Debt Securities if the issuance of such Debt Securities pursuant to this Indenture will materially or adversely affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Debt Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
     Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Debt Securities, or any Tranche thereof, each Debt Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
     No Debt Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Debt Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee or its agent by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Debt Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Debt Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Debt Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder to the Company, or any Person acting on its behalf, but shall never have been issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Debt Security to the Debt Security Registrar for cancellation as provided in Section 3.09 together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 1.02 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Debt Security has never been issued and sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture such Debt Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits hereof.
     SECTION 3.04 Temporary Debt Securities.
     Pending the preparation of definitive Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Debt Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Debt Securities in lieu of which they are issued, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Debt Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Debt Securities; provided however, that temporary Debt Securities need not recite specific redemption, sinking fund, conversion or exchange provisions.
     Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, after the preparation of definitive Debt Securities of that series or Tranche, the temporary Debt Securities of that series or Tranche shall be exchangeable, without charge to the Holder thereof, for definitive Debt Securities of that series or Tranche, upon surrender of such temporary Debt Securities at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 6.02 in a Place of Payment for such Debt Securities. Upon such surrender of temporary Debt Securities, the Company shall, except as aforesaid, execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor definitive

24


 

Debt Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
     Until exchanged in full as hereinabove provided, temporary Debt Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Debt Securities of the same series and Tranche and of like tenor authenticated and delivered hereunder.
     SECTION 3.05 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
     The Company shall cause to be kept in each office designated pursuant to Section 6.02, with respect to the Debt Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, a register (all registers kept in accordance with this Section 3.05 being collectively referred to as the “Debt Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Debt Securities of that series or Tranche and the registration of transfer thereof. The Company shall designate one Person to maintain the Debt Security Register for the Debt Securities of each series on a consolidated basis, and such Person is referred to herein, with respect to that series, as the “Debt Security Registrar.” Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may designate one or more of its offices as an office in which a register with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, shall be maintained, and the Company may designate itself the Debt Security Registrar with respect to one or more of that series. The Debt Security Register shall be open for inspection by the Trustee and the Company at all reasonable times.
     Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Debt Security of that series or Tranche at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 6.02 in a Place of Payment for that series or Tranche, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Debt Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
     Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, any Debt Security of that series or Tranche may be exchanged at the option of the Holder, for one or more new Debt Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Debt Securities to be exchanged at any such office or agency. Whenever any Debt Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Debt Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
     All Debt Securities delivered upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Debt Securities shall be valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Debt Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
     Every Debt Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee or the Debt Security Registrar) be duly

25


 

endorsed or shall be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee or the Debt Security Registrar, as the case may be, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
     Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, no service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Debt Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Debt Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.04, 4.06 or 12.06 not involving any transfer.
     The Company shall not be required to execute or to provide for the registration of transfer of or the exchange of (a) Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of the Debt Securities of that series or Tranche is to be given or (b) any Debt Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Debt Security being redeemed in part.
     None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Debt Security Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
     SECTION 3.06 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Debt Securities.
     If any mutilated Debt Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Debt Security of the same series and Tranche, and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
     If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the ownership of and the destruction, loss or theft of any Debt Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Debt Security is held by a Person purporting to be the owner of such Debt Security, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security, a new Debt Security of the same series and Tranche, and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, in case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Debt Security, pay such Debt Security.
     Upon the issuance of any new Debt Security under this Section 3.06, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other reasonable expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

26


 

     Every new Debt Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section 3.06 in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone other than the Holder of such new Debt Security, and any such new Debt Security shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche duly issued hereunder.
     The provisions of this Section 3.06 are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Securities.
     SECTION 3.07 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
     Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest on any Debt Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Debt Security (or one or more Predecessor Debt Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
     Any interest on any Debt Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the related Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below:
     (a) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Debt Securities of that series or any Tranche thereof (or their respective Predecessor Debt Securities) are registered at the close of business on a date (herein called a “Special Record Date”) for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Debt Security of that series, or any Tranche thereof and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall promptly cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Debt Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed

27


 

payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Debt Securities of that series, or any Tranche thereof (or their respective Predecessor Debt Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date.
     (b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Debt Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Debt Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
     Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.07 and Section 3.05, each Debt Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Debt Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Debt Security.
     SECTION 3.08 Persons Deemed Owners.
     Prior to due presentment of a Debt Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Debt Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Debt Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Sections 3.05 and 3.07) interest, if any, on such Debt Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Debt Security is overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
     SECTION 3.09 Cancellation by Debt Security Registrar.
     All Debt Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Debt Security Registrar, be delivered to the Debt Security Registrar and, if not theretofore canceled, shall be promptly canceled by the Debt Security Registrar. The Company may at any time deliver to the Debt Security Registrar for cancellation any Debt Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever or which the Company shall not have issued and sold, and all Debt Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Debt Security Registrar. No Debt Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Debt Securities canceled as provided in this Section 3.09, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All certificates representing canceled Debt Securities held by the Debt Security Registrar shall be disposed of in accordance with the customary practices of the Debt Security Registrar at the time in effect, and the Debt Security Registrar shall not be required to destroy any such certificates. The Debt Security Registrar, if other than the Trustee, shall promptly deliver a certificate of disposition with respect to such disposed certificates to the Trustee and the Company unless, by a Company Order, similarly delivered, the Company shall direct that canceled Debt Securities be returned to it. The Debt Security Registrar shall promptly deliver evidence of any cancellation of a Debt Security in accordance with this Section 3.09 to the Trustee and the Company. If the Trustee is the entity acting as Debt Security Registrar, it shall

28


 

promptly deliver to the Company a certificate of disposition with respect to any certificates disposed of and/or evidence of any cancellation of a Debt Security, in each case in accordance with this Section 3.09, if so requested by a Company Order.
     SECTION 3.10 Computation of Interest.
     Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest on the Debt Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
     SECTION 3.11 Payment to be in Proper Currency.
     In the case of the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in any currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency (the “Required Currency”), except as otherwise specified with respect to such Debt Securities as contemplated by Section 3.01, the obligation of the Company to make any payment of the principal thereof, or the premium or interest thereon, shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender by the Company, or recovery by the Trustee, in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the Trustee timely holding the full amount of the Required Currency then due and payable. If any such tender or recovery is in a currency other than the Required Currency, the Trustee may take such actions as it considers appropriate to exchange such currency for the Required Currency. The costs and risks of any such exchange, including the risks of delay and exchange rate fluctuation, shall be borne by the Company, the Company shall remain fully liable for any shortfall or delinquency in the full amount of Required Currency then due and payable, and in no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable therefor except in the case of its negligence or willful misconduct.
     SECTION 3.12 CUSIP Numbers.
     The Company in issuing the Debt Securities may use “CUSIP” and other identifying numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” and such other numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Debt Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Debt Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the “CUSIP” or other identifying numbers.
ARTICLE IV
REDEMPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
     SECTION 4.01 Applicability of Article.
     Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of that series or Tranche) in accordance with this Article IV.

