e8vk
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): March 14, 2011
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
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STATE OF NEVADA
(State or other
jurisdiction of incorporation)
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001-03262
(Commission File Number)
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94-1667468
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number) |
5300 Town and Country Boulevard
Suite 500
Frisco, Texas 75034
(Address of principal executive offices)
(972) 668-8800
(Registrants Telephone No.)
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:
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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Item 1.01 |
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Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement |
On March 14, 2011, Comstock Resources, Inc. (the Company) completed the public offering of
$300 million aggregate principal amount of 73/4% Senior Notes due 2019 (the Notes),
which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Companys principal subsidiaries (Subsidiary
Guarantors) Comstock Oil & Gas, LP, Comstock Oil & Gas-Louisiana, LLC, Comstock Oil & Gas GP, LLC,
Comstock Oil & Gas Investments, LLC and Comstock Oil & Gas Holdings, Inc.
The terms of the Notes are governed by the Indenture dated as of October 9, 2009 (the
"Base Indenture), among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and The Bank of New York Mellon
Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the Trustee), as amended and supplemented by the Third
Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 14, 2011 (the Third Supplemental Indenture) (the Base
Indenture, as amended and supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture (the Indenture)).
The Notes will mature on April 1, 2019, and interest is payable on the Notes on
each April 1 and October 1, commencing October 1, 2011. The record date is March 15 and September
15. The Company may redeem some or all of the Notes at any time on or after April 1, 2015 at the
redemption prices specified in the Indenture. The Company may also redeem up to 35% of the Notes
using the net proceeds of certain equity offerings completed before April 1, 2014 at a redemption
price as specified in the Indenture. If the Company sells certain assets or experiences a change
of control, as described in the Indenture, each holder of the Notes will have the right to require
the Company to repurchase the Notes at a purchase price described in the Indenture plus accrued and
unpaid interest, if any, to the date of such repurchase.
The Notes are the Companys senior unsecured obligations. The Notes will rank equally in
right of payment with all of the Companys existing and future senior indebtedness and senior in
right of payment to all of the Companys future subordinated indebtedness. The Notes will be
effectively subordinated to all of the Companys existing and future secured indebtedness to the
extent of the collateral securing such indebtedness, including under the Companys bank credit
facility.
The Indenture restricts the Companys ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries
to, among other things: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) pay distributions or dividends on
equity or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire equity; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) use
assets as collateral in other transactions; (v) sell certain assets or merge with or into other
companies; and (vi) enter into transactions with affiliates. These covenants are subject to a
number of important exceptions and qualifications.
The Indenture contains customary events of default, including:
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default in any payment of interest on any Note when due, continued for 30 days; |
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default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any Note when due; |
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failure by the Company to comply with its obligations under the Indenture, in
certain cases subject to notice and grace periods; |
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payment defaults and accelerations with respect to other indebtedness of the Company
and its Restricted Subsidiaries (as defined in the Indenture) in the aggregate amount
of $50.0 million or more; |
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of a Subsidiary Guarantor
or any other Restricted Subsidiary; and |
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failure by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted
Subsidiary to pay certain final judgments aggregating in excess of $50.0 million within
60 days. |
If an event of default under the Indenture occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the
holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may declare the principal of,
premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes to be due and payable, or,
in the case of certain events of default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization,
those amounts will automatically become immediately due and payable.
Other material terms of the Notes, the Base Indenture and the Third Supplemental Indenture are
described in the Prospectus Supplement, dated February 28, 2011, as filed by the Company and the
Subsidiary Guarantors with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The
foregoing descriptions of the Base Indenture, the Third Supplemental Indenture and the Notes are
qualified in their entirety by reference to such Base Indenture and the Third Supplemental
Indenture (including the form of Notes attached thereto), which is filed herewith as Exhibit 4.1
and incorporated herein by reference.
The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors registered the sale of the 2019 Notes and the
underlying guarantees with the Commission pursuant to an automatic shelf Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-162328) filed on October 5, 2009 (the Registration Statement).
The Company used the net proceeds from the offering of approximately $293.5 million to repurchase
its outstanding
67/8%
Senior Notes due 2012 (the 2012 Notes), repay outstanding
borrowings under its bank credit facility and for general corporate purposes.
As previously reported, on February 28, 2011, the Company entered into an underwriting
agreement with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as representative of
the underwriters named therein, in connection with an underwritten public offering of the Notes.
On March 14, 2011, the Company completed the Tender Offer for its 2012 Notes and a related
Consent Solicitation. As a result of this Tender Offer, in which 86.8% of the outstanding 2012
Notes were tendered, the Company has entered into the Sixth Supplemental Indenture (the Sixth
Supplemental Indenture) dated March 14, 2011, among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors party
thereto, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., Trustee, which is filed herewith as
Exhibit 4.2 and incorporated herein by reference. The Sixth Supplemental Indenture deletes
selected covenants and indemnities related to the 2012 Notes and establishes the procedures for
redemption of the remaining untendered portion of the 2012 Notes. The
remaining 13.2% of the 2012 Notes will be redeemed on
March 18, 2011.
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Item 2.03 |
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Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangement of a Registrant |
The description contained under Item 1.01 above is incorporated by reference in its entirety
into this Item 2.03.
(d) Exhibits
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Item 9.01 |
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Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) Exhibits
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Exhibit Number |
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Description |
4.1 |
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Third Supplemental Indenture, dated March 14, 2011,
among Comstock Resources, Inc., the Subsidiary
Guarantors party thereto, and The Bank of New York
Mellon Trust Company, N.A., Trustee for the 73/4%
Senior Notes due 2019. |
4.2 |
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Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated March 14, 2011,
among Comstock Resources, Inc., the Subsidiary
Guarantors party thereto, and The Bank of New York
Mellon Trust Company, N.A., Trustee for the 67/8%
Senior Notes due 2012. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
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COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.
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Dated: March 17, 2011 |
By: |
/s/ M. JAY ALLISON
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M. Jay Allison |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
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Exhibits Index
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Exhibit Number |
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Description |
4.1 |
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Third Supplemental Indenture, dated March 14, 2011, among
Comstock Resources, Inc., the Subsidiary Guarantors party
thereto, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company,
N.A., Trustee for the 73/4% Senior Notes due 2019. |
4.2 |
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Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated March 14, 2011, among
Comstock Resources, Inc., the Subsidiary Guarantors party
thereto, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company,
N.A., Trustee for the 67/8% Senior Notes due 2012. |
exv4w1
Exhibit 4.1
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.,
THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
dated as of March 14, 2011
to
INDENTURE
dated as of October 9, 2009
73/4% Senior Notes due 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I. APPLICATION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE |
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2 |
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Section 1.1 |
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Application of this Supplemental Indenture |
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2 |
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Section 1.2 |
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Effect of Supplemental Indenture |
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2 |
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Section 1.3 |
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General References |
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3 |
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ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION |
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Section 2.1 |
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Definitions |
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4 |
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Section 2.2 |
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Other Definitions |
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28 |
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Section 2.3 |
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Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act |
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28 |
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Section 2.4 |
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Rules of Construction |
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29 |
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ARTICLE III. THE NOTES |
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29 |
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Section 3.1 |
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Title and Terms |
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29 |
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Section 3.2 |
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Form and Dating |
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31 |
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Section 3.3 |
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Authentication |
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31 |
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Section 3.4 |
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Registrar and Paying Agent |
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32 |
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Section 3.5 |
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Paying Agent To Hold Money in Trust |
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32 |
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Section 3.6 |
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Holder Lists |
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33 |
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Section 3.7 |
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Replacement Securities |
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33 |
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Section 3.8 |
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Outstanding Securities |
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33 |
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Section 3.9 |
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Temporary Notes |
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33 |
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Section 3.10 |
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Cancellation |
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34 |
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Section 3.11 |
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Defaulted Interest |
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34 |
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Section 3.12 |
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CUSIP Numbers |
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34 |
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Section 3.13 |
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Transfer and Exchange |
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34 |
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Section 3.14 |
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Certificated Notes |
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37 |
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ARTICLE IV. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE |
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38 |
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Section 4.1 |
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Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture |
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38 |
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Section 4.2 |
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Application of Trust Money |
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39 |
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ARTICLE V. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES |
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39 |
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Section 5.1 |
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Events of Default |
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39 |
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Section 5.2 |
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Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
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41 |
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Section 5.3 |
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Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee |
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43 |
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Section 5.4 |
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Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
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43 |
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Section 5.5 |
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Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Notes |
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44 |
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Section 5.6 |
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Application of Money Collected |
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44 |
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Section 5.7 |
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Limitation on Suits |
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45 |
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Section 5.8 |
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Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest |
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45 |
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Section 5.9 |
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Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
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45 |
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Section 5.10 |
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Rights and Remedies Cumulative |
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46 |
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Section 5.11 |
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Delay or Omission Not Waiver |
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46 |
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Section 5.12 |
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Control by Holders |
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46 |
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Section 5.13 |
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Waiver of Past Defaults |
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46 |
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Section 5.14 |
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Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws |
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47 |
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ARTICLE VI. THE TRUSTEE |
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47 |
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Section 6.1 |
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Duties of Trustee |
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47 |
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Section 6.2 |
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Certain Rights of Trustee |
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48 |
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Section 6.3 |
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Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Notes |
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50 |
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Section 6.4 |
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May Hold Notes |
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Section 6.5 |
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Money Held in Trust |
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50 |
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Section 6.6 |
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Compensation and Reimbursement |
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Section 6.7 |
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Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility |
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51 |
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Section 6.8 |
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Conflicting Interests |
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51 |
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Section 6.9 |
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Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor |
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51 |
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Section 6.10 |
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Acceptance of Appointment by Successor |
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52 |
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Section 6.11 |
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Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business |
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53 |
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Section 6.12 |
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Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company |
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53 |
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Section 6.13 |
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Notice of Defaults |
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53 |
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Section 6.14 |
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Reports by Trustee |
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54 |
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ARTICLE VII. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE |
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54 |
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Section 7.1 |
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Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms |
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54 |
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Section 7.2 |
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Successor Substituted |
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55 |
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ARTICLE VIII. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES |
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56 |
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Section 8.1 |
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Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders |
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56 |
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Section 8.2 |
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Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders |
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57 |
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Section 8.3 |
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Execution of Supplemental Indentures |
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58 |
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Section 8.4 |
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Effects of Supplemental Indentures |
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58 |
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Section 8.5 |
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Conformity with Trust Indenture Act |
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58 |
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Section 8.6 |
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References in Notes to Supplemental Indentures |
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58 |
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Section 8.7 |
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Notice of Supplemental Indentures |
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58 |
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ARTICLE IX. COVENANTS |
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58 |
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Section 9.1 |
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Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest |
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58 |
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Section 9.2 |
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Maintenance of Office or Agency |
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59 |
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Section 9.3 |
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Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust |
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59 |
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Section 9.4 |
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Corporate Existence |
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60 |
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Section 9.5 |
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Statement by Officers as to Default |
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60 |
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Section 9.6 |
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[Reserved.] |
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61 |
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Section 9.7 |
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[Reserved.] |
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61 |
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Section 9.8 |
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Payment of Taxes; Maintenance of Properties; Insurance |
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61 |
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Section 9.9 |
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Reports |
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62 |
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Section 9.10 |
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Limitation on Restricted Payments |
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63 |
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Section 9.11 |
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[Reserved.] |
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66 |
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Section 9.12 |
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Limitation on Indebtedness and Disqualified Capital Stock |
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66 |
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Section 9.13 |
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Additional Subsidiary Guarantors |
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69 |
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Section 9.14 |
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Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries |
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69 |
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Section 9.15 |
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Limitation on Liens |
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69 |
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Section 9.16 |
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Purchase of Notes Upon Change of Control |
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70 |
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Section 9.17 |
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Limitation on Asset Sales |
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72 |
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Section 9.18 |
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Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates |
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74 |
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Section 9.19 |
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Limitation on Dividends and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting
Restricted Subsidiaries |
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75 |
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Section 9.20 |
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Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions |
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76 |
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Section 9.21 |
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Covenant Suspension |
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76 |
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ARTICLE X. REDEMPTION OF NOTES |
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77 |
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Section 10.1 |
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Notice to Trustee |
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77 |
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Section 10.2 |
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Selection by Trustee of Notes to Be Redeemed |
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77 |
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Section 10.3 |
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Notice of Redemption |
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78 |
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Section 10.4 |
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Deposit of Redemption Price |
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78 |
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Section 10.5 |
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Notes Payable on Redemption Date |
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78 |
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Section 10.6 |
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Notes Redeemed in Part |
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79 |
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ARTICLE XI. DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE |
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79 |
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Section 11.1 |
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Companys Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
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79 |
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Section 11.2 |
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Defeasance and Discharge |
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79 |
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Section 11.3 |
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Covenant Defeasance |
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80 |
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Section 11.4 |
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Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
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80 |
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Section 11.5 |
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Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Other |
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Miscellaneous Provisions |
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82 |
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Section 11.6 |
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Reinstatement |
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82 |
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ARTICLE XII. SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES |
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83 |
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Section 12.1 |
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Unconditional Guarantee |
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83 |
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Section 12.2 |
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Subsidiary Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms |
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84 |
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Section 12.3 |
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Release of Subsidiary Guarantors |
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85 |
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Section 12.4 |
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Limitation of Subsidiary Guarantors Liability |
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85 |
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Section 12.5 |
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Contribution |
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86 |
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Section 12.6 |
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Severability |
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86 |
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ARTICLE XIII. MISCELLANEOUS |
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86 |
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Section 13.1 |
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Compliance Certificates and Opinions |
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86 |
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Section 13.2 |
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Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee |
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87 |
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Section 13.3 |
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Acts of Holders |
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87 |
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Section 13.4 |
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Notices, etc. to Trustee, Company and Subsidiary Guarantors |
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88 |
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Section 13.5 |
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Notice to Holders; Waiver |
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89 |
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Section 13.6 |
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Effect of Headings and Table of Contents |
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89 |
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Section 13.7 |
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Successors and Assigns |
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89 |
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Section 13.8 |
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Severability |
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90 |
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Section 13.9 |
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Benefits of Supplemental Indenture |
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90 |
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Section 13.10 |
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Governing Law; Trust Indenture Act Controls |
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90 |
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Section 13.11 |
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Legal Holidays |
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90 |
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Section 13.12 |
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No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders |
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91 |
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Section 13.13 |
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Holder Communications |
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91 |
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Section 13.14 |
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Duplicate Originals |
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91 |
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Section 13.15 |
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No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements |
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91 |
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Section 13.16 |
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Force Majeure |
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91 |
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Section 13.17 |
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Waiver of Jury Trial |
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91 |
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Appendix A Form of Note |
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iv
THIS THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE dated as of March 14, 2011 (this Supplemental
Indenture), is among COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC., a Nevada corporation (hereinafter called the
Company), the SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS (as defined hereinafter) and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee (hereinafter called the Trustee) under the Indenture, dated as of
October 9, 2009, among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors named therein and the Trustee (the
Original Indenture and, as amended and supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, in respect of
the Notes, the Indenture).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee have duly authorized, executed
and delivered the Original Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of the Companys
unsecured senior or subordinated debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, to be
issued, from time to time, in one or more series (herein called Securities), which Securities may
be guaranteed by each of the Subsidiary Guarantors, as the Original Indenture provides;
WHEREAS, under the Original Indenture, a new series of Securities may at any time be
established by the Board of Directors of the Company, in accordance with the provisions of the
Original Indenture, and the terms of such series may be established in an indenture supplemental to
the Original Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to execute this Supplemental Indenture to establish the form and
terms, and to provide for the issuance, of a second series of senior notes designated as
73/4% Senior Notes due 2019 in an aggregate principal amount of $300,000,000
(the Initial Notes);
WHEREAS, from time to time subsequent to the Issue Date, the Company may, if permitted to do
so pursuant to the terms of the Indenture, the Initial Notes and the terms of their other
indebtedness existing on such future date, issue additional senior notes of the same series as the
Initial Notes in accordance with this Supplemental Indenture (the Additional Notes and, together
with the Initial Notes, the Notes), pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors are members of the same consolidated group
of companies. The Subsidiary Guarantors will derive direct and indirect economic benefit from the
issuance of the Notes. Accordingly, each Subsidiary Guarantor has duly authorized the execution and
delivery of this Supplemental Indenture to provide for its full, unconditional and joint and
several Guarantee of the Notes to the extent provided in or pursuant to the Indenture;
WHEREAS, this Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act
of 1939, as amended, that are required to be a part of this Supplemental Indenture and shall, to
the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions;
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Supplemental
Indenture to provide for the issuance of the Notes, and the Subsidiary Guarantors named herein have
duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture to
provide for the guarantee of the Notes by the Subsidiary Guarantors as provided in this
Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all things necessary have been done to make the Notes, when executed by the Company
and authenticated and delivered hereunder, the valid obligations of the Company and to make the
Original Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, when executed by the Company
and each Subsidiary Guarantor named herein, a valid agreement of the Company and each such
Subsidiary Guarantor, in each case in accordance with their respective terms.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other parties and for the equal and
ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes:
ARTICLE I.
APPLICATION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Section 1.1 Application of this Supplemental Indenture. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Supplemental Indenture, the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture, including as provided
in Section 1.2 below, are expressly and solely for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes and the
Guarantees and shall not apply to any other series of Securities that have been issued or that may
be issued hereafter under the Original Indenture. The Notes constitute a series of Securities as
provided in the Original Indenture. Unless otherwise expressly specified, references in this
Supplemental Indenture to specific Article numbers or Section numbers refer to Articles and
Sections contained in this Supplemental Indenture, and not the Original Indenture or any other
document.
Section 1.2 Effect of Supplemental Indenture. With respect to the Notes only, the Original Indenture
shall be supplemented and amended pursuant to Section 8.1 thereof to establish the form and terms
of the Notes as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture, including as follows:
(a) Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application. Article I of the Original
Indenture is deleted and replaced in its entirety by the provisions of Article II of this
Supplemental Indenture;
(b) The Notes. Article II of the Original Indenture is deleted and replaced in its
entirety by the provisions of Article III of this Supplemental Indenture;
(c) Satisfaction and Discharge. The provisions of Article III of the Original Indenture
are deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article IV of this Supplemental
Indenture;
(d) Defaults and Remedies. The provisions of Article IV of the Original Indenture are
deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article V of this Supplemental
Indenture;
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(e) The Trustee. The provisions of Article V of the Original Indenture are deleted and
replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article VI of this Supplemental Indenture;
(f) Holders Lists and Reports by Trustee and Company. The provisions of Article VI of
the Original Indenture are deleted in their entirety;
(g) Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance, Transfer or Lease. The provisions of Article VII
of the Original Indenture are deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article
VII of this Supplemental Indenture;
(h) Supplemental Indentures. The provisions of Article VIII of the Original Indenture
are deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article VIII of this Supplemental
Indenture;
(i) Covenants. The provisions of Article IX of the Original Indenture are deleted and
replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article IX of this Supplemental Indenture;
(j) Redemption of Notes. The provisions of Article X of the Original Indenture are
deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article X of this Supplemental
Indenture;
(k) Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance. The provisions of Article XI of the Original
Indenture are deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article IX and Article
XII of this Supplemental Indenture;
(l) Subsidiary Guarantees. The provisions of Article XII of the Original Indenture are
deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article XII of this Supplemental
Indenture;
(m) Miscellaneous. The provisions of Article XIII of the Original Indenture are
deleted and replaced in their entirety by the provisions of Article XIII of this Supplemental
Indenture; and
(n) Subordination of the Securities. The provisions of Article XIV of the Original
Indenture are deleted in their entirety.
To the extent that the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture (including those referred to
in clauses (a) through (n) above) conflict with any provision of the Original Indenture, the
provisions of this Supplemental Indenture shall govern and be controlling, solely with respect to
the Notes.
Section 1.3 General References. Unless otherwise specified or unless the context otherwise requires, (i) all references in this
First Supplemental Indenture to Articles and Sections refer to the corresponding Articles and
Sections of this First Supplemental Indenture and (ii) the terms herein, hereof, hereunder,
hereto and any other word of similar import refers to this First Supplemental Indenture.
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ARTICLE II.
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 2.1 Definitions.
Acquired Indebtedness means Indebtedness of a Person (1) existing at the time such Person
becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or (2) assumed in connection with acquisitions of Properties from
such Person (other than any Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such
Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary or such acquisition). Acquired Indebtedness shall be
deemed to be incurred on the date the acquired Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or the date
of the related acquisition of Properties from such Person.
Act, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 13.3.
Additional Assets means:
(i) any Property (other than cash, Cash Equivalents or securities) used in the Oil and Gas
Business or any business ancillary thereto;
(ii) Investments in any other Person engaged in the Oil and Gas Business or any business
ancillary thereto (including the acquisition from third parties of Capital Stock of such Person) as
a result of which such other Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary;
(iii) the acquisition from third parties of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary; or
(iv) capital expenditures by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in the Oil and Gas
Business.
Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets means (without duplication), as of the date of
determination, the remainder of:
(i) the sum of:
(a) discounted future net revenues from proved oil and gas reserves of the Company and
its Restricted Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with Commission guidelines before any
state, Federal or foreign income taxes, as estimated by the Company and confirmed by a
nationally recognized firm of independent petroleum engineers in a reserve report prepared
as of the end of the Companys most recently completed fiscal year for which audited
financial statements are available, as increased by, as of the date of determination, the
estimated discounted future net revenues from:
(1) estimated proved oil and gas reserves acquired since such year-end, which
reserves were not reflected in such year-end reserve report, and
(2) estimated oil and gas reserves attributable to upward revisions of
estimates of proved oil and gas reserves since such year-end due to exploration,
development or exploitation activities, in each case calculated in accordance with
4
Commission guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in such year-end reserve
report),
and decreased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net
revenues from:
(3) estimated proved oil and gas reserves produced or disposed of since such
year-end, and
(4) estimated oil and gas reserves attributable to downward revisions of
estimates of proved oil and gas reserves since such year-end due to changes in
geological conditions or other factors which would, in accordance with standard
industry practice, cause such revisions, in each case calculated in accordance with
Commission guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in such year-end reserve
report);
provided that, in the case of each of the determinations made pursuant to clauses (1)
through (4), such increases and decreases shall be as estimated by the Companys petroleum
engineers, unless there is a Material Change as a result of such acquisitions, dispositions
or revisions, in which event the discounted future net revenues utilized for purposes of
this clause (i)(a) shall be confirmed in writing by a nationally recognized firm of
independent petroleum engineers;
(b) the capitalized costs that are attributable to oil and gas properties of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries to which no proved oil and gas reserves are
attributable, based on the Companys books and records as of a date no earlier than the date
of the Companys latest annual or quarterly financial statements;
(c) the Net Working Capital on a date no earlier than the date of the Companys latest
annual or quarterly financial statements; and
(d) the greater of (1) the net book value on a date no earlier than the date of the
Companys latest annual or quarterly financial statements and (2) the appraised value, as
estimated by independent appraisers, of other tangible assets (including, without
duplication, Investments in unconsolidated Restricted Subsidiaries) of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries, as of a date no earlier than the date of the Companys latest
audited financial statements; minus
(ii) the sum of:
(a) Minority Interests;
(b) any net gas balancing liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
reflected in the Companys latest audited financial statements;
(c) to the extent included in (i)(a) above, the discounted future net revenues,
calculated in accordance with Commission guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in the
Companys year-end reserve report), attributable to reserves which are required to be
5
delivered to third parties to fully satisfy the obligations of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Volumetric Production Payments (determined, if
applicable, using the schedules specified with respect thereto); and
(d) the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with Commission
guidelines, attributable to reserves subject to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments
which, based on the estimates of production and price assumptions included in determining
the discounted future net revenues specified in (i)(a) above, would be necessary to fully
satisfy the payment obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect
to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments (determined, if applicable, using the schedules
specified with respect thereto).
Adjusted Net Assets of a Subsidiary Guarantor at any date shall mean the amount by which the
fair value of the properties and assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor exceeds the total amount of
liabilities, including, without limitation, contingent liabilities (after giving effect to all
other fixed and contingent liabilities incurred or assumed on such date), but excluding liabilities
under its Subsidiary Guarantee, of such Subsidiary Guarantor at such date.
