false 0001499200 0001499200 2022-11-29 2022-11-29

 

 

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): November 29, 2022

 

 

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   333-192373   27-3235920
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

700 Milam Street

Suite 1900

Houston, Texas 77002

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(713) 375-5000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

None   None   None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

 


Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

Twelfth Supplemental Indenture

On November 14, 2022, Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), and a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (“Cheniere Partners”), entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representative of the initial purchasers named therein (the “Initial Purchasers”), to issue and sell to the Initial Purchasers $430,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037 (the “Notes”). The Notes were issued at a price equal to 99.856% of par.

On November 29, 2022 (the “Issue Date”), the Company closed the sale of the Notes pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. The sale of the Notes was not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Notes were sold on a private placement basis in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 144A and Regulation S thereunder.

The Notes were issued on the Issue Date pursuant to the indenture, dated as of February 1, 2013 (the “Base Indenture”), by and among the Company, the guarantors that may become party thereto from time to time and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee under the Indenture (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the eighth supplemental indenture, dated as of September 19, 2016 (the “Eighth Supplemental Indenture”), and a twelfth supplemental indenture, dated as of the Issue Date, between the Company and the Trustee, relating to the Notes (the “Twelfth Supplemental Indenture”). The Base Indenture as supplemented by the Eighth Supplemental Indenture and the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture is referred to herein as the “Notes Indenture.”

Under the terms of the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, the Notes will mature on September 15, 2037 and will accrue interest at a rate equal to 5.900% per annum on the principal amount from the Issue Date, with such interest payable semi-annually, in cash in arrears, on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on March 15, 2023. The Notes are fully amortizing, with a weighted average life of approximately 9.5 years (from the date of issuance of the Notes) and amortization payments delayed until September 15, 2025.

The Notes are senior secured obligations of the Company and rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the Company’s future indebtedness that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes and equal in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future indebtedness (including all obligations under the Company’s senior working capital revolving credit and letter of credit reimbursement agreement and all of the Company’s outstanding senior secured notes) that is senior and secured by the same collateral securing the Notes. The Notes are effectively senior to all of the Company’s senior indebtedness that is unsecured to the extent of the value of the assets constituting the collateral securing the Notes.

As of the Issue Date, the Notes were not guaranteed but will be guaranteed in the future by all of the Company’s future restricted subsidiaries. Such guarantees will be joint and several obligations of the guarantors of the Notes. The guarantees of the Notes will be senior secured obligations of the guarantors.

At any time or from time to time prior to March 15, 2037, the Company may redeem all or a part of the Notes, at a redemption price equal to the “make-whole” price set forth in the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption. The Company also may at any time on or after March 15, 2037, redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption.

General

The Notes Indenture also contains customary terms and events of default and certain covenants that, among other things, limit the Company’s ability and the ability of the Company’s restricted subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness or

 

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issue preferred stock, make certain investments or pay dividends or distributions on capital stock or subordinated indebtedness or purchase, redeem or retire capital stock, sell or transfer assets, including capital stock of the Company’s restricted subsidiaries, restrict dividends or other payments by restricted subsidiaries, incur liens, enter into transactions with affiliates, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate, merge, sell or lease all or substantially all of the Company’s assets and enter into certain LNG sales contracts. The Notes Indenture covenants are subject to a number of important limitations and exceptions.

The foregoing description of the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto, and is incorporated by reference herein. The foregoing description of the Notes Indenture is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Notes Indenture, which is incorporated by reference herein. A copy of the Base Indenture was filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report dated February 4, 2013, filed by Cheniere Partners on Form 8-K. A copy of the Eighth Supplemental Indenture was filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report dated September 23, 2016, filed by Cheniere Partners on Form 8-K. Any capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meaning ascribed to them in the Notes Indenture.

Registration Rights Agreement

In connection with the closing of the sale of the Notes, the Company and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representative of the respective Initial Purchasers, entered into a Registration Rights Agreement dated the Issue Date (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company has agreed, and any future guarantors of the Notes will agree, to use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and cause to become effective a registration statement with respect to an offer to exchange any and all of the Notes, for a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities of the Company issued under the Notes Indenture and identical in all material respects to the respective Notes sought to be exchanged (other than with respect to restrictions on transfer or to any increase in annual interest rate), and that are registered under the Securities Act. The Company has agreed, and any future guarantors of the Notes will agree, to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 360 days after the Issue Date. Under specified circumstances, the Company has also agreed, and any future guarantors will also agree, to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause to become effective a shelf registration statement relating to resales of the Notes. The Company will be obligated to pay additional interest if it fails to comply with its obligations to register the Notes within the specified time periods.

This description of the Registration Rights Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Registration Rights Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

The information included in Item 1.01 of this report is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

4.1    Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 29, 2022, between Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee under the Indenture.
10.1    Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2022, between Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC.
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

Filed herewith.

 

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SIGNATURES

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

 

  SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC
Dated: November 29, 2022   By:  

/s/ Zach Davis

    Name:   Zach Davis
    Title:   Chief Financial Officer

 

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Exhibit 4.1

 

 

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC

 

 

TWELFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

Dated as of November 29, 2022

 

 

The Bank of New York Mellon

Trustee

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  
ARTICLE 1 INTERPRETATION      2  
Section 1.01   To Be Read With the Original Indenture      2  
Section 1.02   Capitalized Terms      2  
ARTICLE 2 AMENDMENTS TO THE ORIGINAL INDENTURE      2  
Section 2.01   Amendments to the Original Indenture      2  
ARTICLE 3 ADDITIONAL NOTES      10  
Section 3.01   The Additional Notes      10  
Section 3.02   Maturity Date      10  
Section 3.03   Form; Payment of Interest; Installment Payments      10  
Section 3.04   Execution and Authentication of the 5.900% 2037 Notes      12  
ARTICLE 4 REDEMPTION      13  
Section 4.01   Redemption      13  
ARTICLE 5 MISCELLANEOUS      15  
Section 5.01   Ratification of the Indenture; Accession Agreement      15  
Section 5.02   Governing Law      16  
Section 5.03   Counterpart Originals      16  
Section 5.04   Table of Contents, Headings, etc.      16  
Section 5.05   The Trustee      16  
Section 5.06   Electronic Means      16  

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A-1    FORM OF NOTE
Exhibit A-2    FORM OF REGULATION S TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE
Exhibit B    FORM OF NET SHORT REPRESENTATION

 

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TWELFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE dated as of November 29, 2022 between Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”) and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee under the Indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”).

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee previously have entered into an indenture, dated as of February 1, 2013 (the “Original Indenture”, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of April 16, 2013, the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of April 16, 2013, the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 25, 2013, the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 20, 2014, the Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 20, 2014, the Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 3, 2015, the Seventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 14, 2016, the Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 19, 2016, the Ninth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 23, 2016, the Tenth Supplemental Indenture dated March 6, 2017, the Eleventh Supplemental Indenture dated May 8, 2020, and this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture dated November 29, 2022 and any further amendments or supplements thereto, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance of 5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037;

WHEREAS, the Indenture provides for, among other things, that, subsequent to the execution of the Original Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of Holders of the outstanding 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 issued under the Original Indenture (the “Original 5.625% 2021 Notes”), enter into one or more indentures supplemental to the Original Indenture to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with Section 2.01(d) thereof;

WHEREAS, the Original Indenture provides that the terms and conditions of any Additional Notes shall be established in one or more Supplemental Indentures approved pursuant to a Board Resolution;

WHEREAS, pursuant to a Board Resolution dated as of November 9, 2022, the Company has authorized the issuance of $430,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037;

WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee join in the execution of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Original Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture; and

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture a valid agreement of the parties and a valid supplement to the Original Indenture have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and in the Indenture and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are herein acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee hereby agree, for the equal and ratable benefit of all Holders, as follows:

 


ARTICLE 1

INTERPRETATION

Section 1.01 To Be Read With the Original Indenture.

This Twelfth Supplemental Indenture is supplemental to the Original Indenture, and the Original Indenture, the Eighth Supplemental Indenture and this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture shall hereafter be read together and shall have effect, so far as practicable, with respect to the 5.900% 2037 Notes (as defined below) as if all the provisions of the Original Indenture, the Eighth Supplemental Indenture and this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture were contained in one instrument.

Section 1.02 Capitalized Terms.

All capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Original Indenture.

ARTICLE 2

AMENDMENTS TO THE ORIGINAL INDENTURE

Effective on and after date of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture is hereby amended as follows:

Section 2.01 Amendments to the Original Indenture

Section 1.01 of the Original Indenture is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:

Additional Material Project Document” means any contract, agreement, letter agreement or other instrument to which the Company becomes a party after the Initial Senior Secured Debt Closing Date that:

(a) replaces or substitutes for an existing Material Project Document; or

(b) (i) contains obligations and liabilities that are in excess of $250,000,000 over its term (including after taking into account all amendments, amendments and restatements, supplements, or waivers to any such contract, agreement, letter agreement or other instrument) and (ii) has obligations of the company that are for a term of greater than seven years; provided that in the case of a GSA, such agreement is (x) for more than 10% of the volume of gas expected to be consumed by the Company in each year that the GSA is in effect and (y) that is for a term of greater than seven years;

provided, that for the purposes of this definition, any series of related transactions shall be considered as one transaction, and all contracts, agreements, letter agreements or other instruments in respect of such transactions shall be considered as one contract, agreement, letter agreement or other instrument, as applicable; provided further that any contract, agreement or other instrument of the type listed in clauses (a), (b) and (e) of the definition of “Material Project Document” shall not be considered an Additional Material Project Document to the extent such contract, agreement or other

 

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instrument is not considered a Material Project Document pursuant to clause (a), (b) or (e), as applicable.

Authorized Officers” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 5.06.

Change of Control” means the occurrence of the Parent owning, directly or indirectly, less than 50% of the voting and economic interests in the Company; provided that a Change of Control shall not be deemed to have occurred if the Company shall have received letters from any two Acceptable Rating Agencies (or if only one Acceptable Rating Agency is then rating the 5.900% 2037 Notes, the Company shall have received a letter from that Acceptable Rating Agency) to the effect that the Acceptable Rating Agency has considered this contemplated event and that, if the contemplated event occurs, such Acceptable Rating Agency would reaffirm the then current rating of the 5.900% 2037 Notes as of the date of such event.

Common Terms Agreement” means the Third Amended and Restated Common Terms Agreement, dated as of March 19, 2020, as amended, among the Company, the subsidiaries of the Company party thereto from time to time, the Secured Debt Holder Group Representatives, the Secured Hedge Representatives, the Secured Gas Hedge Representatives, the Common Security Trustee and the Intercreditor Agent, as amended from time to time.

Derivative Instrument” with respect to a Person, means any contract, instrument or other right to receive payment or delivery of cash or other assets to which such Person or any Affiliate of such Person that is acting in concert with such Person in connection with such Person’s investment in the 5.900% 2037 Notes (other than a Screened Affiliate) is a party (whether or not requiring further performance by such Person), the value and/or cash flows of which (or any material portion thereof) are materially affected by the value and/or performance of the 5.900% 2037 Notes and/or the creditworthiness of the Company or any Guarantor.