29


 

     SECTION 4.02 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
     The election of the Company to redeem any Debt Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution and/or an Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of such Debt Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Debt Securities (a) prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Debt Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company which is subject to a condition specified in the terms of such Debt Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.
     SECTION 4.03 Selection of Debt Securities to be Redeemed.
     If less than all the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be redeemed, the particular Debt Securities to be redeemed shall be selected by the Trustee from the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series or Tranche not previously called for redemption, by such method as shall be provided for any particular series, or, in the absence of any such provision, by such method of random selection as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may, in any case, provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Debt Securities of that series or Tranche or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Debt Securities of that series or Tranche of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Debt Securities of that series or Tranche; provided however, that if, as indicated in a Board Resolution and/or an Officers’ Certificate, the Company shall have offered to purchase all or any principal amount of the Debt Securities then Outstanding of any series, or any Tranche thereof, and less than all of such Debt Securities as to which such offer was made shall have been tendered to the Company for such purchase, the Trustee, if so directed by Company Order, shall select for redemption all or any principal amount of such Debt Securities which have not been so tendered.
     If the Debt Securities are then held in the form of a Global Security, the Trustee shall select Debt Securities to be redeemed in accordance with the customary procedures for the Depositary.
     The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Debt Security Registrar in writing of the Debt Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Debt Securities selected to be redeemed in part, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
     For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Debt Securities shall relate, in the case of any Debt Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Debt Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.

30


 

     SECTION 4.04 Notice of Redemption.
     Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 1.06 to the Holders of the Debt Securities to be redeemed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date. All notices of redemption shall state:
     (a) the Redemption Date,
     (b) the Redemption Price (or the method of calculating the Redemption Price),
     (c) if less than all the Debt Securities of any series or Tranche are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Debt Securities to be redeemed and the portion of the principal amount of any Debt Security to be redeemed in part,
     (d) that on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date, will become due and payable upon each such Debt Security to be redeemed and, if applicable and provided that the Redemption Price and interest, if any, are received by the Paying Agent or Agents on or prior to the Redemption Date, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,
     (e) the place or places where such Debt Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any, unless it shall have been specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to such Debt Securities that such surrender shall not be required,
     (f) that the redemption is for a sinking or other fund, if such is the case, and
     (g) such other matters as the Company shall deem desirable or appropriate (including CUSIP and other identifying numbers with respect to such Debt Securities, if the Company shall so elect, in which event such notice of redemption may contain a disclaimer as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Debt Securities or on such notice of redemption).
     Notice of redemption of Debt Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company, shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Debt Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company. Notice of mandatory redemption of Debt Securities shall be given by the Debt Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company.
     SECTION 4.05 Debt Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
     Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Debt Securities or portions thereof so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date such Debt Securities or portions thereof, if interest-bearing, shall cease to bear interest unless the Company shall have failed to pay the Redemption Price. Upon surrender of any such Debt Security for redemption in accordance with such notice, such Debt Security or portion thereof shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; provided

31


 

however, that no such surrender shall be a condition to such payment if so specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to such Debt Security; and provided further, that except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to such Debt Security, any installment of interest on any Debt Security the Stated Maturity of which installment is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holder of such Debt Security, or one or more Predecessor Debt Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the related Regular Record Date according to the terms of such Debt Security and subject to the provisions of Section 3.07.
     If any Debt Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Debt Security.
     SECTION 4.06 Debt Securities Redeemed in Part.
     Upon the surrender of any Debt Security which is to be redeemed only in part at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Debt Security, without service charge, a new Debt Security or Debt Securities of the same series and Tranche, of any authorized denomination requested by such Holder and of like tenor and in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Debt Security so surrendered.
     SECTION 4.07 Purchase of Debt Securities
     Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, the Company and any Affiliate of the Company may at any time purchase or otherwise acquire Debt Securities in the open market or by private agreement. Such acquisition shall not operate as or be deemed for any purpose to be a redemption of the indebtedness represented by such Debt Securities. Any Debt Securities purchased or acquired by the Company may be delivered to the Trustee and, upon such delivery, the indebtedness represented thereby shall be deemed satisfied. Section 3.09 shall apply to all Debt Securities so delivered.
ARTICLE V
SINKING FUNDS
     SECTION 5.01 Applicability of Article.
     The provisions of this Article V shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of that series or Tranche.
     The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms

32


 

of Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 5.02. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Debt Securities of the series or Tranche in respect of which it was made as provided for by the terms of such Debt Securities.
     SECTION 5.02 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Debt Securities.
     The Company (a) may deliver to the Trustee Outstanding Debt Securities (other than any previously called for redemption) of a series or Tranche in respect of which a mandatory sinking fund payment is to be made and (b) may apply as a credit Debt Securities of that series or Tranche which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Debt Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Debt Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of such mandatory sinking fund payment; provided however, that no Debt Securities shall be applied in satisfaction of a mandatory sinking fund payment if such Debt Securities shall have been previously so applied. Debt Securities so applied shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Debt Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such mandatory sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
     SECTION 5.03 Redemption of Debt Securities for Sinking Fund.
     Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying:
     (a) the amount of the next succeeding mandatory sinking fund payment for that series or Tranche;
     (b) the amount, if any, of the optional sinking fund payment to be made together with such mandatory sinking fund payment;
     (c) the aggregate sinking fund payment;
     (d) the portion, if any, of such aggregate sinking fund payment which is to be satisfied by the payment of cash; and
     (e) the portion, if any, of such aggregate sinking fund payment which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Debt Securities of that series or Tranche pursuant to Section 5.02 and stating the basis for such credit and that such Debt Securities have not previously been so credited, and the Company shall also deliver to the Trustee any Debt Securities to be so delivered.
     If the Company shall not have delivered such Officers’ Certificate and, to the extent applicable, all such Debt Securities, on or prior to the 45th day prior to such sinking fund payment date, the sinking fund payment for that series or Tranche in respect of such sinking fund

33


 

payment date shall be made entirely in cash in the amount of the mandatory sinking fund payment. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Debt Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 4.03 and the Debt Security Registrar shall cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 4.04. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Debt Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 4.05 and 4.06.
ARTICLE VI
COVENANTS
     SECTION 6.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
     The Company shall pay the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, in accordance with the terms of such Debt Securities and this Indenture.
     SECTION 6.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
     The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for the Debt Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, an office or agency where payment of such Debt Securities shall be made, where the registration of transfer or exchange of such Debt Securities may be effected and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Debt Securities and this Indenture may be served; provided that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, the Company shall always maintain a Place of Payment in The City of New York, New York and at the Corporate Trust Office. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of each such office or agency and prompt notice to the Holders of any such change in the manner specified in Section 1.06. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency in respect of Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, payment of such Debt Securities shall be made, registration of transfer or exchange thereof may be effected and notices and demands in respect thereof may be served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent for all such purposes in any such event.
     The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, for any or all of the foregoing purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of that series or Tranche, no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency for such purposes in each Place of Payment for such Debt Securities in accordance with the requirements set forth above. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee, and prompt notice to the Holders in the manner specified in Section 1.06, of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

34


 

     Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, any office or agency required by this Section 6.02 may be maintained at an office of the Company, in which event the Company shall perform all functions to be performed at such office or agency.
     SECTION 6.03 Money for Debt Securities Payments to be Held in Trust.
     If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on any of such Debt Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor on such Debt Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Debt Securities.
     Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Debt Securities, deposit with such Paying Agents sums sufficient (without duplication) to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by it so to act.
     The Company shall cause each Paying Agent for the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, other than the Company or the Trustee, to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 6.03, that such Paying Agent shall:
     (a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Debt Securities in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
     (b) give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor upon such Debt Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Debt Securities; and
     (c) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent and furnish to the Trustee such information as it possesses regarding the names and addresses of the Persons entitled to such sums.
     The Company may at any time pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

35


 

     Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust; and, upon such payment or discharge, the Holder of such Debt Security shall, as an unsecured general creditor and not as a Holder of an Outstanding Debt Security, look only to the Company for payment of the amount so due and payable and remaining unpaid, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such payment to the Company, shall, upon the written direction of and at the expense of the Company, cause to be mailed, on one occasion only, notice to such Holder that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be paid to the Company.
     SECTION 6.04 Corporate Existence.
     Subject to the rights of the Company under Article XI, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence under the law of its jurisdiction of organization and all its rights (charter and statutory) thereunder; provided however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders of Debt Securities.
     SECTION 6.05 Annual Officer’s Certificate as to Compliance.
     Within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a certificate which need not comply with Section 1.02, executed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, stating whether, to such officer’s knowledge, the Company is in compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture, such compliance to be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture, and making any other statements as may be required by the provisions of Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act.
     SECTION 6.06 Limitation on Liens.
     Nothing in this Indenture or in the Debt Securities shall in any way restrict or prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from incurring any indebtedness; provided that the Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or cause to be created, by issuance, assumption or guarantee (including in connection with any merger, consolidation or other transaction described in Article XI, whether or not otherwise permitted under Article XI), any notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of indebtedness for money borrowed (notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of indebtedness for money borrowed being hereinafter in this Article VI called “Debt”) secured by any Mortgage upon any Mineral Interest

36


 

or upon any shares of capital stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether such Mineral Interest, shares or Debt are owned on the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired, without effectively providing that the Debt Securities then Outstanding (together with, if the Company so determines, any other indebtedness or obligation of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary then existing and any other indebtedness or obligation of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary thereafter created which is not subordinate to the Debt Securities) shall be secured equally and ratably with (or prior to) such Debt so long as such Debt shall be outstanding, except that the foregoing provisions shall not apply to:
     (a) Mortgages in existence on the date of this Indenture;
     (b) Mortgages affecting a Mineral Interest, shares of capital stock or Debt of a Corporation at the time it becomes a Subsidiary or at the time it is merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Subsidiary, or on any shares of capital stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary at the time it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such Mineral Interest, shares or Debt are owned on the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired;
     (c) Mortgages on property existing at the time of acquisition of such property, or Mortgages on any property hereafter acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which are created or assumed to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price of such property or to secure any Debt incurred prior to, at the time of, or within 180 days after, the acquisition of such property for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price thereof;
     (d) Mortgages on property hereafter constructed or improved by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which are created or assumed to secure payment of all or any part of the cost of such construction or improvement; provided however, that any such Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date of this Indenture;
     (e) Mortgages on property of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to secure the payment of all or any part of the costs incurred after the date of this Indenture of exploration, drilling, mining or development of such property (which is understood to include servicing, treating, processing, converting, transporting, storage and marketing of Hydrocarbons from such property) for the purposes of increasing the production and sale or other disposition of oil, gas or other minerals or any Debt incurred to provide funds for all or any such purposes;
     (f) Mortgages which secure only Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary owed to the Company or to another Restricted Subsidiary;
     (g) Mortgages in favor of the United States of America or any State thereof, or any department, agency, instrumentality or political subdivision of any such jurisdiction, to secure partial, progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute or to secure any indebtedness incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of constructing or improving the property subject

37


 

thereto, including, Mortgages to secure Debt incurred in connection with the issuance or refunding of tax-exempt private activity bonds; and
     (h) any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in whole or in part, of any Mortgage referred to in the foregoing paragraphs (a) through (g), inclusive, or of any Debt secured thereby, provided that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt so secured at the time of such extension, renewal or replacement, and that such extension, renewal or replacement Mortgage shall be limited to all or part of substantially the same property which secured the Mortgage extended, renewed or replaced (plus improvements on such property).
     Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6.06, the Company and any one or more Restricted Subsidiaries may issue, assume or guarantee Debt secured by Mortgages which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions, in an aggregate principal amount which, together with the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all other Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions (not including Debt permitted to be secured under paragraphs (a) through (h), inclusive, above) does not at any one time exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.
     For purposes of the foregoing, the following transactions shall not be deemed to create Debt secured by a Mortgage:
     (i) the sale or other transfer of oil, gas or other minerals in place for a period of time until, or in an amount such that, the transferee will realize therefrom a specified amount of money (however determined) or a specified amount of oil, gas or other minerals, or the sale or other transfer of any other interest in property of the character commonly referred to as an oil, gas or other mineral payment or a “production payment,” and including in any case, overriding royalty interests, net profit interests, reversionary interests and carried interests and other similar burdens on production; and
     (ii) the sale or other transfer by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of properties to a partnership, joint venture or other entity whereby the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would retain partial ownership of such properties.
     SECTION 6.07 Waiver of Certain Covenants.
     The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 6.06 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

38


 

ARTICLE VII
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
     SECTION 7.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
     This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to (i) any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Debt Securities herein expressly provided for and (ii) such rights and obligations of the Company and the Trustee described in the last paragraph of this Section 7.01), and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
     (a) either
     (i) all Debt Securities of a series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (A) Debt Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.06 and (B) Debt Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 6.03) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
     (ii) all such Debt Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
     (A) have become due and payable, or
     (B) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
     (iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,
and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Debt Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Debt Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
     (b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
     (c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

39


 

     Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 9.07, the obligations of the Trustee to any Authenticating Agent under Section 9.15 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (ii) of clause (a) of this Section 7.01, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 7.02 and the last paragraph of Section 6.03 shall survive.
     SECTION 7.02 Application of Trust Money.
     Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 6.03, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.01 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Debt Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee.
     SECTION 7.03 Reinstatement.
     If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money deposited with respect to Debt Securities of any series in accordance with Section 7.01 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or Governmental Authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s obligations under this Indenture with respect to the Debt Securities of that series and the Debt Securities of that series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 7.01 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 7.01; provided however, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Debt Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Debt Securities to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE VIII
EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES
     SECTION 8.01 Events of Default.
     “Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Debt Securities of any series means, except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
     (a) default in the payment of any interest upon any Debt Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;
     (b) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Debt Security of that series at its Maturity;

40


 

     (c) default in the payment of any sinking payment, when and as due by the terms of a Debt Security of that series;
     (d) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture for the benefit of Debt Securities of that series (other than a covenant or warranty, a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section 8.01 specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder;
     (e) default under any instrument or other evidence of indebtedness for money borrowed, or under any guarantee of payment by the Company of indebtedness for money borrowed, whether such indebtedness or guarantee now exists or shall hereafter be created, which default extends beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto and which default relates to (i) the obligation to pay the principal of or on any such indebtedness or guarantee or (ii) an obligation other than the obligation to pay the principal of or interest on any such indebtedness, if the effect of such event of default is to cause the acceleration of a principal amount of such indebtedness; provided however, that no default under this Section 8.01(e) shall exist if all such defaults do not relate to such indebtedness or such guarantees with an aggregate principal amount in excess of 5% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets; and provided further, that, if any such event of default has been cured or waived and any acceleration with respect thereto rescinded, or if such other indebtedness has been repaid or otherwise discharged, the Event of Default arising under this Section 8.01(e) by virtue thereof shall not be deemed to have occurred and any acceleration under this Section 8.01(e) pursuant to Section 8.02 hereof shall ipso facto be rescinded so long as such rescission does not with any judgment or decree;
     (f) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (i) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (ii) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable federal or state law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days;
     (g) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any