Affiliate means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such
specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, control, when used with respect to any
Person, means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or
indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the
terms controlling and controlled have meanings correlative to the foregoing. For purposes of
this definition, beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the voting common equity (on a fully
diluted basis) or options or warrants to purchase such equity (but only if exercisable at the date
of determination or within 60 days thereof) of a Person shall be deemed to constitute control of
such Person.
Asset Sale means any sale, issuance, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition to any
Person other than the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (including, without limitation,
by means of a merger or consolidation) (collectively, for purposes of this definition, a
transfer), directly or indirectly, in one or a series of related transactions, of (i) any Capital
Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) all or substantially all of the Properties of any division
or line of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (iii) any other
Properties of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries other than (a) a transfer of cash,
Cash Equivalents, hydrocarbons or other mineral products in the ordinary course of business or (b)
any lease, abandonment, disposition, relinquishment or farm-out of any oil and gas Properties in
the ordinary course of business. For the purposes of this definition, the term Asset Sale also
shall not include (a) any transfer of Properties (including Capital Stock) that is governed by, and
made in accordance with, the provisions of Article VII hereof; (b) any transfer of Properties to an
Unrestricted Subsidiary, if permitted under Section 9.10 hereof; or (c) any transfer (in a single
transaction or a series of related transactions) of Properties (including Capital Stock) having a
Fair Market Value of less than $25,000,000.
Attributable Indebtedness means, with respect to any particular lease under which any Person
is at the time liable and at any date as of which the amount thereof is to be determined, the
present value of the total net amount of rent required to be paid by such Person under the
6
lease
during the primary term thereof, without giving effect to any renewals at the option of the lessee,
discounted from the respective due dates thereof to such date at the rate of interest per annum
implicit in the terms of the lease. As used in the preceding sentence, the net amount of rent
under any lease for any such period shall mean the sum of rental and other payments required to be
paid with respect to such period by the lessee thereunder excluding any amounts required to be paid
by such lessee on account of maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or
similar charges. In the case of any lease which is terminable by the lessee upon payment of a
penalty, such net amount of rent shall also include the amount of such penalty, but no rent shall
be considered as required to be paid under such lease subsequent to the first date upon which it
may be so terminated.
Average Life means, with respect to any Indebtedness, as at any date of determination, the
quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the products of (a) the number of years (and any
portion thereof) from the date of determination to the date or dates of each successive scheduled
principal payment (including, without limitation, any sinking fund or mandatory redemption payment
requirements) of such Indebtedness multiplied by (b) the amount of each such principal payment by
(ii) the sum of all such principal payments.
Bank Credit Agreement means that certain Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated
as of November 30, 2010 among the Company, as Borrower, the lenders party thereto from time to
time, Bank of Montreal, as Administrative Agent and Issuing Bank, Bank of America, N.A., as
Syndication Agent, and Comerica Bank, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Union Bank of California,
N.A., as Co-Documentation Agents, and together with all related documents executed or delivered
pursuant thereto at any time (including, without limitation, all mortgages, deeds of trust,
guarantees, security agreements and all other collateral and security documents), in each case as
such agreements may be amended (including any amendment and restatement thereof), supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time, including any agreement or agreements extending the maturity
of, refinancing, replacing or otherwise restructuring (including into two or more separate credit
facilities, and including increasing the amount of available borrowings thereunder provided that
such increase in borrowings is within the definition of Permitted Indebtedness or is otherwise
permitted under Section 9.12) or adding Subsidiaries as additional borrowers or guarantors
thereunder and all or any portion of the Indebtedness and other Obligations under such agreement or
agreements or any successor or replacement agreement or agreements, and whether by the same or any
other agent(s), lender(s) or group(s) of lenders.
Board of Directors means, with respect to the Company, either the board of directors of the
Company or any duly authorized committee of such board of directors, and, with respect to any
Subsidiary, either the board of directors of such Subsidiary or any duly authorized committee of
that board or, in the case of a Subsidiary not having a board of directors, the manager or other
person performing a function comparable to a board of directors of a corporation.
Board Resolution means, with respect to the Company, a copy of a resolution certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by its
Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and
delivered to the Trustee, and with respect to a Subsidiary, a copy of a resolution certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of such Subsidiary to have been duly adopted by its Board of
7
Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to
the Trustee.
Business Day means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day
on which banking institutions in the cities of New York, New York or Dallas, Texas are authorized
or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Borrowing Base means, as of any date, the aggregate amount of borrowing availability as of
such date under the Bank Credit Agreement that determines availability on the basis of a borrowing
base or other asset-based calculation.
Capital Stock means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests,
participations, rights or other equivalents in the equity interests (however designated) in such
Person, and any rights (other than debt securities convertible into an equity interest), warrants
or options exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into such an equity interest in such
Person.
Capitalized Lease Obligation means any obligation to pay rent or other amounts under a lease
of (or other agreement conveying the right to use) any Property that is required to be classified
and accounted for as a capital lease obligation under GAAP, and, for the purpose of the Indenture,
the amount of such obligation at any date shall be the capitalized amount thereof at such date,
determined in accordance with GAAP.
Cash Equivalents means:
(i) any evidence of Indebtedness with a maturity of 180 days or less issued or directly and
fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality
thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged in
support thereof);
(ii) demand and time deposits and certificates of deposit or acceptances with a maturity of
180 days or less of any financial institution that is a member of the Federal Reserve System having
combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;
(iii) commercial paper with a maturity of 180 days or less issued by a corporation that is not
an Affiliate of the Company and is organized under the laws of any state of the United States or
the District of Columbia and rated at least A-l by S&P or at least P-l by Moodys;
(iv) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities
of the types described in clause (i) above entered into with any commercial bank meeting the
specifications of clause (ii) above;
(v) overnight bank deposits and bankers acceptances at any commercial bank meeting the
qualifications specified in clause (ii) above;
(vi) deposits available for withdrawal on demand with any commercial bank not meeting the
qualifications specified in clause (ii) above but which is a lending bank under the
8
Bank Credit
Agreement, provided all such deposits do not exceed $5,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time;
(vii) demand and time deposits and certificates of deposit with any commercial bank organized
in the United States not meeting the qualifications specified in clause (ii) above, provided that
such deposits and certificates support bond, letter of credit and other similar types of
obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; and
(viii) investments in money market or other mutual funds substantially all of whose assets
comprise securities of the types described in clauses (i) through (v) above.
Change of Control means the occurrence of any event or series of events by which:
(i) any person or group (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the
Exchange Act), is or becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange
Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total Voting Stock of the Company;
(ii) the Company consolidates with or merges into another Person or any Person consolidates
with, or merges into, the Company, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which the
outstanding Voting Stock of the Company is changed into or exchanged for cash, securities or other
Property, other than any such transaction where (a) the outstanding Voting Stock of the Company is
changed into or exchanged for Voting Stock of the surviving or resulting Person that is Qualified
Capital Stock and (b) the holders of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such
transaction own, directly or indirectly, not less than a majority of the Voting Stock of the
surviving or resulting Person immediately after such transaction;
(iii) the Company, either individually or in conjunction with one or more Restricted
Subsidiaries, sells, assigns, conveys, transfers, leases or otherwise disposes of, or the
Restricted Subsidiaries sell, assign, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of, all or
substantially all of the Properties of the Company and such Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole (either in one transaction or a series of related transactions), including Capital Stock of
the Restricted Subsidiaries, to any Person (other than the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary);
(iv) during any consecutive two-year period, individuals who at the beginning of such period
constituted the Board of Directors of the Company (together with any new directors whose election
by such Board of Directors or whose nomination for election by the stockholders of the Company was
approved by a vote of 66 2/3% of the directors then still in office who were
either directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was
previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Directors of
the Company then in office; or
(v) Comstock is liquidated or dissolved.
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as now or hereafter in effect,
together with all regulations thereunder issued by the Internal Revenue Service.
9
Commission or SEC means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time
constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this
Supplemental Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it
under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
Common Stock of any Person means Capital Stock of such Person that does not rank prior, as
to the payment of dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such Person, to shares of Capital Stock of any other
class of such Person.
Company means the Person named as the Company in the first paragraph of this Supplemental
Indenture, until a successor person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of
this Indenture, and thereafter Company shall mean such successor Person.
Company Request or Company Order means a written request or order signed in the name of
the Company by its Chairman, its President, any Vice President, its Treasurer or an Assistant
Treasurer, and delivered to the Trustee.
Consolidated Exploration Expenses means, for any period, exploration expenses of the Company
and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance
with GAAP.
Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio means, for any period, the ratio on a pro forma
basis of (1) the sum of Consolidated Net Income, Consolidated Interest Expense, Consolidated Income
Tax Expense and Consolidated Non-cash Charges each to the extent deducted in computing Consolidated
Net Income, in each case, for such period, of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis, all determined in accordance with GAAP, decreased (to the extent included in
determining Consolidated Net Income) by the sum of (a) the amount of deferred revenues that are
amortized during such period and are attributable to reserves that are subject to Volumetric
Production Payments and (b) amounts recorded in accordance with GAAP as repayments of principal and
interest pursuant to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments, to (2) Consolidated Interest Expense
for such period; provided, however, that (i) the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be
calculated on a pro forma basis on the assumptions that (A) the Indebtedness to be incurred (and
all other Indebtedness incurred after the first day of such period of four full fiscal quarters
referred to in Section 9.12(a) hereof through and including the date of determination), and (if
applicable) the application of the net proceeds therefrom (and from any other such Indebtedness),
including to refinance other Indebtedness, had been incurred on the first day of such four-quarter
period and, in the case of Acquired Indebtedness, on the assumption that the related transaction
(whether by means of purchase, merger or otherwise) also had occurred on such date with the
appropriate adjustments with respect to such acquisition being included in such pro forma
calculation and (B) any acquisition or disposition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of
any Properties outside the ordinary course of business, or any repayment of any principal amount of
any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary prior to the Stated Maturity thereof,
in either case since the first day of such period of four full fiscal quarters through and including the date
of determination, had been consummated on such first day of such four-quarter period, (ii) in
making such computation, the Consolidated Interest Expense attributable to interest on any
10
Indebtedness required to be computed on a pro forma basis in accordance with Section 9.12(a) hereof
and (A) bearing a floating interest rate shall be computed as if the rate in effect on the date of
computation had been the applicable rate for the entire period and (B) which was not outstanding
during the period for which the computation is being made but which bears, at the option of the
Company, a fixed or floating rate of interest, shall be computed by applying, at the option of the
Company, either the fixed or floating rate, (iii) in making such computation, the Consolidated
Interest Expense attributable to interest on any Indebtedness under a revolving credit facility
required to be computed on a pro forma basis in accordance with Section 9.12(a) hereof shall be
computed based upon the average daily balance of such Indebtedness during the applicable period,
provided that such average daily balance shall be reduced by the amount of any repayment of
Indebtedness under a revolving credit facility during the applicable period, which repayment
permanently reduced the commitments or amounts available to be reborrowed under such facility, (iv)
notwithstanding clauses (ii) and (iii) of this provision, interest on Indebtedness determined on a
fluctuating basis, to the extent such interest is covered by agreements relating to Interest Rate
Protection Obligations, shall be deemed to have accrued at the rate per annum resulting after
giving effect to the operation of such agreements, (v) in making such calculation, Consolidated
Interest Expense shall exclude interest attributable to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments, and
(vi) if after the first day of the period referred to in clause (1) of this definition the Company
has permanently retired any Indebtedness out of the Net Cash Proceeds of the issuance and sale of
shares of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company within 30 days of such issuance and sale,
Consolidated Interest Expense shall be calculated on a pro forma basis as if such Indebtedness had
been retired on the first day of such period.
Consolidated Income Tax Expense means, for any period, the provision for federal, state,
local and foreign income taxes (including state franchise taxes accounted for as income taxes in
accordance with GAAP) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period as determined
on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
Consolidated Interest Expense means, for any period, without duplication, the sum of (1) the
interest expense of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period as determined on a
consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, including, without limitation, (a) any amortization of
debt discount, (b) the net cost under Interest Rate Protection Obligations (including any
amortization of discounts), (c) the interest portion of any deferred payment obligation
constituting Indebtedness, (d) all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with
respect to letters of credit and bankers acceptance financing and (e) all accrued interest, in
each case to the extent attributable to such period, (2) to the extent any Indebtedness of any
Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) is guaranteed by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, the aggregate amount of interest paid (to the extent not accrued in a prior
period) or accrued by such other Person during such period attributable to any such Indebtedness,
in each case to the extent attributable to that period, (3) the aggregate amount of the interest
component of Capitalized Lease Obligations paid (to the extent not accrued in a prior period),
accrued or scheduled to be paid or accrued by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries during
such period as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and (4) the aggregate
amount of dividends paid (to the extent such dividends are not accrued in a
prior period and excluding dividends paid in Qualified Capital Stock) or accrued on
Disqualified Capital Stock of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, to the extent such
Disqualified Capital Stock is owned by Persons other than the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries, less, to
11
the extent included in any of clauses (1) through (4), amortization of
capitalized debt issuance costs of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries during such period.
Consolidated Net Income means, for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period as determined in accordance with GAAP,
adjusted by excluding:
(1) net after-tax extraordinary gains or losses (less all fees and expenses relating thereto);
(2) net after-tax gains or losses (less all fees and expenses relating thereto) attributable
to Asset Sales;
(3) the net income (or net loss) of any Person (other than the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries), in which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has an
ownership interest, except to the extent of the amount of dividends or other distributions actually
paid to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in cash by such other Person during such
period (regardless of whether such cash dividends or distributions are attributable to net income
(or net loss) of such Person during such period or during any prior period);
(4) the net income of any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment
of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary is not at the date of
determination permitted, directly or indirectly, by operation of the terms of its charter or any
agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable
to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders;
(5) dividends paid in Qualified Capital Stock;
(6) income resulting from transfers of assets received by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary from an Unrestricted Subsidiary;
(7) Consolidated Exploration Expenses and any write-downs or impairments of non-current
assets; and
(8) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles.
Consolidated Net Worth means, at any date, the consolidated stockholders equity of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries less the amount of such stockholders equity attributable
to Disqualified Capital Stock or treasury stock of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as
determined in accordance with GAAP.
Consolidated Non-cash Charges means, for any period, the aggregate depreciation, depletion,
amortization and exploration expense and other non-cash expenses of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries reducing Consolidated Net Income for such period, determined on
a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP (excluding any such non-cash charge for which an
accrual of or reserve for cash charges for any future period is required).
Consolidated Total Indebtedness means, with respect to the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries as of any date of determination, the aggregate of all Indebtedness of the Company
12
and
its Restricted Subsidiaries as of such date of determination, on a consolidated basis, determined
in accordance with GAAP.
Corporate Trust Office means, for purposes of presenting Securities, The Bank of New York
Mellon located at 101 Barclay Street, 7 East, New York, New York 10286 and, for all other purposes
the office of the Trustee at which any time its corporate trust business shall be administered,
which at the date hereof is located at 601 Travis Street, 16th floor, Houston, Texas 77002,
Attention: Corporate Trust Services, re: Comstock Resources, Inc., or such other address as the
Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal
corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee
may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
Default means any event, act or condition that is, or after notice or passage of time or
both would become, an Event of Default.
Depositary means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors.
Disinterested Director means, with respect to any transaction or series of transactions in
respect of which the Board of Directors of the Company is required to deliver a Board Resolution
hereunder, a member of the Board of Directors of the Company who does not have any material direct
or indirect financial interest (other than an interest arising solely from the beneficial ownership
of Capital Stock of the Company) in or with respect to such transaction or series of transactions.
Disqualified Capital Stock means any Capital Stock that, either by its terms, by the terms
of any security into which it is convertible or exchangeable or by contract or otherwise, is, or
upon the happening of an event or passage of time would be, required to be redeemed or repurchased
prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Notes or is redeemable at the option of the holder
thereof at any time prior to such final Stated Maturity, or is convertible into or exchangeable for
debt securities at any time prior to such final Stated Maturity. For purposes of Section 9.12(a)
hereof, Disqualified Capital Stock shall be valued at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary
maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price plus accrued and unpaid dividends. For such purposes,
the maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price of any Disqualified Capital Stock which does not
have a fixed redemption or repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of
such Disqualified Capital Stock as if such Disqualified Capital Stock were redeemed or repurchased
on the date of determination, and if such price is based upon, or measured by, the fair market
value of such Disqualified Capital Stock, such fair market value shall be determined in good faith
by the board of directors of the issuer of such Disqualified Capital Stock; provided, however, that
if such Disqualified Capital Stock is not at the date of determination permitted or required to be
redeemed or repurchased, the maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price shall be the book value
of such Disqualified Capital Stock.
Dollar-Denominated Production Payments means production payment obligations of the Company
or a Restricted Subsidiary recorded as liabilities in accordance with GAAP, together with all
undertakings and obligations in connection therewith.
13
Equity Interests means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire
Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for,
Capital Stock).
Event of Default has the meaning specified in Section 5.1 hereof.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and
any successor act thereto.
Exchanged Properties means properties or assets used or useful in the Oil and Gas Business
received by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in trade or as a portion of the total
consideration for other such properties or assets.
Existing Notes Issue Date means February 25, 2004.
Fair Market Value means with respect to any Property, the sale value that would be obtained
in an arms-length free market transaction between an informed and willing seller under no
compulsion to sell and an informed and willing buyer under no compulsion to buy. Fair Market Value
of a Property equal to or in excess of $10.0 million shall be determined by the Board of Directors
of the Company acting in good faith, whose determination shall be conclusive and evidenced by a
Board Resolution, and any lesser Fair Market Value may be determined by an officer of the Company
acting in good faith.
Federal Bankruptcy Code means the United States Bankruptcy Code of Title 11 of the United
States Code, as amended from time to time.
GAAP means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in
effect from time to time. All ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in the Indenture will
be computed in conformity with GAAP.
The uncapitalized term guarantee means, as applied to any obligation, (1) a guarantee (other
than by endorsement of negotiable instruments or documents for collection in the ordinary course of
business), direct or indirect, in any manner, of any part or all of such obligation and (2) an
agreement, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, the practical effect of which is to assure
in any way the payment or performance (or payment of damages in the event of non-performance) of
all or any part of such obligation, including, without limiting the foregoing, the payment of
amounts drawn down under letters of credit. When used as a verb, guarantee has a corresponding
meaning.
Holder means a Person in whose name a Note is registered in the Note Register.
Indebtedness means, with respect to any Person, without duplication:
(1) all liabilities of such Person, contingent or otherwise, for borrowed money or for the
deferred purchase price of Property or services (excluding any trade accounts payable and
other accrued current liabilities incurred and reserves established in the ordinary course of
business) and all liabilities of such Person incurred in connection with any agreement to purchase,
redeem, exchange, convert or otherwise acquire for value any Capital Stock of such
14
Person, or any warrants, rights or options to acquire such Capital Stock outstanding on the Issue Date or
thereafter, if, and to the extent, any of the foregoing would appear as a liability upon a balance
sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP;
(2) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or other similar
instruments, if, and to the extent, any of the foregoing would appear as a liability upon a balance
sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP;
(3) all obligations of such Person with respect to letters of credit;
(4) all indebtedness of such Person created or arising under any conditional sale or other
title retention agreement with respect to Property acquired by such Person (even if the rights and
remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to
repossession or sale of such Property), but excluding trade accounts payable arising and reserves
established in the ordinary course of business;
(5) all Capitalized Lease Obligations of such Person;
(6) the Attributable Indebtedness (in excess of any related Capitalized Lease Obligations)
related to any Sale/Leaseback Transaction of such Person;
(7) all Indebtedness referred to in the preceding clauses of other Persons and all dividends
of other Persons, the payment of which is secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness
has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien upon Property
(including, without limitation, accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, even though
such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such Indebtedness (the amount of
such obligation being deemed to be the lesser of the value of such Property or the amount of the
obligation so secured);
(8) all guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness referred to in this definition (including,
with respect to any Production Payment, any warranties or guaranties of production or payment by
such Person with respect to such Production Payment but excluding other contractual obligations of
such Person with respect to such Production Payment); and
(9) all obligations of such Person under or in respect of currency exchange contracts, oil and
natural gas price hedging arrangements and Interest Rate Protection Obligations.
Subject to clause (8) of the first sentence of this definition, neither Dollar-Denominated
Production Payments nor Volumetric Production Payments shall be deemed to be Indebtedness. In
addition, Disqualified Capital Stock shall not be deemed to be Indebtedness.
Indenture has the meaning specified in the recitals to this Supplemental Indenture.
Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding means, with respect to any Person, (a) an insolvency or
bankruptcy case or proceeding, or any receivership, liquidation, reorganization or
similar case or proceeding in connection therewith, relative to such Person or its creditors,
as such, or its assets or (b) any liquidation, dissolution or other winding-up proceeding of such
Person, whether voluntary or involuntary and whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy
15
or (c) any assignment for the benefit of creditors or
any other marshaling of assets and liabilities of such Person.
Interest Payment Date means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on the Notes.
Interest Rate Protection Obligations means the obligations of any Person pursuant to any
arrangement with any other Person whereby, directly or indirectly, such Person is entitled to
receive from time to time periodic payments calculated by applying either a floating or a fixed
rate of interest on a stated notional amount in exchange for periodic payments made by such Person
calculated by applying a fixed or a floating rate of interest on the same notional amount and shall
include, without limitation, interest rate swaps, caps, floors, collars and similar agreements or
arrangements designed to protect against or manage such Persons and any of its Subsidiaries
exposure to fluctuations in interest rates.
Investment means, with respect to any Person, any direct or indirect advance, loan,
guarantee of Indebtedness or other extension of credit or capital contribution by such Person to
(by means of any transfer of cash or other Property to others or any payment for Property or
services for the account or use of others), or any purchase or acquisition by such Person of any
Capital Stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities (including derivatives) or evidences of
Indebtedness issued by, any other Person. In addition, the Fair Market Value of the net assets of
any Restricted Subsidiary at the time that such Restricted Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted
Subsidiary shall be deemed to be an Investment made by the Company in such Unrestricted
Subsidiary at such time. Investments shall exclude (1) extensions of trade credit or other
advances to customers on commercially reasonable terms in accordance with normal trade practices or
otherwise in the ordinary course of business, (2) Interest Rate Protection Obligations entered into
in the ordinary course of business or as required by any Permitted Indebtedness or any Indebtedness
incurred in compliance with Section 9.12 hereof, but only to the extent that the stated aggregate
notional amounts of such Interest Rate Protection Obligations do not exceed 105% of the aggregate
principal amount of such Indebtedness to which such Interest Rate Protection Obligations relate and
(3) endorsements of negotiable instruments and documents in the ordinary course of business. If
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary sells or otherwise disposes of any Capital Stock of any
direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary of the Company such that, after giving effect to such sale
or disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, the Company will
be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to the Fair
Market Value of the Companys Investments in such Restricted Subsidiary that were not sold or
disposed of.
Issue Date means March 14, 2011.
Lien means any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien (statutory or other), security interest,
hypothecation, assignment for security, claim or similar type of encumbrance (including, without
limitation, any agreement to give or grant any lease, conditional sale or other title retention
agreement having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) upon or with
respect to any Property of any kind. A Person shall be deemed to own subject to a Lien any
Property which such Person has acquired or holds subject to the interest of a vendor or lessor
under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or other title retention agreement.
16
Liquid Securities means securities (1) of an issuer that is not an Affiliate of the Company,
(2) that are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the
Nasdaq Stock Market and (3) as to which the Company is not subject to any restrictions on sale or
transfer (including any volume restrictions under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other
restrictions imposed by the Securities Act) or as to which a registration statement under the
Securities Act covering the resale thereof is in effect for as long as the securities are held;
provided that securities meeting the requirements of clauses (1), (2) and (3) above shall be
treated as Liquid Securities from the date of receipt thereof until and only until the earlier of
(a) the date on which such securities are sold or exchanged for cash or Cash Equivalents and (b)
150 days following the date of receipt of such securities. If such securities are not sold or
exchanged for cash or Cash Equivalents within 120 days of receipt thereof, for purposes of
determining whether the transaction pursuant to which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary
received the securities was in compliance with Section 9.17 hereof, such securities shall be deemed
not to have been Liquid Securities at any time.