Electronic Means” shall mean the following communications methods: e-mail, facsimile transmission, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee, or another method or system specified by the Trustee as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.

Finance Lease” means any Indebtedness represented by a lease obligation of a person incurred with respect to real property or equipment acquired or leased by such person and used in its business that is required to be recorded as a finance lease in accordance with GAAP.

 

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Fundamental Decision” means:

(c) Modifying the application of funds provisions of the Accounts Agreement described under “—Account Flows,” other than Insurance/Condemnation Proceeds Account;

(d) Modifying any of the provisions of the granting clauses of the Security Agreement or the Pledge Agreement or any other provision of the Financing Documents governing the granting of or priority of the Liens over the Security; and

(e) Modifying the definition of “Project Completion Date” as set out in the Common Terms Agreement.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied, but excluding the effect of ASC 842.

Initial Notes” means $430,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.900% 2037 Notes issued under this Indenture on the date hereof.

Instructions” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 5.06.

Long Derivative Instrument” means a Derivative Instrument (i) the value of which generally increases, and/ or the payment or delivery obligations under which generally decrease, with positive changes to the Company or any Guarantor and/or (ii) the value of which generally decreases, and/or the payment or delivery obligations under which generally increase, with negative changes to the Company or any Guarantor.

Material Project Document” means:

 

  (a)

the EPC Contracts and related parent guarantees with respect to any Train that is under construction or pursuant to which the EPC Contractor has remaining warranty liabilities;

 

  (b)

(i) any FOB Sale and Purchase Agreement and (ii) any other Facility LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement that has a delivery term of seven years or more and is expected to account for more than 10% of fixed fees of the Company during the shorter of (x) the period prior to maturity of any series of Notes or (y) the period during which delivery obligations under such Agreement are scheduled to be in effect, and in each case, any related parent guarantees;

 

  (c)

the Management Services Agreement;

 

  (d)

the Sabine Pass TUA;

 

  (e)

the Pipeline Transportation Agreements; which provide for transportation of natural gas for a term of seven years or more and have annual payment obligations of the Company of not less than $65 million for the shorter of (x) the period prior to maturity of any series of Notes or (y) the period during which transportation obligations under such Agreement are scheduled to be in effect;

 

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  (f)

the Terminal Use Rights Assignment and Agreement;

 

  (g)

the Cooperation Agreement;

 

  (h)

the Real Property Documents;

 

  (i)

the Precedent Agreements;

 

  (j)

the ConocoPhillips License Agreements;

 

  (k)

the Total TUA Assignment Agreements;

 

  (l)

the Water Agreement;

 

  (m)

the CMI LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement;

 

  (n)

the GE Contractual Service Agreement; and

 

  (o)

any Additional Material Project Document.

 

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Net Short” means, with respect to a Holder or Beneficial Owner, as of a date of determination, either (i) the value of its Short Derivative Instruments exceeds the sum of (x) the value of its 5.900% 2037 Notes, plus (y) the value of its Long Derivative Instruments as of such date of determination or (ii) it is reasonably expected that such would have been the case were a Failure to Pay or Bankruptcy Credit Event (each as defined in the 2014 ISDA Credit Derivatives Definitions) to have occurred with respect to the Company or any Guarantor immediately prior to such date of determination.

Project Completion Date” means February 4, 2022.

Screened Affiliate” means any Affiliate of a Holder (i) that makes investment decisions independently from such Holder and any other Affiliate of such holder that is not a Screened Affiliate, (ii) that has in place customary information screens between it and such Holder and any other Affiliate of such Holder that is not a Screened Affiliate and such screens prohibit the sharing of information with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries, (iii) whose investment policies are not directed by such Holder or any other Affiliate of such Holder that is acting in concert with such Holder in connection with its investment in the 5.900% 2037 Notes, and (iv) whose investment decisions are not influenced by the investment decisions of such Holder or any other Affiliate of such Holder that is acting in concert with such Holders in connection with its investment in the 5.900% 2037 Notes.

Short Derivative Instrument” means a Derivative Instrument (i) the value of which generally decreases, and/or the payment or delivery obligations under which generally increase, with positive changes to the Company or any Guarantor and/or (ii) the value of which generally increases, and/or the payment or delivery obligations under which generally decrease, with negative changes to the Company or any Guarantor.

Section 2.02 of the Original Indenture is hereby amended and restated as follows:

Execution and Authentication.

At least one Officer must sign the 5.900% 2037 Notes for the Company by manual, pdf or other electronically imaged signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time a Note is authenticated, the Note will nevertheless be valid.

 

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A Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual, pdf or other electronically imaged signature of the Trustee. The signature will be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee will, upon receipt of a written order of the Company signed by at least one Officer (an “Authentication Order”), authenticate 5.900% 2037 Notes for original issue that may be validly issued under this Indenture, including any Additional Notes. The aggregate principal amount of 5.900% 2037 Notes outstanding at any time may not exceed the aggregate principal amount of 5.900% 2037 Notes authorized for issuance by the Company pursuant to one or more Authentication Orders, except as provided in Section 2.07.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate 5.900% 2037 Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate 5.900% 2037 Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an Affiliate of the Company.

The Initial Notes and the Additional Notes (and, in each case, any Exchange Notes issued in exchange therefor) shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the 5.900% 2037 Notes shall include the Initial Notes and any Additional Notes (and, in each case, any Exchange Notes issued in exchange therefor). Nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to modify, replace or otherwise affect the restrictions on transfer applicable to Restricted Notes set forth in Section 2.06.

References in Subsection (H) of the definition of “Indebtedness” in Section 1.01, Subsection (f) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” in Section 1.01, Section 4.07(b)(5) and Section 4.08(e) to “Capital Lease Obligations” of the Original Indenture shall be replaced with “Finance Lease”.

Section 4.09(d) of the Original Indenture is hereby amended and restated as follows:

“(d) An amount equal to any Net Cash Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not applied or invested as provided in the preceding clauses of this Section 4.09 will constitute “Excess Proceeds.” If on any date, the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $100,000,000, then within ten Business Days after such date, the Company will make an Asset Sale Offer in accordance with Section 3.09. The offer price in any Asset Sale Offer will be equal to 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of purchase and will be payable in cash. If any Excess Proceeds remain unapplied after consummation of an Asset Sale Offer, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may use those Excess Proceeds for any purpose not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture. Upon completion of each Asset Sale Offer, the amount of Excess Proceeds will be reset at zero.

In the case of each partial prepayment of the 5.900% 2037 Notes pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer, the principal amount of the 5.900% 2037 Notes to be prepaid shall be allocated among all of the 5.900% 2037 Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment.”

 

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Subsection (9) of the definition of an “Event of Default” in Section 6.01 of the Original Indenture is hereby amended and restated as follows:

“(9) a final judgment or order, or series of judgments or orders, for the payment of money in excess of $150,000,000 in the aggregate (net of insurance proceeds which are reasonably expected to be paid), in either case shall be rendered against any Loan Party, in each case, by one or more Government Authorities, arbitral tribunals or other bodies having jurisdiction over any such entity and the same shall not be discharged (or provision shall not be made for such discharge), dismissed or stayed, within 90 days from the date of entry of such judgment or order or judgments or orders;”

Section 6.01 of the Original Indenture is hereby amended by inserting the following after the definition of an “Event of Default:”

Any notice of Default, notice of acceleration or instruction to the Trustee to provide a notice of Default, notice of acceleration or take any other action (a “Noteholder Direction”) provided by any one or more Holders of the then outstanding 5.900% 2037 Notes (each, a “Directing Holder”) must be accompanied by a written representation from each such Holder delivered to the Company and the Trustee that such Holder is not (or, in the case such Holder is DTC or its nominee, that such Holder is being instructed solely by the Beneficial Owners that have represented to such Holder that they are not) Net Short (a “Position Representation”), which representation, in the case of a Noteholder Direction relating to the delivery of a notice of Default shall be deemed a continuing representation until the resulting Event of Default is cured or otherwise ceases to exist or the 5.900% 2037 Notes are accelerated. In addition, each Directing Holder is deemed, at the time of providing a Noteholder Direction, to have covenanted to provide the Company with such other information as the Company may reasonably request from time to time in order to verify the accuracy of such Directing Holder’s Position Representation within five Business Days of request therefor (a “Verification Covenant”). In any case in which the Holder is DTC or its nominee, any Position Representation or Verification Covenant required hereunder shall be provided by the Beneficial Owner of the 5.900% 2037 Notes in lieu of DTC or its nominee, and DTC shall be entitled to conclusively rely on such Position Representation and Verification Covenant in delivering its direction to the Trustee.

If, following the delivery of a Noteholder Direction, but prior to acceleration of the 5.900% 2037 Notes, the Company determines in good faith that there is a reasonable basis to believe a Directing Holder was, at any relevant time, in breach of its Position Representation and provides to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the Company has initiated litigation in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking a determination that such Directing Holder was, at such time, in breach of its Position Representation, and seeking to invalidate any Event of Default that resulted from the applicable Noteholder Direction, the cure period with respect to the Default relating to such Event of Default shall be automatically stayed and the cure period with respect to

 

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such Event of Default shall be automatically reinstituted and any remedy stayed pending a final and non-appealable determination of a court of competent jurisdiction on such matter. If, following the delivery of a Noteholder Direction, but prior to acceleration of the 5.900% 2037 Notes, the Company provides to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that a Directing Holder failed to satisfy its Verification Covenant, the cure period with respect to such Default shall be automatically stayed and the cure period with respect to any Event of Default that resulted from the applicable Noteholder Direction shall be automatically reinstituted and any remedy stayed until such time as the Company provides the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate that the Verification Covenant has been satisfied; provided that the Company shall promptly deliver such Officer’s Certificate to the Trustee upon becoming aware that the Verification Covenant has been satisfied.

Any breach of the Position Representation (as evidenced by the delivery to the Trustee of the Officer’s Certificate stating that a Directing Holder failed to satisfy its Verification Covenant) shall result in such Holder’s participation in such Noteholder Direction being disregarded; and if, without the participation of such Holder, the percentage of 5.900% 2037 Notes held by the remaining Holders that provided such Noteholder Direction would have been insufficient to validly provide such Noteholder Direction, such Noteholder Direction shall be void ab initio, with the effect that such Event of Default shall be deemed never to have occurred, acceleration voided and the Trustee shall be deemed not to have received such Noteholder Direction or any notice of such Default or Event of Default; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any indemnity or security provided by the Directing Holders to the Trustee shall not thereby be invalidated and such obligations shall continue to survive.