41


 

bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company or in furtherance of any such action; or
     (h) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Debt Securities of that series.
     SECTION 8.02 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
     If an Event of Default with respect to Debt Securities of any series (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (f) or (g) of Section 8.01) at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if any of the Debt Securities of that series are Discount Debt Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Debt Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof) of all the Debt Securities of that series and the interest accrued thereon to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Holders) and upon any such declaration such principal and interest shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (f) or (g) of Section 8.01 occurs, all unpaid principal of and accrued interest on the Debt Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder of Debt Securities.
     At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Debt Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article VIII provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if
     (a) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay
     (i) all overdue interest on all Debt Securities of that series,
     (ii) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Debt Securities of that series, which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate borne by the Debt Securities,
     (iii) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate borne by the Debt Securities of that series, and

42


 

     (iv) all sums paid or advanced or liabilities incurred by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and
     (b) all Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of the principal of Debt Securities of that series, which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been or waived as provided in Section 8.13.
     No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
     SECTION 8.03 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
     If an Event of Default described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 8.01 shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of the Debt Securities of the series with respect to which such Event of Default shall have occurred, the whole amount then due and payable on such Debt Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, and, to the extent permitted by law, interest on any overdue principal (and premium, if any) and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates borne by or prescribed therefor in such Debt Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 9.07.
     If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Debt Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Debt Securities, wherever situated.
     If an Event of Default with respect to Debt Securities of any series shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Debt Securities of that series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
     SECTION 8.04 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
     In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Debt Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

43


 

     (a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, owing and unpaid in respect of the Debt Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for amounts due to the Trustee under Section 9.07) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
     (b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amounts due it under Section 9.07.
     Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Debt Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
     SECTION 8.05 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Debt Securities.
     All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Debt Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Debt Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
     SECTION 8.06 Application of Money Collected.
     Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article VIII shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or premium, if any, or interest, if any, upon presentation of the Debt Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money shall have been collected and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
     FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 9.07;
     SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon the Debt Securities for principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Debt Securities for principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, respectively; and

44


 

          THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct in a final, non-appealable order.
     SECTION 8.07 Limitation on Suits.
     No Holder of the Debt Securities of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
     (a) such Holder shall have previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Debt Securities of that series;
     (b) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series shall have made a written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
     (c) such Holder or Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
     (d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to institute any such proceeding; and
     (e) no direction inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series;
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.
     SECTION 8.08 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.
     Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Debt Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 3.07) interest, if any, on such Debt Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Debt Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
     SECTION 8.09 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
     If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding shall have been discontinued or abandoned for any

45


 

reason, or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, and Trustee and such Holder shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and such Holder shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
     SECTION 8.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
     Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 3.06, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
     SECTION 8.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
     No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article VIII or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
     SECTION 8.12 Control by Holders of Debt Securities.
     If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing in respect of a series of Debt Securities, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series shall, subject to the Trustee’s rights contained in Article IX hereof, have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Debt Securities of that series; provided that
     (a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, and could not involve the Trustee in personal liability in circumstances where indemnity would not in the Trustee’s reasonable discretion be adequate, and
     (b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
     Before proceeding to exercise any right or power hereunder at the direction of such Holders, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive from such Holders reasonable security or indemnity, against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with any such direction.

46


 

     SECTION 8.13 Waiver of Past Defaults.
     The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Debt Securities of that series waive any past default hereunder with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default
     (a) in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Security of that series, or
     (b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Section 12.02 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debt Security of that series affected.
     Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any and all Events of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
     SECTION 8.14 Undertaking for Costs.
     The Company and the Trustee agree, and each Holder by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 8.14 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Security of that series on or after the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Debt Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date). This Section 8.14 shall be in lieu of Section 315(e) of the Trust Indenture Act and said Section 315(e) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture, as permitted by the Trust Indenture Act.
     SECTION 8.15 Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws.
     The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

47


 

ARTICLE IX
THE TRUSTEE
     SECTION 9.01 Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
     (a) The Trustee shall have and be subject to all the duties and responsibilities specified with respect to an indenture trustee in the Trust Indenture Act, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. For purposes of Sections 315(a) and 315(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, the term “default” is hereby defined as an Event of Default which has occurred and is continuing.
     (b) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. In case an Event of Default of which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge has occurred (which has not been cured or waived), the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
     (c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred:
     (i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
     (ii) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not to confirm or investigate the accuracy of any mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).
     (d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proven that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
     (e) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the direction of the Holders of Debt Securities pursuant to Section 8.12, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for

48


 

any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture.
     (f) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers.
     (g) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Indenture to the contrary, the duties and responsibilities of the Trustee under this Indenture shall be subject to the protections, exculpations and limitations on liability afforded to the Trustee under the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, including those provisions of such Act deemed by such Act to be included herein.
     (h) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 9.01.
     SECTION 9.02 Notice of Defaults.
     The Trustee shall transmit to the Holders, in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, notice of any default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Debt Security of that series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders of the Debt Securities of that series; and provided further, that in the case of any default or breach of the character specified in Section 8.01(d) with respect to the Debt Securities of that series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 60 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section 9.02, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default.
     SECTION 9.03 Certain Rights of Trustee.
     Subject to the provisions of Section 9.01 and to the applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act:
     (a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
     (b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, or as otherwise expressly provided herein, and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

49


 

     (c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate;
     (d) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its own selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
     (e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any Holder pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holder shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
     (f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall (subject to applicable legal requirements) be entitled to examine, during normal business hours, the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the expense of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;
     (g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder; and
     (h) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any default or Event of Default with respect to the Debt Securities of any series for which it is acting as Trustee unless either (1) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge of the default or Event of Default or (2) written notice of such default or Event of Default (which shall state that such notice is a “Notice of Default” or a “Notice of an Event of Default” hereunder, as the case may be) shall have been given to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee by the Company, any other obligor on such Debt Securities or by any Holder of such Debt Securities.
     SECTION 9.04 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Debt Securities.
     The recitals contained herein and in the Debt Securities (except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication) shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture, the Debt Securities or any

50


 

collateral security therefor. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Debt Securities or the proceeds thereof.
     SECTION 9.05 May Hold Debt Securities.
     Each of the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Debt Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Debt Securities and, subject to Sections 9.08 and 9.13, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Debt Security Registrar or such other agent.
     SECTION 9.06 Money Held in Trust.
     Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds, except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on investment of any money received by it hereunder except as expressly provided herein or otherwise agreed with, and for the sole benefit of, the Company.
     SECTION 9.07 Compensation and Reimbursement.
     The Company shall:
     (a) pay to the Trustee as agreed upon in writing from time to time, reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
     (b) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all expenses or disbursements reasonably incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture, including the costs of collection (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except to the extent that any such expense or disbursement may be attributable to its own negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith; and
     (c) fully indemnify the Trustee and hold it harmless from and against any and all losses, demands, claims, liabilities, causes of action or expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder or the performance of its duties hereunder (including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss, demand, claim, liability, cause of action or expense may be attributable to its own negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith) and assume the defense of the Trustee with counsel acceptable to the Trustee, unless the Trustee shall have been advised by counsel that there may be a conflict of interest or one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the Company in which case the Trustee may employ, and the Company shall pay the fees and expenses of, its own counsel.