Material Change means an increase or decrease (except to the extent resulting from changes
in prices) of more than 30% during a fiscal quarter in the estimated discounted future net revenues
from proved oil and gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, calculated in
accordance with clause (i)(a) of the definition of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets;
provided, however, that the following will be excluded from the calculation of Material Change: (i)
any acquisitions during the quarter of oil and gas reserves with respect to which the Companys
estimate of the discounted future net revenues from proved oil and gas reserves has been confirmed
by independent petroleum engineers and (ii) any dispositions of Properties during such quarter that
were disposed of in compliance with Section 9.17.
Maturity means, with respect to any Note, the date on which any principal of such Note
becomes due and payable as therein or in the Indenture provided, whether at the Stated Maturity
with respect to such principal or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or purchase
or otherwise.
Minority Interest means the percentage interest represented by any class of Capital Stock of
a Restricted Subsidiary that are not owned by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary.
Moodys means Moodys Investors Service, Inc. or any successor to the rating agency business
thereof.
Net Available Cash from an Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction means cash proceeds
received therefrom (including (1) any cash proceeds received by way of deferred payment of
principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or otherwise, but only as and when received,
and (2) the Fair Market Value of Liquid Securities and Cash Equivalents, and excluding (a) any
other consideration received in the form of assumption by the acquiring Person of Indebtedness or
other obligations relating to the Property that is the subject of such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback
Transaction and (b) except to the extent subsequently converted to cash, Cash Equivalents or Liquid
Securities within 240 days after such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction, consideration
constituting Exchanged Properties or consideration other than as
identified in the immediately preceding clauses (1) and (2)), in each case net of (i) all
legal, title and recording expenses, commissions and other fees and expenses incurred, and all
federal, state, foreign and local taxes required to be paid or accrued as a liability under GAAP as
a
17
consequence of such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction, (ii) all payments made on any
Indebtedness (but specifically excluding Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries assumed in connection with or in anticipation of such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback
Transaction) which is secured by any assets subject to such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback
Transaction, in accordance with the terms of any Lien upon such assets, or which must by its terms,
or in order to obtain a necessary consent to such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction or by
applicable law, be repaid out of the proceeds from such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction,
provided that such payments are made in a manner that results in the permanent reduction in the
balance of such Indebtedness and, if applicable, a permanent reduction in any outstanding
commitment for future incurrences of Indebtedness thereunder, (iii) all distributions and other
payments required to be made to minority interest holders in Subsidiaries or joint ventures as a
result of such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction and (iv) the deduction of appropriate
amounts to be provided by the seller as a reserve, in accordance with GAAP, against any liabilities
associated with the assets disposed of in such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback Transaction and
retained by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary after such Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback
Transaction; provided, however, that if any consideration for an Asset Sale or Sale/Leaseback
Transaction (which would otherwise constitute Net Available Cash) is required to be held in escrow
pending determination of whether a purchase price adjustment will be made, such consideration (or
any portion thereof) shall become Net Available Cash only at such time as it is released to such
Person or its Restricted Subsidiaries from escrow.
Net Cash Proceeds with respect to any issuance or sale of Qualified Capital Stock or other
securities, means the cash proceeds of such issuance or sale net of attorneys fees, accountants
fees, underwriters or placement agents fees, discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant
and other fees and expenses actually incurred in connection with such issuance or sale and net of
taxes paid or payable as a result thereof.
Net Working Capital means (1) all current assets of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, less (2) all current liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries,
except current liabilities included in Indebtedness, in each case as set forth in consolidated
financial statements of the Company prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Non-Recourse Indebtedness means Indebtedness or that portion of Indebtedness of the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred in connection with the acquisition by the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary of any Property and as to which (i) the holders of such Indebtedness agree
that they will look solely to the Property so acquired and securing such Indebtedness for payment
on or in respect of such Indebtedness, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (other than an
Unrestricted Subsidiary) (a) provides credit support, including any undertaking, agreement or
instrument which would constitute Indebtedness, or (b) is directly or indirectly liable for such
Indebtedness, and (ii) no default with respect to such Indebtedness would permit (after notice or
passage of time or both), according to the terms thereof, any holder of any Indebtedness of the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to declare a default on such Indebtedness or cause the payment
thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its Stated Maturity.
Note Custodian means the custodian with respect to a Global Note (as appointed by the
Depository) or any successor person thereto, who shall initially be the Trustee.
18
Note Register means the register maintained by or for the Company in which the Company shall
provide for the registration of the Notes and the transfer of the Notes.
Notes has the meaning specified in the recitals to this Supplemental Indenture, and includes
Additional Notes.
Obligations means all obligations for principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees,
indemnifications, payments with respect to any letters of credit, reimbursements, damages and other
liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
Officers means, with respect to any Person, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any
Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer and the Treasurer of such Person.
Officers Certificate means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President
or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.
Oil and Gas Business means (i) the acquisition, exploration, development, operation and
disposition of interests in oil, gas and other hydrocarbon Properties, (ii) the gathering,
marketing, treating, processing, storage, refining, selling and transporting of any production from
such interests or Properties, (iii) any business relating to or arising from exploration for or
development, production, treatment, processing, storage, refining, transportation or marketing of
oil, gas and other minerals and products produced in association therewith and (iv) any activity
necessary, appropriate or incidental to the activities described in the foregoing clauses (i)
through (iii) of this definition.
Opinion of Counsel means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for the Company
(or any Subsidiary Guarantor), including an employee of the Company (or any Subsidiary Guarantor),
and who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Original Indenture has the meaning specified in the recitals to this Supplemental Indenture.
Outstanding, when used with respect to Notes, means, as of the date of determination, all
Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(i) Notes theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(ii) Notes, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount
has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in
trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own
Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Notes, provided that, if such Notes are to be redeemed,
notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor
satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;
19
(iii) Notes, except to the extent provided in Sections 11.2 and 11.3 hereof, with respect to
which the Company has effected legal defeasance or covenant defeasance as provided in Article XI
hereof; and
(iv) Notes which have been replaced pursuant to Section 3.7 hereof or in exchange for or in
lieu of which other Notes have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other
than any such Notes in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof
satisfactory to it that such Notes are held by a protected purchaser in whose hands the Notes are
valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Notes have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, consent, notice or
waiver hereunder, and for the purpose of making the calculations required by TIA Section 313, Notes
owned by the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Notes or any Affiliate
of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not
to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in making
such calculation or in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, consent,
notice or waiver, only Notes which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes
so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee
establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgees right so to act with respect to such
Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other obligor upon
the Notes or any Affiliate of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or such other obligor.
Permitted Investments means any of the following:
(1) Investments in Cash Equivalents;
(2) Investments in property, plant and equipment used in the ordinary course of business;
(3) Investments in the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(4) Investments by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in another Person, if (a)
as a result of such Investment (i) such other Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) such
other Person is merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or conveys all or substantially
all of its Properties to, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and (b) such other Person is
primarily engaged in the Oil and Gas Business;
(5) entry into operating agreements, joint ventures, partnership agreements, working
interests, royalty interests, mineral leases, processing agreements, farm-out agreements, contracts
for the sale, transportation or exchange of oil and natural gas, unitization agreements, pooling
arrangements, area of mutual interest agreements or other similar or customary agreements,
transactions, Properties, interests or arrangements, and Investments and expenditures in connection
therewith or pursuant thereto, in each case made or entered into in the ordinary course of the Oil
and Gas Business;
20
(6) entry into any hedging arrangements in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of
protecting the Companys or any Restricted Subsidiarys production, purchases and resales against
fluctuations in oil or natural gas prices;
(7) entry into any currency exchange contract in the ordinary course of business;
(8) Investments in stock, obligations or securities received in settlement of debts owing to
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary as a result of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or
upon the foreclosure, perfection or enforcement of any Lien in favor of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, in each case as to debt owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
that arose in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary;
(9) guarantees of Indebtedness permitted under Section 9.12; and
(10) other Investments, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any one time outstanding the
greater of (a) $25,000,000 and (b) 5% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.
Permitted Liens means the following types of Liens:
(1) Liens securing Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that constitutes
Priority Credit Facility Debt permitted pursuant to clause (1) of the definition of Permitted
Indebtedness;
(2) Liens existing as of the Issue Date (excluding Liens securing Indebtedness of the Company
under the Bank Credit Agreement);
(3) Liens securing the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees;
(4) Liens in favor of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(5) Liens for taxes, assessments and governmental charges or claims either (a) not delinquent
or (b) contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which the Company or its
Restricted Subsidiaries shall have set aside on its books such reserves as may be required pursuant
to GAAP;
(6) statutory Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, suppliers,
materialmen, repairmen and other Liens imposed by law incurred in the ordinary course of business
for sums not delinquent or being contested in good faith, if such reserve or other appropriate
provision, if any, as shall be required by GAAP shall have been made in respect thereof;
(7) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with
workers compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security, or to secure the
payment or performance of tenders, statutory or regulatory obligations, surety and appeal bonds,
bids, government contracts and leases, performance and return of money bonds and other similar
obligations (exclusive of obligations for the payment of borrowed money but including lessee or
operator obligations under statutes, governmental regulations or instruments
21
related to the ownership, exploration and production of oil, gas and minerals on state,
federal or foreign lands or waters);
(8) judgment and attachment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default so long as any
appropriate legal proceedings which may have been duly initiated for the review of such judgment
shall not have been finally terminated or the period within which such proceeding may be initiated
shall not have expired;
(9) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar charges or encumbrances not
interfering in any material respect with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(10) any interest or title of a lessor under any capital lease or operating lease;
(11) purchase money Liens; provided, however, that (a) the related purchase money Indebtedness
shall not be secured by any Property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than the
Property so acquired (including, without limitation, those acquired indirectly through the
acquisition of stock or other ownership interests) and any proceeds therefrom, (b) the aggregate
principal amount of Indebtedness secured by such Liens it otherwise permitted to be incurred under
the Indenture and does not exceed the cost of the property or assets so acquired and (c) the Liens
securing such Indebtedness shall be created within 90 days of such acquisition;
(12) Liens securing obligations under hedging agreements that the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary enters into in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of protecting its
production, purchases and resales against fluctuations in oil or natural gas prices;
(13) Liens upon specific items of inventory or other goods of any Person securing such
Persons obligations in respect of bankers acceptances issued or created for the account of such
Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;
(14) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to commercial letters of credit
which encumber documents and other Property relating to such letters of credit and products and
proceeds thereof;
(15) Liens encumbering Property under construction arising from progress or partial payments
by a customer of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries relating to such Property;
(16) Liens encumbering deposits made to secure obligations arising from statutory, regulatory,
contractual or warranty requirements of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries,
including rights of offset and set-off;
(17) Liens securing Interest Rate Protection Obligations which Interest Rate Protection
Obligations relate to Indebtedness that is secured by Liens otherwise permitted under this
Indenture;
(18) Liens (other than Liens securing Indebtedness) on, or related to, Properties to secure
all or part of the costs incurred in the ordinary course of business for the exploration, drilling,
development or operation thereof;
22
(19) Liens on pipeline or pipeline facilities which arise by operation of law;
(20) Liens arising under operating agreements, joint venture agreements, partnership
agreements, oil and gas leases, farm-out agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale,
transportation or exchange of oil and natural gas, unitization and pooling declarations and
agreements, area of mutual interest agreements and other agreements which are customary in the Oil
and Gas Business;
(21) Liens reserved in oil and gas mineral leases for bonus or rental payments or for
compliance with the terms of such leases;
(22) Liens constituting survey exceptions, encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or
rights to others for, rights-of-way, zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real properties,
and minor defects of title which, in the case of any of the foregoing, were not incurred or created
to secure the payment of borrowed money or the deferred purchase price of Property or services, and
in the aggregate do not materially adversely affect the value of the Properties of the Company and
the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or materially impair the use of such Properties for
the purposes for which such Properties are held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiaries;
(23) Liens securing Non-Recourse Indebtedness; provided, however, that the related
Non-Recourse Indebtedness shall not be secured by any Property of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary other than the Property acquired (including, without limitation, those acquired
indirectly through the acquisition of stock or other ownership interests) by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary with the proceeds of such Non-Recourse Indebtedness;
(24) Liens on property existing at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company and Liens on Property of a Subsidiary existing at the time it became a
Subsidiary, provided that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation of the
acquisition and do not extend to any assets other than the acquired Property;
(25) Liens resulting from the deposit of funds or evidences of Indebtedness in trust for the
purpose of defeasing Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries so long as
such deposit and such defeasance are permitted under Section 9.10; and
(26) additional Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company with respect to obligations that do not exceed at any one time
outstanding the greater of (a) $75,000,000 or (b) 5% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.
Notwithstanding anything in clauses (1) through (26) of this definition, the term Permitted Liens
shall not include any Liens resulting from the creation, incurrence, issuance, assumption or
guarantee of any Production Payments other than Production Payments that are created, incurred,
issued, assumed or guaranteed in connection with the financing of, and within 30 days after, the
acquisition of the Properties that are subject thereto.
Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness means Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary, the net proceeds of which are used to renew, extend, refinance, refund or
23
repurchase (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or Prepayment
Offer) outstanding Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, provided that (1) if
the Indebtedness (including the Notes) being renewed, extended, refinanced, refunded or repurchased
is pari passu with or subordinated in right of payment to either the Notes or the Subsidiary
Guarantees, then such Indebtedness is pari passu with or subordinated in right of payment to the
Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees, as the case may be, at least to the same extent as the
Indebtedness being renewed, extended, refinanced, refunded or repurchased, (2) such Indebtedness
has a Stated Maturity for its final scheduled principal payment that is no earlier than the Stated
Maturity for the final scheduled principal payment of the Indebtedness being renewed, extended,
refinanced, refunded or repurchased and (3) such Indebtedness has an Average Life at the time such
Indebtedness is incurred that is equal to or greater than the Average Life of the Indebtedness
being renewed, extended, refinanced, refunded or repurchased; provided, further, that such
Indebtedness is in an aggregate principal amount (or, if such Indebtedness is issued at a price
less than the principal amount thereof, the aggregate amount of gross proceeds therefrom is) not in
excess of the aggregate principal amount then outstanding of the Indebtedness being renewed,
extended, refinanced, refunded or repurchased (or if the Indebtedness being renewed, extended,
refinanced, refunded or repurchased was issued at a price less than the principal amount thereof,
then not in excess of the amount of liability in respect thereof determined in accordance with
GAAP) plus the amount of any premium required to be paid in connection with such renewal,
extension, refinancing, refunding or repurchase pursuant to the terms of the Indebtedness being
renewed, extended, refinanced, refunded or repurchased or the amount of any premium reasonably
determined by the Company as necessary to accomplish such renewal, extension, refinancing,
refunding or repurchase, plus the amount of reasonable fees and expenses incurred by the Company or
such Restricted Subsidiary in connection therewith.
Person means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint
venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any
agency or political subdivision thereof.
Preferred Stock means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests,
participations or other equivalents (however designated) of such Persons preferred or preference
stock, whether now outstanding or issued after the Issue Date, including, without limitation, all
classes and series of preferred or preference stock of such Person.
Priority Credit Facility Debt means, collectively, (1) Indebtedness of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary (including, without limitation, Indebtedness under the Bank Credit Agreement)
secured by Liens not otherwise permitted under any of clauses (2) through (25), inclusive, of the
definition of Permitted Liens, and (2) other Indebtedness or Disqualified Capital Stock of any
Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor. For purposes of clause (1) of the
definition of Permitted Indebtedness, Priority Credit Facility Debt shall be calculated, at any
time of determination, (a) in the case of Indebtedness under the Bank Credit Agreement or
Indebtedness under any other instrument or agreement, with reference to the aggregate principal
amount outstanding thereunder at such time, excluding all interest, fees and other Obligations
under such facility, instrument or agreement, and (b) in the case of Disqualified Capital Stock, in
the manner specified in the definition of Disqualified Capital Stock.
24
Production Payments means, collectively, Dollar-Denominated Production Payments and
Volumetric Production Payments.
Property means, with respect to any Person, any interest of such Person in any kind of
property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or intangible, including, without
limitation, Capital Stock in any other Person.
Public Equity Offering means an offer and sale of Common Stock (other than Disqualified
Stock) of the Company for cash pursuant to a registration statement that has been declared
effective by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act (other than a registration statement on
Form S-8 or otherwise relating to equity securities issuable under any employee benefit plan of the
Company).
Qualified Capital Stock of any Person means any and all Capital Stock of such Person other
than Disqualified Capital Stock.
Redemption Date, when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed, in whole or in part,
means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
Redemption Price, when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed, means the price at
which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
Regular Record Date for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the March 15
or September 15 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest
Payment Date.
Responsible Officer, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer in the
Corporate Trust Office having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, and
also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer of the Trustee
to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular
subject.
Restricted Investment means (without duplication) (i) the designation of a Subsidiary as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary in the manner described in the definition of Unrestricted Subsidiary and
(ii) any Investment other than a Permitted Investment.
Restricted Subsidiary means any Subsidiary of the Company, whether existing on or after the
Issue Date, unless such Subsidiary of the Company is an Unrestricted Subsidiary or is designated as
an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.
S&P means Standard and Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc., or any successor to the rating agency business thereof.
Sale/Leaseback Transaction means, with respect to the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, any arrangement with any Person providing for the leasing by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries of any principal property, whereby such property has been or is to be
sold or transferred by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to such Person.
25
Securities has the meaning stated in the first recital of the Indenture and more
particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under the Original Indenture.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, and any
successor act thereto.
Senior Indebtedness means any Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary
(whether outstanding on the date hereof or hereinafter incurred), unless such Indebtedness is
Subordinated Indebtedness.
Stated Maturity means, when used with respect to any Indebtedness or any installment of
interest thereon, the date specified in the instrument evidencing or governing such Indebtedness as
the fixed date on which the principal of such Indebtedness or such installment of interest is due
and payable.
Subordinated Indebtedness means Indebtedness of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor which
is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees, as the
case may be.
Subsidiary means, with respect to any Person, (1) a corporation a majority of whose Voting
Stock is at the time owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of
such Person or by such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or (2) any other Person
(other than a corporation), including, without limitation, a joint venture, in which such Person,
one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person
have, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination thereof, at least majority ownership
interest entitled to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof (or other
Person performing similar functions).
Subsidiary Guarantee has the meaning specified in Section 12.1 hereof.
Subsidiary Guarantor means (1) Comstock Oil & Gas, LP, (2) Comstock Oil & Gas Louisiana,
LLC, (3) Comstock Oil & Gas GP, LLC, (4) Comstock Oil & Gas Investments, LLC, (5) Comstock Oil &
Gas Holdings, Inc., (6) each of the Companys other Restricted Subsidiaries, if any, executing a
supplemental indenture in compliance with the provisions of Section 9.13(a) hereof and (7) any
Person that becomes a successor guarantor of the Notes in compliance with the provisions of
Sections 9.11 and 9.13 hereof.
2009 Notes Issue Date means October 9, 2009.
Trust Indenture Act or TIA means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and in force
at the date at which this Supplemental Indenture was executed, except as provided in Section 8.5
hereof.
Trustee means the Person named as the Trustee in the first paragraph of this Supplemental
Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of
this Supplemental Indenture, and thereafter Trustee shall mean such successor Trustee.
26
Unrestricted Subsidiary means (1) any Subsidiary of the Company that at the time of
determination will be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors of the
Company as provided below and (2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary. The Board of
Directors of the Company may designate any Subsidiary of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary
so long as (a) neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary is directly or indirectly liable
pursuant to the terms of any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary; (b) no default with respect to any
Indebtedness of such Subsidiary would permit (upon notice, lapse of time or otherwise) any holder
of any other Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to declare a default on such
other Indebtedness or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its Stated
Maturity; (c) such designation as an Unrestricted Subsidiary would be permitted under Section 9.10
hereof; and (d) such designation shall not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any
of the Properties of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than any Permitted Lien or any
Lien the creation or imposition of which shall have been in compliance with Section 9.15 hereof);
provided, however, that with respect to clause (a), the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may be
liable for Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) such liability constituted a Permitted
Investment or a Restricted Payment permitted by Section 9.10 hereof, in each case at the time of
incurrence, or (ii) the liability would be a Permitted Investment at the time of designation of
such Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary. Any such designation by the Board of Directors of
the Company shall be evidenced to the Trustee by filing a Board Resolution with the Trustee giving
effect to such designation. If at any time any Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet the
foregoing requirements as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, it shall thereafter cease to be an
Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of the Indenture and any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary shall
be deemed to be Incurred as of such date. The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any
Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary if, immediately after giving effect to such
designation, on a pro forma basis, (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, (ii) the Company could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under Section 9.12(a)
hereof and (iii) if any of the Properties of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
would upon such designation become subject to any Lien (other than a Permitted Lien), the creation
or imposition of such Lien shall have been in compliance with Section 9.15 hereof.
Volumetric Production Payments means production payment obligations of the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary recorded as deferred revenue in accordance with GAAP, together with all
undertakings and obligations in connection therewith.
Vice President, when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice
president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title
vice president.
Voting Stock means any class or classes of Capital Stock pursuant to which the holders
thereof have the general voting power under ordinary circumstances to elect at least a majority of
the board of directors, managers or trustees of any Person (irrespective of whether or not, at the
time, stock of any other class or classes shall have, or might have, voting power by reason of the
happening of any contingency).
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the
extent (1) all of the Capital Stock or other ownership interests in such Restricted Subsidiary,
other than directors qualifying shares mandated by applicable law, is owned directly
27
x
or indirectly by the Company or (2) such Restricted Subsidiary does substantially all of its
business in one or more foreign jurisdictions and is required by the applicable laws and
regulations of any such foreign jurisdiction to be partially owned by the government of such
foreign jurisdiction or individual or corporate citizens of such foreign jurisdiction in order for
such Restricted Subsidiary to transact business in such foreign jurisdiction, provided that the
Company, directly or indirectly, owns the remaining Capital Stock or ownership interest in such
Restricted Subsidiary and, by contract or otherwise, controls the management and business of such
Restricted Subsidiary and derives the economic benefits of ownership of such Restricted Subsidiary
to substantially the same extent as if such Restricted Subsidiary were a wholly owned subsidiary.
Section 2.2 Other Definitions.
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Term |
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Defined in |
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Affiliate Transaction |
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9.18 |
(a) |
Agent Members |
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3.2 |
(b) |
Change of Control Notice |
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9.16 |
(c) |
Change of Control Offer |
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9.16 |
(a) |
Change of Control Purchase Date |
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9.16 |
(c) |
Change of Control Purchase Price |
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9.16 |
(a) |
Excess Proceeds |
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9.17 |
(b) |
Funding Guarantor |
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12.5 |
Global Note |
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3.2 |
(a) |
Investment Grade Ratings |
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9.21 |
Offer Amount |
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9.17 |
(c) |
Offer Period |
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9.17 |
(c) |
Paying Agent |
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3.4 |
Payment Restriction |
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9.19 |
Permitted Consideration |
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9.17 |
(a) |
Permitted Indebtedness |
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9.12 |
(b) |
Prepayment Offer |
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9.17 |
(b) |
Prepayment Offer Notice |
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9.17 |
(c) |
Purchase Date |
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9.17 |
(c) |
Register |
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3.4 |
Registrar |
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3.4 |
Restricted Payment |
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9.10 |
(a) |
Reversion Date |
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9.21 |
Surviving Entity |
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7.1 |
(1) |
Suspended Covenants |
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9.21 |
Suspension Date |
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9.21 |
Suspension Period |
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9.21 |
Section 2.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. Whenever the Indenture refers to a
provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of the
Indenture.
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The following TIA terms used in this Supplemental Indenture have the following meanings:
indenture securities means the Notes,
indenture security holder means a Holder,
indenture to be qualified means this Indenture,
indenture trustee or institutional trustee means the Trustee, and
obligor on the Notes means the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor and any successor
obligor upon the Notes.
All other TIA terms used in this Supplemental Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined
by TIA reference to another statute or defined by Commission rule and not otherwise defined herein
have the meanings assigned to them therein.
Section 2.4 Rules of Construction. For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly
provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and
include the plural as well as the singular;
(b) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in
accordance with GAAP and all accounting calculations will be determined in accordance with GAAP;
(c) the words herein, hereof and hereunder and other words of similar import refer to
this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other
subdivision;
(d) the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter;
(e) a day means a calendar day;
(f) the term merger includes a statutory share exchange and the term merged has a
correlative meaning;
(g) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and
(h) references to agreements and other instruments include subsequent amendments and waivers
but only to the extent not prohibited by this Supplemental Indenture.