Notwithstanding anything in the preceding two paragraphs to the contrary, (i) any Noteholder Direction delivered to the Trustee during the pendency of an Event of Default specified in clause (7) of the definition of an Event of Default under Section 6.01 shall not require compliance with the foregoing paragraphs. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely on any Noteholder Direction delivered to it, Position Representations, Verification Covenants, Officer’s Certificate or other documents delivered to it pursuant to the foregoing paragraphs or in accordance with this Indenture, shall have no duty to inquire as to or investigate the accuracy of any Position Representation, enforce compliance with any Verification Covenant, verify any statements in any Officer’s Certificate delivered to it, or otherwise make calculations, investigations or determinations with respect to Derivative Instruments, Net Shorts, Long Derivative Instruments, Short Derivative Instruments or otherwise and shall have no liability for ceasing to take any action or stating any remedy. The Trustee shall have no liability to the Company, any Holder or any other Person in acting in good faith on a Noteholder Direction or to determine whether any holder has delivered a Position Representation or satisfied any Verification Covenant.

With their acquisition of the 5.900% 2037 Notes, each Holder consents to the delivery of its Position Representation by the Trustee to the Company in accordance with the terms of this Section 6.01. Each Holder of the 5.900% 2037 Notes waives any and all claims, in law and/or in equity, against the Trustee and agrees not to commence any legal proceeding against the Trustee in respect of, and agrees that the Trustee will not be liable for, any action that the Trustee takes in accordance with this Section 6.01 or arising out of or in connection with following instructions.

 

9


The Company waives any and all claims, in law and/or in equity, against the Trustee, and agrees not to commence any legal proceeding against the Trustee in respect of, and agrees that the Trustee will not be liable for any action that the trustee takes in accordance with this Section 6.01 or arising out of or in connection with following instructions.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee will treat all Holders equally with respect to their rights under this Section 6.01. In connection with the requisite percentages required under this Section 6.01 of this Indenture, the Trustee shall also treat all outstanding 5.900% 2037 Notes equally irrespective of any Position Representation in determining whether the requisite percentage has been obtained with respect to the initial delivery of the Noteholder Direction.

The Company hereby confirms that any and all other actions that the Trustee takes or omits to take under this Section 6.01 and all fees, costs and expenses of the Trustee and its agents and counsel arising hereunder and in connection herewith shall be covered by the Company’s indemnification under Section 7.07 of this Indenture.

ARTICLE 3

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Section 3.01 The Additional Notes

Pursuant to Section 2.01(d) of the Original Indenture, the Company hereby creates and issues a series of Notes designated as “5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037,” initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $430,000,000 (the “5.900% 2037 Notes”); provided that the Company may, at any time and from time to time, create and issue additional 5.900% 2037 Notes in an unlimited principal amount which will be part of the same series as the 5.900% 2037 Notes and which will have the same terms (except for the issue date, issue price and, in some cases, the first Interest Payment Date and Payment Schedule) as the 5.900% 2037 Notes. The 5.900% 2037 Notes will have the same terms as the Original 5.625% 2021 Notes other than as provided in this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture. All 5.900% 2037 Notes issued under this Indenture will, once issued, be considered Notes for all purposes thereunder and will be subject to and take the benefit of all the terms, conditions and provisions of this Indenture.

Section 3.02 Maturity Date

The maturity date of the 5.900% 2037 Notes is September 15, 2037.

Section 3.03 Form; Payment of Interest; Installment Payments

(a) With respect to the 5.900% 2037 Notes, the references, in the Original Indenture, in Section 2.01 thereof and in the definition of “Definitive Note,” to Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2, shall be to Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 attached to this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture.

 

10


(b) The Company will pay interest and Additional Interest, if any, on the 5.900% 2037 Notes semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day. Interest on the 5.900% 2037 Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from November 29, 2022. The first Interest Payment Date with respect to the 5.900% 2037 Notes shall be March 15, 2023.

(c) The Company shall also pay in cash installment payments consisting of partial repayment of principal of each note on each March 15 and September 15 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, in accordance with the payment schedule set forth below (the “Payment Schedule”), commencing on September 15, 2025. Installment payments will be payable to the holder of record of the 5.900% 2037 Notes in respect of the principal amount outstanding as of the close of business on the immediately preceding September 1 or March 1, as the case may be.

Payment Schedule

 

Payment Date

   Percentage of Original Principal Amount Payable  

9/15/2025

     2.761

3/15/2026

     2.842

9/15/2026

     2.926

3/15/2027

     3.012

9/15/2027

     3.101

3/15/2028

     3.193

9/15/2028

     3.287

3/15/2029

     3.384

9/15/2029

     3.484

3/15/2030

     3.587

9/15/2030

     3.692

3/15/2031

     3.801

9/15/2031

     3.913

3/15/2032

     4.029

9/15/2032

     4.148

3/15/2033

     4.270

9/15/2033

     4.396

 

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3/15/2034

     4.526

9/15/2034

     4.659

3/15/2035

     4.797

9/15/2035

     4.938

3/15/2036

     5.084

9/15/2036

     5.234

3/15/2037

     5.388

9/15/2037

     5.547

Section 3.04 Execution and Authentication of the 5.900% 2037 Notes

The Trustee shall, pursuant to an Authentication Order, authenticate the 5.900% 2037 Notes.

 

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ARTICLE 4

REDEMPTION

Section 4.01 Redemption.

With respect to the 5.900% 2037 Notes, references in Sections 3.01, 3.02 and 3.03 to “30 days” of the Original Indenture shall be replaced with “10 days”.

With respect to the 5.900% 2037 Notes, Section 3.04 of the Original Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety to read as follows:

Section 3.04 Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Any redemption and notice of redemption may, at the Company’s discretion, be subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent. If such redemption is subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, the related notice shall describe each such condition, and if applicable, shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the redemption date may be delayed until such time as any or all such conditions shall be satisfied or waived (including to a date later than 60 days after the date on which such notice was mailed or delivered electronically), or such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied or waived by the redemption date, or by the redemption date as so delayed, or such notice may be rescinded at any time in our discretion if in the Company’s good faith judgment any or all of such conditions will not be satisfied or waived.”

With respect to the 5.900% 2037 Notes, Section 3.07 of the Original Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety to read as follows:

“Section 3.07 Optional Redemption.

At any time or from time to time prior to March 15, 2037, the Company may, at its option, redeem all or a part of the 5.900% 2037 Notes and the Exchange Notes issued for the 5.900% 2037 Notes (collectively, the “5.900% 2037 Series Notes”), at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest payments or installment payments due on a payment date that is on or prior to the redemption date, without duplication).

Make-Whole Price” with respect to any 5.900% 2037 Series Notes to be redeemed, means an amount equal to the greater of:

 

  (1)

100% of the remaining principal amount of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes; and

 

  (2)

the Discounted Value of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes;

plus, in the case of both (1) and (2), accrued and unpaid interest on such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes, if any, to the redemption date.

 

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Called Principal” means, with respect to any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the principal of such note that is to be prepaid or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable, as the context requires.

Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the 5.900% 2037 Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.

Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.35% and (y) the yield to maturity implied by the yield(s) reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second (2nd) Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities (“Reported”) having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life (as defined herein) of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there are no such U.S. Treasury securities Reported having a maturity equal to such Remaining Average Life, then such implied yield to maturity will be determined by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between the yields Reported for the applicable most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities with the maturities (1) closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Notes.

If such yields are not Reported or the yields Reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), then “Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.35% and (y) the yield to maturity implied by the U.S. Treasury constant maturity yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second (2nd) Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any comparable successor publication) for the U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there is no such U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to such Remaining Average Life, such implied yield to maturity will be determined by interpolating linearly between (1) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Notes.

 

14


Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years obtained by dividing (a) such Called Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (1) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (2) the number of years, computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months calculated to two decimal places, that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the 5.900% 2037 Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date.

Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of a 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be redeemed or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable.

The notice of redemption with respect to the foregoing redemption need not set forth the Make-Whole Price but only the manner of calculation thereof. The Company will notify the Trustee of the Make-Whole Price with respect to any redemption promptly after the calculation, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for such calculation.

At any time after March 15, 2037, the Company may redeem the 5.900% 2037 Series Notes at its option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, upon notice as described in Section 3.03 of this Indenture, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to (but not including) the applicable redemption date (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive payments due on the relevant Payment Date falling prior to or on the redemption date).

ARTICLE 5

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 5.01 Ratification of the Indenture; Accession Agreement.

(a) The Original Indenture as supplemented by the Eighth Supplemental Indenture and this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Original Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided.

(b) Each Holder of the 5.900% 2037 Notes, by its acceptance of the 5.900% 2037 Notes, ratifies and confirms the Accession Agreement, pursuant to which the 5.900% 2037 Notes constitute additional New Secured Debt (as defined in the Accession Agreement) and Secured Debt that is pari passu with all other Secured Debt and secured by the Collateral equally and ratably with all other Secured Debt.

 

15


Section 5.02 Governing Law.

THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS TWELFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE 5.900% 2037 NOTES AND ANY NOTE GUARANTEES RELATED TO THE 5.900% 2037 NOTES WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW.

Section 5.03 Counterpart Originals.

The parties may sign any number of copies of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy will be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (i.e., “pdf” or “tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Twelfth Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format (i.e., “pdf” or “tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes. This Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, the Trustee’s certificate of authentication on the 2037 Series Notes, and any other document delivered in connection with this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture or the issuance and delivery of the 2037 Series Notes may be signed by or on behalf of the Company and the Trustee by manual, pdf or other electronically imaged signature.

Section 5.04 Table of Contents, Headings, etc.

The Table of Contents and Headings of the Articles and Sections of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and will in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof and will not affect the construction hereof.

Section 5.05 The Trustee.

The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Twelfth Supplemental Indenture or the 2037 Series Notes or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein and in the 2037 Series Notes, all of which recitals are made solely by the Company.

Section 5.06 Electronic Means.

The Trustee shall have the right to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”) given pursuant to this Indenture and delivered using Electronic Means; provided, however, that the Company shall provide to the Trustee an incumbency certificate listing officers with the authority to provide such Instructions (“Authorized Officers”)

 

16


and containing specimen signatures of such Authorized Officers, which incumbency certificate shall be amended by the Company whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Company elects to give the Trustee Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Company understands and agrees that the Trustee cannot determine the identity of the actual sender of such Instructions and that the Trustee shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an Authorized Officer listed on the incumbency certificate provided to the Trustee have been sent by such Authorized Officer. The Company shall be responsible for ensuring that only Authorized Officers transmit such Instructions to the Trustee and that the Company and all Authorized Officers are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Company. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions notwithstanding such directions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized Instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Company; (iii) that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee immediately upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures.

[Signatures on following page]

 

17


SIGNATURES

Dated as of November 29, 2022

 

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC
By:  

/s/ Zach Davis

Name:   Zach Davis
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee
By:  

/s/ Francine Kincaid

Name:   Francine Kincaid
Title:   Vice President


EXHIBIT A-1

[Face of Note]

CUSIP: 785592AY2

ISIN: US785592AY26

5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037

 

No.                 $                     

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC

promises to pay to                  or registered assigns, the principal sum of                                                                                                DOLLARS in installments on the dates and in the amounts set forth on Schedule I hereto and made part hereof.