51


 

     As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section 9.07, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Debt Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such other than property and funds held in trust for the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on particular Debt Securities. “Trustee” for purposes of this Section 9.07 shall include any predecessor Trustee; provided however, that the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
     When a Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 8.01(f) or Section 8.01(g), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
     The provisions of this Section 9.07 shall survive termination of this Indenture and resignation or removal of the Trustee.
     SECTION 9.08 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
     If the Trustee shall have or acquire any conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, it shall either eliminate such conflicting interest or resign to the extent, in the manner and with the effect, and subject to the conditions, provided in the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. For purposes of Section 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act and to the extent permitted thereby, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest by virtue of being a Trustee under this Indenture with respect to Debt Securities of more than one series.
     SECTION 9.09 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
     There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be
     (a) a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, any State or Territory thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or State authority, or
     (b) if and to the extent permitted by the Commission by rule, regulation or order upon application, a Person organized and doing business under the laws of a foreign government, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or the Dollar equivalent of the applicable foreign currency and subject to supervision or examination by authority of such foreign government or a political subdivision thereof substantially equivalent to supervision or examination applicable to United States institutional trustees, and, in either case, qualified and eligible under this Article IX and the Trust Indenture Act. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of such supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 9.09, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the

52


 

provisions of this Section 9.09, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article IX.
     SECTION 9.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
     (a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article IX shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 9.11.
     (b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 9.11 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition at the expense of the Company any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that series.
     (c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Debt Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
     (d) If at any time:
     (i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 9.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months, or
     (ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 9.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months, or
     (iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,
then, in any such case, (x) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Debt Securities or (y) subject to Section 8.14, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Debt Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.
     (e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause (other than as contemplated in clause (y) in subsection (d) of this Section 9.10), with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more or all of that series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Debt

53


 

Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 9.11. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 9.11, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 9.11, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Debt Security of that series for at least six months may, on behalf of itself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that series.
     (f) So long as no event which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and except with respect to a Trustee appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of one or more series pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section 9.10, if the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee (i) a Board Resolution appointing a successor Trustee, effective as of a date specified therein and (ii) an instrument of acceptance of such appointment, effective as of such date, by such successor Trustee in accordance with Section 9.11, the Trustee shall be deemed to have resigned as contemplated in subsection (b) of this Section 9.10, the successor Trustee shall be deemed to have been appointed by the Company pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section 9.10 and such appointment shall be deemed to have been accepted as contemplated in Section 9.11, all as of such date, and all other provisions of this Section 9.10 and Section 9.11 shall be applicable to such resignation, appointment and acceptance except to the extent inconsistent with this subsection (f).
     (g) The Company or, should the Company fail so to act promptly, the successor Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of Debt Securities of that series as their names and addresses appear in the Debt Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that series and the address of its corporate trust office.
     SECTION 9.11 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
     (a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of all series, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of all sums

54


 

owed to it, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.
     (b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (ii) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Debt Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee, upon payment of all sums owed to it, shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
     (c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any instruments which fully vest in and confirm to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 9.11, as the case may be.
     (d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article IX.
     SECTION 9.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
     Any Corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any Corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such Corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article IX, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Debt Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in

55


 

office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Debt Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Debt Securities.
     SECTION 9.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
     If the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities (other than by reason of a relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act), the Trustee shall be subject to any and all applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company or such other obligor.
     SECTION 9.14 Co-trustees and Separate Trustees.
     At any time or times, for the purpose of meeting the legal requirements of any applicable jurisdiction, the Company and the Trustee shall have power to appoint, and, upon the written request of the Trustee or of the Holders of at least thirty-three per centum (33%) in principal amount of the Debt Securities then Outstanding, the Company shall for such purpose join with the Trustee in the execution and delivery of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to appoint, one or more Persons approved by the Trustee either to act as co-trustee, jointly with the Trustee, or to act as separate trustee, in either case with such powers as may be provided in the instrument of appointment, and to vest in such Person or Persons, in the capacity aforesaid, any property, title, right or power deemed necessary or desirable, subject to the other provisions of this Section 9.14. If the Company does not join in such appointment within 15 days after the receipt by it of a request so to do, or if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee alone shall have power to make such appointment.
     Should any written instrument or instruments from the Company be required by any co-trustee or separate trustee so appointed to more fully confirm to such co-trustee or separate trustee such property, title, right or power, any and all such instruments shall, on request, be executed, acknowledged and delivered by the Company.
     Every co-trustee or separate trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, but to such extent only, be appointed subject to the following conditions:
     (a) the Debt Securities shall be authenticated and delivered, and all rights, powers, duties and obligations hereunder in respect of the custody of securities, cash and other personal property held by, or required to be deposited or pledged with, the Trustee hereunder, shall be exercised solely, by the Trustee;
     (b) the rights, powers, duties and obligations hereby conferred or imposed upon the Trustee in respect of any property covered by such appointment shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or performed either by the Trustee or by the Trustee and such co-trustee or separate trustee jointly, as shall be provided in the instrument appointing such co- trustee or separate trustee, except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act is to be performed, the Trustee shall be incompetent or unqualified to perform such act, in which event such rights, powers, duties and obligations shall be exercised and performed by such co-trustee or separate trustee;

56


 

     (c) the Trustee at any time, by an instrument in writing executed by it, with the concurrence of the Company, may accept the resignation of or remove any co-trustee or separate trustee appointed under this Section 9.14, and, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee shall have power to accept the resignation of, or remove, any such co-trustee or separate trustee without the concurrence of the Company. Upon the written request of the Trustee, the Company shall join with the Trustee in the execution and delivery of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to effectuate such resignation or removal. A successor to any co-trustee or separate trustee so resigned or removed may be appointed in the manner provided in this Section 9.14;
     (d) no co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of the Trustee, or any other such trustee hereunder; and
     (e) any Act of Holders delivered to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been delivered to each such co-trustee and separate trustee.
     SECTION 9.15 Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
     The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Debt Securities of that series or Tranche issued upon original issuance, exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 3.06, and Debt Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a Corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, any State or territory thereof or the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 9.15, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 9.15, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section 9.15.
     Any Corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any Corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such Corporation shall be otherwise eligible

57


 

under this Section 9.15, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
     An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving 45 days written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 9.15, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section 9.15.
     The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section 9.15.
     The provisions of Sections 3.08, 9.04 and 9.05 shall be applicable to each Authenticating Agent.
     If an appointment with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be made pursuant to this Section 9.15, the Debt Securities of that series or Tranche may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternate certificate of authentication substantially in the following form:
     This is one of the Debt Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
     Dated:                                          
                 
    By Wells Fargo Bank, National Association,    
 
  as Trustee    
 
               
 
  By            
             
        As Authenticating Agent
   
 
               
 
      By  
 
Authorized Signatory
   
     If all of the Debt Securities of a series may not be originally issued at one time, and if the Trustee does not have an office capable of authenticating Debt Securities upon original issuance located in a Place of Payment where the Company wishes to have Debt Securities of that series authenticated upon original issuance, the Trustee, if so requested by the Company in writing (which writing need not comply with Section 1.02 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel), shall appoint, in accordance with this Section 9.15 and in accordance with such