ARTICLE III.
THE NOTES
Section 3.1 Title and Terms.
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The Notes shall be titled the 73/4% Senior Notes due 2019. Provisions
relating to the Notes are set forth in Appendix A, which is hereby incorporated in and expressly
made a part of this Supplemental Indenture. The Notes and the Trustees certificate of
authentication shall be substantially in the form of Appendix A which is hereby incorporated in and
expressly made a part of this Supplemental Indenture. The Notes may have notations, legends or
endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule, agreements to which the Company is subject, if
any, or usage, provided that any such notation, legend or endorsement is in a form reasonably
acceptable to the Company. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication. The terms of
the Notes set forth in Appendix A are part of the terms of this Supplemental Indenture.
Subject to compliance with Section 9.12, the Company may issue an unlimited amount of
Additional Notes from time to time after the Issue Date which shall have identical terms as the
Notes issued on the Issue Date, other than with respect to the issue price and the date of
issuance. The Notes issued on the Issue Date and any Additional Notes shall be part of the same
series of Securities for all purposes of the Original Indenture.
With respect to any Additional Notes, there shall be established in or pursuant to a
resolution of the Board of Directors and, subject to Section 3.3, set forth or determined in the
manner provided in an Officers Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental
to the Indenture, prior to the issuance of such Additional Notes:
(1) the aggregate principal amount of such Additional Notes to be authenticated and delivered;
(2) the issue price and issuance date of such Additional Notes, including the date from which
interest on such Additional Notes shall accrue; and
(3) if applicable, that such Additional Notes shall be issuable in whole or in part in the
form of one or more Global Notes and, in such case, the respective depositories for such Global
Notes, the form of any legend or legends which shall be borne by any such Global Note in addition
to or in lieu of that set forth in Appendix A and any circumstances in addition to or in lieu of
those set forth in Section 3.4 in which any such Global Note may be exchanged in whole or in part
for Notes registered, and any transfer of such Global Note in whole or in part may be registered,
in the name or names of Persons other than the depository for such Global Note or a nominee
thereof.
If any of the terms of any Additional Notes are established by action taken pursuant to a
resolution of the Board of Directors, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be
certified by the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee
at or prior to the delivery of the Officers Certificate or the indenture supplemental hereto
setting forth the terms of such issuance.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Additional Notes
under this Section if the Trustee determines that such action may not lawfully be taken by the
Company or if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or board of trustee, executive
committee, or a trust committee of directors or trustees or Trust Officers shall determine that
such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to existing Notes Holders.
30
Section 3.2 Form and Dating.
(a) Notes shall be issued initially in the form of one or more permanent global Notes in
definitive, fully registered form without interest coupons with the global securities legend set
forth in Appendix A hereto (each, a Global Note), which shall be deposited on behalf of the
purchasers of the Notes represented thereby with the Note Custodian, and registered in the name of
the Depository or a nominee of the Depository, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by
the Trustee as provided in the Indenture. The aggregate principal amount of the Global Notes may
from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and
the Depository or its nominee as hereinafter provided.
(b) Book-Entry Provisions. This Section 3.2(b) shall apply only to a Global Note deposited
with or on behalf of the Depository.
The Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with this Section 3.2(b) and
pursuant to an order of the Company, authenticate and deliver initially one or more Global Notes
that (a) shall be registered in the name of the Depository for such Global Note or Global Notes or
the nominee of such Depository and (b) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depository or
pursuant to such Depositorys instructions or held by the Trustee as Note Custodian.
Members of, or participants in, the Depository (Agent Members) shall have no rights under
the Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on their behalf by the Depository or by the
Trustee as Note Custodian or under such Global Note, and the Depository may be treated by the
Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such
Global Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall
prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to
any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depository or impair, as
between the Depository and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of such
Depository governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Global
Note.
(c) Except as provided in Sections 3.13 or 3.14, owners of beneficial interests in Global
Notes will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Notes.
Section 3.3 Authentication.
The Trustee shall authenticate and deliver: (1) Notes for original issue in an aggregate
principal amount of $300,000,000 and (2) Additional Notes in an unlimited amount (subject only to
the Companys compliance with Section 9.12), if and when issued, upon a written order of the
Company signed by two Officers of the Company. Such order shall specify the amount of the Notes to
be authenticated and the date on which the original issue of such Notes is to be authenticated.
Except as set forth in Section 9.12, the aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be
outstanding at any time is unlimited.
Two Officers of the Company shall sign the Notes for the Company by manual or facsimile
signature. The Companys seal may be impressed, affixed, imprinted or reproduced on the Notes and
may be in facsimile form.
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If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the
Trustee authenticates the Notes, the Notes shall be valid nevertheless.
Notes shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee manually signs the
certificate of authentication on the Notes. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the
Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable to the Company to
authenticate the Notes. Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, an authenticating agent
may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Supplemental
Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating
agent has the same rights as any Registrar, Paying Agent or agent for service of notices and
demands.
Section 3.4 Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration
of transfer or for exchange (the Registrar) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented
for payment (the Paying Agent). The Registrar shall keep the a register (the Register) of the
Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or
more additional paying agents. The term Paying Agent includes any additional paying agent.
The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar, Paying Agent
or co-registrar not a party to this Indenture, which shall incorporate the terms of the TIA. The
agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent. The Company
shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such agent. If the Company fails to
maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to
appropriate compensation therefor pursuant to Section 6.6. The Company may act as Paying Agent,
Registrar, co-registrar or transfer agent.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent in connection with
the Notes.
Section 3.5 Paying Agent To Hold Money in Trust.
Not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on each due date of the principal and interest
on the Notes, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such
principal and interest when so becoming due. The Company shall require each Paying Agent (other
than the Trustee) to agree in writing that the Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of
Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or
interest on the Notes and shall notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such
payment. If the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it as Paying
Agent and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to
pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed by the Paying Agent.
Upon complying with this Section, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for the money
delivered to the Trustee.
32
Section 3.6 Holder Lists.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent
list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders. If the Trustee is not the Registrar,
the Company shall furnish to the Trustee, in writing at least five Business Days before each
Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such
form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of
Holders.
Section 3.7 Replacement Securities.
If a mutilated Note is surrendered to the Registrar or if the Holder claims that such Note has
been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall
authenticate a replacement Note if the requirements of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code
are met and the Holder satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Trustee. If required by
the Trustee or the Company, such Holder shall furnish an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment
of the Company and the Trustee to protect the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar
and any co-registrar from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company
and the Trustee may charge the Holder for their expenses in replacing a Note.
Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company.
Section 3.8 Outstanding Securities.
Notes Outstanding at any time are all Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those
canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section as not
Outstanding. A Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the
Company holds the Note.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 3.7, it ceases to be Outstanding unless the
Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Note is held by a
protected purchaser.
If the Paying Agent segregates and holds in trust, in accordance with this Indenture, on a
redemption date or maturity date money sufficient to pay all principal and interest payable on that
date with respect to the Notes (or portions thereof) to be redeemed or maturing, as the case may
be, and the Paying Agent is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders on that date
pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, then on and after that date such Notes (or portions
thereof) cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
Section 3.9 Temporary Notes.
Until definitive Notes are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall
authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of definitive
Notes but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Notes. Without
unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Notes
and deliver them in exchange for temporary Notes.
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Section 3.10 Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and
the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of
transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee and no one else shall, in accordance with its then
customary procedures, cancel and destroy (subject to the record retention requirements of the
Exchange Act) all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation
and shall, upon written request, deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company. The
Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes it has redeemed, paid or delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation.
Section 3.11 Defaulted Interest.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it shall pay the defaulted
interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted
interest, to the persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the
rate provided in the Notes and in Section 9.1 hereof. The Company shall fix or cause to be fixed
any such special record date and payment date to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee and
shall promptly mail to each Holder a notice that states the special record date, the payment date
and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid.
Section 3.12 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Notes may use CUSIP numbers (if then generally in use) and, if
so, the Trustee shall use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders;
provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the
correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of a
redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the
Notes, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
The Company will promptly notify the Trustee, in writing, of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
Section 3.13 Transfer and Exchange.
(a) Transfer and Exchange of Certificated Notes. When certificated Notes are presented to the
Registrar or a co-registrar with a request:
(1) to register the transfer of such certificated Notes; or
(2) to exchange such certificated Notes for an equal principal amount of certificated
Notes of other authorized denominations,
the Registrar or co-registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as requested if its
reasonable requirements for such transaction are met; provided, however, that the certificated
Notes surrendered for transfer or exchange:
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(1) shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar or co-registrar, duly executed by
the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing; and
(2) are being transferred or exchanged pursuant to an effective registration statement
under the Securities Act, pursuant to Section 3.13(b) or pursuant to clause (a) or (b)
below, and are accompanied by the following additional information and documents, as
applicable:
(a) if such certificated Notes are being delivered to the Registrar by a Holder
for registration in the name of such Holder, without transfer, a certification from
such Holder to that effect; or
(b) if such certificated Notes are being transferred to the Company, a
certification to that effect.
(b) Restrictions on Transfer of a Certificated Note for a Beneficial Interest in a Global
Note. A certificated Note may not be exchanged for a beneficial interest in a Global Note except
upon satisfaction of the requirements set forth below. Upon receipt by the Trustee of a
certificated Note, duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar or co-registrar, together with written
instructions directing the Trustee to make, or to direct the Note Custodian to make, an adjustment
on its books and records with respect to such Global Note to reflect an increase in the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes represented by the Global Note, such instructions to contain
information regarding the Depository account to be credited with such increase, then the Trustee
shall cancel such certificated Note and cause, or direct the Note Custodian to cause, in accordance
with the standing instructions and procedures existing between the Depository and the Note
Custodian, the aggregate principal amount of Notes represented by the Global Note to be increased
by the aggregate principal amount of the certificated Note to be exchanged and shall credit or
cause to be credited to the account of the Person specified in such instructions a beneficial
interest in the Global Note equal to the principal amount of the certificated Note so canceled. If
no Global Notes are then outstanding and the Global Note has not been previously exchanged pursuant
to Section 3.14, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate, upon written order of
the Company in the form of an Officers Certificate, a new Global Note in the appropriate principal
amount.
(c) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes.
(1) The transfer and exchange of Global Notes or beneficial interests therein shall be
effected through the Depository, in accordance with the Indenture (including applicable
restrictions on transfer set forth herein, if any) and the procedures of the Depository
therefor. A transferor of a beneficial interest in a Global Note shall deliver a written
order given in accordance with the Depositorys procedures containing information regarding
the participant account of the Depository to be credited with a beneficial interest in the
Global Note and such account shall be credited in accordance with such instructions with a
beneficial interest in the Global Note and the account of the Person making the transfer
shall be debited by an amount equal to the beneficial interest in the Global Note being
transferred.
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(2) If the proposed transfer is a transfer of a beneficial interest in one Global Note
to a beneficial interest in another Global Note, the Registrar shall reflect on its books
and records the date and an increase in the principal amount of the Global Note to which
such interest is being transferred in an amount equal to the principal amount of the
interest to be so transferred, and the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the
date and a corresponding decrease in the principal amount of Global Note from which such
interest is being transferred.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture (other than the provisions
set forth in Section 3.14 of this Indenture), a Global Note may not be transferred as a
whole except by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository or by a nominee of the
Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or
any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such successor Depository.
(d) Cancellation or Adjustment of Global Note. At such time as all beneficial interests in a
Global Note have either been exchanged for certificated Notes, redeemed, repurchased or canceled,
such Global Note shall be returned by the Depository to the Trustee for cancellation or retained
and canceled by the Trustee. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in
a Global Note is exchanged for certificated Notes, redeemed, repurchased or canceled, the principal
amount of Notes represented by such Global Note shall be reduced and an adjustment shall be made on
the books and records of the Trustee (if it is then the Note Custodian for such Global Note) with
respect to such Global Note, by the Trustee or the Note Custodian, to reflect such reduction.
(e) Obligations with Respect to Transfers and Exchanges of Notes.
(1) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall execute and
the Trustee shall authenticate certificated Notes and Global Notes at the Registrars or
co-registrars request.
(2) No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange, but
the Company and the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer
tax, assessments, or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than
any such transfer taxes, assessments or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or
transfer pursuant to Section 8.6, 9.16, 9.17 and 10.6 of the Indenture).
(3) The Registrar or co-registrar shall not be required to register the transfer of or
exchange of any Note for a period beginning 15 days before the mailing of a notice of
redemption or an offer to repurchase Notes or 15 days before an interest payment date.
(4) Prior to the due presentation for registration of transfer of any Note, the
Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-registrar may deem and treat
the person in whose name a Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the
purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Note and for all other
purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Note is overdue, and none of the
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Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-registrar shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.
(5) All Notes issued upon any transfer or exchange pursuant to the terms of the
Indenture shall evidence the same debt and shall be entitled to the same benefits under the
Indenture as the Notes surrendered upon such transfer or exchange.
(f) No Obligation of the Trustee.
(1) The Trustee shall have no responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of a
Global Note, a member of, or a participant in the Depository or any other Person with
respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depository or its nominee or of any
participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Notes or with
respect to the delivery to any participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other
than the Depository) of any notice (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) or the
payment (or any delay in payment) of any amount, under or with respect to such Notes. All
notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders
under the Notes shall be given or made only to the registered Holders (which shall be the
Depository or its nominee in the case of a Global Note). The rights of beneficial owners in
any Global Note shall be exercised only through the Depository subject to the applicable
rules and procedures of the Depository. The Trustee may rely and shall be fully protected
in relying upon information furnished by the Depository with respect to its members,
participants and any beneficial owners.
(2) The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to
compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under the Indenture or under applicable
law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers
between or among Depository participants, members or beneficial owners in any Global Note)
other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as
are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by, the terms of the
Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the
express requirements hereof.
Section 3.14 Certificated Notes.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Indenture, no Global Note may be exchanged in
whole or in part for Notes registered, and no transfer of a Global Note in whole or in part may be
registered, in the name of any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Note or a nominee
thereof, unless (A) such Depositary (i) has notified the Company that it is no longer willing or
able to discharge its responsibilities properly as Depositary for such Global Note or (ii) has
ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and in either case the Issuers
have not appointed a qualified successor within 90 days, (B) an Event of Default has occurred and
is continuing and the Depositary has notified the Issuers and the Trustee of its desire to exchange
such Global Note for Certificated Notes or (C) subject to the Depositarys rules, the Issuers, at
their option, have elected to terminate the book-entry system through the Depositary.
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(b) Every Note authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange
for or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, whether pursuant to this Section or
otherwise, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note, unless
such Note is registered in the name of a Person other than the Depositary for such Global Note or a
nominee thereof.
(c) Any Global Note that is transferable to the beneficial owners thereof pursuant to this
Section 3.14 shall be surrendered by the Depository to the Trustee, to be so transferred, in whole
or from time to time in part, without charge, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, upon
such transfer of each portion of such Global Note, an equal aggregate principal amount of
certificated Notes of authorized denominations. Any portion of a Global Note transferred pursuant
to this Section shall be executed, authenticated and delivered only in denominations of $2,000 and
any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof and registered in such names as the Depository
shall direct.
(d) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.14(c), the registered Holder of a Global Note may
grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Agent Members and Persons that may hold
interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under the
Indenture or the Notes.
(e) In the event of the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 3.14(a), the
Company will promptly make available to the Trustee a reasonable supply of certificated Notes in
definitive, fully registered form without interest coupons.
ARTICLE IV.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
The Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to surviving
rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Notes, as expressly provided for in the
Indenture) as to all Outstanding Notes, and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon
payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.6 hereof, execute proper instruments
acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture when
(a) either
(1) all Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Notes which have
been replaced as provided in Section 3.7 hereof and (ii) Notes for whose payment money or
United States governmental obligations of the type described in clause (1) of the definition
of Cash Equivalents have theretofore been deposited in trust with the Trustee or any Paying
Agent or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or
discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 9.3 hereof) have been delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation, or
(2) all such Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
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(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements
satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in
the name, and at the expense, of the Company,
and the Company, in the case of clause (2)(i), (2)(ii) or (2)(iii) above, has irrevocably
deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee funds in an amount sufficient to pay
and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such
deposit (in the case of Notes which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity
or Redemption Date, as the case may be, together with instructions from the Company
irrevocably directing the Trustee to apply such funds to the payment thereof at maturity or
redemption, as the case may be;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums then due and payable hereunder by
the Company; and
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of
Counsel, which, taken together, state that all conditions precedent herein relating to the
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to the Notes have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the
Company to the Trustee under Section 6.6 hereof and, if money shall have been deposited with the
Trustee pursuant to this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.2 hereof and the
last paragraph of Section 9.3 hereof shall survive.
Section 4.2 Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9.3 hereof, all money deposited
with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.1 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in
accordance with the provisions of the Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or
through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may
determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for
whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee.
ARTICLE V.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 5.1 Events of Default.
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Event of Default, wherever used herein, means any one of the following events (whatever the
reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by
operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or
regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(a) default in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any of the Notes when
the same becomes due and payable, whether such payment is due at Stated Maturity, upon redemption,
upon repurchase pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or a Prepayment Offer, upon acceleration or
otherwise; or
(b) default in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Notes, when it becomes
due and payable, and the continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(c) default in the performance or breach of the provisions of Article VII hereof, the failure
to make or consummate a Change of Control Offer in accordance with the provisions of Section 9.16
or the failure to make or consummate a Prepayment Offer in accordance with the provisions of
Section 9.17; or
(d) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall fail to comply with the provisions of
Section 9.9 for a period of 90 days after written notice of such failure stating that it is a
notice of default hereunder shall have been given (x) to the Company by the Trustee or (y) to the
Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes
then Outstanding); or
(e) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall fail to perform or observe any other term,
covenant or agreement contained in the Notes, any Subsidiary Guarantee or the Indenture (other than
a default specified in subparagraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) above) for a period of 60 days after
written notice of such failure stating that it is a notice of default hereunder shall have been
given (x) to the Company by the Trustee or (y) to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at
least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then Outstanding; or
(f) the occurrence and continuation beyond any applicable grace period of any default in the
payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company
(other than the Notes) or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary for money
borrowed when due, or any other default resulting in acceleration of any Indebtedness of the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary for money borrowed, provided
that the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness, together with the aggregate principal
amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a payment default or the maturity
of which has been so accelerated, shall exceed $50,000,000; or
(g) any Subsidiary Guarantee shall for any reason cease to be, or be asserted by the Company
or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable, not to be, in full force and effect (except pursuant to
the release of any such Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with this Indenture); or
(h) failure by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary to
pay final judgments or orders rendered against the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other
Restricted Subsidiary aggregating in excess of $50,000,000 (net of any
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amounts covered by insurance with a reputable and creditworthy insurance company that has not
disclaimed liability) and either (a) commencement by any creditor of an enforcement proceeding upon
such judgment (other than a judgment that is stayed by reason of pending appeal or otherwise) or
(b) the occurrence of a 60-day period during which a stay of such judgment or order, by reason of
pending appeal or otherwise, was not in effect; or
(i) the entry of a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the premises (a) for
relief in respect of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary in
an involuntary case or proceeding under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable federal
or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (b) adjudging the Company
or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary bankrupt or insolvent, or approving
a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or any
applicable federal or state law, or appointing under any such law a custodian, receiver,
liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary or of a substantial part of its
consolidated assets, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance
of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for
a period of 60 consecutive days; or
(j) the commencement by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted
Subsidiary of a voluntary case or proceeding under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or any other
applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or any
other case or proceeding to be adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by the Company or
any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary to the entry of a decree or order for
relief in respect thereof in an involuntary case or proceeding under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or
any other applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law
or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing
by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary of a petition or
consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state law, or the consent
by it under any such law to the filing of any such petition or to the appointment of or taking
possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or sequestrator (or other
similar official) of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary or
of any substantial part of its consolidated assets, or the making by it of an assignment for the
benefit of creditors under any such law, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay
its debts generally as they become due or taking of corporate action by the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary in furtherance of any such action.
Section 5.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(i) or (j)
hereof) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate
principal amount of the Notes then Outstanding, by written notice to the Company (and to the
Trustee if such notice is given by the Holders), may, and the Trustee upon the request of the
Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes shall, by
written notice to the Company, declare all unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and
unpaid interest on all the Notes to be due and payable immediately, upon which declaration all
41
amounts payable in respect of the Notes shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of
Default specified in Section 5.1(i) or (j) hereof occurs and is continuing, the amounts described
above shall become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration, notice or other act
on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made and before a judgment or decree
for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article
provided, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, by
written notice to the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee, may rescind and annul
such declaration and its consequences if:
(a) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum
sufficient to pay,
(1) all overdue interest on all Outstanding Notes,
(2) all unpaid principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Outstanding Notes which have
become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration, including any Notes required
to have been purchased on a Change of Control Date or a Purchase Date pursuant to a Change
of Control Offer or a Prepayment Offer, as applicable, and interest on such unpaid principal
at the rate borne by the Notes,
(3) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue interest
and overdue principal at the rate borne by the Notes (without duplication of any amount paid
or deposited pursuant to clauses (1) and (2) above), and
(4) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel;
(b) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent
jurisdiction as certified to the Trustee by the Company; and
(c) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of amounts of principal of (or premium,
if any, on) or interest on Notes which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration,
have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13 hereof.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(e) hereof shall
have occurred and be continuing, such Event of Default and any consequential acceleration shall be
automatically rescinded if the Indebtedness that is the subject of such Event of Default has been
repaid, or if the default relating to such Indebtedness is waived or cured and if such Indebtedness
has been accelerated, then the holders thereof have rescinded their declaration of acceleration in
respect of such Indebtedness (provided, in each case, that such repayment, waiver, cure or
rescission is effected within a period of 10 days from the continuation of such default beyond the
applicable grace period or the occurrence of such acceleration), and written
42
notice of such repayment, or cure or waiver and rescission, as the case may be, shall have
been given to the Trustee by the Company and countersigned by the holders of such Indebtedness or a
trustee, fiduciary or agent for such holders or other evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of such
events is provided to the Trustee, within 30 days after any such acceleration in respect of the
Notes, and so long as such rescission of any such acceleration of the Notes does not conflict with
any judgment or decree as certified to the Trustee by the Company.
Section 5.3 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if
(a) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest on any Note when such
interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(b) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Note at
the Maturity thereof or with respect to any Note required to have been purchased by the Company on
the Change of Control Purchase Date or the Purchase Date pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or
Prepayment Offer, as applicable, then the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the
Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of such Notes, the whole amount then due and payable on such
Notes for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, and interest on any overdue principal (and
premium, if any) and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable,
upon any overdue installment of interest, at the rate borne by the Notes, and, in addition thereto,
such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including
the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and
counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own
name as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the
sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce
the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Notes and collect the money adjudged or
decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the Property of the Company or any other
obligor upon the Notes, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to
protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders by such appropriate judicial
proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights,
whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in the Indenture or in aid of the
exercise of any power granted in the Indenture, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.4 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy,
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the
Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Notes, their creditors or the
Property of the Company, of any Subsidiary Guarantor or of any such other obligor, the Trustee
(irrespective of whether the principal of the Notes shall then be due and payable as therein
expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made
any demand on the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or such other obligor for the payment of
43
overdue principal, premium, if any, or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by
intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal (and premium, if any) and
interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Notes and to file such other papers or documents and
take any other actions including participation as a full member of any creditor or other committee
as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim
for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents
and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b) to collect and receive any money or other Property payable or deliverable on any such
claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official in any
such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee
and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the
Holders, to pay the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the
Trustee under Section 6.6 hereof.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to
or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or
composition affecting the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees or the rights of any Holder thereof,
or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 5.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Notes.