Interest Payment Dates: March 15 and September 15, commencing March 15, 2023

Record Dates: March 1 and September 1


Dated:                                              

 

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC
By:  

         

Name:  
Title:  

 

This is one of the Notes referred to

in the within-mentioned Indenture:

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee

By:

 

 

  Authorized Signatory


[Back of Note]

5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037

[Insert the Global Note Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

[Insert the Private Placement Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

Capitalized terms used herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.

(1) PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST. Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), promises to pay principal provided for under Schedule I hereto and interest on the principal amount outstanding of this Note at 5.900% per annum from November 29, 2022 until maturity and shall pay the Additional Interest, if any, payable pursuant to Section 6 of the Registration Rights Agreement referred to below. The Company will pay principal (if required pursuant to Schedule I), interest and Additional Interest, if any, semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day (each, a “Payment Date”). Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that if there is no existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Payment Date; provided further that the first Payment Date shall be March 15, 2023. The Company will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on demand at a rate that is 0.5% per annum in excess of the rate then in effect to the extent lawful; it will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of principal, interest and Additional Interest, if any, (without regard to any applicable grace periods) from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

(2) METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay interest on the Notes (except defaulted interest) and Additional Interest, if any, to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes at the close of business on March 1 or September 1 next preceding the Interest Payment Date, even if such Notes are canceled after such record date and on or before such Interest Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal, premium and Additional Interest, if any, and interest at the office or agency of the Paying Agent or Registrar maintained for such purpose within or without the City and State of New York, or, at the option of the Company, payment of interest and Additional Interest, if any, may be made by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses set forth in the register of Holders; provided that payment by wire transfer of immediately available funds will be required with respect to principal of and interest, premium and Additional Interest, if any, on, all Global Notes and all other Notes the Holders of which will have provided wire transfer instructions to the Company or the Paying Agent. Such payment will be 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.


(3) PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.

(4) INDENTURE AND SECURITY DOCUMENTS. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of February 1, 2013, as supplemented by an eighth supplemental indenture dated as of September 19, 2016 and a twelfth supplemental indenture dated as of November 29, 2022 (the “Indenture”) among the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the TIA. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The Notes are secured obligations of the Company. The Notes are secured by a pledge of Collateral (as defined in the Indenture) pursuant to the Security Documents referred to in the Indenture. The Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be issued thereunder.

(5) OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.

At any time or from time to time prior to March 15, 2037, the Company may, at its option, redeem all or a part of the 5.900% 2037 Notes and the Exchange Notes issued for the 5.900% 2037 Notes (collectively, the “5.900% 2037 Series Notes”), at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest payments or installment payments due on a payment date that is on or prior to the redemption date, without duplication).

Make-Whole Price” with respect to any 5.900% 2037 Series Notes to be redeemed, means an amount equal to the greater of:

 

  (3)

100% of the remaining principal amount of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes; and

 

  (4)

the Discounted Value of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes;

plus, in the case of both (1) and (2), accrued and unpaid interest on such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes, if any, to the redemption date.

“Called Principal” means, with respect to any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the principal of such note that is to be prepaid or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable, as the context requires.

“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.


“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.35% and (y) the yield to maturity implied by the yield(s) reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second (2nd) Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities (“Reported”) having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life (as defined herein) of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there are no such U.S. Treasury securities Reported having a maturity equal to such Remaining Average Life, then such implied yield to maturity will be determined by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between the yields Reported for the applicable most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities with the maturities (1) closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Notes.

If such yields are not Reported or the yields Reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), then “Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.35% and (y) the yield to maturity implied by the U.S. Treasury constant maturity yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second (2nd) Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any comparable successor publication) for the U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there is no such U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to such Remaining Average Life, such implied yield to maturity will be determined by interpolating linearly between (1) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Notes.

“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years obtained by dividing (a) such Called Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (1) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (2) the number of years, computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months calculated to two decimal places, that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.


“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date.

“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of a 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be redeemed or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable.

The notice of redemption with respect to the foregoing redemption need not set forth the Make-Whole Price but only the manner of calculation thereof. The Company will notify the Trustee of the Make-Whole Price with respect to any redemption promptly after the calculation, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for such calculation.

At any time after March 15, 2037, the Company may redeem the 5.900% 2037 Series Notes at its option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, upon notice as described in Section 3.03 of this Indenture, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to (but not including) the applicable redemption date (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive payments due on the relevant Payment Date falling prior to or on the redemption date).

(6) MANDATORY REDEMPTION.

The Company is not required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

(7) REPURCHASE AT THE OPTION OF HOLDER.

(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Company will make an offer (a “Change of Control Offer”) of payment (a “Change of Control Payment”) to each Holder to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof) of that Holder’s Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to not less than 101% of the aggregate remaining principal amount of Notes repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to the date of repurchase (the “Change of Control Payment Date,” which date will be no earlier than the date of such Change of Control). No later than 30 days following any Change of Control, the Company will mail a notice to each Holder setting forth the procedures governing the Change of Control Offer as required by the Indenture.

(b) The Company will be required to make Asset Sale Offers, Excess Proceeds Offers and Project Document Termination Payment Offers to the extent provided in Sections 4.09, 4.16 and 4.22, respectively, of the Indenture.


(8) NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of redemption will be mailed at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Notes or a satisfaction or discharge of the Indenture. Notes in denominations larger than $2,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, unless all of the Notes held by a Holder are to be redeemed.

(9) DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The transfer of Notes may be registered, and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part. Also, the Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the period between a record date and the corresponding Interest Payment Date.

(10) PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may be treated as its owner for all purposes.

(11) TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.

(12) NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No past, present or future director, manager, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner or stockholder of the Company or any Guarantor (including the General Partner and the Parent), as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Guarantors under the Notes, the Indenture, the Note Guarantees, the Security Documents, the Financing Documents or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

(13) AUTHENTICATION. This Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual, pdf or other electronically imaged signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.

(14) ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

(15) ADDITIONAL RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES AND RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES. In addition to the rights provided to Holders of Notes under the Indenture, Holders of Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes will have all the rights set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of November 29, 2022, between the Company and the other parties named on the signature pages thereof or, in the case of


Additional Notes, Holders of Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes will have the rights set forth in one or more registration rights agreements, if any, among the Company, the Guarantors, if any, and the other parties thereto, relating to rights given by the Company and the Guarantors, if any, to the purchasers of any Additional Notes (collectively, the “Registration Rights Agreement”). By such Holders’ acceptance of Restricted Global Notes or Restricted Definitive Notes, such Holder acknowledges and agrees to the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement, including without limitation the obligations of the Holders with respect to indemnification of the Company and the Guarantors to the extent provided therein.

(16) CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes, and the Trustee may use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption, and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

(17) GOVERNING LAW. THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THE INDENTURE, THIS NOTE AND THE NOTE GUARANTEES.

The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture and/or the Registration Rights Agreement. Requests may be made to:

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC

c/o Cheniere Energy, Inc.

700 Milam Street, Suite 1900

Houston, TX 77002

Attention: Treasurer


ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

 

 (I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to:

 

 

(Insert assignee’s legal name)

 

 

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

and irrevocably                                                                                                                                                                     appoint to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Date:                        

 

Your Signature:                                                              

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

Signature Guarantee*:                                     

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).


OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.09, 4.14, 4.16 or 4.22 of the Indenture, check the appropriate box below:

☐ Section 4.09         ☐     Section 4.14         ☐ Section 4.16         ☐ Section 4.22

If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.09, 4.14, 4.16 or 4.22 of the Indenture, state the amount you elect to have purchased:

$_____________

Date: ___________

 

Your Signature:                                                              

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

Tax Identification No:                                                    

Signature Guarantee*:                                         

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).


SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE

The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an interest in another Global Note or for a Definitive Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an interest in this Global Note, have been made:

 

Date of

Exchange

 

Amount of

decrease in

Principal

Amount [at

maturity] of

this Global

Note

 

Amount of

increase in

Principal

Amount [at

maturity] of this

Global Note

  

Principal

Amount [at

maturity] of

this Global

Note following

such decrease

(or increase)

  

Signature of

authorized

officer of

Trustee or

Custodian


Schedule I

 

Payment
Date

  Percentage of Original Principal
Amount Payable
 
9/15/2025     2.761
3/15/2026     2.842
9/15/2026     2.926
3/15/2027     3.012
9/15/2027     3.101
3/15/2028     3.193
9/15/2028     3.287
3/15/2029     3.384
9/15/2029     3.484
3/15/2030     3.587
9/15/2030     3.692
3/15/2031     3.801
9/15/2031     3.913
3/15/2032     4.029
9/15/2032     4.148
3/15/2033     4.270
9/15/2033     4.396
3/15/2034     4.526
9/15/2034     4.659
3/15/2035     4.797
9/15/2035     4.938
3/15/2036     5.084
9/15/2036     5.234
3/15/2037     5.388
9/15/2037     5.547


EXHIBIT A-2

[Face of Regulation S Temporary Global Note]

CUSIP:

U77888AN2                                             ISIN:

USU77888AN27

5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037

 

No. _____    $ _________

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC

promises to pay to ________or registered assigns, the principal sum of ___________________________________________ DOLLARS in installments on the dates and in the amounts set forth on Schedule I hereto and made part hereof.

Interest Payment Dates: March 15 and September 15, commencing March 15, 2023

Record Dates: March 1 and September 1


Dated: _____________________________

 

SABINE PASS LIQUEFACTION, LLC
By:  

 

Name:
Title:

 

This is one of the Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory


[Back of Regulation S Temporary Global Note]

5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037

THE RIGHTS ATTACHING TO THIS REGULATION S TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE, AND THE CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING ITS EXCHANGE FOR CERTIFICATED NOTES, ARE AS SPECIFIED IN THE INDENTURE (AS DEFINED HEREIN). NEITHER THE HOLDER NOR THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF THIS REGULATION S TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE PAYMENT OF INTEREST HEREON.

THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (1) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06 OF THE INDENTURE, (2) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (3) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (4) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE 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 INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, SUCH REGISTRATION. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ANY


INVESTOR ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT HAS PURCHASED SECURITIES, TO OFFER, SELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER SUCH SECURITY, PRIOR TO THE DATE (THE “RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE”) THAT IS ONE YEAR AFTER THE LATER OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF AND THE LAST DATE ON WHICH THE ISSUER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF THE ISSUER WAS THE OWNER OF THIS SECURITY (OR ANY PREDECESSOR OF SUCH SECURITY), ONLY (A) TO THE ISSUER, (B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) FOR SO LONG AS THE SECURITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, TO A PERSON IT REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT PURCHASES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (D) PURSUANT TO OFFERS AND SALES THAT OCCUR OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) TO AN INSTITUTIONAL “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” WITHIN THE MEANING OF SUBPARAGRAPH (A)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) OF RULE 501 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS ACQUIRING THE NOTES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF SUCH AN INSTITUTIONAL ‘‘ACCREDITED INVESTOR’’, FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES AND NOT WITH A VIEW TO, OR FOR OFFER OR SALE IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY DISTRIBUTION IN VIOLATION OF THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (F) PURSUANT TO ANOTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO THE ISSUER’S AND THE TRUSTEE’S RIGHT PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE OR TRANSFER PURSUANT TO CLAUSES (D), (E) OR (F) TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATION AND/ OR OTHER INFORMATION SATISFACTORY TO EACH OF THEM. THIS LEGEND WILL BE REMOVED UPON THE REQUEST OF THE HOLDER AFTER THE RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE.