58


 

procedures as shall be acceptable to the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent having an office in a Place of Payment designated by the Company with respect to that series of Debt Securities.
ARTICLE X
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS
BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
     SECTION 10.01 Lists of Holders.
     Semiannually, not later than April 1 and October 1 in each year, commencing with the year 2009, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee information as to the names and addresses of the Holders, and the Trustee shall preserve such information and similar information received by it in any other capacity and afford to the Holders access to information so preserved by it, all to such extent, if any, and in such manner as shall be required by the Trust Indenture Act; provided however, that no such list need be furnished so long as the Trustee shall be the Debt Security Registrar. Every Holder of Debt Securities by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders of Debt Securities in accordance with Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act, or any successor section of such Act, regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, or any successor section of such Act.
     SECTION 10.02 Reports by Trustee.
     Within 60 days after May 15 of each year commencing with the first May 15 after the first issuance of Debt Securities pursuant to this Indenture, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of Debt Securities as provided in of the Trust Indenture Act a brief report dated as of such May 15 which meets the requirements of Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.
     A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange, if any, upon which the Debt Securities are listed, with the Commission and with the Company. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of the listing of the Debt Securities on any stock exchange. In the event that, on any such reporting date, no events have occurred under the applicable sections of the Trust Indenture Act within the 12 months preceding such reporting date, the Trustee shall be under no duty or obligation to provide such reports.
     SECTION 10.03 Reports by Company.
     The Company will file with the Trustee and the Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act. The Trustee agrees that any such information, documents or reports filed by the Company on the EDGAR system of the Commission pursuant to Section 13

59


 

or 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall constitute the filing thereof with, and delivery thereof to, the Trustee.
     Delivery of such reports, information, and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).
ARTICLE XI
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER,
CONVEYANCE OR OTHER TRANSFER
     SECTION 11.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
     The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into, or convey or otherwise transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to, any Person, unless:
     (a) the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a Person organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, and shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all Outstanding Debt Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;
     (b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and
     (c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, or other transfer or lease and such supplemental indenture comply with this Article XI and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transactions have been complied with.
     SECTION 11.02 Successor Person Substituted.
     Upon any consolidation by the Company with or merger by the Company into any other Person or any conveyance, or other transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 11.01, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a

60


 

lease, the predecessor Person shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Debt Securities Outstanding hereunder.
ARTICLE XII
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
     SECTION 12.01 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
     Without the consent of any Holders, the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
     (a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Debt Securities, all as provided in Article XI; or
     (b) to add one or more covenants of the Company or other provisions for the benefit of all Holders or for the benefit of the Holders of, or to remain in effect only so long as there shall be Outstanding Debt Securities of, one or more specified series, or one or more specified Tranches thereof, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or
     (c) to add any additional Events of Default with respect to all or any series or Tranche of Debt Securities Outstanding hereunder; or
     (d) to change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture or to add any new provision to this Indenture in a manner that does not adversely affect in any material respect the interests of the Holders of Debt Securities of any series or Tranche Outstanding on the date of such indenture supplemental hereto; provided that no such change, elimination or addition shall be deemed adversely to affect the Holders of Debt Securities of any series if the effect thereof is to conform this Indenture or such Debt Securities to the description thereof in any offering circular, offering memorandum or prospectus prepared and used by the Company in connection with the initial offering of the Debt Securities of that series; or
     (e) to provide collateral or security for the Debt Securities or provide for guarantors of Debt Securities; or
     (f) to establish the form or terms of Debt Securities of any series or Tranche as contemplated by Sections 2.01 and 3.01; or
     (g) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to provide that bearer securities may be registerable as to principal, to change or eliminate any restrictions on the payment of principal of or any premium or interest on bearer securities, to permit bearer securities to be issued in exchange for Debt Securities registered in the Debt Security Register, to permit bearer securities to be issued in

61


 

exchange for bearer securities of other authorized denominations or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Debt Securities in uncertificated form; or
     (h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a separate or successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 9.11(b); or
     (i) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein; or
     (j) to comply with the requirements of the Commission to effect or maintain qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act; or
     (k) to supplement any provision of this Indenture to such extent as may be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any series of Debt Securities pursuant to Section 7.01, 13.02 or 13.03; provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Debt Securities of any series in any material respect.
     Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Trust Indenture Act as in effect at the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture or at any time thereafter shall be amended and if any such amendment shall require one or more changes to any provisions hereof or the inclusion herein of any additional provisions, or shall by operation of law be deemed to effect such changes or incorporate such provisions by reference or otherwise, this Indenture shall be deemed to have been amended so as to conform to such amendment to the Trust Indenture Act, and the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders, enter into an indenture supplemental hereto to effect or evidence such changes or additional provisions.
     SECTION 12.02 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.
     With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to, or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of, this Indenture; provided that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debt Security affected thereby:
     (a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on any Debt Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon (or the amount of any installment of interest thereon) or change the method of calculating such rate or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of a Discount Debt Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 8.02, or change any Place of Payment or the coin or currency (or other property), in which any Debt Security or any premium or the interest thereon is

62


 

payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity of any Debt Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or
     (b) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series or any Tranche thereof, the consent of the Holders of which is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of the Holders of which is required for any waiver of compliance with any provision of this Indenture or of any default hereunder and its consequences, or
     (c) modify any of the provisions of this Section 12.02, Section 6.07 or Section 8.13 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof (except to increase the percentages in principal amount referred to in this Section 12.02 or such other Sections or to provide that other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of each Holder of Outstanding Debt Securities affected thereby); provided however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section 12.02, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 9.11(b), 9.14 and 12.01(h).
     A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture that has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Debt Securities, or of one or more Tranches thereof, or that modifies the rights of the Holders of Debt Securities of that series or Tranches with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Debt Securities of any other series or Tranche.
     Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a copy of the Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, compliance by the Company with Section 12.03 hereof, and the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of the Holders of the Debt Securities required hereunder with respect to the proposed supplemental indenture, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless the supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture, or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into such supplemental indenture.
     It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section 12.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof. A waiver by a Holder of such Holder’s right to consent under this Section 12.02 shall be deemed to be a consent of such Holder.
     SECTION 12.03 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
     In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article XII or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be provided with, and (subject to Section 9.01) shall be fully protected in

63


 

relying upon an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.
     SECTION 12.04 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
     Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article XII this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Debt Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby. Any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article XII may restate this Indenture in its entirety, and, upon the execution and delivery thereof, any such restatement shall supersede this Indenture as theretofore in effect for all purposes.
     SECTION 12.05 Conformity With Trust Indenture Act.
     Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article XII shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
     SECTION 12.06 Reference in Debt Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
     Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article XII may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Debt Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Debt Securities of that series or Tranche.
     SECTION 12.07 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
     The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
ARTICLE XIII
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
     SECTION 13.01 Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
     The Company may elect, at its option by Board Resolution at any time, to have either Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series designated pursuant to Section 3.01 as being defeasible pursuant to this Article XIII (hereinafter called a “Defeasible Series”), upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII.

64


 

     SECTION 13.02 Defeasance and Discharge.
     Upon the Company’s exercise of the option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.02 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series and subject to the proviso to Section 13.02, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series as provided in this Section 13.02 on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under the Debt Securities of that series and this Indenture insofar as the Debt Securities of that series are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), subject to the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (a) the right of Holders of Debt Securities of that series to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 13.04 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities of that series when payments are due, (b) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of that series under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 6.02 and 6.03, (c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (d) this Article XIII. Subject to compliance with this Article XIII, the Company may exercise its option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.02 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option provided in Section 13.01 to have Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of that series.
     SECTION 13.03 Covenant Defeasance.
     Upon the Company’s exercise of the option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series,
     (a) the Company shall be released from its obligations under Sections 6.06 and 11.01, and
     (b) the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 8.01(d) (with respect to Sections 6.06 and 11.01), 8.01(e) and 8.01(h) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default,
in each case with respect to the Outstanding Securities of that series as provided in this Section 13.03 on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 8.01(d)), whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities of that series shall be unaffected thereby.