All rights of action and claims under the Indenture or the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees
may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Notes or the
production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the
Trustee shall be brought in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of
judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of
the Holders of the Notes in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 5.6 Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following
order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in the case of the distribution of such money
on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Notes and the
notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: to the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.6 hereof;
SECOND: to the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of (and premium, if
any, on) and interest on the Notes in respect of which or for the benefit of which
44
such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according
to the amounts due and payable on such Notes for principal (and premium, if any) and interest,
respectively; and
THIRD: the balance, if any, to the Company, or to whomsoever may be lawfully entitled to
receive the same, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
Section 5.7 Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Notes shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or
otherwise, with respect to the Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for
any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of
Default;
(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes
shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of
Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee such reasonable indemnity as the
Trustee may require against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with
such request;
(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity
has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during
such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority or more in aggregate principal amount of the
Outstanding Notes;
it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders shall have any right in any manner
whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of the Indenture to affect, disturb or
prejudice the rights of any other Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference
over any other Holders or to enforce any right under the Indenture, except in the manner herein
provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders.
Section 5.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in the Indenture, the Holder of any Note shall have the
right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment, as provided herein (including, if
applicable, Article XI hereof) and in such Note of the principal of (and premium if any, on) and
(subject to Section 3.11 hereof) interest on, such Note on the respective Stated Maturities
expressed in such Note (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute
suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the
consent of such Holder.
Section 5.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
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If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy
under the Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has
been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to
any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and the
Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and
thereunder and all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no
such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated,
destroyed, lost or stolen Notes in Section 3.7 hereof, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or
reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy,
and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to
every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or
otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not
prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Note to exercise any right or
remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a
waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by
this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as
often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 5.12 Control by Holders.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes
shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any
remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee,
provided that
(a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with the Indenture,
(b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not
inconsistent with such direction,
(c) the Trustee need not take any action which might involve it in personal liability, and
(d) the Trustee may decline to take any action that would benefit some Holders to the
detriment of other Holders.
Prior to taking any such action under this Section, the Trustee shall be entitled to such
reasonable security or indemnity as it may require against the costs, expenses and liabilities that
may be incurred by it in taking or declining to take any such action hereunder.
Section 5.13 Waiver of Past Defaults.
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Subject to Section 5.2(a)(4), the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the Outstanding Notes may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Notes, waive any existing
Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences, except a Default or Event of Default
(a) in respect of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any
Note, or
(b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article VIII hereof cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Note affected thereby.
Upon any such waiver, such Default or Event of Default shall cease to exist for every purpose
under the Indenture, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of
Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.14 Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws.
Each of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors covenants (to the extent that each may
lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead or in any manner whatsoever claim
or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension, or usury law or other law wherever
enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which would prohibit or forgive the Company or any
Subsidiary Guarantor from paying all or any portion of the principal of (premium, if any, on) or
interest on the Notes as contemplated herein, or which may affect the covenants or the performance
of the Indenture; and (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) each of the Company and the
Subsidiary Guarantors hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and
covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the
Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had
been enacted.
ARTICLE VI.
THE TRUSTEE
Section 6.1 Duties of Trustee.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the
rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their
exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his
own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(i) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be
read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
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(ii) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, and
shall be fully protected in so relying, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to
the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; provided, however, that,
in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are
specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine the
certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of
this Indenture, but the Trustee has no obligation to determine the accuracy or completeness
(other than as to conformity with the requirements of this Indenture) of the statements made
therein.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own
negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) this paragraph shall not limit the effect of Section 6.1(b);
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a
Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the
pertinent facts; and
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to
take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 5.12.
Section 6.2 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.1 hereof:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from
acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request,
direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper
(whether in its original or facsimile form), or document believed by it to be genuine and to have
been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced
by a Company Request or Company Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be
sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that
a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the
Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith
on its part, rely upon an Officers Certificate;
(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of
Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
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(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in
it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture,
unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the
costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or
direction;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated
in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction,
consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document,
but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts
or matters as it may reasonably see fit;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties
hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be
responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with
due care by it hereunder;
(h) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good
faith and believed by it in good faith to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or
powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(i) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice or knowledge of any matter unless a
Responsible Officer has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice thereof is received by
the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office and such notice references the Notes generally, the
Company or this Indenture;
(j) the Trustee shall not be required to advance, expend or risk its own funds or otherwise
incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise
of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of
such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it;
(k) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any
event which is in fact such a Default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of
the Trustee, and such notice references the Notes and this Indenture;
(l) anything in this Indenture notwithstanding, in no event shall the Trustee be liable for
any special, indirect, punitive, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever
(including but not limited to loss of profit), even if the Company has been advised as to the
likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;
(m) the Trustee may request that the Company and, if applicable, the Guarantors deliver an
Officers Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized
at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers Certificate may
be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers Certificate, including any person specified
as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded; and
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(n) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties.
Section 6.3 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Notes.
The recitals contained herein and in the Notes, except for the Trustees certificates of
authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors, as
the case may be, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes
no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees
or the Notes. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any
Notes or the proceeds thereof.
Section 6.4 May Hold Notes.
The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Registrar or any other agent of the Company, the Subsidiary
Guarantors or of the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or
pledgee of Notes and, subject to TIA Sections 310(b) and 311 in the case of the Trustee, may
otherwise deal with the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors with the same rights it would have if
it were not the Trustee, Paying Agent, Registrar or such other agent.
Section 6.5 Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to
the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money
received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor.
Section 6.6 Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company agrees:
(a) to pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation as the Company and the Trustee
may agree in writing for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be
limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(b) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request
for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in
accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the compensation and the expenses and
disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may
be attributable to the Trustees willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith; and
(c) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, claim,
damage or expense incurred without willful misconduct or negligence on its part, (i) arising out of
or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the costs and
expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or
performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder or (ii) in connection with enforcing this
indemnification provision.
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The obligations of the Company under this Section 6.6 to compensate the Trustee, to pay or
reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances and to indemnify and hold harmless
the Trustee shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture, the resignation or removal of the Trustee, or any other
termination under any Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding. As security for the performance of such
obligations of the Company, the Trustee shall have a claim and lien prior to the Notes upon all
property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for payment
of principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on Notes. Such lien shall survive the
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or any other termination under any Insolvency or
Liquidation Proceeding.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after the occurrence of an Event of
Default specified in paragraph (f) or (g) of Section 5.1 of this Indenture, such expenses and the
compensation for such services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any
Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding.
Section 6.7 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be eligible to act as Trustee
under TIA Section 310(a)(1) and shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.
If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the
requirements of federal, state, territorial or District of Columbia supervising or examining
authority, then for the purposes of this Section 6.7, the combined capital and surplus of such
corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent
report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with
the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.
Section 6.8 Conflicting Interests.
The Trustee shall comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act;
provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA Section 310(b)(1) any
indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation
in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth
in TIA Section 310(b)(1) are met.
Section 6.9 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee
pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the
successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.10 hereof.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the
instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.10 hereof shall not have been
delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the
resigning Trustee may, at the expense of the Company, petition any court of competent jurisdiction
for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
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(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Holders of not less than a majority
in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, delivered to the Trustee and to the
Company.
(d) If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of TIA Section 310(b) after
written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for
at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.7 hereof and shall fail to
resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona
fide Holder for at least six months, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or
insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public
officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the
purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,
then, in any such case, (i) the Company, by a Board Resolution, may remove the Trustee, or
(ii) subject to TIA Section 315(e), any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six
months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy
shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall
promptly appoint a successor Trustee. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or
incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee shall be appointed by Act of
the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes delivered to the
Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its
acceptance of such appointment, become the successor Trustee and supersede the successor Trustee
appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee shall have been so appointed by the Company or
the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner hereinafter provided, the retiring Trustee or
any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and
all others similarly situated, at the expense of the Company, petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee. The evidence of such successorship may,
but need not be, evidenced by a supplemental indenture.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each
appointment of a successor Trustee to the Holders in the manner provided for in Section 13.5
hereof. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its
Corporate Trust Office.
(f) Notwithstanding the replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.9, the Companys
obligations under Section 6.6 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
Section 6.10 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
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Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the
Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the
resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee,
without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers,
trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company or the successor Trustee,
such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of all amounts due it under Section 6.6 hereof, execute
and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts
of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all
money and other Property held by such retiring Trustee hereunder. Upon request of any such
successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly
vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts.
No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such
successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
Section 6.11 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any corporation or banking association into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or
with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or banking association resulting from any
merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation or
banking association succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the
Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation or banking
association shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or
filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Notes
shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by
merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication
and deliver the Notes so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself
authenticated such Notes; and in case at that time any of the Notes shall not have been
authenticated, any successor Trustee may authenticate such Notes either in the name of any
predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee; and in all such cases such
certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Notes or in this Indenture
provided; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any
predecessor Trustee or to authenticate Notes in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply
only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.
Section 6.12 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor
under the Notes), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act
regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).
Section 6.13 Notice of Defaults.
Within 60 days after the occurrence of any Default hereunder, the Trustee shall transmit in
the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c), notice of such Default hereunder known
to the Trustee, unless such Default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that,
except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or
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interest on any Note, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long
as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or
Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is
in the interest of the Holders. The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default,
other than a Default under Section 5.1(a) or 5.1(b), unless the Trustee shall have been advised in
writing that a Default has occurred. No duty imposed upon the Trustee in this Indenture shall be
applicable with respect to any Default of which the Trustee is not deemed to have notice.
Section 6.14 Reports by Trustee.
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year commencing with May 15, 2012, the Trustee shall
transmit by mail to the Holders, as their names and addresses appear in the Note Register, a brief
report dated as of such May 15 in accordance with and to the extent required under TIA Section
313(a). The Trustee shall also comply with TIA Sections 313(b) and 313(c).
The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing if the Notes become listed on any
stock exchange or automatic quotation system
A copy of each Trustees report, at the time of its mailing to Holders of Notes, shall be
mailed to the Company and filed with the Commission and each stock exchange, if any, on which the
Notes are listed.
ARTICLE VII.
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 7.1 Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company shall not, in any single transaction or a series of related transactions, merge or
consolidate with or into any other Person, or sell, assign, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise
dispose of all or substantially all the Properties of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
on a consolidated basis to any Person or group of Affiliated Persons, and the Company shall not
permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to enter into any such transaction or series of related
transactions if such transaction or series of transactions, in the aggregate, would result in a
sale, assignment, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of
the Properties of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to any other
Person or group of Affiliated Persons, unless at the time and after giving effect thereto:
(a) either (i) if the transaction is a merger or consolidation, the Company shall be the
surviving Person of such merger or consolidation, or (ii) the Person (if other than the Company)
formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which the Properties of the
Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, are sold, assigned, conveyed,
transferred, leased or otherwise disposed of (any such surviving Person or transferee Person being
called the Surviving Entity) shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the
United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and shall, in either case,
expressly assume by an indenture supplemental to the Indenture executed and delivered to the
Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all the obligations of the Company under the Notes
and the Indenture, and, in each case, the Indenture shall remain in full force and effect;
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(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of related transactions on a
pro forma basis (and treating any Indebtedness not previously an obligation of the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries which becomes the obligation of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries in connection with or as a result of such transaction or transactions as having been
incurred at the time of such transaction or transactions), no Default or Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing;
(c) except in the case of the consolidation or merger of the Company with or into a Restricted
Subsidiary or any Restricted Subsidiary with or into the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary,
either
(i) immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such transaction or
transactions on a pro forma basis (assuming that the transaction or transactions occurred on
the first day of the period of four full fiscal quarters ending immediately prior to the
consummation of such transaction or transactions, with the appropriate adjustments with
respect to the transaction or transactions being included in such pro forma calculation),
the Company (or the Surviving Entity if the Company is not the continuing obligor under the
Indenture) could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under Section 9.12(a) hereof; or
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction or transactions on a pro forma
basis (assuming that the transaction or transactions occurred on the first day of the period
of four fiscal quarters ending immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction or
transactions, with the appropriate adjustments with respect to the transaction or
transactions being included in such pro forma calculation), the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio
of the Company (or the Surviving Entity if Comstock is not the continuing obligor under the
Indenture) will be equal to or greater than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company
immediately before such transaction or transactions;
(d) if the Company is not the continuing obligor under the Indenture, then each Subsidiary
Guarantor, unless it is the Surviving Entity, shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that
its Subsidiary Guarantee of the Notes shall apply to the Surviving Entitys obligations under the
Indenture and the Notes;
(e) if any of the Properties of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries would upon
such transaction or series of related transactions become subject to any Lien (other than a
Permitted Lien), the creation or imposition of such Lien shall have been in compliance with Section
9.15 hereof; and
(f) the Company (or the Surviving Entity if the Company is not the continuing obligor under
the Indenture) shall have delivered to the Trustee, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory
to the Trustee, (i) an Officers Certificate stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance,
transfer, lease or other disposition and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection
with such transaction, such supplemental indenture, comply with the Indenture and (ii) an Opinion
of Counsel stating that the requirements of Section 7.1(a) hereof have been satisfied.
Section 7.2 Successor Substituted.
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Upon any consolidation of the Company with or merger of the Company into any other
corporation or any sale, assignment, lease, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the Properties of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis in accordance with Section 7.1 hereof, the Surviving Entity shall succeed to,
and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under the Indenture
with the same effect as if such Surviving Entity had been named as the Company herein, and in the
event of any such sale, assignment, lease, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, the Company
(which term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the Company in the first paragraph of
this Indenture or any successor Person which shall theretofore become such in the manner described
in Section 7.1 hereof), except in the case of a lease, shall be discharged from all obligations and
covenants under the Indenture and the Notes, and the Company may be dissolved and liquidated and
such dissolution and liquidation shall not cause a Change of Control under clause (e) of the
definition thereof to occur unless the sale, assignment, lease, conveyance, transfer or other
disposition of all or substantially all of the Properties of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to any Person otherwise results in a Change of Control.
ARTICLE VIII.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 8.1 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, each
of the Subsidiary Guarantors, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee upon Company
Request, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental to
the Indenture, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such
successor of the covenants of the Company contained in the Indenture and in the Notes; or
(b) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any
right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or
(c) to comply with any requirement of the SEC in connection with qualifying the Indenture
under the TIA or maintaining such qualification thereafter; or
(d) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be
defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with
respect to matters or questions arising under the Indenture, provided that such action shall not
adversely affect the interests of any Holder; or
(e) to secure the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees pursuant to the requirements of Section
9.15 hereof or otherwise; or
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(f) to add any Restricted Subsidiary as an additional Subsidiary Guarantor as provided in
Sections 9.11 and 9.13(a) hereof or to evidence the succession of another Person to any Subsidiary
Guarantor pursuant to Section 12.2(b) hereof and the assumption by any such successor of the
covenants and agreements of such Subsidiary Guarantor contained herein, in the Notes and in the
Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor; or
(g) to release a Subsidiary Guarantor from its Subsidiary Guarantee pursuant to Section 12.3
hereof; or
(h) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes.
Section 8.2 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Notes, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the
Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, each of the Subsidiary Guarantors, when authorized
by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee upon Company Request may enter into an indenture or
indentures supplemental to the Indenture for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in
any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the Indenture with respect to the Notes, or of
modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders under the Indenture; provided, however, that no
such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Note
affected thereby:
(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any
Note, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium
thereon, or change the coin or currency in which principal of any Note or any premium or the
interest on any Note is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any
such payment after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the
Redemption Date); or
(b) reduce the percentage of aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, the consent
of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders
is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of the Indenture or certain
defaults hereunder or the consequences of a default provided for in the Indenture; or
(c) modify any of the provisions of this Section 8.2 or Sections 5.13 or 9.6 hereof, except to
increase any percentage of Holders referred to therein or to provide that certain other provisions
of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Note affected thereby; or
(d) modify any provisions of the Indenture relating to the Subsidiary Guarantees in a manner
adverse to the Holders; or
(e) amend, change or modify the obligation of the Company to make and consummate a Change of
Control Offer in the event of a Change of Control, or to make and consummate a Prepayment Offer
with respect to any Asset Sale, or modify any of the provisions or definitions with respect
thereto.
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It shall not be necessary for any Act of the Holders under this Section to approve the
particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act
shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 8.3 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture
permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by the Indenture, the
Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, in addition to
the documents required by Section 13.1, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such
supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by the Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not
be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustees own rights,
duties or immunities under the Indenture or otherwise.
Section 8.4 Effects of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, the Indenture shall be
modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of the
Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Notes theretofore or thereafter authenticated and
delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.
Section 8.5 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the
requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
Section 8.6 References in Notes to Supplemental Indentures.
Notes authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant
to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the
Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so
determine, new Notes so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to
any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company, and authenticated and
delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Notes.
Section 8.7 Notice of Supplemental Indentures.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture
pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.2 hereof, the Company shall give notice thereof to the
Holders of each Outstanding Note affected, in the manner provided for in Section 13.5 hereof,
setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture.
ARTICLE IX.
COVENANTS
Section 9.1 Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest.
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The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders that it will duly and
punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the Notes in accordance
with the terms of the Notes and this Indenture.
Section 9.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented or surrendered for
payment, where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices
and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes, the Subsidiary Guarantees and this
Indenture may be served. The New York office of the Trustee shall be such office or agency of the
Company, unless the Company shall designate and maintain some other office or agency for one or
more of such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in
the location of any such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any
such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such
presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the aforementioned office
of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such
presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where
the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time
rescind any such designation. Further, if at any time there shall be no such office or agency in
The City of New York where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for payment, the Company shall
forthwith designate and maintain such an office or agency in The City of New York, in order that
the Notes shall at all times be payable in The City of New York. The Company will give prompt
written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and any change in the location
of any such other office or agency.
Section 9.3 Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent, it shall, on or before 10:00
a.m., Eastern time, on each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on
any of the Notes, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum
sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due until such sum
shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify
the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Notes, it will, on or before
10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any, on), or
interest on, any Notes, deposit with a Paying Agent immediately available funds in a sum sufficient
to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such funds to be held in
trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless
such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of such action or
any failure so to act.
The Company shall cause each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to execute and deliver to
the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the
provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:
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(a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) or
interest on Notes in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be
paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(b) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the
Notes) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest; and
(c) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the
Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of
this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay,
to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by
the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such
Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be
released from all further liability with respect to such sums. The Trustee and each Paying Agent
shall promptly pay to the Company, upon Company Request, any money held by them (other than
pursuant to Article XI) at any time in excess of amounts required to pay principal, premium, if
any, or interest on the Notes.
Subject to applicable escheat and abandoned property laws, any money deposited with the
Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal
of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on any Notes and remaining unclaimed for two years after
such principal (and premium, if any) or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the
Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust;
and the Holder of such Notes shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the
Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to
such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.
Section 9.4 Corporate Existence.
Except as expressly permitted by Article VII hereof, Section 9.17 hereof or other provisions
of this Indenture, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and
keep in full force and effect the corporate existence, rights (charter and statutory) and
franchises of the Company and each Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company shall
not be required to preserve any such existence of its Restricted Subsidiaries, rights or
franchises, if the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof
is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material
respect to the Holders.
Section 9.5 Statement by Officers as to Default.
(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 100 days after the end of each fiscal
year of the Company, an Officers Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the
supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has
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kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further
stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of such Officers
knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every condition and
covenant contained in this Indenture and no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred to either such Officers
knowledge, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which such Officer may have
knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto). Such
Officers Certificate shall comply with TIA Section 314(a)(4). For purposes of this Section
9.5(a), such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of
notice under this Indenture.
(b) The Company shall, so long as any of the Notes is outstanding, deliver to the Trustee,
upon any of its Officers becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers
Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company proposes to
take with respect thereto, within 10 days of its occurrence.
Section 9.6
[Reserved.]
Section 9.7 [Reserved.]
Section 9.8
Payment of Taxes; Maintenance of Properties; Insurance.
The Company shall pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall
become delinquent, (a) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed
upon the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or Property of the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and (b) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies,
which, if unpaid, might by law become a Lien upon the Property of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause
to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or
validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which appropriate
provision has been made in accordance with GAAP.
The Company shall cause all material Properties owned by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary and used or held for use in the conduct of its business or the business of any
Restricted Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order
(ordinary wear and tear excepted), all as in the judgment of the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary may be necessary so that its business may be properly and advantageously conducted at
all times; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 9.8 shall prevent the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary from discontinuing the maintenance of any of such Properties if such
discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may
be, desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary and not
disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing
contained in this Section 9.8 shall limit or impair in any way the right of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries to sell, divest and otherwise to engage in transactions that are otherwise
permitted by this Indenture.
The Company shall at all times keep all of its, and cause its Restricted Subsidiaries to keep
their, Properties which are of an insurable nature insured with insurers, believed by the
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Company
to be responsible, against loss or damage to the extent that property of similar character and in a
similar location is usually so insured by corporations similarly situated and owning like
Properties.
The Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may adopt such other plan or method of protection, in
lieu of or supplemental to insurance with insurers, whether by the establishment of an insurance
fund or reserve to be held and applied to make good losses from casualties, or otherwise,
conforming to the systems of self-insurance maintained by corporations similarly situated and in a
similar location and owning like Properties, as may be determined by the Board of Directors of the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary.
Section 9.9 Reports.
(a) Whether or not the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, to the extent not prohibited by the Exchange Act, the Company
will file with the Commission, and make available to the Trustee and the Holders of Notes without
cost to any Holder, the annual reports and the information, documents and other reports (or copies
of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may by rules and regulations prescribe)
that are specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act and applicable to a U.S.
corporation within the time periods specified therein with respect to an accelerated filer. In the
event that the Company is not permitted to file such reports, documents and information with the
Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company will nevertheless make available such Exchange
Act information to the Trustee and the Holders of the notes without cost to any holder as if the
Company were subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
within the time periods specified therein with respect to a non-accelerated filer.
(b) If the Company has designated any of its Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries, then,
to the extent material, the quarterly and annual financial information required by Section 9.9(a)
will include a reasonably detailed presentation, either on the face of the financial statements or
in the footnotes thereto, and in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations, of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries separate from the financial condition and results of operations of the
Unrestricted Subsidiaries of the Company.
(c) The Company shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and
regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents
and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants of this
Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations.
(d) The availability of the foregoing information or reports on the SECs website or the
Companys website will be deemed to satisfy the foregoing delivery requirements.
(e) Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee pursuant to this Section 9.9
shall be for informational purposes only and the Trustees receipt of such shall not constitute
constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained
therein, including the Companys compliance with any of the covenants
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contained in the Indenture
(as to which the Trustee will be entitled to conclusively rely upon an Officers Certificate).