Capitalized terms used herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.

(1) PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST. Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), promises to pay principal provided for under Schedule I hereto and interest on the principal amount outstanding of this Note at 5.900% per annum from November 29, 2022 until maturity and shall pay the Additional Interest, if any, payable pursuant to Section 6 of the Registration Rights Agreement referred to below. The Company will pay principal (if required pursuant to Schedule I), interest and Additional Interest, if any, semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day (each, a “Payment Date”). Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that if there is no existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Payment Date; provided further that the first Payment Date shall be March 15, 2023. The Company will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on demand at a rate that is 0.5%


per annum in excess of the rate then in effect to the extent lawful; it will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of principal, interest and Additional Interest, if any, (without regard to any applicable grace periods) from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

Until this Regulation S Temporary Global Note is exchanged for one or more Regulation S Permanent Global Notes, the Holder hereof shall not be entitled to receive payments of principal or interest hereon; until so exchanged in full, this Regulation S Temporary Global Note shall in all other respects be entitled to the same benefits as other Notes under the Indenture.

(2) METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay principal and interest on the Notes (except defaulted interest) and Additional Interest, if any, to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes at the close of business on the March 1 or September 1 next preceding the Payment Date, even if such Notes are canceled after such record date and on or before such Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal, premium and Additional Interest, if any, and interest at the office or agency of the Paying Agent or Registrar maintained for such purpose within or without the City and State of New York, or, at the option of the Company, payment of interest and Additional Interest, if any, may be made by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses set forth in the register of Holders; provided that payment by wire transfer of immediately available funds will be required with respect to principal of and interest, premium and Additional Interest, if any, on, all Global Notes and all other Notes the Holders of which will have provided wire transfer instructions to the Company or the Paying Agent. Such payment will be 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.

(3) PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.

(4) INDENTURE AND SECURITY DOCUMENTS. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of February 1, 2013, as supplemented by an eighth supplemental indenture dated as of September 19, 2016 and a twelfth supplemental indenture dated as of November 29, 2022 (the “Indenture”) among the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the TIA. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The Notes are secured obligations of the Company. The Notes are secured by a pledge of Collateral (as defined in the Indenture) pursuant to the Security Documents referred to in the Indenture. The Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be issued thereunder.


(5) OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.

At any time or from time to time prior to March 15, 2037, the Company may, at its option, redeem all or a part of the 5.900% 2037 Notes and the Exchange Notes issued for the 5.900% 2037 Notes (collectively, the “5.900% 2037 Series Notes”), at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest payments or installment payments due on a payment date that is on or prior to the redemption date, without duplication).

Make-Whole Price” with respect to any 5.900% 2037 Series Notes to be redeemed, means an amount equal to the greater of:

(5) 100% of the remaining principal amount of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes; and

(6) the Discounted Value of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes;

plus, in the case of both (1) and (2), accrued and unpaid interest on such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes, if any, to the redemption date.

“Called Principal” means, with respect to any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the principal of such note that is to be prepaid or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable, as the context requires.

“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.

“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.35% and (y) the yield to maturity implied by the yield(s) reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second (2nd) Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities (“Reported”) having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life (as defined herein) of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there are no such U.S. Treasury securities Reported having a maturity equal to such Remaining Average Life, then such implied yield to maturity will be determined by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between the yields Reported for the applicable most recently issued actively traded on-the-run U.S. Treasury securities with the maturities (1) closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Notes.


If such yields are not Reported or the yields Reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), then “Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) 0.35% and (y) the yield to maturity implied by the U.S. Treasury constant maturity yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second (2nd) Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any comparable successor publication) for the U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. If there is no such U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to such Remaining Average Life, such implied yield to maturity will be determined by interpolating linearly between (1) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Notes.

“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years obtained by dividing (a) such Called Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (1) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (2) the number of years, computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months calculated to two decimal places, that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any 5.900% 2037 Series Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date.

“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of a 5.900% 2037 Series Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be redeemed or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable.

The notice of redemption with respect to the foregoing redemption need not set forth the Make-Whole Price but only the manner of calculation thereof. The Company will notify the Trustee of the Make-Whole Price with respect to any redemption promptly after the calculation, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for such calculation.

At any time after March 15, 2037, the Company may redeem the 5.900% 2037 Series Notes at its option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, upon notice as described in Section 3.03 of this Indenture, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 5.900% 2037 Series Notes, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to (but not including) the applicable redemption date (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive payments due on the relevant Payment Date falling prior to or on the redemption date).


(6) MANDATORY REDEMPTION.

The Company is not required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

(7) REPURCHASE AT THE OPTION OF HOLDER.

(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Company will make an offer (a “Change of Control Offer”) of payment (a “Change of Control Payment”) to each Holder to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof) of that Holder’s Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to not less than 101% of the aggregate remaining principal amount of Notes repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to the date of repurchase (the “Change of Control Payment Date,” which date will be no earlier than the date of such Change of Control). No later than 30 days following any Change of Control, the Company will mail a notice to each Holder setting forth the procedures governing the Change of Control Offer as required by the Indenture.

(b) The Company will be required to make Asset Sale Offers, Excess Proceeds Offers and Project Document Termination Payment Offers to the extent provided in Sections 4.09, 4.16 and 4.22, respectively, of the Indenture.

(8) NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of redemption will be mailed at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Notes or a satisfaction or discharge of the Indenture. Notes in denominations larger than $2,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, unless all of the Notes held by a Holder are to be redeemed.

(9) DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The transfer of Notes may be registered, and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part. Also, the Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the period between a record date and the corresponding Interest Payment Date.

This Regulation S Temporary Global Note is exchangeable in whole or in part for one or more Global Notes only (i) on or after the termination of the 40-day distribution compliance period (as defined in Regulation S) and (ii) upon presentation of certificates (accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel, if applicable) required by Article 2 of the Indenture. Upon exchange of this Regulation S Temporary Global Note for one or more Global Notes, the Trustee shall cancel this Regulation S Temporary Global Note.


(10) PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may be treated as its owner for all purposes.

(11) TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.

(12) NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No past, present or future director, manager, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner or stockholder of the Company or any Guarantor (including the General Partner and the Parent), as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Guarantors under the Notes, the Indenture, the Note Guarantees, the Security Documents, the Financing Documents or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under federal securities laws.

(13) AUTHENTICATION. This Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual, pdf or other electronically imaged signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.

(14) ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

(15) ADDITIONAL RIGHTS OF HOLDERS. In addition to the rights provided to Holders of Notes under the Indenture, Holders of this Regulation S Temporary Global Note will have all the rights set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of November 29, 2022, between the Company and the other parties named on the signature pages thereof or, in the case of Additional Notes, Holders thereof will have the rights set forth in one or more registration rights agreements, if any, among the Company, the Guarantors, if any, and the other parties thereto, relating to rights given by the Company and the Guarantors, if any, to the purchasers of any Additional Notes (collectively, the “Registration Rights Agreement”). By such Holders’ acceptance of the Restricted Global Notes or Restricted Definitive Notes, such Holder acknowledges and agrees to the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement, including without limitation the obligations of the Holders with respect to indemnification of the Company and the Guarantors to the extent provided therein.


(16) CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes, and the Trustee may use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption, and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

(17) GOVERNING LAW. THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THE INDENTURE, THIS NOTE AND THE NOTE GUARANTEES.

The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture and/or the Registration Rights Agreement. Requests may be made to:

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC

c/o Cheniere Energy, Inc.

700 Milam Street, Suite 1900

Houston, TX 77002

Attention: Treasurer


ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

 

 (I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to:

 

 

              

(Insert assignee’s legal name)

 

 

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

and irrevocably                                                                                                                                                                                          appoint to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Date:                        

 

Your Signature:                                                            

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

Signature Guarantee*:                                     

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).


OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.09, 4.14, 4.16 or 4.22 of the Indenture, check the appropriate box below:

☐ Section 4.09        ☐ Section 4.14        ☐ Section 4.16        ☐ Section 4.22

If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.09, 4.14, 4.16 or 4.22 of the Indenture, state the amount you elect to have purchased:

$_____________

Date: ___________

 

Your Signature:                                                              

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)

Tax Identification No:                                                  

Signature Guarantee*:                                         

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).


SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE REGULATIONS

TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE

The following exchanges of a part of this Regulation S Temporary Global Note for an interest in another Global Note, or exchanges of a part of another other Restricted Global Note for an interest in this Regulation S Temporary Global Note, have been made:

 

Date of Exchange

 

Amount of

decrease in

Principal

Amount [at

maturity] of

this Global

Note

 

Amount of

increase in

Principal

Amount [at

maturity] of

this Global Note

  

Principal Amount

[at maturity] of this

Global Note

following such

decrease (or

increase)

  

Signature of

authorized officer of
Trustee or Custodian


Schedule I

 

Payment Date

   Percentage of Original Principal Amount Payable  

9/15/2025

     2.761

3/15/2026

     2.842

9/15/2026

     2.926

3/15/2027

     3.012

9/15/2027

     3.101

3/15/2028

     3.193

9/15/2028

     3.287

3/15/2029

     3.384

9/15/2029

     3.484

3/15/2030

     3.587

9/15/2030

     3.692

3/15/2031

     3.801

9/15/2031

     3.913

3/15/2032

     4.029

9/15/2032

     4.148

3/15/2033

     4.270

9/15/2033

     4.396

3/15/2034

     4.526

9/15/2034

     4.659

3/15/2035

     4.797

9/15/2035

     4.938

3/15/2036

     5.084

9/15/2036

     5.234

3/15/2037

     5.388

9/15/2037

     5.547


Exhibit B

FORM OF NET SHORT REPRESENTATION

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC

700 Milam Street, Suite 1900

Houston, TX 77002

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.

c/o BNY Mellon Corp Trust

2001 Bryan Street, 10th Floor

Dallas, Texas 75201

RE: Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC (the “Company”) and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”) have heretofore executed an indenture, dated as of February 1, 2013, as supplemented by the Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 19, 2016 and the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture dated November 29, 2022 (and any further amendments or supplements thereto, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance of the Company’s 5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037 (the “Notes”). All terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning ascribed to such term under the Indenture.

This letter constitutes a Position Representation in connection with a Noteholder Direction delivered pursuant to Section 6.01 of the Indenture, whereby the undersigned, as Directing Holder, represents to each of the Issuer and the Trustee that [it is] [its beneficial owners are] not Net Short.