65


 

     SECTION 13.04 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
     The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 to the Outstanding Debt Securities of any Defeasible Series:
     (a) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee that satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 9.09 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article XIII applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of Outstanding Debt Securities of that series, (1) money in an amount or (2) Government Obligations that through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and any premium and interest on the Debt Securities of that series on the respective Stated Maturities, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Debt Securities of that series.
     (b) In the case of an election under Section 13.02, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (1) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (2) since the date first set forth hereinabove, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case (1) or (2) to the effect that, the Holders of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to the Debt Securities of that series and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount, and in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
     (c) In the case of an election under Section 13.03, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to the Debt Securities of that series and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.
     (d) The Company, shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that the Debt Securities of that series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will not be delisted as a result of such deposit.
     (e) No Event of Default or event that (after notice or lapse of time or both) would become an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard to any Event of Default or any such event specified in

66


 

Sections 8.01(f) and (g), at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).
     (f) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act (assuming all Debt Securities are in default within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act).
     (g) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
     (h) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, unless such trust shall be registered under the Investment Company Act or exempt from registration thereunder.
     (i) The Company, shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
     SECTION 13.05 Deposited Money and Government Obligations To Be Held In Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
     Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 6.03, all money and Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section 13.05 and Section 13.06, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 13.04 in respect of the Debt Securities of any Defeasible Series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of the Debt Securities of that series and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of Debt Securities of that series, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
     The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 13.04 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge that by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Debt Securities.
     Anything in this Article XIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 13.04 with respect to Debt Securities of any Defeasible Series that, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance with respect to the Debt Securities of that series.

67


 

     SECTION 13.06 Reinstatement
     If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article XIII with respect to the Debt Securities of any series by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Debt Securities of that series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article XIII with respect to Debt Securities of that series until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 13.05 with respect to Debt Securities of that series in accordance with this Article XIII; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any Debt Security of that series following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of Debt Securities of that series to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.
ARTICLE XIV
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS,
STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
     SECTION 14.01 Liability Solely Corporate.
     No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Securities, or any part thereof, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or of the indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under this Indenture, against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future of the Company or of any predecessor or successor Corporation (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor Corporation), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that this Indenture and all the Debt Securities are solely corporate obligations, and that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor Corporation, either directly or indirectly through the Company or any predecessor or successor Corporation, because of the indebtedness hereby authorized or under or by reason of any of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Debt Securities or to be implied herefrom or therefrom, and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of the Debt Securities.
[Signature page follows]

68


 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
             
    NOBLE ENERGY, INC.    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Chris Tong    
 
     
 
Chris Tong, Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
   
         
Attest:
       
 
       
By
  /s/ Arnold J. Johnson
 
Name: Arnold J. Johnson
   
 
  Title: Corporate Secretary    
[Trustee’s signature page follows]

 


 

             
    WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Trustee    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ John C. Stohlmann
 
Authorized Representative
   

 

Exhibit 4.2
NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
to
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
 
First Supplemental Indenture
Dated as of February 27, 2009
to
Indenture
Dated as of February 27, 2009
 
$1,000,000,000
8.25% Notes due 2019

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page
ARTICLE I RELATION TO INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS
    1  
 
       
SECTION 1.01 Relation To Indenture
    1  
SECTION 1.02 Rules of Interpretation; Definitions
    1  
 
ARTICLE II THE SERIES OF DEBT SECURITIES
    2  
 
SECTION 2.01 Title of the Debt Securities
    2  
SECTION 2.02 Limitations on Aggregate Principal Amount
    2  
SECTION 2.03 Registered Securities; Global Form
    2  
SECTION 2.04 Form and Terms of Notes
    2  
SECTION 2.05 Registrar and Paying Agent
    3  
SECTION 2.06 Applicability of Certain Indenture Provisions
    3  
 
       
ARTICLE III MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
    3  
 
       
SECTION 3.01 Ratification of Indenture
    3  
SECTION 3.02 Governing Law
    3  
SECTION 3.03 Counterparts
    3  
SECTION 3.04 Recitals
    3  

 


 

     FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of February 27, 2009 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), between NOBLE ENERGY, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
     WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore delivered to the Trustee an Indenture dated as of February 27, 2009 (the “Indenture”) providing for the issuance from time to time of debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”).
     WHEREAS, Section 3.01 of the Indenture provides that various matters with respect to any series of Debt Securities issued under the Indenture may be established in an indenture supplemental to the Indenture.
     WHEREAS, Section 12.01(f) of the Indenture provides for the Company and the Trustee to enter into an indenture supplemental to the Indenture to establish the form or terms of Debt Securities of any series as contemplated by Sections 2.01 and 3.01 of the Indenture.
     WHEREAS, all the conditions and requirements necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture, when duly executed and delivered, a valid and legally binding agreement in accordance with its terms and for the purposes herein expressed, have been performed and fulfilled.
     NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
     For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the series of Debt Securities provided for herein by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the series of Debt Securities provided for herein, as follows:
ARTICLE I
RELATION TO INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS
     SECTION 1.01 Relation To Indenture.
     This Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Indenture.
     SECTION 1.02 Rules of Interpretation; Definitions.
     The first paragraph of Section 1.01 of the Indenture is fully incorporated by reference into this Supplemental Indenture. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires, capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 


 

ARTICLE II
THE SERIES OF DEBT SECURITIES
     SECTION 2.01 Title of the Debt Securities .
     There is hereby created under the Indenture a series of Debt Securities designated the “8.25% Notes due 2019” (the “Notes”).
     SECTION 2.02 Limitations on Aggregate Principal Amount.
     The aggregate principal amount of the Notes shall be initially limited to $1,000,000,000; provided however, that the Company may, without the consent of the Holders of Outstanding Notes, increase the principal amount of the Notes Outstanding by issuing additional Notes (“Additional Notes”) in the future on the same terms and conditions (including, without limitation, the right to receive accrued and unpaid interest), except for differences in the issue price and issue date of the Additional Notes, and with the same CUSIP number as the Notes then Outstanding. No Additional Notes may be issued if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the Notes. Any Additional Notes shall rank equally and ratably with the Notes then Outstanding and shall be treated as a single series for all purposes hereunder and under the Indenture. From and after the issue date of any Additional Notes, any reference herein to “Notes” shall include such Additional Notes.
     Except as provided in this Section, the Company shall not execute and the Trustee shall not authenticate or deliver Notes in excess of such aggregate principal amount.
     Nothing contained in this Section 2.02 or elsewhere in this Supplemental Indenture, or in the Notes, is intended to or shall limit execution by the Company or authentication or delivery by the Trustee of the Notes under the circumstances contemplated in Section 3.05, 3.06, 4.06 and 12.06 of the Indenture.
     SECTION 2.03 Registered Securities; Global Form.
     The Notes shall be issuable and transferable in fully registered form, without coupons. The Notes shall each be issued in the form of one or more permanent Global Securities subject to any requirements of the Indenture for the issuance of definitive Notes in exchange therefor. The Depositary for the Notes shall be The Depository Trust Company. Beneficial interests in the Global Securities evidencing the Notes shall not be exchangeable for Notes in definitive form except as provided in Section 2.03 of the Indenture.
     SECTION 2.04 Form and Terms of Notes.
     The Notes shall be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto and shall have the terms specified therein.