Section 9.10 Limitation on Restricted Payments.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or
indirectly, take the following actions:
(i) declare or pay any dividend on, or make any distribution to holders of, any shares
of Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than dividends or
distributions payable solely in shares of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company or in
options, warrants or other rights to purchase Qualified Capital Stock of the Company);
(ii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire for value any Capital Stock of the
Company or any Affiliate thereof (other than any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the
Company) or any options, warrants or other rights to acquire such Capital Stock (other than
the purchase, redemption, acquisition or retirement of any Disqualified Capital Stock of the
Company solely in shares of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company);
(iii) make any principal payment on or repurchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire
or retire for value, prior to any scheduled principal payment, scheduled sinking fund
payment or maturity, any Subordinated Indebtedness (excluding any intercompany Indebtedness
between or among the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), except in any case out
of the proceeds of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness, or
(iv) make any Restricted Investment;
(such payments or other actions described in clauses (i) through (iv) above being collectively
referred to as Restricted Payments), unless at the time of and after giving effect to the
proposed Restricted Payment:
(1) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(2) the Company could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness in accordance with Section
9.12(a) hereof; and
(3) the aggregate amount of all Restricted Payments declared or made after January 1,
2004 shall not exceed the sum (without duplication) of the following:
(A) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Company accrued on a cumulative
basis during the period beginning on January 1, 2004 and ending on
the last day of the Companys last fiscal quarter ending prior to the date of
such proposed Restricted Payment (or, if such Consolidated Net Income shall be a
loss, minus 100% of such loss); plus
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(B) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds, or the Fair Market Value of Property other
than cash, received after January 1, 2004 by the Company from the issuance or sale
(other than to any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) of shares of Qualified Capital
Stock of the Company or any options, warrants or rights to purchase such shares of
Qualified Capital Stock of the Company; plus
(C) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds, or the Fair Market Value of Property other
than cash, received after January 1, 2004 by the Company (other than from any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries) upon the exercise of any options, warrants or rights to
purchase shares of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company; plus
(D) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds received after January 1, 2004 by the
Company from the issuance or sale (other than to any of its Restricted Subsidiaries)
of Indebtedness or shares of Disqualified Capital Stock that have been converted
into or exchanged for Qualified Capital Stock of the Company, together with the
aggregate cash received by the Company at the time of such conversion or exchange;
plus
(E) to the extent not otherwise included in Consolidated Net Income, the net
reduction in Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries resulting from dividends,
repayments of loans or advances, or other transfers of assets, in each case to the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary after January 1, 2004 from any Unrestricted
Subsidiary or from the redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted
Subsidiary (valued in each case as provided in the definition of Investment), not
to exceed in the case of any Unrestricted Subsidiary the total amount of Investments
(other than Permitted Investments) in such Unrestricted Subsidiary made by the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in such Unrestricted Subsidiary after
January 1, 2004.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) above, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may take
the following actions so long as (in the case of clauses (3), (4), (5) and (7) below) no Default or
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing:
(1) the payment of any dividend on any Capital Stock of the Company within 60 days
after the date of declaration thereof, if at such declaration date such declaration complied
with the provisions of paragraph (a) above (and such payment shall be deemed to have been
paid on such date of declaration for purposes of any calculation required by the provisions
of paragraph (a) above);
(2) the payment of any dividend payable from a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or
any other Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;
(3) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement of any shares of any
class of Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, in exchange for, or out
of the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds of, a substantially concurrent issue and sale (other than
to a Restricted Subsidiary) of shares of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company;
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(4) the repurchase, redemption, repayment, defeasance or other acquisition or
retirement for value of any Subordinated Indebtedness in exchange for, or out of the
aggregate Net Cash Proceeds from, a substantially concurrent issue and sale (other than to a
Restricted Subsidiary) of shares of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company;
(5) the purchase, redemption, repayment, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement
for value of Subordinated Indebtedness (other than Disqualified Capital Stock) in exchange
for, or out of the aggregate net cash proceeds of, a substantially concurrent incurrence
(other than to a Restricted Subsidiary) of Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company so long
as (a) the principal amount of such new Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount
(or, if such Subordinated Indebtedness being refinanced provides for an amount less than the
principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration thereof,
such lesser amount as of the date of determination) of the Subordinated Indebtedness being
so purchased, redeemed, repaid, defeased, acquired or retired, plus the amount of any
premium required to be paid in connection with such refinancing pursuant to the terms of the
Indebtedness refinanced or the amount of any premium reasonably determined by the Company as
necessary to accomplish such refinancing, plus the amount of expenses of the Company
incurred in connection with such refinancing, (b) such new Indebtedness is subordinated to
the Notes at least to the same extent as such Subordinated Indebtedness so purchased,
redeemed, repaid, defeased, acquired or retired, and (c) such new Indebtedness has an
Average Life to Stated Maturity that is longer than the Average Life to Stated Maturity of
the Notes and such new Indebtedness has a Stated Maturity for its final scheduled principal
payment that is at least 91 days later than the Stated Maturity for the final scheduled
principal payment of the Notes;
(6) loans made to officers, directors or employees of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary approved by the Board of Directors of the Company in an aggregate amount not to
exceed $1,000,000 outstanding at any one time, the proceeds of which are used solely (a) to
purchase common stock of the Company in connection with a restricted stock or employee stock
purchase plan, or to exercise stock options received pursuant to an employee or director
stock option plan or other incentive plan, in a principal amount not to exceed the exercise
price of such stock options, or (b) to refinance loans, together with accrued interest
thereon, made pursuant to item (a) of this clause (6); and
(7) other Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10,000,000.
The actions described in clauses (1), (3), (4) and (6) of this paragraph (b) shall be
Restricted Payments that shall be permitted to be made in accordance with this paragraph (b) but
shall reduce the amount that would otherwise be available for Restricted Payments under clause
(3) of paragraph (a) (provided that any dividend paid pursuant to clause (1) of this paragraph (b)
shall reduce the amount that would otherwise be available under clause (3) of paragraph (a) when
declared, but not also when subsequently paid pursuant to such clause (1)), and the actions
described in clauses (2), (5) and (7) of this paragraph (b) shall be permitted to be taken in
accordance with this paragraph and shall not reduce the amount that would otherwise be available
for Restricted Payments under clause (3) of paragraph (a).
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(c) The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) will be the Fair Market Value on
the date of the Restricted Payment of the
asset(s) or securities proposed to be transferred or
issued by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted
Payment.
(d) In computing Consolidated Net Income under paragraph (a) above, (1) the Company shall use
audited financial statements for the portions of the relevant period for which audited financial
statements are available on the date of determination and unaudited financial statements and other
current financial data based on the books and records of the Company for the remaining portion of
such period and (2) the Company shall be permitted to rely in good faith on the financial
statements and other financial data derived from the books and records of the Company that are
available on the date of determination. If the Company makes a Restricted Payment which, at the
time of the making of such Restricted Payment would in the good faith determination of the Company
be permitted under the requirements of this Indenture, such Restricted Payment shall be deemed to
have been made in compliance with this Indenture notwithstanding any subsequent adjustments made in
good faith to the Companys financial statements affecting Consolidated Net Income of the Company
for any period.
Section 9.11 [Reserved.]
Section 9.12
Limitation on Indebtedness and Disqualified Capital Stock.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, create,
incur, assume, guarantee or in any manner become directly or indirectly liable for the payment of
(collectively, incur) any Indebtedness (including any Acquired Indebtedness), and the Company
shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, issue any Disqualified
Capital Stock (except for the issuance by the Company of Disqualified Capital Stock (a) which is
redeemable at the Companys option in cash or Qualified Capital Stock and (b) the dividends on
which are payable at the Companys option in cash or Qualified Capital Stock); provided however,
that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are Subsidiary Guarantors may incur
Indebtedness or issue shares of Disqualified Capital Stock if (i) at the time of such event and
after giving effect thereto on a pro forma basis the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for
the four full quarters immediately preceding such event, taken as one period, would have been equal
to or greater than 2.25 to 1.0 and (ii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing at the time such additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Capital Stock
is issued or would occur as a consequence of the incurrence of the additional Indebtedness or the
issuance of the Disqualified Capital Stock.
(b) Notwithstanding the prohibitions of Section 9.12(a), the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries may incur any of the following items of Indebtedness (collectively, Permitted
Indebtedness):
(1) Priority Credit Facility Debt in an aggregate amount at any one time outstanding
not to exceed the greater of (a) the Borrowing Base under the Bank Credit Agreement at such
time less the sum of all repayments of principal of Priority Credit Facility Debt made
pursuant to Section 9.17 hereof and (b) 25% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets;
provided, however, that Indebtedness and Disqualified Capital Stock of Restricted
Subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors
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shall not at any time constitute more than
50% of all Priority Credit Facility Debt otherwise permitted under this clause (1);
(2) Indebtedness under the Notes (excluding any Additional Notes);
(3) Indebtedness outstanding or in effect on the Issue Date (and not repaid or defeased
with the proceeds of the offering of the Notes);
(4) obligations pursuant to Interest Rate Protection Obligations, but only to the
extent such obligations do not exceed 105% of the aggregate principal amount of the
Indebtedness covered by such Interest Rate Protection Obligations; obligations under
currency exchange contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business; hedging
arrangements entered into in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of protecting
production, purchases and resales against fluctuations in oil or natural gas prices; and any
guarantee of any of the foregoing;
(5) the Subsidiary Guarantees (and any assumption of the obligations guaranteed
thereby);
(6) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of intercompany
Indebtedness between or among the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided,
however, that:
(a) if the Company is the obligor on such Indebtedness and a Subsidiary
Guarantor is not the obligee, such Indebtedness must be expressly subordinated to
the prior payment in full in cash of all Obligations with respect to the Notes, or
if a Subsidiary Guarantor is the obligor on such Indebtedness and neither the
Company nor another Subsidiary Guarantor is the obligee, such Indebtedness must be
expressly subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all Obligations with
respect to the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor; and
(b) (i) any subsequent issuance or transfer of Equity Interests that results in
any such Indebtedness being held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company and (ii) any sale or other transfer of any such
Indebtedness to a Person that is neither the Company nor a Restricted Subsidiary of
the Company will be deemed, in each case, to constitute an
incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary,
as the case may be, that was not permitted by this clause (6);
(7) Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness and any guarantee thereof;
(8) Non-Recourse Indebtedness;
(9) in kind obligations relating to net oil or gas balancing positions arising in the
ordinary course of business;
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(10) Indebtedness in respect of bid, performance or surety bonds issued for the account
of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business, including
guaranties and letters of credit supporting such bid, performance or surety obligations (in
each case other than for an obligation for money borrowed); and
(11) any additional Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not in excess of
$75,000,000 at any one time outstanding and any guarantee thereof.
(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 9.12, in the event that an item
of Indebtedness meets the criteria of one or more of the categories of Permitted Indebtedness
described in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(11) above or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to
Section 9.12(a), the Company may, in its sole discretion, classify such item of Indebtedness in any
manner that complies with this covenant and such item of Indebtedness will be treated as having
been incurred pursuant to only one of such clauses of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness or
the proviso of the foregoing sentence and an item of Indebtedness may be divided and classified in
more than one of the types of Indebtedness permitted hereunder; provided that all Indebtedness
outstanding on the Issue Date under the Credit Agreement shall be deemed incurred under paragraph
(b)(1) above and not under paragraph (b)(3) above.
(d) The accrual of interest, the accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the
payment of interest on any Indebtedness in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms,
and the payment of dividends on Disqualified Stock in the form of additional shares of the same
class of Disqualified Stock will not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness or an issuance
of Disqualified Stock for purposes of this Section 9.12. The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding
as of any date shall be (i) the accreted value thereof in the case of any Indebtedness issued with
original issue discount and (ii) the principal amount or liquidation preference thereof, together
with any interest thereon that is more than 30 days past due, in the case of any other
Indebtedness.
(e) For purposes of determining compliance with any U.S. dollar-denominated restriction on the
incurrence of Indebtedness, the U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of Indebtedness denominated
in a foreign currency shall be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on
the date such Indebtedness was incurred, in the case of term Indebtedness, or first committed, in
the case of revolving credit Indebtedness; provided that if such Indebtedness is incurred to
refinance other Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency, and such refinancing would cause
the applicable U.S. dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant
currency exchange rate in effect on the date of such refinancing, such U.S. dollar-denominated
restriction shall be deemed not to have been exceeded
so long as the principal amount of such refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal
amount of such Indebtedness being refinanced (plus all accrued interest on the Indebtedness being
refinanced and the amount of all expenses and premiums incurred in connection therewith).
(f) The amount of any guarantee by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any
Indebtedness of the Company or one or more Restricted Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be
outstanding or incurred for purposes of this Section 9.12 in addition to the amount of Indebtedness
which it guarantees.
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(g) For purposes of this Section 9.12, Indebtedness of any Person that becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary by merger, consolidation or other acquisition shall be deemed to have been incurred by
the Company and the Restricted Subsidiary at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 9.12, the maximum amount of
Indebtedness that the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may incur pursuant to this Section 9.12
shall not be deemed to be exceeded solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of
currencies. The principal amount of any Indebtedness incurred to refinance other Indebtedness, if
incurred in a different currency from the Indebtedness being refinanced, shall be calculated based
on the currency exchange rate applicable to the currencies in which such Permitted Refinancing
Indebtedness is denominated that is in effect on the date of such refinancing.
Section 9.13 Additional Subsidiary Guarantors.
(a) If any Restricted Subsidiary that is not already a Subsidiary Guarantor has outstanding or
guarantees any other Indebtedness of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor, then in either case
that Subsidiary will become a Subsidiary Guarantor by executing a supplemental indenture and
delivering it to the Trustee within 20 Business Days of the date on which it incurred or guaranteed
such Indebtedness, as the case may be; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not apply to
Subsidiaries of the Company that have properly been designated as Unrestricted Subsidiaries in
accordance with the Indenture for so long as they continue to constitute Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing and the other provisions of this Indenture, any Subsidiary
Guarantee incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to this Section 9.13 shall provide by its
terms that it shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon the terms and
conditions set forth in Section 12.3 hereof.
Section 9.14 Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Preferred Stock of Restricted
Subsidiaries.
The Company (a) shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to issue or sell any Preferred
Stock to any Person other than to the Company or one of its Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries
and (b) shall not permit any Person other than the Company or one of its Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries to own any Preferred Stock of any other Restricted Subsidiary except, in each case,
for (i) the Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary owned by a Person at
the time such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) a sale of Preferred
Stock in connection with the sale of all of the Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary owned by
the Company or its Subsidiaries effected in accordance with Section 9.17 hereof.
Section 9.15 Limitation on Liens.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or
indirectly, create, incur, assume, affirm or suffer to exist or become effective any Lien of any
kind, except for Permitted Liens, upon any of their respective Properties, whether now owned or
acquired after the Issue Date, or any income or profits therefrom, or assign or convey any right to
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receive income thereon, unless (a) in the case of any Lien securing Subordinated Indebtedness, the
Notes are secured by a lien on such Property or proceeds that is senior in priority to such Lien
and (b) in the case of any other Lien, the Notes are directly secured equally and ratably with the
obligation or liability secured by such Lien.
Section 9.16 Purchase of Notes Upon Change of Control.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Company shall be obligated to make an
offer to purchase (a Change of Control Offer) all of the then Outstanding Notes, in whole or in
part (and if in part, in denominations of $2,000 or integral multiples of $1,000 in excess
thereof), from the Holders of such Notes, at a purchase price (the Change of Control Purchase
Price) equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of such Notes, plus accrued and unpaid
interest, if any, to the Change of Control Purchase Date (subject to the right of Holders of record
on the relevant Regular Record Date to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date that is on
or prior to the Change of Control Purchase Date), in accordance with the procedures set forth in
paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of this Section. The Company shall, subject to the provisions
described below, be required to purchase all Notes properly tendered into the Change of Control
Offer and not withdrawn. The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a
Change of Control if another Person makes the Change of Control Offer at the same purchase price,
at the same times and otherwise in substantial compliance with the requirements applicable to a
Change of Control Offer to be made by the Company and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not
withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.
(b) The Change of Control Offer is required to remain open for at least 20 Business Days and
until the close of business on the fifth Business Day prior to the Change of Control Purchase Date.
(c) Not later than the 30th day following the occurrence of any Change of Control, the Company
shall give to the Trustee in the manner provided in Section 13.4 and each Holder of the Notes in
the manner provided in Section 13.5, a notice (the Change of Control Notice) governing the terms
of the Change of Control Offer and stating:
(1) that a Change in Control has occurred and that such Holder has the right to require
the Company to repurchase such Holders Notes, or portion thereof, at the Change of Control
Purchase Price;
(2) any information regarding such Change of Control required to be furnished pursuant
to Rule 13e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations
thereunder;
(3) a purchase date (the Change of Control Purchase Date), which shall be on a
Business Day and no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date the Change of
Control occurred;
(4) that any Note, or portion thereof, not tendered or accepted for payment will
continue to accrue interest:
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(5) that unless the Company defaults in depositing money with the Paying Agent in
accordance with the last paragraph of clause (d) of this Section 9.16, or payment is
otherwise prevented, any Note, or portion thereof, accepted for payment pursuant to the
Change of Control Offer shall cease to accrue interest after the Change of Control Purchase
Date; and
(6) the instructions a Holder must follow in order to have his Notes repurchased in
accordance with paragraph (d) of this Section.
If any of the Notes subject to the Change of Control Offer is in the form of a Global Note, then
the Company shall modify the Change of Control Notice to the extent necessary to accord with the
procedures of the depository applicable thereto.
(d) Holders electing to have Notes purchased will be required to surrender such Notes to the
Paying Agent at the address specified in the Change of Control Notice at least five Business Days
prior to the Change of Control Purchase Date. Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election
if the Paying Agent receives, not later than three Business Days prior to the Change of Control
Purchase Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the
Holder and principal amount of the Notes delivered for purchase by the Holder as to which his
election is to be withdrawn and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have
such Notes purchased. Holders whose Notes are purchased only in part will be issued new Notes
equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered.
On the Change of Control Purchase Date, the Company shall (i) accept for payment Notes or
portions thereof validly tendered pursuant to a Change of Control Offer, (ii) deposit with the
Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the purchase price of all Notes or portions thereof so
tendered, and (iii) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes so accepted. The
Paying Agent shall promptly mail or deliver to Holders of the Notes so tendered payment in an
amount equal to the purchase price for the Notes, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee
shall authenticate and mail or make available for delivery to such Holders a new Note equal in
principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Note which any such Holder did not surrender for
purchase. The Company shall announce the results of a Change of Control Offer on or as soon as
practicable after the Change of Control Purchase Date. For purposes of this Section 9.16, the
Trustee will act as the Paying Agent.
(e) If Holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes
validly tender and do not withdraw such notes in a Change of Control Offer and the Company, or any
third party making a Change of Control Offer in lieu of the Company as described above, purchases
all of the Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn by such Holders, the Company will have the
right, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior notice, given not more than 30 days
following such purchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer described above, to redeem all
Notes that remain outstanding following such purchase at a redemption price in cash equal to the
applicable Change of Control Purchase Price plus, to the extent not included in the Change of
Control Purchase Price, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption.
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(e) The Company shall comply with Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities
laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable, in the
event that a Change of Control occurs and the Company is required to purchase Notes as described in
this Section 9.16.
Section 9.17 Limitation on Asset Sales.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to,
consummate any Asset Sale unless (i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be,
receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the Fair Market Value of
the Property subject to such Asset Sale and (ii) all of the consideration paid to the Company or
such Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such Asset Sale is in the form of cash, Cash
Equivalents, Liquid Securities, Exchanged Properties or the assumption by the purchaser of
liabilities of the Company (other than liabilities of the Company that are by their terms
subordinated to the Notes) or liabilities of any Subsidiary Guarantor that made such Asset Sale
(other than liabilities of a Subsidiary Guarantor that are by their terms subordinated to such
Subsidiary Guarantors Subsidiary Guarantee), in each case as a result of which the Company and its
remaining Restricted Subsidiaries are no longer liable for such liabilities (Permitted
Consideration); provided, however, that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall be
permitted to receive Property other than Permitted Consideration, so long as the aggregate Fair
Market Value of all such Property other than Permitted Consideration received from Asset Sales
since the 2009 Notes Issue Date and held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at any one
time shall not exceed 10% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets. The Net Available Cash
from Asset Sales by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may be applied by the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary, to the extent the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary elects (or is
required by the terms of any Senior Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary), to (i)
prepay, repay, redeem or purchase Senior Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; or
(ii) reinvest in Additional Assets (including by means of an Investment in Additional Assets by a
Restricted Subsidiary with Net Available Cash received by the Company or another Restricted
Subsidiary).
(b) Any Net Available Cash from an Asset Sale not applied in accordance with the preceding
paragraph within 365 days from the date of such Asset Sale shall constitute Excess Proceeds.
When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $10,000,000, the Company shall be required to
make an offer (the Prepayment Offer) to all Holders of Notes and all Holders of other
Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes containing provisions similar to
those set forth herein with respect to offers to purchase or redeem with the proceeds of sales
of assets to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness
that may be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds. The offer price in any Prepayment Offer will be
equal to 100% of principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Purchase Date
(subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Regular Record Date to receive interest
due on an Interest Payment Date that is on or prior to the Purchase Date), and will be payable in
cash. If the aggregate principal amount of Notes tendered by Holders thereof exceeds the amount of
available Excess Proceeds allocated for repurchases of Notes pursuant to the Prepayment Offer for
Notes, then such Excess Proceeds will be allocated pro rata according to the principal amount of
the Notes tendered and the Trustee will select the Notes to be purchased in accordance with this
Indenture. To the extent that any portion of the
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amount of Excess Proceeds remains after
compliance with the second sentence of this paragraph and provided that all Holders of Notes have
been given the opportunity to tender their Notes for purchase as described in the following
paragraph in accordance with this Indenture, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may use
such remaining amount for purposes permitted by this Indenture and the amount of Excess Proceeds
shall be reset to zero.
(c) (i) Within 30 days after the 365th day following the date of an Asset Sale, the Company
shall, if it is obligated to make an offer to purchase the Notes pursuant to the preceding
paragraph, send a written Prepayment Offer notice, by first-class mail, to the Trustee and
the Holders of the Notes (the Prepayment Offer Notice), accompanied by such information
regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries as the Company believes shall enable such Holders
of the Notes to make an informed decision with respect to the Prepayment Offer (which at a
minimum shall include (A) the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K (including
audited consolidated financial statements) of the Company, the most recent subsequently
filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company and any Current Report on Form 8-K of the
Company filed subsequent to such Quarterly Report, other than Current Reports describing
Asset Sales otherwise described in the offering materials, or corresponding successor
reports (or, during any time that the Company is not subject to the reporting requirements
of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, corresponding reports prepared pursuant to
Section 9.9), (B) a description of material developments in the Companys business
subsequent to the date of the latest of such reports and (C) if material, appropriate pro
forma financial information). The Prepayment Offer Notice shall state, among other things,
(1) that the Company is offering to purchase Notes pursuant to the provisions of this
Indenture, (2) that any Note (or any portion thereof) accepted for payment (and duly paid on
the Purchase Date) pursuant to the Prepayment Offer shall cease to accrue interest on the
Purchase Date, (3) that any Notes (or portions thereof) not properly tendered shall continue
to accrue interest, (4) the purchase price and purchase date, which shall be, subject to any
contrary requirements of applicable law, no less than 30 days nor more than 60 days after
the date the Prepayment Offer Notice is mailed (the Purchase Date), (5) the aggregate
principal amount of Notes to be purchased, (6) a description of the procedure which Holders
of Notes must follow in order to tender their Notes and the procedures that Holders of Notes
must follow in order to withdraw an election to tender their Notes for payment and (7) all
other instructions and materials necessary to enable Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the
Prepayment Offer.
(ii) Not later than the date upon which written notice of a Prepayment Offer is
delivered to the Trustee as provided above, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an
Officers Certificate as to (1) the amount of the Prepayment Offer (the Offer Amount), (2)
the allocation of the Net Available Cash from the Asset Sales pursuant to which such
Prepayment Offer is being made and (3) the compliance of such allocation with the provisions
of Section 9.17(a). On such date, the Company shall also irrevocably deposit with the
Trustee or with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company is the Paying Agent, shall segregate
and hold in trust) in cash an amount equal to the Offer Amount to be held for payment in
accordance with the provisions of this Section. Upon the expiration of the period for which
the Prepayment Offer remains open (the Offer Period), the Company shall deliver to the
Trustee for cancellation the Notes or portions thereof which have been
73
properly tendered to
and are to be accepted by the Company. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall, on the
Purchase Date, mail or deliver payment to each tendering Holder in the amount of the
purchase price. In the event that the aggregate purchase price of the Notes delivered by
the Company to the Trustee is less than the Offer Amount, the Trustee or the Paying Agent
shall deliver the excess to the Company immediately after the expiration of the Offer Period
for application in accordance with this Section.
(iii) Holders electing to have a Note purchased shall be required to surrender the
Note, with an appropriate form duly completed, to the Company or its agent at the address
specified in the notice at least three Business Days prior to the Purchase Date. Holders
shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Trustee or the Company receives not
later than one Business Day prior to the Purchase Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile
transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the
Note which was delivered for purchase by the Holder and a statement that such Holder is
withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased. If at the expiration of the Offer
Period the aggregate principal amount of Notes surrendered by Holders exceeds the Offer
Amount, the Company shall select the Notes to be purchased on a pro rata basis (with such
adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Company so that only Notes in denominations
of $2,000, or integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, shall be purchased). Holders
whose Notes are purchased only in part shall be issued new Notes equal in principal amount
to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered.
(iv) At the time the Company delivers Notes to the Trustee which are to be accepted for
purchase, the Company shall also deliver an Officers Certificate stating that such Notes
are to be accepted by the Company pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this
Section 9.17. A Note shall be deemed to have been accepted for purchase at the time the
Trustee or the Paying Agent mails or delivers payment therefor to the surrendering Holder.