 

By:  

 

  Name: [Holder]
  Title:

Exhibit 10.1

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC

US$430,000,000 5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

November 29, 2022

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    As representative of the Purchasers (“Representative”),

c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282-2198

Dear Ladies and Gentleman:

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC a Delaware limited liability company (the “Issuer”), proposes to issue and sell to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and the initial purchasers named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Initial Purchasers”), for whom Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as Representative, upon the terms set forth in a purchase agreement dated November 14, 2022 (the “Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Issuer and the Initial Purchasers, US$430,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.900% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2037 (the “Initial Securities”) to be unconditionally guaranteed by all of its future domestic restricted subsidiaries (such subsidiaries, if any, the “Guarantors” and, together with the Issuer, the “Company”). The Initial Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of February 1, 2013 (the “Base Indenture”), among the Issuer, any Guarantors that may become a party thereto and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by an eighth supplemental indenture, dated September 19, 2016 (the “Eighth Supplemental Indenture”) and an twelfth supplemental indenture that will be dated November 29, 2022 (the “Twelfth Supplemental Indenture”) (the Base Indenture, as supplemented by the Eighth Supplemental Indenture and the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”). As an inducement to the Initial Purchasers’ entry into the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees with the Initial Purchasers, for the benefit of the holders of the Initial Securities (including, without limitation, the Initial Purchasers, whether or not they continue to hold the Initial Securities), the Exchange Securities (as defined below) and the Private Exchange Securities (as defined below) (collectively the “Holders”), as follows:

1. Registered Exchange Offer. The Company shall, at its own cost, prepare and use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement (the “Exchange Offer Registration Statement”) on an appropriate form under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to a proposed offer (the “Registered Exchange Offer”) to the Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof), who are not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer, to issue and deliver to such Holders, in exchange for the Initial Securities, a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities (the “Exchange Securities”) of the Company issued under the Indenture and identical in all material respects to the Initial Securities (except for the transfer restrictions relating to the Initial Securities and the provisions relating to the matters described in Section 6 hereof) that would be registered under the Securities Act. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Exchange Offer Registration Statement to become effective under the Securities Act within 360 days (or if the 360th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter) after the date of original issuance of the Initial Securities (the “Issue Date”) and shall keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective for not less than 20 business days (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice of the Registered Exchange Offer is mailed or electronically delivered to the Holders (such period being called the “Exchange Offer Registration Period”).


If the Company effects the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company will be entitled to close the Registered Exchange Offer 20 business days after the commencement thereof provided that the Company has accepted all the Initial Securities theretofore validly tendered in accordance with the terms of the Registered Exchange Offer.

Following the declaration of the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly commence the Registered Exchange Offer, it being the objective of such Registered Exchange Offer to enable each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof) electing to exchange the Initial Securities for Exchange Securities (assuming that such Holder is not an affiliate of the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, acquires the Exchange Securities in the ordinary course of such Holder’s business and has no arrangements with any person to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Securities and is not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer) to trade such Exchange Securities from and after their receipt without any limitations or restrictions under the Securities Act and without material restrictions under the securities laws of the several states of the United States. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to complete the Registered Exchange Offer on or before the 60th day after the Exchange Offer Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act.

The Company acknowledges that, pursuant to current interpretations by the Commission’s staff of Section 5 of the Securities Act, in the absence of an applicable exemption therefrom, (i) each Holder that is a broker-dealer electing to exchange Initial Securities, acquired for its own account as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, for Exchange Securities (an “Exchanging Dealer”), is required to deliver a prospectus containing the information set forth in (a) Annex A hereto on the cover, (b) Annex B hereto in the “Exchange Offer Procedures” section and the “Purpose of the Exchange Offer” section, and (c) Annex C hereto in the “Plan of Distribution” section of such prospectus in connection with a sale of any such Exchange Securities received by such Exchanging Dealer pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and (ii) an Initial Purchaser that elects to sell Exchange Securities acquired in exchange for Initial Securities constituting any portion of an unsold allotment is required to deliver a prospectus containing the information required by Item 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in connection with such sale.

The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the prospectus contained therein, in order to permit such prospectus to be lawfully delivered by all persons subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act for such period of time as such persons must comply with such requirements in order to resell the Exchange Securities; provided, however, that (i) in the case where such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto must be delivered by an Exchanging Dealer or an Initial Purchaser, such period shall be the lesser of 180 days and the date on which all Exchanging Dealers and the Initial Purchasers have sold all Exchange Securities held by them (unless such period is extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) and (ii) the Company shall make such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any resale of any Exchange Securities for a period of not less than 90 days after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer.

If, upon consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer, any Initial Purchaser holds Initial Securities acquired by it as part of its initial distribution, the Company, simultaneously with the delivery of the Exchange Securities pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer, shall issue and deliver to such Initial Purchaser upon the written request of such Initial Purchaser, in exchange (the “Private Exchange”) for the Initial Securities held by such Initial Purchaser, a like principal amount of debt securities of the Company issued under the Indenture and identical in all material respects (including the existence of restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act and the securities laws of the several states of the United States, but excluding provisions relating to the matters described in Section 6 hereof) to the Initial Securities (the “Private Exchange Securities”). The Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities and the Private Exchange Securities are herein collectively called the “Securities”.

 

2


In connection with the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company shall:

(a) mail or electronically deliver to each Holder a copy of the prospectus forming part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate letter of transmittal and related documents;

(b) keep the Registered Exchange Offer open for not less than 20 business days (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice thereof is mailed or electronically delivered to the Holders;

(c) utilize the services of a depositary for the Registered Exchange Offer with an address in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, which may be the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee;

(d) permit Holders to withdraw tendered Securities at any time prior to the close of business, or 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the last business day on which the Registered Exchange Offer shall remain open; and

(e) otherwise comply with all applicable laws.

As soon as practicable after the close of the Registered Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange, as the case may be, the Company shall:

(x) accept for exchange all the Initial Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and the Private Exchange;

(y) deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all the Initial Securities so accepted for exchange; and

(z) cause the Trustee to authenticate and deliver promptly to each Holder of the Initial Securities, Exchange Securities or Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, equal in principal amount to the Initial Securities of such Holder so accepted for exchange.

The Indenture will provide that the Exchange Securities will not be subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Indenture and, other than as described in Section 9.02 of the Indenture, that all the Securities will vote and consent together on all matters as one class and that none of the Securities will have the right to vote or consent as a class separate from one another on any matter.

Interest on each Exchange Security and Private Exchange Security issued pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and in the Private Exchange will accrue from the last interest payment date on which interest was paid on the Initial Securities surrendered in exchange therefor or, if no interest has been paid on the Initial Securities, from the Issue Date.

Each Holder participating in the Registered Exchange Offer shall be required to represent to the Company that at the time of the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer (i) any Exchange Securities received by such Holder will be acquired in the ordinary course of business, (ii) such Holder will have no arrangements or understanding with any person to participate in the distribution of the Securities or the Exchange Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, (iii) such Holder is not an “affiliate,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, of the Company or if it is an affiliate, such Holder will comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act to the extent applicable, (iv) if such Holder is not a broker-dealer, that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage

 

3


in, the distribution of the Exchange Securities and (v) if such Holder is a broker-dealer, that it will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities and that it will be required to acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities.

Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company will ensure that (i) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and any prospectus forming part thereof and any supplement thereto complies in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, (ii) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto does not, when it becomes effective, contain 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 not misleading and (iii) any prospectus forming part of any Exchange Offer Registration Statement, and any supplement to such prospectus, does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

2. Shelf Registration. If, (i) the Company determines that it is not permitted to effect a Registered Exchange Offer, as contemplated by Section 1 hereof, under applicable law or applicable interpretations thereof by the staff of the Commission, (ii) the Registered Exchange Offer is not consummated on or prior to the 360th day after the Issue Date, or (iii) any Initial Purchaser notifies the Issuer in writing following the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer that such Initial Purchaser holds Transfer Restricted Securities that are not eligible to be exchanged for Exchange Securities in the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company shall take the following actions:

(a) The Company shall, at its cost, prepare and file with the Commission and thereafter use commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be declared effective (unless it becomes effective automatically upon filing) a registration statement (the “Shelf Registration Statement” and, together with the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, a “Registration Statement”) on an appropriate form under the Securities Act relating to the offer and sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof) by the Holders thereof from time to time in accordance with the methods of distribution set forth in the Shelf Registration Statement and Rule 415 under the Securities Act (hereinafter, the “Shelf Registration”); provided, however, that no Holder (other than an Initial Purchaser) shall be entitled to have the Securities held by it covered by such Shelf Registration Statement unless such Holder agrees in writing to be bound by all the provisions of this Agreement applicable to such Holder.

(b) The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective in order to permit the prospectus included therein to be lawfully delivered by the Holders of the relevant Securities for a period of one year (or for such longer period if extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) from the Issue Date or such shorter period that will terminate when all the Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement (i) have been sold pursuant thereto or (ii) may be freely sold without volume restrictions by non-affiliates pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, or any successor rule thereof, or otherwise transferred in a manner that results in (A) the Securities not being subject to transfer restrictions under the Securities Act and (B) the absence of a need for a restrictive legend regarding registration and the Securities Act (assuming for the purpose that the Holders thereof are not affiliates of the Company) (such period being called the “Shelf Registration Period”).

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall cause the Shelf Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its respective effective date, (i) to comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and (ii) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein (in the case of the prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading.

 

4


3. Registration Procedures. In connection with any Shelf Registration contemplated by Section 2 hereof and, to the extent applicable, any Registered Exchange Offer contemplated by Section 1 hereof, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) The Company shall (i) furnish to each Initial Purchaser, prior to the filing thereof with the Commission, a copy of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereof and each supplement, if any, to the prospectus included therein and, in the event that an Initial Purchaser (with respect to any portion of an unsold allotment from the original offering) is participating in the Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf Registration, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to reflect in each such document, when so filed with the Commission, such comments as such Initial Purchaser reasonably may propose, provided that such comments are received by the Issuer within ten business days after the receipt by such Initial Purchaser of such document; (ii) include the information set forth in Annex A hereto on the cover, in Annex B hereto in the “Exchange Offer Procedures” section and the “Purpose of the Exchange Offer” section and in Annex C hereto in the “Plan of Distribution” section of the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and include the information set forth in Annex D hereto in the Letter of Transmittal delivered pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer; (iii) if requested by an Initial Purchaser, include the information required by Item 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement; (iv) include within the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement a section entitled “Plan of Distribution,” reasonably acceptable to the Initial Purchasers, which shall contain a summary statement of the positions taken or policies made by the staff of the Commission with respect to the potential “underwriter” status of any broker-dealer that is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of Exchange Securities received by such broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (a “Participating Broker-Dealer”), whether such positions or policies have been publicly disseminated by the staff of the Commission or such positions or policies, in the reasonable judgment of the Initial Purchasers based upon advice of counsel (which may be in-house counsel), represent the prevailing views of the staff of the Commission; and (v) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, include in the prospectus included in the Shelf Registration Statement (or, if permitted by Rule 430B(b) under the Securities Act, in a prospectus supplement that becomes a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f) under the Securities Act) that is delivered to any Holder pursuant to Sections 3(d) and (f) hereof, the names of the Holders who propose to sell Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, as selling securityholders.