2


 

     SECTION 2.05 Registrar and Paying Agent.
     The Trustee shall initially serve as Debt Security Registrar and Paying Agent for the Notes.
     SECTION 2.06 Applicability of Certain Indenture Provisions.
     The provisions of Article VI of the Indenture, including Section 6.06 thereof, shall be applicable to the Notes.
     The provisions of Article XIII of the Indenture relating to defeasance and covenant defeasance shall be applicable to the Notes.
ARTICLE III
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
     SECTION 3.01 Ratification of Indenture.
     Except as expressly modified or amended hereby, the Indenture continues in full force and effect and is in all respects confirmed and preserved.
     SECTION 3.02 Governing Law.
     This Supplemental Indenture and each Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. This Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
     SECTION 3.03 Counterparts.
     This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
     SECTION 3.04 Recitals.
     The recitals contained herein shall be taken as statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.
[signature page follows]

3


 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first written above.
         
  NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
 
 
  By:   /s/ Chris Tong    
    Chris Tong, Senior Vice President and   
    Chief Financial Officer   
 
         
Attest:    
 
       
By
  /s/ Arnold J. Johnson
 
Name: Arnold J. Johnson
   
 
  Title: Corporate Secretary    
         
  WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
 
 
  By:   /s/ John C. Stohlmann    
    Authorized Representative   
       
 

 


 

Exhibit A to
Supplemental Indenture No. 1.
     UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (“DTC”), 55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND SUCH SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO., OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC, ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL, SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
     TRANSFERS OF THIS SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS, IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS CERTIFICATE.
NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
8.25% Note Due 2019
     
REGISTERED
  PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
No.
  $                                          
 
   
CUSIP NO. 655044 AD7
   
     NOBLE ENERGY, INC., a Delaware corporation (herein referred to as the “Company” which term includes any successor entity under the Indenture herein referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, upon presentation, the principal sum of $                      on March 1, 2019 (the “Stated Maturity Date”) and to pay interest thereon from February 27, 2009 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year (each, an “Interest Payment Date”), commencing September 1, 2009, at the rate of 8.25% per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Holder in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Debt Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the February 15 or August 15 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose; provided however, that such interest may be paid, at the Company’s option, by mailing a check to such Holder at its registered address. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date, and may be paid to the Holder in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Debt Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities not less than ten days prior to such Special Record Date, or may

A-1


 

be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. The Company will pay, to the extent lawful, interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law) on overdue principal and interest at the rate per annum borne by this Security.
     Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee in the City of Fort Worth, Texas or the office of the Trustee in The City of New York, New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. The Company, however, may pay principal and interest by check payable in such money. At the option of the Company, payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Debt Security Register; provided, that, notwithstanding anything else contained herein, if this Security is a Global Security and is held in book-entry form through the facilities of the Depositary, payments on this Security will be made to the Depositary or its nominee in accordance with the arrangements then in effect between the Trustee and the Depositary.
     In any case where any Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity Date of this Security shall not be a Business Day, then the related payment of interest or principal and premium, if any, need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date or on the Stated Maturity Date, and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity Date, as the case may be, to such Business Day. For purposes of this Security, the term “Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are generally authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close in The City of New York.
     Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
     Unless the Certificate of Authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature of one of its authorized signatories, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

A-2


 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be executed by one of its duly authorized officers.
Dated: February 27, 2009
         
  NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
 
 
  By:   /s/    
    Name:      
    Title:      
 
         
Attest:    
 
By  
 
   
 
Name:
   
 
Title:    
TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION:
     This is one of the Debt Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated: February 27, 2009
         
  WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
 
 
  By:      
    Authorized Representative   
       

A-3


 

         
[Reverse of Note]

NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
     This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Debt Securities of the Company designated as it “8.25% Notes due 2019” (herein called the “Securities”), initially limited in aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000,000, issued under an Indenture, dated as of February 27, 2009, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of February 27, 2009 (herein together called the “Indenture”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture with respect to the series of which this Debt Security is a part), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. To the extent that any provision of this Security conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of this Security will govern and be controlling (to the extent permitted by law). All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
     The Securities will be redeemable prior to the Stated Maturity Date at the Company’s option, in whole or in part at any time, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed, or (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal of the Securities to be redeemed and interest thereon (exclusive of interest accrued to the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the treasury rate plus 50 basis points, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount being redeemed, up to, but not including the Redemption Date.
     “Treasury rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
     (i) the yield, under the heading that represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15 (519)” or any successor publication which is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the Stated Maturity Date of the Securities, yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue shall be determined and the treasury rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month); or
     (ii) if the treasury rate cannot be determined pursuant to clause (i) because such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount)

A-4


 

equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for the Redemption Date.
     “Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security or securities selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having an actual or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of a comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Securities.
     “Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.
     “Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, (i) the average of three Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest of five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations obtained, or (ii) if the Trustee obtains fewer than five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations obtained.
     “Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 3:30 p.m. New York time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.
     “Reference Treasury Dealer” means each of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Barclays Capital, Inc., Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC or their affiliates that are primary U.S. Government securities dealers and their respective successors. If any of the foregoing ceases to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer, the Company shall substitute therefor another primary U.S. Government securities dealer in The City of New York.
     Notice of redemption will be given by mail to Holders of Securities, at least 30 but not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, all as provided in the Indenture.
     In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.
     If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
     The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as provided therein, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Debt Securities of any series under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series, on behalf of the Holders of all such securities of that

A-5


 

series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture with respect to such series and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and other Securities issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
     No sinking fund will be established with respect to the Securities and the Securities shall not be subject to any sinking fund payments.
     Articles VI and XIII of the Indenture shall be applicable in their entirety to the Securities.
     The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance of (i) the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect of this Security and (ii) certain restrictive covenants and the related Events of Default, subject to compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.
     No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on this Security at the times, places and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein and herein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Debt Security Register of the Company upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Debt Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein and herein set forth, this Security is exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of different authorized denominations but otherwise having the same terms and conditions, as requested by the Holder hereof surrendering the same.
     The Securities are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
     No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
     The registered Holder of this Security may be treated as its owner for all purposes.
     Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be

A-6


 

overdue, and none of the Company, the Trustee and any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
     No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or the interest on this Security, or for any claim based hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto, against any past, present or future stockholder, employee, officer or director, as such, of the Company or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof, expressly waived and released.
     The Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
     Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused “CUSIP” numbers to be printed on the Securities as a convenience to the Holders of such Securities. No representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of such CUSIP numbers as printed on the Securities, and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed hereon.

A-7


 

ASSIGNMENT FORM
     FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto                                           (Please Print or Type Name and Address Including Zip Code of Assignee) the within Debt Security of Noble Energy, Inc. and hereby does irrevocably constitute and appoint                                           Attorney to transfer said security on the books of the within-named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.                      (Please Insert Social Security or Other Identifying Number of Assignee)
Dated:                                          
         
 
 
 
   
 
       
 
 
 
   
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
     Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by Wells Fargo Bank, National Association in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended.
     NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as it appears on the first page of the within Security in every particular, without alteration or enlargement of any change whatever.

A-8