(d) The Company shall comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Rule 14e-1
under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations thereunder to the extent such
laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the purchase of Notes as described above.
To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the
provisions relating to the Prepayment Offer, the Company shall comply with the applicable
securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations described
above by virtue thereof.
Section 9.18 Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to,
directly or indirectly, enter into or suffer to exist any transaction or series of related
transactions (including, without limitation, the sale, purchase, exchange or lease of Property or
the rendering of any services) with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate of the Company (other
than the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary) (each, an Affiliate Transaction),
unless:
(1) such transaction or series of related transactions is on terms that are no less
favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, than
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would be
available in a comparable transaction in arms-length dealings with an unrelated third
party; and
(2) the Company delivers to the Trustee:
(a) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate
Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $10,000,000 but no
greater than $25,000,000, an Officers Certificate certifying that such Affiliate
Transaction or series of Affiliate Transactions complies with this Section 9.18; and
(b) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate
Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $25,000,000, an
Officers Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction or series of
Affiliate Transactions complies with this Section 9.18 and that such Affiliate
Transaction or series of Affiliate Transactions has been approved by a majority of
the Disinterested Directors of Comstock.
(b) The following items will not be deemed to be Affiliate Transactions and, therefore, will
not be subject to the provisions of Section 9.18(a):
(1) loans or advances to officers, directors and employees of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary made in the ordinary course of business in an aggregate amount not to
exceed $1,000,000 outstanding at any one time;
(2) indemnities of officers, directors, employees and other agents of the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary permitted by corporate charter or other organizational document,
bylaw or statutory provisions;
(3) the payment of reasonable and customary fees to directors of the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries who are not employees of the Company or any Affiliate,
(4) the Companys employee compensation and other benefit arrangements;
(5) transactions exclusively between or among the Company and any of the Restricted
Subsidiaries or exclusively between or among such Restricted Subsidiaries, provided such
transactions are not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture; and
(6) any Restricted Payment permitted to be paid pursuant Section 9.10.
Section 9.19 Limitation on Dividends and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted
Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or
indirectly, create or suffer to exist or allow to become effective any consensual encumbrance or
restriction of any kind on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary: (a) to pay dividends, in cash
or otherwise, or make any other distributions on or in respect of its Capital Stock, or make
payments on any Indebtedness owed, to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, (b) to
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make
loans or advances to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or (c) to transfer any of its
Property to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary (any such restrictions being
collectively referred to herein as a Payment Restriction). However, the preceding restrictions
will not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:
(1) customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of any lease governing a
leasehold interest of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, or customary restrictions in
licenses relating to the Property covered thereby and entered into in the ordinary course of
business;
(2) any instrument governing Indebtedness of a Person acquired by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary at the time of such acquisition, which encumbrance or restriction is not
applicable to any other Person, other than the Person, or the Property of the Person, so acquired,
provided that such Indebtedness was not incurred in anticipation of such acquisition;
(3) any instrument governing Indebtedness or Disqualified Capital Stock of a Restricted
Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, provided that (a) such Indebtedness or Disqualified
Capital Stock is permitted under Section 9.12 and (b) the terms and conditions of any Payment
Restrictions thereunder are not materially more restrictive than the Payment Restrictions contained
in the Bank Credit Agreement and the Indenture as in effect on the Issue Date;
(4) the Bank Credit Agreement as in effect on the Issue Date or any agreement that amends,
modifies, supplements, restates, extends, renews, refinances or replaces the Bank Credit Agreement,
provided that the terms and conditions of any Payment Restrictions thereunder are not materially
more restrictive than the Payment Restrictions contained in the Bank Credit Agreement as in effect
on the Issue Date;
(5) this Indenture, the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees; or
(6) the indenture governing the Companys existing 67/8% Senior Notes
due 2012, 83/8% Senior Notes due 2017 and any subsidiary guarantees thereof,
in each case as in effect on the Issue Date.
Section 9.20 Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, enter into
any Sale/Leaseback Transaction unless (1) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as
the case may be, would be able to incur Indebtedness in an amount equal to the Attributable
Indebtedness with respect to such Sale/Leaseback Transaction or (2) the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary receives proceeds from such Sale/Leaseback Transaction at least equal to the Fair Market
Value thereof and such proceeds are applied in the same manner and to the same extent as Net
Available Cash and Excess Proceeds from an Asset Sale.
Section 9.21 Covenant Suspension.
Following any day (a Suspension Date) that (a) the Notes have a rating equal to or higher
than BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P and a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the
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equivalent)
by Moodys (Investment Grade Ratings), (b) follows a date on which the Notes do not have
Investment Grade Ratings, and (c) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing
under this Indenture, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall not be subject to the
covenants described in Sections 7.1(c), 9.10, 9.12, 9.14, 9.17, 9.18 and 9.19 (collectively, the
Suspended Covenants). In the event that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are not
subject to the Suspended Covenants for any period of time as a result of the preceding sentence,
and on any subsequent date the Notes fail to have Investment Grade Ratings, or a Default or Event
of Default occurs and is continuing, then immediately after such date (a Reversion Date), the
Suspended Covenants will again be in effect with respect to future events, unless and until a
subsequent Suspension Date occurs. The period between a Suspension Date and a Reversion Date is
referred to in this Indenture as a Suspension Period. Notwithstanding that the Suspended
Covenants may be reinstated, no Default or Event of Default will be deemed to have occurred as a
result of a failure to comply with the Suspended Covenants during any Suspension Period.
Calculations made after the Reversion Date of the amount available to be made as Restricted
Payments under Section 9.10 will be made as though the covenants described under Section 9.10 had
been in effect since the Issue Date and throughout the Suspension Period. During any Suspension
Period, the Board of Directors of the Company may not designate any of the Companys Subsidiaries
as Unrestricted Subsidiaries pursuant to this Indenture.
ARTICLE X.
REDEMPTION OF NOTES
Section 10.1 Notice to Trustee.
If the Company elects to redeem Notes pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Notes, it shall notify
the Trustee in writing of the redemption date, the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed and
that such redemption is being made pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Notes.
The Company shall give each notice to the Trustee provided for in this Section at least 60
days before the Redemption Date unless the Trustee consents to a shorter period. Such notice shall
be accompanied by an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel from the Company to the effect
that such redemption will comply with the conditions herein. Any election to redeem Notes shall be
revocable until the Company gives a notice of redemption pursuant to Section 10.2 to the Holders of
Notes to be redeemed.
Section 10.2 Selection by Trustee of Notes to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Notes are to be redeemed, the particular Notes to be redeemed shall be
selected not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee,
from the Outstanding Notes not previously called for redemption, pro rata, by lot or by any other
method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate (or in the case of notes in global form, the
Trustee will select Notes for redemption based on DTCs method that most nearly approximates a pro
rata selection) and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions of the principal
of Notes; provided, however, that Notes and portions of Notes selected for redemption shall be in
amounts of $2,000 or integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000.
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The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Notes selected for
redemption and, in the case of any Notes selected for partial redemption, the principal amount
thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions
relating to redemption of Notes shall relate, in the case of any Note redeemed or to be redeemed
only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Note which has been or is to be
redeemed.
Section 10.3 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided for in Section 13.5 hereof not less
than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(a) the Redemption Date;
(b) the Redemption Price;
(c) if less than all Outstanding Notes are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the
case of a partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Notes to be redeemed;
(d) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price (together with accrued interest, if any,
to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section 10.5 hereof) will become due and payable upon
each such Note, or the portion thereof, to be redeemed, and that, unless the Company shall default
in the payment of the Redemption Price and any applicable accrued interest, interest thereon will
cease to accrue on and after said date; and
(e) the place or places where such Notes are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption
Price.
Notice of redemption of Notes to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by
the Company or, at the Companys request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the
Company. Failure to give such notice by mailing to any Holder of Notes or any defect therein shall
not affect the validity of any proceedings for the redemption of other Notes.
Section 10.4 Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or before 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit
with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent,
segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 9.3 hereof) an amount of money sufficient to pay
the Redemption Price of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all the Notes which are to be redeemed
on such Redemption Date.
Section 10.5 Notes Payable on Redemption Date.
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Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Notes so to be redeemed shall, on the
Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified (together with
accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date), and from and after such date (unless
the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued and unpaid interest)
such Notes shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Note for redemption in
accordance with said notice, such Note shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price,
together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date.
If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption,
the principal (and premium, if any) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at
the rate borne by the Notes.
Section 10.6 Notes Redeemed in Part.
Any Note which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at the office or agency of
the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 9.2 hereof (with, if the Company or the
Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory
to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or such Holders attorney duly
authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver to the Holder of such Note without service charge, a new Note or Notes, of any authorized
denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange
for the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Note so surrendered.
ARTICLE XI.
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 11.1 Companys Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The Company may, at its option by Board Resolution, at any time, with respect to the Notes,
elect to have either Section 11.2 or Section 11.3 hereof be applied to all Outstanding Notes upon
compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XI.
Section 11.2 Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Companys exercise under Section 11.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section
11.2, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall be deemed to have been discharged from their
respective obligations with respect to all Outstanding Notes on the date the conditions set forth
in Section 11.4 hereof are satisfied (hereinafter, legal defeasance). For this purpose, such
legal defeasance means that the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall be deemed (i) to have
paid and discharged their respective obligations under the Outstanding Notes; provided, however,
that the Notes shall continue to be deemed to be Outstanding for purposes of Section 11.5 hereof
and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (a) and (b) below, and (ii) to have
satisfied all their other obligations with respect to such Notes and this Indenture (and the
Trustee, at the expense and direction of the Company, shall execute proper instruments
acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or
discharged hereunder: (a) the rights of Holders of Outstanding Notes to
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receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 11.4 hereof and as more fully set
forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium if any, on) and
interest on such Notes when such payments are due (or at such time as the Notes would be subject to
redemption at the option of the Company in accordance with this Indenture), (b) the respective
obligations of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors under Sections 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7,
3.8, 3.9, 5.8, 5.14, 9.2, 12.1 (to the extent it relates to the foregoing Sections and this Article
XI), 12.4 and 12.5 hereof and the Appendix, (c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities
of the Trustee hereunder, and (d) the obligations of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors
under this Article XI. Subject to compliance with this Article XI, the Company may exercise its
option under this Section 11.2 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 11.3
hereof with respect to the Notes.
Section 11.3 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Companys exercise under Section 11.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section
11.3, the Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor shall be released from their respective obligations
under any covenant contained in Section 9.5 hereof, in Sections 9.8 through 9.20 hereof and in
clauses (c) and (e) of Section 7.1 hereof with respect to the Outstanding Notes on and after the
date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, covenant defeasance), and the
Notes shall thereafter be deemed not to be Outstanding for the purposes of any direction, waiver,
consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with
such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed Outstanding for all other purposes hereunder.
For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to the Outstanding Notes, the
Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in
respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or
indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any
reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such
omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 5.1(c),
5.1(d) or 5.1(e) hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such
Notes shall be unaffected thereby.
Section 11.4 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 11.2 or Section 11.3
hereof to the Outstanding Notes:
(a) The Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be
deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 6.7 hereof
who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article XI applicable to it) as trust funds
in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for,
and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Notes, (a) cash in United States
dollars in an amount, or (b) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of
principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later
than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (c) a combination thereof,
sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants
expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and
which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and
discharge, the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the Outstanding Notes on
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the Stated Maturity thereof (or Redemption Date, if applicable), provided that the Trustee shall
have been irrevocably instructed in writing by the Company to apply such money or the proceeds of
such U.S. Government Obligations to said payments with respect to the Notes. Before such a
deposit, the Company may give to the Trustee, in accordance with Section 10.1 hereof, a notice of
its election to redeem all of the Outstanding Notes at a future date in accordance with Article X
hereof, which notice shall be irrevocable. Such irrevocable redemption notice, if given, shall be
given effect in applying the foregoing. For this purpose, U.S. Government Obligations means
securities that are (x) direct obligations of the United States of America for the timely payment
of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (y) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the timely
payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United
States of America, which, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the
issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section
3(a)(2) of the Securities Act), as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or
a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such
custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt, provided that (except as
required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to
the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the
U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the U.S.
Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
(b) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be
continuing on the date of such deposit or, insofar as Sections 5.1(i) and 5.1(j) are concerned, at
any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit.
(c) Such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a
conflicting interest under this Indenture or the Trust Indenture Act with respect to any securities
of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor.
(d) Such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of,
or constitute a default under, any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company or
any Subsidiary Guarantor is a party or by which it is bound, as evidenced to the Trustee in an
Officers Certificate delivered to the Trustee concurrently with such deposit.
(e) In the case of an election under Section 11.2 hereof, the Company shall have delivered to
the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been
published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of this Indenture there
has been a change in the applicable federal income tax laws, in either case providing that the
Holders of the Outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax
purposes as a result of such legal defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same
amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such legal
defeasance had not occurred (it being understood that (x) such Opinion of Counsel shall also state
that such ruling or applicable law is consistent with the conclusions reached in such Opinion of
Counsel and (y) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to investigate the basis or correctness of
such ruling).
(f) In the case of an election under Section 11.3 hereof, the Company shall have delivered to
the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding
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Notes will not
recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant
defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at
the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred.
(g) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of
Counsel, which, taken together, state that all conditions precedent provided for relating to either
the legal defeasance under Section 11.2 hereof or the covenant defeasance under Section 11.3 (as
the case may be) have been complied with.
Section 11.5 Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Other
Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9.3 hereof, all money and U.S.
Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other
qualifying trustee; collectively for purposes of this Section 11.5, the Trustee) pursuant to
Section 11.4 hereof in respect of the Outstanding Notes shall be held in trust and applied by the
Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either
directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the
Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in
respect of principal (and premium, if any) and interest, but such money need not be segregated from
other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against all taxes, fees or other charges
imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Governmental Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 11.4
hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or
other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the Outstanding Notes.
Anything in this Article XI to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay
to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held
by it as provided in Section 11.4 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of
independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the
Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect
an equivalent legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, in accordance with this
Article.
Section 11.6 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or any Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with Section
11.5 hereof by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining,
restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Companys and the Subsidiary
Guarantors obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as
though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 11.2 or 11.3 hereof, as the case may be, until
such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with
Section 11.5 hereof; provided, however, that if the Company or any Subsidiary
Guarantor makes any payment of principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any Note
following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be
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subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money held
by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE XII.
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES
Section 12.1 Unconditional Guarantee.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby unconditionally, jointly and severally, guarantees (each such
guarantee being referred to herein as this Subsidiary Guarantee, with all such guarantees being
referred to herein as the Subsidiary Guarantees) to each Holder of Notes authenticated and
delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, the full and prompt
performance of the Companys obligations under the Indenture and the Notes and that:
(a) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the Notes will be promptly paid
in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on
the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, to the extent lawful, and all other
obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly
paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and
(b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or of any such other
obligations, the same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the
terms of the extension or renewal, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration or otherwise;
subject, however, in the case of clauses (a) and (b) above, to the limitations set forth in Section
12.4 hereof.
Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for
whatever reason, the Subsidiary Guarantors will be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same
immediately. Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby agrees that its obligations hereunder shall, to the
extent permitted by law, be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or
enforceability of the Notes or the Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any
waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the
recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other
circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a
guarantor. Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby waives, to the extent permitted by law, diligence,
presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or
bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest,
notice and all demands whatsoever, and covenants that its Subsidiary Guarantee will not be
discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes, the Indenture
and in this Subsidiary Guarantee. If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or
otherwise to return to the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor, or any
custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to the Company or
any Subsidiary Guarantor, any amount paid by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to the Trustee
or such Holder, this Subsidiary Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be
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reinstated in full force and effect. Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees it shall not be entitled to
enforce any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations
guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby. Each Subsidiary
Guarantor further agrees that, as between each Subsidiary Guarantor, on the one hand, and the
Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby
may be accelerated as provided in Article V hereof for the purposes of this Subsidiary Guarantee,
notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect
of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any acceleration of such obligations
as provided in Article V hereof, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith
become due and payable by each Subsidiary Guarantor for the purpose of this Subsidiary Guarantee.
Section 12.2 Subsidiary Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms.
(a) Except as set forth in Article VII hereof, nothing contained in this Indenture or in any
of the Notes shall prevent any consolidation or merger of a Subsidiary Guarantor with or into the
Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor or shall prevent any sale, conveyance or other disposition
of all or substantially all the Properties of a Subsidiary Guarantor to the Company or another
Subsidiary Guarantor.
(b) Except as set forth in Article VII hereof, nothing contained in this Indenture or in any
of the Notes shall prevent any consolidation or merger of a Subsidiary Guarantor with or into a
Person other than the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor (whether or not Affiliated with such
Subsidiary Guarantor), or successive consolidations or mergers in which a Subsidiary Guarantor or
its successor or successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance or
other disposition of all or substantially all the Properties of a Subsidiary Guarantor to a Person
other than the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor (whether or not Affiliated with such
Subsidiary Guarantor) authorized to acquire and operate the same; provided, however, that (i)
immediately after such transaction, and giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default shall
have occurred as a result of such transaction and be continuing, (ii) such transaction shall not
violate any of the covenants of Sections 9.1 through 9.20 hereof, and (iii) upon any such
consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance or other disposition, such Subsidiary Guarantors
Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in this Article XII, and the due and punctual performance and
observance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed by such
Subsidiary Guarantor, shall be expressly assumed, by supplemental indenture satisfactory in form to
the Trustee, executed and delivered to the Trustee, by such Person formed by such consolidation or
into which such Subsidiary Guarantor shall have merged (if other than such Subsidiary Guarantor),
or by the Person that shall have acquired such Property (except to the extent the following Section
12.3 would result in the release of such Subsidiary Guarantee, in which case such surviving Person
or transferee of such Property shall not have to execute any such supplemental indenture and shall
not have to assume such Subsidiary Guarantors Subsidiary Guarantee). In the case of any such
consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance or other disposition and upon the assumption by the
successor Person, by supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory
in form to the Trustee, of the due and
punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture
to be performed by the applicable Subsidiary Guarantor, such successor Person shall succeed to and
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be substituted for such Subsidiary Guarantor with the same effect as if it had been named herein as
the initial Subsidiary Guarantor.
Section 12.3 Release of Subsidiary Guarantors.
Upon the sale or disposition (by merger or otherwise) of a Subsidiary Guarantor (or all or
substantially all of its Properties) to a Person other than the Company or another Subsidiary
Guarantor and pursuant to a transaction that is otherwise in compliance with the terms of this
Indenture, including but not limited to the provisions of Section 12.2 hereof or pursuant to
Article VII hereof, such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be deemed released from its Subsidiary
Guarantee and all related obligations under this Indenture; provided, however, that any such
release shall occur only to the extent that all obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under all
of its guarantees of, and under all of its pledges of assets or other security interests which
secure, other Indebtedness of the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary shall also be released
upon such sale or other disposition. The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument
evidencing such release upon receipt of a Company Request accompanied by an Officers Certificate
and an Opinion of Counsel certifying that such sale or other disposition was made by the Company in
accordance with the provisions of this Indenture. In addition, in the event that any Subsidiary
Guarantor ceases to guarantee payment of, or in any other manner to remain liable (whether directly
or indirectly) with respect to, any and all other Indebtedness of the Company or any other
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, including, without limitation, Indebtedness under the Bank
Credit Agreement, such Subsidiary Guarantor shall also be released from its Subsidiary Guarantee
and the related obligations under this Indenture for so long as it remains not liable with respect
to all such other Indebtedness. The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing
such release upon receipt of a Company Request accompanied by an Officers Certificate and an
Opinion of Counsel certifying that such Subsidiary Guarantor has ceased to guarantee or otherwise
be liable with respect to such other Indebtedness of the Company and the other Restricted
Subsidiaries. Each Subsidiary Guarantor that is designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in
accordance with the provisions of this Indenture shall be released from its Subsidiary Guarantee
and all related obligations under this Indenture for so long as it remains an Unrestricted
Subsidiary. The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release upon its
receipt of the Board Resolution designating such Unrestricted Subsidiary. Any Subsidiary Guarantor
not released in accordance with this Section 12.3 shall remain liable for the full amount of
principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the Notes as provided in this Article XII.
Section 12.4 Limitation of Subsidiary Guarantors Liability.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor, and by its acceptance hereof each Holder, hereby confirm that it is
the intention of all such parties that the guarantee by such Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to its
Subsidiary Guarantee not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of the Federal
Bankruptcy Code, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any
similar federal or state law. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders and each
Subsidiary Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor
under its Subsidiary Guarantee shall be limited to the
maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of
such Subsidiary Guarantor and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on
behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary
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Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to Section 12.5 hereof, result in the
obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting such a
fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer. This Section 12.4 is for the benefit of the
creditors of each Subsidiary Guarantor.
Section 12.5 Contribution.
In order to provide for just and equitable contribution among the Subsidiary Guarantors, the
Subsidiary Guarantors agree, inter se, that in the event any payment or distribution is made by any
Subsidiary Guarantor (a Funding Guarantor) under its Subsidiary Guarantee, such Funding Guarantor
shall be entitled to a contribution from each other Subsidiary Guarantor (if any) in a pro rata
amount based on the Adjusted Net Assets of each Subsidiary Guarantor (including the Funding
Guarantor) for all payments, damages and expenses incurred by that Funding Guarantor in discharging
the Companys obligations with respect to the Notes or any other Subsidiary Guarantors obligations
with respect to its Subsidiary Guarantee.
Section 12.6 Severability.
In case any provision of this Subsidiary Guarantee shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable,
that portion of such provision that is not invalid, illegal or unenforceable shall remain in
effect, and the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any
way be affected or impaired thereby.
ARTICLE XIII.
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 13.1 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to the Trustee to
take any action under any provision of this Supplemental Indenture, the Company or such Subsidiary
Guarantor, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may
be required under the Trust Indenture Act or this Supplemental Indenture. Each such certificate and
each such legal opinion shall be in the form of an Officers Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel,
as applicable, and shall comply with the requirements of this Supplemental Indenture.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided
for in this Supplemental Indenture shall include:
(1) a statement that each Person signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or
condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon
which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
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(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such Person, such Person has made such
examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to
whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such Person, such condition or covenant
has been complied with.
The certificates and opinions provided pursuant to this Section 13.1 and the statements
required by this Section 13.1 shall be satisfactory to the Trustee and comply in all respects with
TIA Sections 314(c) and (e).
Section 13.2 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion
of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by
the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document,
but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more
other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to
such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters,
upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in
the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such
Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon an officers
certificate, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the
certificate with respect to such matters is erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests,
consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Supplemental
Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 13.3 Acts of Holders.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action
provided by this Supplemental Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and
evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in
person or by agents duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided,
such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee
and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the
action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the Act of the
Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a
writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Supplemental
Indenture and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in
this Section.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be
proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a
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notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying
that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof.
Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such
certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of authority. The fact and date of
the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same,
may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.
(c) The ownership, principal amount and serial numbers of Notes held by any Person, and the
date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Note Register.
(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of Notes any request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to
a Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give
such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the
Company shall have no obligation to do so. Notwithstanding TIA Section 316(c), such record date
shall be the record date specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date
not earlier than the date 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in
connection therewith and not later than the date such solicitation is completed. If such a record
date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act
may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of
business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether
Holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Notes have authorized or agreed or consented to
such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that
purpose the Outstanding Notes shall be computed as of such record date, provided that no such
authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective
unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture not
later than eleven months after the record date.
(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the
Holder of Notes shall bind every future Holder of the Notes and the Holder of Notes issued upon the
registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything
done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or
not notation of such action is made upon such Notes.
Section 13.4 Notices, etc. to Trustee, Company and Subsidiary Guarantors.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or
other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to or
filed with,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder, the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing (in the
English language) and delivered in person or mailed by certified or registered mail (return
receipt requested) to the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office; or
(2) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly
provided) if in writing (in the English language) and delivered in person or mailed by
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certified or registered mail (return receipt requested) to the Company or such Subsidiary
Guarantor, as applicable, addressed to it at the Companys offices located at 5300 Town and
Country Blvd., Suite 500, Frisco, Texas, 75034, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, or at
any other address otherwise furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.