(b) The Company shall give written notice to the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any Participating Broker-Dealer from whom the Issuer has received prior written notice that it will be a Participating Broker-Dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (which notice pursuant to clauses (ii)-(v) hereof shall be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes have been made):

(i) when the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the Commission and when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;

(ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the prospectus included therein or for additional information;

 

5


(iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, of the issuance by the Commission of a notification of objection to the use of the form on which the Registration Statement has been filed, and of the happening of any event that causes the Company to become an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

(iv) of the receipt by the Company or its legal counsel of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and

(v) except to the extent otherwise incorporated therein by reference, of the happening of any event that requires the Company to make changes in the Registration Statement or the prospectus in order that the Registration Statement or the prospectus do not contain an untrue statement of a material fact nor omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.

(c) The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal at the earliest possible time of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

(d) To the extent not available on the Commission’s web site at www.sec.gov, the Company shall furnish to each Holder of Securities named in the Shelf Registration, without charge, at least one copy of the Shelf Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or supplement thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if the Holder so requests in writing, all exhibits thereto (including those, if any, incorporated by reference). The Company shall not, without the prior consent of the Initial Purchasers, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

(e) To the extent not available on the Commission’s web site at www.sec.gov, the Company shall deliver to each Exchanging Dealer and each Initial Purchaser, and to any other Holder who so requests in writing, without charge, at least one copy of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if any Initial Purchaser or any such Holder requests in writing, all exhibits thereto (including those incorporated by reference).

(f) The Company shall, during the Shelf Registration Period, deliver to each Holder of the Securities included within the coverage of the Shelf Registration, without charge, as many copies of the prospectus (including each preliminary prospectus) included in the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as such person may reasonably request in writing. The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders of the Securities in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities covered by the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in the Shelf Registration Statement.

(g) The Company shall deliver to each Initial Purchaser, any Exchanging Dealer, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer, without charge, as many copies of the final prospectus included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as such persons may reasonably request in writing. The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by any

 

6


Initial Purchaser, if necessary, any Exchanging Dealer, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer in connection with the offering and sale of the Exchange Securities covered by the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in such Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

(h) Prior to any public offering of the Securities, pursuant to any Registration Statement, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the Holders of the Securities included therein and their respective counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such states of the United States as any Holder of the Securities reasonably requests in writing and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or advisable to enable the offer and sale in such jurisdictions of the Securities covered by such Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or (ii) take any action which would subject it to general service of process or to taxation in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.

(i) The Company shall cooperate with the Holders of the Securities to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing the Securities to be sold pursuant to any Registration Statement free of any restrictive legends and in such denominations and registered in such names as the Holders may request a reasonable period of time prior to sales of the Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.

(j) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above during the period for which the Company is required to maintain an effective Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly prepare and file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus and any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to Holders of the Securities or purchasers of Securities, the prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer in accordance with paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes to the prospectus have been made, then the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any such Participating Broker-Dealers shall suspend use of such prospectus, and the period of effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement provided for in Section 2(b) above and the Exchange Offer Registration Statement provided for in Section 1 above shall each be extended by the number of days from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the date when the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer shall have received such amended or supplemented prospectus pursuant to this Section 3(j). During the period during which the Company is required to maintain an effective Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will prior to the three-year expiration of that Shelf Registration Statement file, use commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be declared effective (unless it becomes effective automatically upon filing) within a period that avoids any interruption in the ability of Holders of the Securities covered by the expiring Shelf Registration Statement to make registered dispositions, a new registration statement relating to the Securities, which shall be deemed the “Shelf Registration Statement” for purposes of this Agreement.

(k) Not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, the Company will provide a CUSIP number for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, and provide the applicable trustee with printed certificates for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company.

 

7


(l) The Company will comply with all rules and regulations of the Commission to the extent and so long as they are applicable to the Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf Registration and will make generally available to its securityholders (or otherwise provide in accordance with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) an earning statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, no later than 45 days after the end of a 12-month period (or 90 days, if such period is a fiscal year) beginning with the first month of the Issuer’s first fiscal quarter commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement, which statement shall cover such 12-month period.

(m) The Company shall cause the Indenture to be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), in a timely manner and containing such changes, if any, as shall be necessary for such qualification. In the event that such qualification would require the appointment of a new trustee under the Indenture, the Company shall appoint a new trustee thereunder pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture.

(n) The Company may require each Holder of the Securities to be sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement to furnish to the Company such information regarding the Holder and the distribution of the Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably require for inclusion in the Shelf Registration Statement, and the Company may exclude from such registration the Securities of any Holder that unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request.

(o) The Company shall enter into such customary agreements (including, if requested, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take all such other action, if any, as any Holder of the Securities shall reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Securities pursuant to any Shelf Registration.

(p) In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company shall (i) make reasonably available for inspection by the Holders of the Securities, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by the Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter all relevant financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company and (ii) cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees, accountants and auditors to supply all relevant information reasonably requested by the Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, as shall be reasonably necessary to enable such persons, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act; provided, however, that the foregoing inspection and information gathering shall be coordinated by the Initial Purchasers and on behalf of the other parties, by one counsel designated by and on behalf of such other parties as described in Section 4 hereof; provided, further, that, if the Company designates in writing any such information, reasonably and in good faith, as confidential, at the time of delivery of such information, each such person will be required to agree or acknowledge that information obtained by it as a result of such inspections shall be deemed confidential and shall not be used by it as the basis for any market transactions in the securities of the Company or otherwise unless and until such is made generally available to the public through no fault or action of such person.

(q) In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company, if requested by any Holder of the Securities covered thereby, shall cause (i) its counsel to deliver an opinion and updates thereof relating to the Securities substantially in the form provided pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Purchase Agreement with such changes as are customary in connection with the preparation of a

 

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Registration Statement addressed to such Holders and the managing underwriters, if any, thereof and dated, in the case of the initial opinion, the effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement, (ii) its officers to execute and deliver all customary documents and certificates and updates thereof requested by any underwriters of the applicable Securities, dated the date of the closing of such offering of such Securities, and (iii) its independent public accountants to provide to the selling Holders of the applicable Securities and any underwriter therefor a comfort letter dated the date of the closing of such offering of such Securities, in customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in comfort letters in connection with primary underwritten offerings, subject to receipt of appropriate documentation as contemplated, and only if permitted, by Auditing Standards No. 6101.

(r) If a Registered Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be consummated, upon delivery of the Initial Securities by Holders to the Issuer (or to such other Person as directed by the Issuer) in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, the Company shall mark, or caused to be marked, on the Initial Securities so exchanged that such Initial Securities are being canceled in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, and in no event shall the Initial Securities be marked as paid or otherwise satisfied.

(s) The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to confirm that the rating of the Initial Securities obtained prior to the initial sale of such Initial Securities will also apply to the Securities covered by a Registration Statement.

(t) In the event that any broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act shall underwrite any Securities or participate as a member of an underwriting syndicate or selling group or “assist in the distribution” (within the meaning of the Rules (the “Rules”) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”)) thereof, whether as a Holder of such Securities or as an underwriter, a placement or sales agent or a broker or dealer in respect thereof, or otherwise, the Company will assist such broker-dealer in complying with the requirements of such Rules, including, without limitation, by (i) if such Rules, including Rule 5121, shall so require, engaging a “qualified independent underwriter” (as defined in Rule 5121) to participate in the preparation of the Registration Statement relating to such Securities, to exercise usual standards of due diligence in respect thereto and, if any portion of the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is an underwritten offering or is made through a placement or sales agent, to recommend the yield of such Securities, (ii) indemnifying any such qualified independent underwriter to the extent of the indemnification of underwriters provided in Section 5 hereof and (iii) providing such information to such broker-dealer as may be required in order for such broker-dealer to comply with the requirements of the Rules.

(u) So long as any Transfer Restricted Securities remain outstanding, the Issuer shall cause each Guarantor upon the creation or acquisition of such Guarantor to execute a counterpart to this Agreement in the form attached hereto as Annex E and to deliver such counterpart, together with an opinion of counsel as to the enforceability thereof against such entity, to the Initial Purchasers no later than five Business Days following the execution thereof.

(v) The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to take all other steps necessary to effect the registration of the Securities covered by a Registration Statement contemplated hereby.

4. Registration Expenses. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations under Sections 1 through 3 hereof (including the reasonable fees and expenses, if any, of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Initial Purchasers, incurred in connection with the Registered Exchange Offer), whether or not the Registered

 

9


Exchange Offer or a Shelf Registration is filed or becomes effective, and, in the event of a Shelf Registration, shall bear or reimburse the Holders of the Securities covered thereby for the reasonable fees and disbursements of one firm of counsel designated by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Initial Securities covered thereby to act as counsel for the Holders of the Initial Securities in connection therewith.

5. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) The Issuer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder of the Securities, any Participating Broker-Dealer, any of their partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Holder or such Participating Broker-Dealer within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”) against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, or any actions in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions relating to purchases and sales of the Securities) to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in a Registration Statement or prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus or “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act (“Issuer FWP”), relating to a Shelf Registration, or arise out of, or are based upon, the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, preparing or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that (i) the Issuer will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of, or is based upon, an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission made in a Registration Statement or prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus or Issuer FWP relating to a Shelf Registration in reliance upon and in conformity with written information pertaining to such Holder and furnished to the Issuer by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for inclusion therein and (ii) with respect to any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or any omission or alleged omission made in any preliminary prospectus relating to a Shelf Registration Statement, the indemnity agreement contained in this subsection (a) shall not inure to the benefit of any Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased the Securities concerned, to the extent that a prospectus relating to such Securities was required to be delivered (including through satisfaction of the conditions of Rule 172 under the Securities Act) by such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer under the Securities Act in connection with such purchase and any such loss, claim, damage or liability of such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer results from the fact that there was not sent or given to such person, at or prior to the time of sale of such Securities to such person, an amended or supplemented prospectus, or if permitted by Section 3(d) hereof, an Issuer FWP correcting such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission if the Issuer had previously furnished copies thereof to such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer; provided further, however, that this indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Issuer may otherwise have to such Indemnified Party. The Issuer shall also indemnify underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the Holders of the Securities if requested by such Holders.