Section 13.5 Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Supplemental Indenture provides for notice of any event to Holders by the Company
or the Trustee, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly
provided) if in writing (in the English language) and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each
Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Note Register, not later than
the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.
In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor
any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such
notice with respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a Holder in the manner herein prescribed
shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Holder, whether or not such Holder
actually receives such notice. Where this Supplemental Indenture provides for notice in any manner,
such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before
or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by
Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the
validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
In case by reason of the suspension of or irregularities in regular mail service or by reason
of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to mail notice of any event to Holders when such
notice is required to be given pursuant to any provision of this Supplemental Indenture, then any
manner of giving such notice as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee shall be deemed to be a
sufficient giving of such notice for every purpose hereunder.
The Trustee may rely upon and comply with instructions or directions sent via unsecured
facsimile or email transmission and the Trustee shall not be liable for any loss, liability or
expense of any kind incurred by the Company or the Holders due to the Trustees reliance upon and
compliance with instructions or directions given by unsecured facsimile or email transmission;
provided, however, that such losses have not arisen from the negligence or willful misconduct of
the Trustee, it being understood that the failure of the Trustee to verify or confirm that the
person providing the instructions or directions, is, in fact, an authorized person does not
constitute negligence or willful misconduct.
Section 13.6 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and
shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 13.7 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Supplemental Indenture by the Company and the Subsidiary
Guarantors shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All
agreements of the Trustee in this Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successor.
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Section 13.8 Severability.
In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes or the Subsidiary
Guarantees shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of
the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and a Holder shall
have no claim therefor against any party hereto.
Section 13.9 Benefits of Supplemental Indenture.
Nothing in this Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes, express or implied, shall give to any
Person (other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Registrar and their successors
hereunder, the Holders and, to the extent set forth in Section 12.4 hereof, creditors of Subsidiary
Guarantors) any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Supplemental
Indenture.
Section 13.10 Governing Law; Trust Indenture Act Controls.
(a) THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY,
AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING
EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS
OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY. THE COMPANY AND EACH SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR
IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANY UNITED STATES FEDERAL OR NEW YORK STATE
COURT SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING
OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES, AND THE
COMPANY AND EACH SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR IRREVOCABLY AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF SUCH ACTION
OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED BY ANY SUCH COURT.
(b) This Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that
are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such
provisions. If and to the extent that any provision of this Supplemental Indenture limits,
qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by operation of Section 318(c) of the Trust
Indenture Act, or conflicts with any provision (an incorporated provision) required by or deemed
to be included in this Indenture by operation of such Trust Indenture Act section, such imposed
duties or incorporated provision shall control.
Section 13.11 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, or Stated Maturity or Maturity
of the Notes shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this
Indenture or of the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantee) payment of interest or principal (and
premium, if any) need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day
with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or at the
Stated Maturity or Maturity; provided, however, that no interest shall
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accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Stated
Maturity or Maturity, as the case may be.
Section 13.12 No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and
Stockholders.
No director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, member, partner or trustee of the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the notes, the Indenture or the Subsidiary Guarantees or
for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each
Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part
of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.
Section 13.13 Holder Communications.
Holders may communicate pursuant to Section 312(b) of the TIA with other Holders with respect
to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. Every Holder of Notes, by receiving and holding
the same, agrees with the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Registrar and the Trustee that
none of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Registrar or the Trustee, or any agent of any
of them, shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any information as to the names
and addresses of the Holders in accordance with TIA Section 312, regardless of the source from
which such information was derived, that each of such Persons shall have the protection of TIA
Section 312(c) and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material
pursuant to a request made under TIA Section 312(b).
Section 13.14 Duplicate Originals.
The parties may sign any number of copies or counterparts of this Supplemental Indenture. Each
signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.
Section 13.15 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Supplemental Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt
agreement of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may
not be used to interpret this Supplemental Indenture.
Section 13.16 Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the
performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly,
forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts
of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of
God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and
hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are
consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as
practicable under the circumstances.
Section 13.17 Waiver of Jury Trial.
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EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS AND THE TRUSTEE AND HOLDERS OF NOTES BY
ACCEPTING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE NOTES HEREBY IRREVOCABLE WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT
OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Pages Follow.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly
executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
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ISSUER:
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.
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/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS:
COMSTOCK OIL & GAS, LP
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Comstock Oil & Gas GP, LLC,
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its general partner |
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Comstock Resources, Inc. as sole member
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/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Title: |
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS LOUISIANA, LLC
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Title: |
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS GP, LLC
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By: |
Comstock Resources, Inc. as sole member
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/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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[Signature
Page to Comstock Resources, Inc. Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 14, 2011]
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS INVESTMENTS, LLC
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS HOLDINGS, INC.
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/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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[Signature Page to Comstock Resources, Inc. Third
Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 14, 2011]
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TRUSTEE:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST
COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee
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/s/ JULIE HOFFMAN-RAMOS
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JULIE HOFFMAN-RAMOS |
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SENIOR ASSOCIATE |
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[Signature
Page to Comstock Resources, Inc. Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 14, 2011]
APPENDIX A
[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]
[Global Notes Legend]
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 DEPOSITORY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY OR BY A
NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY TO THE DEPOSITORY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY OR BY THE
DEPOSITORY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST
COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (DTC) TO THE ISSUER 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.
[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.
73/4% Senior Note due 2019
Comstock Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation, promises to pay to _____________, or
registered assigns, the principal sum of _______________ Dollars on April 1, 2019.
Interest Payment Dates: April 1 and October 1, beginning on October 1, 2011.
Record Dates: March 15 and September 15.
Additional provisions of this Note are set forth on the other side of this Note.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this instrument to be duly executed.
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Dated:__________, _____
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.
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Form of
Face Security, Page 1
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TRUSTEES CERTIFICATE OF
AUTHENTICATION
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
as Trustee, certifies
that this is one of the Notes
referred to in the Indenture.
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Form of Face Security, Page 2
[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF NOTE]
73/4
% Senior Note due 2019
1. Interest.
Comstock Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation (such corporation, and its successors and
assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being herein called the Company), promises
to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at the rate per annum shown above. The
Company will pay interest semiannually on April 1 and October 1 of each year. 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 original issuance thereof. Interest will be computed on the basis of a
360-day year of twelve 30-day months. The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the
rate borne by the Notes plus 1% per annum, and it shall pay interest on overdue installments of
interest at the same rate to the extent lawful.
2. Method of Payment.
The Company will pay interest on the Notes (except defaulted interest) to the Persons who are
registered holders of Notes at the close of business on the March 15 or September 15 next preceding
the interest payment date even if Notes are canceled after the record date and on or before the
interest payment date. Holders must surrender Notes to a Paying Agent to collect principal
payments. The Company will pay principal and interest in money of the United States of America
that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments in
respect of the Notes represented by a Global Note (including principal, premium and interest) will
be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by The Depository
Trust Company. The Company will make all payments in respect of a certificated Note (including
principal, premium and interest), by mailing a check to the registered address of each Holder
thereof; provided, however, that payments on the Notes may also be made, in the case of a Holder of
at least $500,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes, by wire transfer to a U.S. dollar account
maintained by the payee with a bank in the United States if such Holder elects payment by wire
transfer by giving written notice to the Trustee or the Paying Agent to such effect designating
such account no later than 30 days immediately preceding the relevant due date for payment (or such
other date as the Trustee may accept in its discretion).
3. Paying Agent and Registrar.
Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the Trustee) will act as Paying
Agent and Registrar. The Company may appoint and change any Paying Agent, Registrar or
co-registrar without notice. The Company may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.
4. Indenture.
The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of October 9, 2009 between the
Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee (the Original Indenture), as
Form of Reverse Side of Security, Page 1
supplemented by a Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of even date therewith (the
Supplemental Indenture, and the Original Indenture as supplemented thereby, the Indenture).
The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture
by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in
effect on the date of the Indenture (the TIA). Terms defined in the Indenture and not defined
herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture. The Notes are subject to all such
terms, and the Holders are referred to the Indenture and the TIA for a statement of those terms.
The Notes are general unsecured obligations of the Company with no limit as to the aggregate
principal amount at any one time outstanding (subject to Section 9.12 of the Indenture). The Notes
issued on the Issue Date and any Additional Notes are treated as a single class of securities for
all purposes of the Indenture. The Indenture imposes certain limitations on the ability of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries to, among other things, make certain Investments and other
Restricted Payments, pay dividends and other distributions, incur Indebtedness, enter into
consensual restrictions upon the payment of certain dividends and distributions by such Restricted
Subsidiaries, issue or sell shares of certain capital stock of such Restricted Subsidiaries, enter
into or permit certain transactions with Affiliates, create or incur Liens and make Asset Sales.
The Indenture also imposes limitations on the ability of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor to
consolidate or merge with or into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease all or
substantially all of the Property of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor.
To guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal and interest on the Notes and all
other amounts payable by the Company under the Indenture and the Notes when and as the same shall
be due and payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, according to the terms of
the Notes and the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantors will unconditionally guarantee the
Obligations on a joint and several basis pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.
5. Optional Redemption.
The Notes are subject to redemption, at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at any
time on or after April 1, 2015 at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of
principal amount) set forth below if redeemed during the 12-month period beginning April 1 of the
years indicated below:
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2015 |
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103.875 |
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101.938 |
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2017 and thereafter |
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100.000 |
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together in the case of any such redemption with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the
Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive
interest due on an Interest Payment Date that is on or prior to the Redemption Date), all as
provided in the Indenture.
Form of Reverse Side of Security, Page 2
Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to April 1, 2014, the Company may redeem, at any time or
from time to time, up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes issued on the Issue Date,
at a redemption price of 107.750% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid
interest, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant
record date to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date that is on or prior to the
Redemption Date), with the Net Cash Proceeds of one or more Public Equity Offerings, provided that
at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes issued on the Issue Date remains
outstanding immediately after such redemption (excluding Notes held by the Company and its
Subsidiaries) and that such redemption occurs within 120 days following the closing of any such
Public Equity Offering.
6. Sinking Fund.
The Notes are not subject to any sinking fund.
7. Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption will be sent at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the
redemption date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at his or her registered address. Notes in
denominations larger than $2,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole multiples of $1,000 in
excess of $2,000. If money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on all
Notes (or portions thereof) to be redeemed on the redemption date is deposited with the Paying
Agent on or before the redemption date and certain other conditions are satisfied, on and after
such date interest ceases to accrue on such Notes (or such portions thereof) called for redemption.
8. Repurchase of Notes at the Option of Holders upon Change of Control.
Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, any Holder of Notes will have the right, subject
to certain conditions specified in the Indenture, to cause the Company to repurchase all or any
part of the Notes of such Holder at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the
Notes to be repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase as
provided in, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture.
9. Denominations; Transfer; Exchange.
The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 and whole
multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000. A Holder may transfer or exchange Notes in accordance
with the Indenture. Upon any transfer or exchange, the Registrar and the Trustee may require a
Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer documents and to pay
any taxes required by law or permitted by the Indenture.
10. Persons Deemed Owners.
The registered Holder of this Note may be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.
Form of Reverse Side of Security, Page 3
11. Unclaimed Money.
If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for two years, the Trustee
or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company at its written request unless an abandoned
property law designates another Person. After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must
look only to the Company and not to the Trustee for payment.
12. Discharge and Defeasance.
Subject to certain conditions, the Company at any time may terminate some of or all its
obligations under the Notes and the Indenture if the Company deposits with the Trustee money or
U.S. Government Obligations for the payment of principal and interest on the Notes to redemption or
maturity, as the case may be.
13. Amendment, Waiver.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and
the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors and the
rights of the Holders under the Indenture at any time by the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and
the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Notes at the time Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of
specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding, on behalf
of the Holders of all the Notes, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the
Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent
or waiver by or on behalf of the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such
Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of
transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or
waiver is made upon this Note. Without the consent of any Holder, the Company, the Subsidiary
Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes to cure any
ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to qualify or maintain the qualification of the Indenture under
the TIA, to add or release any Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the Indenture and to make certain
other specified changes and other changes that do not adversely affect the interests of any Holder.
14. Defaults and Remedies.
As set forth in the Indenture, an Event of Default is generally (i) failure to pay principal
upon maturity, redemption or otherwise (including pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or a
Prepayment Offer); (ii) default for 30 days in payment of interest on any of the Notes; (iii)
default in the performance of agreements relating to mergers, consolidations and sales of all or
substantially all assets or the failure to make or consummate a Change of Control Offer or a
Prepayment Offer; (iv) failure for 90 days after notice to comply with Section 9.9 of the
Indenture; (v) failure for 60 days after notice to comply with any other covenants in the
Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee or the Notes; (vi) certain payment defaults under, and the
acceleration prior to the maturity of, certain Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $50,000,000; (vi) the failure of any
Subsidiary Guarantee to be in full force and effect (except as permitted by the Indenture);
Form of Reverse Side of Security, Page 4
(vii) certain final judgments or orders against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in an
aggregate amount of more than $50,000,000 (net of any amounts covered by insurance with a reputable
and creditworthy insurance company that has not disclaimed liability) which remain unsatisfied and
either become subject to commencement of enforcement proceedings or remain unstayed for a period of
60 days; and (viii) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the
holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes may declare the
principal amount of all the Notes to be due and payable immediately, except that (i) in the case of
an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, the principal amount of the Notes will become due and payable
immediately without further action or notice, and (ii) in the case of an Event of Default which
relates to certain payment defaults or the acceleration with respect to certain Indebtedness, any
such Event of Default and any consequential acceleration of the Notes will be automatically
rescinded if any such Indebtedness is repaid or if the default relating to such Indebtedness is
cured or waived, and if the holders thereof have accelerated such Indebtedness, such holders have
rescinded their declaration of acceleration. No Holder may pursue any remedy under the Indenture
unless the Trustee shall have failed to act after notice from such Holder of an Event of Default
and written request by Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding
Notes to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default, and the offer to the Trustee of
indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it; however, such provision does not affect the right to sue
for enforcement of any overdue payment on a Note by the Holder thereof. Subject to certain
limitations, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes may
direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders
notice of any continuing default (except default in payment of principal, premium or interest) if
it determines in good faith that withholding the notice is in the interest of the Holders. The
Company is required to file annual reports with the Trustee as to the absence or existence of
defaults.
15. Trustee Dealings with the Company.
Subject to certain limitations imposed by the TIA, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its
individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal
with and collect obligations owed to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal
with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.
16. No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders.
No director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, member, partner or trustee of the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the notes, the Indenture or the Subsidiary Guarantees or
for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each
Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part
of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.
Form of Reverse Side of Security, Page 5
17. Authentication.
This Note shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an
authenticating agent) manually signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this
Note.
18. 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 rights of
survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (=custodian), and U/G/M/A (=Uniform Gift to Minors
Act).
19. Governing Law.
THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE
APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.
20. 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 has directed the
Trustee to use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to the 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.
THE COMPANY WILL FURNISH TO ANY HOLDER OF NOTES UPON WRITTEN REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE
HOLDER A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL INDENTURE AND THE SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WHICH HAS IN IT THE TEXT OF
THIS NOTE.
Form of Reverse Side of Security, Page 6
ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Note, fill in the form below:
I or we assign and transfer this Note to
(Print or type assignees name, address and zip code)
(Insert assignees soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)
and irrevocably appoint agent to transfer this Note on the books of the
Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
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Date: |
Your Name:
(Print exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
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Your Signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
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Signature Guarantee:
Signature must be guaranteed by a participant in a recognized
signature guaranty medallion program or other signature acceptable
to Trustee
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[TO BE ATTACHED TO GLOBAL NOTES]
SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL NOTE
The initial principal amount of this Global Note is $ [ ]. The following increases or
decreases in this Global Note have been made:
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Date of
Exchange
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Amount of decrease
in Principal Amount
of this
Global Note
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Amount of increase
in Principal Amount
of this Global Note
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Principal amount of
this Global Note
following such
decrease or increase
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Signature of
authorized
signatory of
Trustee or
Note
Custodian |
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 9.16 or
9.17 of the Indenture, check the box below:
o
Section 9.16 o Section 9.17
If you want to elect to have only part of this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to
Section 9.16 or 9.17 of the Indenture, state the amount: $
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Date: |
Your signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of the Note)
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Signature guarantee:
Signature must be guaranteed by a participant in a recognized
signature guaranty medallion program or other signature guarantor
acceptable to the trustee.
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exv4w2
Exhibit 4.2
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.,
GUARANTORS
NAMED HEREIN
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Trustee
SIXTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
dated as of March 14, 2011
to
INDENTURE
dated as of February 25, 2004
67/8% Senior Notes due 2012
This SIXTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of March 14, 2011, is among COMSTOCK RESOURCES,
INC., a Nevada corporation (the Company), the GUARANTORS (as defined in the Indenture) and THE
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as successor in interest to THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST
COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee (hereinafter called the Trustee). Capitalized terms used herein but
not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Indenture (as defined below
and as supplemented hereby).
WHEREAS, the Company, certain Subsidiaries of the Company and the predecessor in interest to
the Trustee entered into an Indenture, dated as of February 25, 2004 (the Original Indenture), as
the same was amended and supplemented by that certain First Supplemental Indenture dated as of
February 25, 2004 (the First Supplemental Indenture), and by that certain Second Supplemental
Indenture dated as of March 11, 2004 (the Second Supplemental Indenture), and by that certain
Third Supplemental Indenture dated July 16, 2004 (the Third Supplemental Indenture), and by that
certain Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated May 20, 2005 (the Fourth Supplemental Indenture), and
by that certain Fifth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 30, 2010 (the Fifth Supplemental
Indenture and together with the Original Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the Second
Supplemental Indenture and the Third Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture), providing for the
issuance by the Company of the Companys 67/8% Senior Notes due 2012;
WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to modify and amend the Indenture to remove certain
covenants therefrom; and
WHEREAS, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of Outstanding
Securities have consented to the amendments contained herein as required by Section 5.2 of the
Indenture;
NOW, THEREFORE, for the purposes stated herein and for and in consideration of the premises
and covenants contained in the Indenture and in this Sixth Supplemental Indenture and for other
good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, it is
mutually covenanted and agreed as follows:
ARTICLE I
Section 1.1 Deletion of Covenants. Effective as of the date hereof, each of the
following sections of the First Supplemental Indenture (each, a Deleted Covenant), together with
all references to any such section set forth in the Indenture, are hereby deleted in their
entirety:
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Section 6.4
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Payment of Taxes; Maintenance of Properties; Insurance |
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Section 6.5
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Statement by Officers as to Default |
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Section 6.6
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Provision of Financial Information |
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Section 6.7
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Limitation on Restricted Payments |
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Section 6.8
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Limitation on Guarantees by Restricted Subsidiaries |
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Section 6.9
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Limitation on Indebtedness and Disqualified Capital Stock |
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Section 6.10
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Additional Guarantors |
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Section 6.11
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Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Preferred Stock of Restricted
Subsidiaries |
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Section 6.12
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Limitation on Liens |
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Section 6.15
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Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates |
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Section 6.16
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Limitation on Dividends and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted
Subsidiaries |
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Section 6.17
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Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions. |
Section 1.2 Covenant Concerning Certain Events of Default. Effective as of the date
hereof, subsections (e) and (g) of Section 3.1 of the First Supplemental Indenture are hereby
deleted in their entireties.
Section 1.3 Provision Concerning Company May Consolidate, Etc. Effective as of the
date hereof, subsection (c) of Section 4.1 of the First Supplemental Indenture is hereby deleted in
its entirety.
Section 1.4 Deletion of Definitions. Effective as of the date hereof, all definitions
set forth in Section 1.1 of the First Supplemental Indenture which are referenced in or relate
solely to the Deleted Covenants or of the First Supplemental Indenture are herby deleted in their
entireties.
Section 1.5 Provision Concerning Notice to Trustee. Effective as of the date hereof,
Section 7.1 of the First Supplemental Indenture is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with
the following:
Section 7.1 Notice to Trustee.
If the Company elects to redeem Securities pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Securities,
it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date, the principal amount of
Securities to be redeemed and that such redemption is being made pursuant to paragraph 5 of
the Securities.
The Company shall give each notice to the Trustee provided for in this Section at least
4 Business Days before the Redemption Date unless the Trustee consents to a shorter period.
Such notice shall be accompanied by an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel from
the Company to the effect that such redemption will comply with the conditions herein. Any
election to redeem Securities shall be revocable until the Company gives a notice of
redemption pursuant to Section 7.2 to the Holders of Securities to be redeemed.
2
Section 1.6 Provision Concerning Notice of Redemption. Effective as of the date
hereof, Section 7.3 of the First Supplemental Indenture is hereby deleted in its entirety and
replaced with the following:
Section 7.3 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided for in Section 10.3 hereof
not less than 3 Business Days nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each
Holder of Securities to be redeemed.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(a) the Redemption Date;
(b) the Redemption Price;
(c) if less than all Outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification
(and, in the case of a partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular
Securities to be redeemed;
(d) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price (together with accrued interest,
if any, to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section 7.5 hereof) will become due
and payable upon each such Security, or the portion thereof, to be redeemed, and that,
unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and any applicable
accrued interest, interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date; and
(e) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the
Redemption Price.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall
be given by the Company or, at the Companys request, by the Trustee in the name and at the
expense of the Company. Failure to give such notice by mailing to any Holder of Securities
or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of any proceedings for the redemption of
other Securities.
Section 1.7 Paragraph 7 of the Securities. Effective as of the date hereof, Paragraph
7 of the Securities is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
7. Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption will be sent at least 3 Business Days but not more than 60 days
before the redemption date to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at his or her
registered address. Securities in denominations larger than $1,000 may be redeemed in part
but only in whole multiples of $1,000. If money sufficient to pay the redemption price of
and accrued interest on all Securities (or portions thereof) to be redeemed on the
3
redemption date is deposited with the Paying Agent on or before the redemption date and
certain other conditions are satisfied, on and after such date interest ceases to accrue on
such Securities (or such portions thereof) called for redemption.
ARTICLE II
Section 2.1 Ratification of Indenture.
As supplemented by this Sixth Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture is in all respects
ratified and confirmed, and the Indenture as supplemented by this Sixth Supplemental Indenture
shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.
Section 2.2 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof which is
required to be included in this Second Supplemental Indenture by any provision of the Trust
Indenture Act, such required provisions shall control.
Section 2.3 Counterparts.
This Sixth Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
shall be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
Section 2.4 Governing Law.
This Sixth Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in
accordance with, the laws of the State of New York but without giving effect to applicable
principles of conflicts of law to the extent that the application of the laws of another
jurisdiction would be required thereby.
Section 2.5 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals.
The recitals contained herein are made by the Company and not by the Trustee, and the Trustee
assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representation as to
the validity or sufficiency of this Sixth Supplemental Indenture.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Sixth Supplemental Indenture to be
duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
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COMPANY:
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC.
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Roland O. Burns
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,
Secretary and Treasurer |
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GUARANTORS:
COMSTOCK OIL & GAS, LP
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Roland O. Burns |
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Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,
Secretary and Treasurer of Comstock
Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation, acting
in its capacity as the sole member of Comstock
Oil & Gas GP, LLC, a Nevada limited liability
company, and as the sole member of such entity,
acting on behalf of such entity in such entity's
capacity as the sole general partner of
Comstock Oil & Gas, LP, a Nevada limited
partnership |
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS HOLDINGS, INC.
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Roland O. Burns |
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Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,
Secretary and Treasurer |
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[Signature Pages Continue]
Signature Page to Sixth Supplemental Indenture
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS-LOUISIANA, LLC
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Roland O. Burns |
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Manager, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer, Secretary and Treasurer |
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS GP, LLC
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Roland O. Burns |
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Senior Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of Comstock
Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation, acting on
behalf of such entity in its capacity as the sole
member of Comstock Oil & Gas GP, LLC |
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COMSTOCK OIL & GAS INVESTMENTS, LLC
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By: |
/s/ ROLAND O. BURNS
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Roland O. Burns |
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Manager
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[Signature Pages Continue]
Signature Page to Sixth Supplemental Indenture
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TRUSTEE:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
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By: |
/s/ JULIE HOFFMAN-RAMOS
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Name: Julie Hoffman-Ramos |
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Title: Senior Associate |
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Signature Page to Sixth Supplemental Indenture