 

10


(b) Each Holder of the Securities, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Issuer and each Guarantor, their respective members, managers, officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer or the Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Holder Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities or any actions in respect thereof, to which such Holder Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in a Registration Statement or prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus or Issuer FWP relating to a Shelf Registration, or arise out of, or are based upon, the omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information pertaining to such Holder and furnished to the Issuer or any Guarantor or their respective officers or directors by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for inclusion therein; and, subject to the limitation set forth in the immediately preceding clause, will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Holder Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, preparing or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in respect thereof, as such expenses are incurred. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Holder may otherwise have to the Issuer, each Guarantor, their respective officers and directors or any of their respective controlling persons.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 5 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including a governmental investigation), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have under subsection (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 5 for any legal or other expenses, subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action, 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 an indemnified party.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsections (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other from the

 

11


exchange of the Initial Securities, pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer, or the resale of the Initial Securities, pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the foregoing 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 indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the parties shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Issuer on the one hand or such Holder or such other indemnified party, as the case may be, on the other, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (d), the Holders of the Securities shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds received by such Holders from the sale of the Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement exceeds the amount of damages which such Holders have otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this subsection (d), each person, if any, who controls such indemnified party within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such indemnified party and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Issuer.

(e) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 5 shall survive the sale of the Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination or cancellation of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party or any Holder Indemnified Party.

6. Additional Interest Under Certain Circumstances.

(a) Additional interest with respect to the Initial Securities (the “Additional Interest”) shall be assessed as follows if any of the following events occur (each such event in clause (i) and (ii) below, a “Registration Default”):

(i) The Exchange Offer has not been completed on or prior to the 360th day after the Issue Date; or

(ii) If, pursuant to the terms of Section 2 above, the Company is required to file a Shelf Registration Statement, the Shelf Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the 360th day after the Issue Date or, if the Company is required to file a Shelf Registration Statement with respect to any unsold allotment of Initial Securities held by any Initial Purchaser, the Shelf Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Commission by the later of (A) the 360th day after the Issue Date and (B) the 180th day after the date on which such Initial Purchaser requests that the Company file a Shelf Registration Statement with respect to such Initial Securities.

 

12


Additional Interest shall accrue on the Initial Securities over and above the interest set forth in the title of the Initial Securities from and including the date on which any such Registration Default shall occur to but excluding the date on which all such Registration Defaults have been cured, as follows: with respect to the first 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of the first Registration Default, Additional Interest will be paid in an amount equal to 0.25% per annum of the principal amount of Initial Securities; and with respect to each subsequent 90-day period until all Registration Defaults have been cured, Additional Interest will increase by an additional 0.25% per annum with respect to such periods, up to a maximum amount of Additional Interest for all Registration Defaults of 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of Initial Securities for any period after the first 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of the first Registration Default. Following the cure of all Registration Defaults relating to any Initial Securities, Additional Interest shall cease to accrue with respect to such securities.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Registration Default referred to in Section 6(a) hereof shall be deemed not to have occurred and be continuing, and the Company shall have no obligation to pay Additional Interest as a result of such Registration Default, if such Registration Default has occurred solely as a result of action taken or not taken by the Commission that is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with law within the meaning of the federal Administrative Procedure Act, as amended, as determined by a final order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(c) Any amounts of Additional Interest due pursuant to Section 6(a) above will be payable in cash on the regular interest payment dates with respect to the Transfer Restricted Securities. The amount of Additional Interest will be determined by multiplying the applicable Additional Interest rate by the principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days such Additional Interest rate was applicable during such period (determined on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months), and the denominator of which is 360.

(d) “Transfer Restricted Securities” means each Security until (i) the date on which such Transfer Restricted Security has been exchanged by a person other than a broker-dealer for a freely transferable Exchange Security in the Registered Exchange Offer, (ii) following the exchange by a broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer of an Initial Security for an Exchange Security, the date on which such Exchange Security is sold to a purchaser who receives from such broker-dealer on or prior to the date of such sale a copy of the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, (iii) the date on which the resale of such Initial Security has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and such Initial Security is disposed of in accordance with the Shelf Registration Statement or (iv) the date on which such Initial Securities are distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or can be sold pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 6, (i) the amount of Additional Interest payable shall not increase solely because more than one Registration Default has occurred and is pending, and a Holder of a Transfer Restricted Security who is not entitled to the benefits of the Shelf Registration Statement (i.e., such Holder has not elected to furnish information to the Issuer in accordance with Section 3(n) hereof) shall not be entitled to Additional Interest with respect to a Registration Default relating to a Shelf Registration Statement, and (ii) no Holder who (x) was eligible to exchange such Holder’s outstanding Securities at the time the Exchange Offer was pending and consummated and (y) failed to validly tender such Securities for exchange pursuant to the Exchange Offer shall be entitled to receive any Additional Interest that would otherwise accrue subsequent to the date that the Exchange Offer is consummated.

 

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7. Rules 144 and 144A. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to file the reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act in a timely manner and, if at any time the Company is not required to file such reports, it will, upon the request of any Holder of Initial Securities, make publicly available other information so long as necessary to permit sales of their securities pursuant to Rules 144 and 144A under the Securities Act. The Company covenants that it will take such further action as any Holder of Initial Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Initial Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rules 144 and 144A under the Securities Act (including the requirements of Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act). The Company will provide a copy of this Agreement to prospective purchasers of Initial Securities identified to the Issuer by the Initial Purchasers upon request. Upon the request of any Holder of Initial Securities, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 7 shall be deemed to require the Company to register any of its securities pursuant to the Exchange Act or take any such actions after the Securities no longer constitute Transfer Restricted Securities.

8. Underwritten Registrations. If any of the Transfer Restricted Securities covered by any Shelf Registration are to be sold in an underwritten offering, the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers that will administer the offering (“Managing Underwriters”) will be selected by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Transfer Restricted Securities to be included in such offering.

No person may participate in any underwritten registration hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s Transfer Restricted Securities on the basis reasonably provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.

9. Miscellaneous.

(a) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, except by the Issuer and the written consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities affected by such amendment, modification, supplement, waivers or consents.

(b) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made through electronic mail or in writing by hand delivery, first-class mail, facsimile transmission, or air courier which guarantees overnight delivery:

(i) if to a Holder of the Securities, at the most current address given by such Holder to the Issuer.

(ii) if to the Initial Purchasers;

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282-2198

Attention: Prospectus Department

Phone: 1-866-471-2526

Facsimile: 212-902-9316

with a copy to:

 

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Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

One Manhattan West

New York, NY 10001

Fax No.: (416) 777-4790

E-mail: david.armstrong@skadden.com

Attention: David Armstrong

(iii) if to the Issuer, at its address as follows:

Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC

700 Milam Street, Suite 1900

Houston, Texas 77002

Attention: Zach Davis

Matthew Healey

with a copy to:

Latham & Watkins LLP

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Fax No.: (212) 751-4864

E-mail: jonathan.rod@lw.com

Attention: Jonathan Rod

All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time sent, if transmitted by electronic mail; at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; three business days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt is acknowledged by recipient’s facsimile machine operator, if sent by facsimile transmission; and on the day delivered, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.

(c) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company has not, as of the date hereof, entered into, nor shall it, on or after the date hereof, enter into, any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders herein or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.

(d) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Issuer and its successors and assigns.

(e) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

(f) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

(g) Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS, EXCEPT THAT SECTION 5-1401 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW SHALL APPLY.

 

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(h) Severability. If any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

(i) Securities Held by the Issuer. Whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a specified percentage of principal amount of Securities is required hereunder, Securities held by the Issuer or its affiliates (other than subsequent Holders of Securities if such subsequent Holders are deemed to be affiliates solely by reason of their holdings of such Securities) shall not be counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such required percentage.

(j) Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities. By the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company, in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement that may be instituted in any federal or state court in the State of New York or brought under federal or state securities laws, submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit or proceeding. To the extent that the Company may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its property, it hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Issuer a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the several Initial Purchasers and the Issuer in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC
By:  

/s/ Zach Davis

  Name: Zach Davis
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

[Signature page to Registration Rights Agreement]


The foregoing Registration Rights Agreement

is hereby confirmed and accepted

as of the date first above written.

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC
By:  

/s/ Raya M. Prabhu

  Name: Raya M. Prabhu
  Title:   Managing Director

Acting on behalf of itself

and as representative

of the Initial Purchasers

[Signature page to Registration Rights Agreement]


SCHEDULE A

Initial Purchasers

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

Santander Investment Securities Inc.

BofA Securities, Inc.

BBVA Securities Inc.

CIBC World Markets Corp.

Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

DBS Bank Ltd.

ING Financial Markets LLC

Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Loop Capital Markets LLC

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

MUFG Securities Americas, Inc.

nabSecurities, LLC

Natixis Securities Americas LLC

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

SG Americas Securities, LLC

SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.

Standard Chartered Bank

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC


ANNEX A

Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. The Letter of Transmittal states that by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act. This Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities where such Initial Securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities. The Issuer and the Guarantors, if any, have agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer, it will make this Prospectus available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. See “Plan of Distribution.”


ANNEX B

Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities, where such Initial Securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. See “Plan of Distribution.”


ANNEX C

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. This Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities where such Initial Securities were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities. The Issuer and the Guarantors, if any, have agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer, they will make this Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. In addition, until     , 20         , all dealers effecting transactions in the Exchange Securities may be required to deliver a prospectus.(1)

The Issuer and the Guarantors, if any, will not receive any proceeds from any sale of Exchange Securities by broker-dealers. Exchange Securities received by broker-dealers for their own account pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, through the writing of options on the Exchange Securities or a combination of such methods of resale, at market prices prevailing at the time of resale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or negotiated prices. Any such resale may be made directly to purchasers or to or through brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of commissions or concessions from any such broker-dealer or the purchasers of any such Exchange Securities. Any broker-dealer that resells Exchange Securities that were received by it for its own account pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and any broker or dealer that participates in a distribution of such Exchange Securities may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and any profit on any such resale of Exchange Securities and any commission or concessions received by any such persons may be deemed to be underwriting compensation under the Securities Act. The Letter of Transmittal states that, by acknowledging that it will deliver and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.

For a period of 180 days after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer the Issuer and the Guarantors, if any, will promptly send additional copies of this Prospectus and any amendment or supplement to this Prospectus to any broker-dealer that requests such documents in the Letter of Transmittal. The Issuer and the Guarantors, if any, have agreed to pay all reasonable expenses incident to the Registered Exchange Offer (including the reasonable expenses of one counsel for the Holders of the Securities) other than commissions or concessions of any brokers or dealers and will indemnify the Holders of the Securities (including any broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

(1)

In addition, the legend required by Item 502(e) of Regulation S-K will appear on the back cover page of the Exchange Offer prospectus.


ANNEX D

CHECK HERE IF YOU ARE A BROKER-DEALER AND WISH TO RECEIVE 10 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE PROSPECTUS AND 10 COPIES OF ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO.

 

Name:

  

 

Address:

  

 

  

 

If the undersigned is not a broker-dealer, the undersigned represents that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, a distribution of Exchange Securities. If the undersigned is a broker-dealer that will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, it acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, the undersigned will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.


ANNEX E

COUNTERPART TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

The undersigned hereby absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably agrees as a Guarantor (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2022 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) by and among Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, any Guarantors party thereto and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as Representative of the Initial Purchasers), to be bound by the terms and provisions of such Registration Rights Agreement. Capitalized terms not defined but otherwise used herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this counterpart as of                 , 20

 

[NAME]
By:  

         

  Name:
  Title: