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•	our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed with the SEC on February 19, 2014;

•	the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 30, 2014;

•	our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on May 9, 2014, as amended on Form 10-Q/A on May 28, 2014;

•	our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2014, filed with the SEC on August 7, 2014;

•

our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 18, 2014 and February 26, 2014, two Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2014, of which one was amended on Form 8-K/A on May 14, 2014 to include financial statements and pro forma financial information required by Item 9.01(a) and (b) of Form 8-K in connection with our February 2014 acquisition of additional leasehold interests in Martin County Texas, in the Permian Basin, and our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 2, 2014, June 13, 2014, June 23, 2014, June 27, 2014, July 21, 2014 and July 25, 2014; and

•	The description of our common stock contained in our Form 8-A filed on October 11, 2012, including any amendment to that form that we may file in the future for the purpose of updating the description of our common stock.

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•	business strategy;

•	exploration and development drilling prospects, inventories, projects and programs;

•	expectations regarding our recently completed or pending acquisitions;

•	oil and natural gas reserves;

•	identified drilling locations;

•	ability to obtain permits and governmental approvals;

•	technology;

•	financial strategy;

•	realized oil and natural gas prices;

•	production;

•	lease operating expenses, general and administrative costs and finding and development costs;

•	future operating results; and

•	plans, objectives, expectations and intentions.

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•	our high level of indebtedness could make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to the Notes, including any repurchase obligations that may arise thereunder;

•	a significant portion of our cash flows could be used to service the Notes and our other indebtedness, which could reduce the funds available to us for operations and other purposes;

•	a high level of debt could increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;

•	the covenants contained in the agreements governing our outstanding indebtedness will limit our ability to borrow additional funds, dispose of assets, pay dividends and make certain investments;

•	a high level of debt may place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that are less leveraged and, therefore, may be able to take advantage of opportunities that our indebtedness would prevent us from pursuing;

•	our debt covenants may also limit management’s discretion in operating our business and our flexibility in planning for, and reacting to, changes in the economy and in our industry;

•	a high level of debt may make it more likely that a reduction in our borrowing base following a periodic redetermination could require us to repay a portion of our then-outstanding bank borrowings;

•	a high level of debt could limit our ability to access the capital markets to raise capital on favorable terms;

•	a high level of debt may impair our ability to obtain additional financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, general corporate or other purposes; and

•	we may be vulnerable to interest rate increases, as our borrowings under our revolving credit facility are at variable interest rates.

•	incur or guarantee additional indebtedness;

•	make certain investments;

•	create additional liens;

•	sell or transfer assets;

•	issue preferred stock;

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•	merge or consolidate with another entity;

•	pay dividends or make other distributions;

•	designate certain of our subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries;

•	create unrestricted subsidiaries;

•	engage in transactions with affiliates; and

•	enter into certain swap agreements.

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•	we were insolvent or rendered insolvent by reason of such incurrence or subsequently became insolvent for other reasons;

•	we were engaged in a business or transaction for which our remaining assets constituted unreasonably small capital;

•	we intended to, or believed or reasonably should have believed that we would, incur debts beyond our ability to pay such debts as they mature; or

•	we were a defendant in an action for money damages, or had a judgment for money damages docketed against us if, in either case, after final judgment, the judgment is unsatisfied

•	such guarantor was insolvent or rendered insolvent by reason of such incurrence or subsequently became insolvent for other reasons;

•	such guarantor was engaged in a business or transaction for which its remaining assets constituted unreasonably small capital;

•	such guarantor intended to, or believed or reasonably should have believed that it would, incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature; or

•	such guarantor was a defendant in an action for money damages, or had a judgment for money damages docketed against it if, in either case, after final judgment, the judgment is unsatisfied

•	the sum of the company’s debts, including contingent, unliquidated and unmanned liabilities, is greater than such company’s property at fair valuation;

•	the present fair saleable value of the company’s assets is less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability on its existing debts, including contingent liabilities, as they become absolute and matured; or

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•	the company could not pay its debts or contingent liabilities as they become due.

•	our credit ratings with major credit rating agencies;

•	the prevailing interest rates being paid by other companies similar to us;

•	the market price of our common stock;

•	our financial condition, operating performance and future prospects; and

•	the overall condition of the financial markets and global and domestic economies.

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(1)

As of June 30, 2014, we had outstanding borrowings of $46.0 million and $304.0 million available for future borrowings under this facility. Our weighted-average interest rate on borrowings under this facility was 1.98% during the six months ended June 30, 2014. As of the date hereof, we had no borrowings under this facility, as on July 25, 2014 we repaid all outstanding amounts under this facility with a portion of the net proceeds from our equity offering completed on that date. We intend to reborrow under this facility to fund a portion of the purchase price for our pending acquisition described in more detail under the “Summary—Recent Developments—Pending Acquisition.” On July 8, 2014, Viper, our unrestricted subsidiary, entered into a revolving credit facility and, as of August 7, 2014, had $50.0 million outstanding and $60.0 million available for borrowings under its revolving credit facility. For information regarding these revolving credit facilities, see “Description of Other Indebtedness.”

(2)	On July 25, 2014, we issued an additional 5,750,000 shares of our common stock in the underwritten public offering.

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•	file a registration statement within 180 days after the closing of the offering of the Initial Notes enabling holders of the Initial Notes to exchange the privately placed Initial Notes for publicly registered Exchange Notes with substantially identical terms;

•	use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement relating to the Exchange Notes to become effective within 360 days after the closing of the offering of the Initial Notes and to complete the exchange offer within 30 business days after such registration statement becomes effective; and

•	file a shelf registration statement for the resale of the Initial Notes if we cannot effect an exchange offer within the time periods listed above and in certain other circumstances.

(1)	applicable interpretations of the staff of the SEC do not permit us to effect the exchange offer; or

(2)

we are notified prior to the 20th business day following consummation of the exchange offer that certain holders are prohibited by law or SEC policy from participating in the exchange offer or may not resell the Exchange Notes acquired by them in the exchange offer to the public without delivering a prospectus, or are broker-dealers and own the Initial Notes acquired directly from us or one of our affiliates.

(A)	file a shelf registration statement with the SEC covering resales of the Entitled Securities (as defined below) by the holders who satisfy certain conditions relating to the provision of information in connection with the shelf registration statement; and

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(B)	use our commercially reasonable efforts to file the shelf registration statement with the SEC on or prior to 30 days after such filing obligation arises and to cause the shelf registration statement to be declared effective by the SEC on or prior to 120 days after such obligation arises.

(1)	the date on which such Note has been exchanged by a person other than a broker-dealer for an Exchange Note in the exchange offer;

(2)	following the exchange by a broker-dealer in the exchange offer of an Initial Note for an Exchange Note, the date on which such Exchange Note is sold to a purchaser who receives from such broker-dealer on or prior to the date of such sale a copy of the prospectus contained in the registration statement relating to the Exchange Notes;

(3)	the date on which such Note has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and disposed of in accordance with the shelf registration statement; or

(4)	the date on which such Note is disposed of to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

(1)	we fail to file any of the registration statements required by the registration rights agreement on or prior to the date specified for such filing;

(2)	any of such registration statements is not declared effective by the SEC on or prior to the date specified for such effectiveness;

(3)	the Company and the Guarantors fail to consummate the exchange offer on or prior to 30 business days, or longer, if required by applicable securities laws, after the date on which the exchange offer registration statement was declared effective by the SEC; or

(4)	the shelf registration statement or the exchange offer registration statement is declared effective but thereafter ceases to be effective or usable for more than 30 days in connection with resales of Entitled Securities during the periods specified in the registration rights agreement (each such event referred to in the foregoing clauses (1) through (4), a “registration default”),

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•	the Exchange Notes will be acquired in the ordinary course of your business;

•	you have no arrangements with any person to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Notes; and

•	you are not our “affiliate” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, or if you are an affiliate of ours, you will comply with the applicable registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

•	waive any condition of the exchange offer; and

•	amend any terms of the exchange offer.

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•	you are not an “affiliate” of ours within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

•	you are acquiring the Exchange Notes in the ordinary course of business; and

•	you do not intend to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Notes.

•	you cannot rely on those interpretations of the SEC; and

•	you must comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with a secondary resale transaction, and comply with the requirements discussed below.

•	the expiration date of the exchange offer; and

•	the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions specified below under “—Conditions to the Exchange Offer.”

•	delay acceptance for exchange of Initial Notes tendered under the exchange offer, subject to Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, which requires that an offeror pay the consideration offered or return the securities deposited by or on behalf of the holders promptly after the termination or withdrawal of a tender offer; or

•	terminate the exchange offer and not accept for exchange any Initial Notes, if any of the conditions set forth below under “—Conditions to the Exchange Offer” have not been satisfied or waived by us or in order to comply in whole or in part with the securities laws or changes in any applicable law.

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•	the exchange agent must receive at its address set forth in this prospectus a properly completed and validly executed letter of transmittal, or a manually signed facsimile thereof, together with any signature guarantees and any other documents required by the instructions to the letter of transmittal; and

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•	the exchange agent must receive certificates for tendered Initial Notes at such address, or such Initial Notes must be transferred pursuant to the procedures for book-entry transfer described below. A confirmation of such book-entry transfer must be received by the exchange agent prior to the expiration date of the exchange offer.

•	by a registered holder who has not completed the box entitled “Special Issuance Instructions” or “Special Delivery Instructions” on the letter of transmittal; or

•	for the account of an eligible institution.

•	certificates for, or a timely book-entry confirmation with respect to, your Initial Notes;

•	a letter of transmittal properly completed and duly executed or facsimile thereof with any required signature guarantees, or, in the case of a book-entry transfer, an agent’s message; and

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•	any other documents required by the letter of transmittal; all the above in accordance with instructions set forth under “—Procedures for Tendering Initial Notes,” and in the letter of transmittal provided with this prospectus.

•	any Exchange Notes that you receive will be acquired in the ordinary course of your business;

•	you have no arrangement or understanding with any person or entity to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Notes;

•	if you are not a broker-dealer, you are not engaged in and do not intend to engage in the distribution of the Exchange Notes;

•	if you are a broker-dealer that will receive the Exchange Notes for your own account in exchange for Initial Notes that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, you will deliver a prospectus, as required by law, in connection with any resale of the Exchange Notes; and

•	you are not an “affiliate” of ours, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, or, if you are an affiliate, you will comply with any applicable registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

•	the exchange agent must receive a written or facsimile transmission of your notice of withdrawal at the address set forth below under “—Exchange Agent”; or

•	you must comply with the appropriate procedures of DTC’s automated tender offer program.

•	specify the name of the person who tendered the Initial Notes to be withdrawn; and

•	identify the Initial Notes to be withdrawn, including the principal amount of the Initial Notes to be withdrawn.

•	the serial numbers of the particular certificates to be withdrawn; and

•	a signed notice of withdrawal with signatures guaranteed by an eligible institution, unless the withdrawing holder is an eligible institution.

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•	the Exchange Notes to be received will not be tradable by the holder without restriction under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and without material restrictions under the blue sky or securities laws of substantially all of the states of the United States;

•	the exchange offer, or the making of any exchange by a holder of Initial Notes, would violate applicable law or any applicable interpretation of the staff of the SEC;

•	any action or proceeding has been instituted or threatened in any court or by or before any governmental agency with respect to the exchange offer that would reasonably be expected to impair our ability to proceed with the exchange offer; or

•	all governmental approvals necessary for the consummation of the exchange offer have not been obtained. Other than the federal securities laws, there are no federal or state regulatory requirements that we must comply with and there are no approvals that we must obtain in connection with the exchange offer.

•	the representations described under the captions “—Procedures for Tendering Initial Notes” and “Plan of Distribution;” and

•	any other representations that may be reasonably necessary under applicable SEC rules, regulations or interpretations to make available to us an appropriate form for registration of the Exchange Notes under the Securities Act.

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•	delivery of the Exchange Notes, or certificates for Initial Notes for principal amounts not exchanged, are to be made to any person other than the record holder of the Initial Notes tendered;

•	tendered certificates for Initial Notes are recorded in the name of any person other than the person signing any letter of transmittal; or

•	a transfer tax is imposed for any reason other than the transfer and exchange of Initial Notes under the exchange offer.

•	as set forth in the legend printed on the Initial Notes as a consequence of the issuance of the Initial Notes pursuant to the exemptions from, or in transactions not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws; and

•	as otherwise set forth in the prospectus distributed in connection with the private offering of each of the Initial Notes.

•	you are not an “affiliate” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

•	you acquired the Exchange Notes in the ordinary course of your business; and

•	you have no arrangement or understanding with respect to the distribution of the Exchange Notes to be acquired in the exchange offer.

•	you cannot rely on the applicable interpretations of the SEC; and

•	you must comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with a secondary resale transaction and that such a secondary resale transaction must be covered by an effective registration statement containing the selling security holder information required by Item 507 or 508, as applicable, of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

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•	general unsecured obligations of the Company;

•	pari passu in right of payment with all existing and future senior Indebtedness of the Company;

•	senior in right of payment to any future subordinated Indebtedness of the Company; and

•	unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantors.

•	a general unsecured obligation of the Guarantor;

•	pari passu in right of payment with all existing and future senior Indebtedness of that Guarantor; and

•	senior in right of payment to any future subordinated Indebtedness of that Guarantor.

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(1)	immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions, no Default or Event of Default exists; and

(2)	either:

(a)

the Person acquiring the properties or assets in any such sale or other disposition or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Guarantor) unconditionally assumes all the obligations of that Guarantor under its Note Guarantee, the Indenture and the registration rights agreement pursuant to a supplemental indenture in form reasonably satisfactory to the trustee; or

(b)	such transaction or series of transactions does not violate the “Asset Sale” provisions of the Indenture.

(1)

in connection with any sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of that Guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, to a Person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, if the sale or other disposition does not violate the “Asset Sale” provisions of the Indenture;

(2)

in connection with any sale or other disposition of the Capital Stock of that Guarantor to a Person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, if the sale or other disposition does not violate the “Asset Sale” provisions of the Indenture and the Guarantor ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as a result of the sale or other disposition;

(3)	if the Company designates any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture;

(4)	upon legal defeasance, covenant defeasance or satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture as provided below under the captions “—Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance” and “—Satisfaction and Discharge;” or

(5)	at such time as such Guarantor ceases both (a) to Guarantee any other Indebtedness of the Company or any other Guarantor (except as a result of payment under any such other Guarantee) and (b) to be a Domestic Subsidiary that is an obligor with respect to any Indebtedness under any Credit Facility.

(1)	at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under the Indenture (excluding Notes held by the Company and its Subsidiaries) remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption; and

(2)	the redemption occurs within 120 days of the date of the closing of such Equity Offering.

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(1)	deposit with the paying agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and

(2)	deliver or cause to be delivered to the trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an officers’ certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased by the Company.

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(1)	the Company (or a Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be) receives consideration at the time of the Asset Sale at least equal to the Fair Market Value (measured as of the date of the definitive agreement with respect to such Asset Sale) of the assets or Equity Interests issued or sold or otherwise disposed of; and

(2)	at least 75% of the aggregate consideration received in the Asset Sale by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary is in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents. For purposes of this clause (2) only, each of the following will be deemed to be cash:

(a)

any liabilities, as shown on the Company’s most recent consolidated balance sheet, of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than contingent liabilities and liabilities that are by their terms subordinated to the Notes or any Note Guarantee) that are assumed by the transferee of any such assets pursuant to a customary novation or indemnity agreement that releases the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from or indemnifies against further liability;

(b)	any securities, notes or other obligations received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are, within 30 days of the Asset Sale, converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash, to the extent of the cash received in that conversion; and

(c)	any Capital Stock or assets of the kind referred to in clause (2) or (4) of the next paragraph of this covenant.

(1)	to repay, purchase, repurchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire, retire or terminate (a) Indebtedness and all other Obligations related thereto that are secured by a Lien or (b) Obligations under Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor (other than Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary);

(2)	to acquire all or substantially all of the assets of, or any Capital Stock of, one or more other Persons primarily engaged in the Oil and Gas Business, if, after giving effect to any such acquisition of Capital Stock, such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(3)	to make capital expenditures in respect of the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s Oil and Gas Business; or

(4)	to acquire assets (other than Capital Stock) that are not classified as current assets under GAAP and that are used or useful in the Oil and Gas Business.

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(1)

the Notes are rated Baa3 or better by Moody’s and BBB- or better by S&P (or, if either such entity ceases to rate the Notes for reasons outside of the control of the Company, the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any other “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act selected by the Company as a replacement agency); and

(2)	no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing,

(a)	“—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Asset Sales”;

(b)	“—Certain Covenants—Restricted Payments”;

(c)	“—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock”;

(d)	“—Certain Covenants—Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries”;

(e)	“—Certain Covenants—Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries”;

(f)	“—Certain Covenants—Transactions with Affiliates”; and

(g)	clause (4) of the covenant described below under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets.”

(1)	declare or pay any dividend or make any other payment or distribution on account of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests (including, without limitation, any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) or to the direct or indirect holders of

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(2)	repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire for value (including, without limitation, in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company) any Equity Interests of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company (other than Equity Interests owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company);

(3)

make any principal payment on or with respect to, or repurchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value, prior to the scheduled maturity, scheduled repayment or scheduled sinking fund payment, any Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor that is contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or to any Note Guarantee (excluding any intercompany Indebtedness between or among the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), except payments, purchases, repurchases, redemptions defeasances or other acquisitions or retirements at or within one year prior to the Stated Maturity thereof; or

(4)	make any Restricted Investment (all such payments and other actions set forth in these clauses (1) through (4) above being collectively referred to as “Restricted Payments”), unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such Restricted Payment:

(a)	no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would occur as a consequence of such Restricted Payment;

(b)

the Company would, at the time of such Restricted Payment and after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Restricted Payment had been made at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, have been permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of the covenant described below under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock”; and

(c)	such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries since the date of the Indenture (excluding Restricted Payments permitted by clauses (2) through (11) of the next succeeding paragraph), is less than the sum, without duplication, of:

(i)

50% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for the period (taken as one accounting period) from the beginning of the first fiscal quarter commencing after the date of the Indenture to the end of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted Payment (or, if such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, less 100% of such deficit); plus

(ii)

100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds and the Fair Market Value of property or assets other than cash used or useful in the Oil and Gas Business (including Equity Interests of Persons (other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) engaged primarily in the Oil and Gas Business), in each case received by the Company since the date of the Indenture as a contribution to its common equity capital or from the issue or sale of Qualifying Equity Interests or convertible or exchangeable Disqualified Stock or Indebtedness of the Company, in each case that has been converted into or exchanged for Qualifying Equity Interests; plus

(iii)

to the extent not already included in Consolidated Net Income for such period, if any Restricted Investment that was made by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries after the date of the Indenture is sold for cash (other than to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company) or otherwise cancelled, released, liquidated or repaid for cash, the cash return of capital or other reduction with respect to such Restricted Investment resulting from such sale, liquidation, cancellation, release or repayment (less any out-of-pocket costs incurred in connection with any such transaction); plus

(iv)

the amount by which Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than any Indebtedness which by its terms is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or Note Guarantees) is reduced on the Company’s balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Company) subsequent to the date of the Indenture of any such Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries for or into Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (less the amount of any cash, or the Fair Market Value of any other property (other than such Equity Interests), distributed by the Company upon such conversion or exchange and excluding the net cash proceeds from the conversion or exchange financed, directly or indirectly, using funds

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(v)

to the extent that any Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company designated as such after the date of the Indenture is redesignated as a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of the Indenture, or any Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company or other Person in which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary has a Restricted Investment is merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or otherwise disposes of all or substantially all of its properties or assets to or is liquidated into, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, or such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, after the date of the Indenture, the lesser of, as of the date of such redesignation or other event, (A) the Fair Market Value of the Company’s Restricted Investment in such Person (or of the properties or assets disposed of, as applicable) as of the date of such redesignation, merger, consolidation, transfer, disposition or liquidation and (B) such Fair Market Value as of the date on which such Subsidiary was originally designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary after the date of the Indenture or, in the case of any other Person, the date such Restricted Investment was originally made; plus

(vi)	50% of any dividends received in cash by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company after the date of the Indenture from an Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company, to the extent that such dividends were not otherwise included in the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for such period.

(1)	the payment of any dividend or the consummation of any irrevocable redemption within 60 days after the date of declaration of the dividend or giving of the redemption notice, as the case may be, if at the date of declaration or notice, the dividend or redemption payment would have complied with the provisions of the Indenture;

(2)

the making of any Restricted Payment in exchange for, or out of or with the net cash proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of, Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or from the substantially concurrent contribution of common equity capital to the Company; provided that the amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such Restricted Payment will not be considered to be net proceeds of Equity Interests for purposes of clause (c)(ii) of the preceding paragraph and will not be considered to be net cash proceeds from an Equity Offering for purposes of the “Optional Redemption” provisions of the Indenture;

(3)	the declaration and payment of any dividend (or, in the case of any partnership or limited liability company, any similar distribution) by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the holders of its Equity Interests on a pro rata basis;

(4)	the payment on or purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor that is contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or to any Note Guarantee in exchange for, or out of or with the net cash proceeds from a substantially concurrent incurrence of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness;

(5)

so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, the purchase, repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Equity Interests of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company held by any current or former officer, director or employee of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or their respective estates, heirs, family members, spouses, former spouses or beneficiaries under their estates or other permitted transferees) pursuant to any equity subscription agreement, stock option agreement, shareholders’ agreement or similar agreement; provided that the aggregate price paid for all such purchased, repurchased, redeemed, acquired or retired Equity Interests (excluding amounts representing cancellation of Indebtedness) may not exceed $2.0 million in any twelve-month period plus, to the extent not previously applied or included, the net cash proceeds of key man life insurance policies received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries after the date of the Indenture;

(6)

the repurchase of Equity Interests deemed to occur upon the exercise of stock or other equity options to the extent such Equity Interests represent a portion of the exercise price of those stock or other equity options and any repurchase or other acquisition of Equity Interests made in lieu of withholding taxes in connection with any exercise or exchange of stock options, warrants, incentives or other rights to acquire Equity Interests;

(7)	so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, the declaration and payment of regularly scheduled or accrued dividends to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the Company or any Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company issued on or after the date of the

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(8)	payments of cash, dividends, distributions, advances or other Restricted Payments by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to allow the payment of cash in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares upon (i) the exercise of options or warrants or (ii) the conversion or exchange of Capital Stock of any such Person;

(9)

the payment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of any subordinated Indebtedness in accordance with provisions substantially similar to those described under the captions “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Change of Control” and “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Asset Sales”; provided that prior to such payment, purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition, all Notes tendered by holders in connection with a Change of Control Offer or Asset Sale Offer, as applicable, have been repurchased, redeemed or acquired for value;

(10)	payments to dissenting stockholders of the Company not to exceed $5.0 million in the aggregate made (i) pursuant to applicable law or (ii) in connection with the settlement or other satisfaction of legal claims made pursuant to or in connection with a consolidation, merger or transfer of assets in connection with a transaction not prohibited by the Indenture; and

(11)	so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $25.0 million since the date of the Indenture.

(1)

the incurrence by the Company and any Guarantor of Indebtedness and letters of credit under Credit Facilities in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding under this clause (1) (with letters of credit being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the maximum potential liability of the Company and its Guarantors thereunder) not to exceed the greater of (a) $225.0 million and (b) 25% of the Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets determined as of the date of such incurrence;

(2)	the incurrence by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries of (a) the Existing Indebtedness and (b) any Permitted Acquisition Indebtedness;

(3)	the incurrence by the Company and the Guarantors of Indebtedness represented by the Initial Notes and the related Note Guarantees issued on the date of the Indenture and the Exchange Notes and the related Note Guarantees to be issued upon consummation of this exchange offer;

(4)

the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness represented by Capital Lease Obligations, mortgage financings or purchase money obligations, in each case, incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of design, construction, installation or improvement of property, plant or equipment used in the business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in an aggregate principal amount, including all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to renew, refund, refinance,

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(5)

the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease or discharge any Indebtedness (other than intercompany Indebtedness) that was permitted by the Indenture to be incurred under the first paragraph of this covenant or clause (2), (3), (4), (5), (8), (13), (15) or (16) of this paragraph;

(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 or any Guarantor is the obligor on such Indebtedness and the payee is not the Company or a Guarantor, if such Indebtedness is not unsecured and expressly subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full in cash of all Obligations then due with respect to the Notes, in the case of the Company, or the Note Guarantee, in the case of a Guarantor, then the incurrence of such Indebtedness; 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 not either the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company,

(7)	the issuance by any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries to the Company or to any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of any Preferred Stock; provided, however, that:

(a)	any subsequent issuance or transfer of Equity Interests that results in any such Preferred Stock being held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; and

(b)	any sale or other transfer of any such Preferred Stock to a Person that is not either the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company,

(8)	the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Hedging Obligations in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes;

(9)

the Guarantee by the Company or any of the Guarantors of Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the extent that the guaranteed Indebtedness was permitted to be incurred by another provision of this covenant; provided that if the Indebtedness being guaranteed is subordinated to the Notes, then the Guarantee must be subordinated to the same extent as the Indebtedness guaranteed;

(10)

the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness in respect of self-insurance obligations or bid, plugging and abandonment, appeal, reimbursement, performance, surety and similar bonds and completion guarantees provided by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business and any Guarantees or letters of credit functioning as or supporting any of the foregoing bonds or obligations and workers’ compensation claims in the ordinary course of business;

(11)	the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument inadvertently drawn against insufficient funds, so long as such Indebtedness is covered within five business days;

(12)	the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of in-kind obligations relating to net oil or natural gas balancing positions arising in the ordinary course of business;

(13)

any obligation arising from agreements of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company providing for indemnification, contribution, adjustment of purchase price, earn-outs, deferred compensation or similar obligations, in each case, incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition or acquisition of any business, assets or Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary in a transaction permitted by the Indenture, provided such obligation is not reflected on the face of the balance sheet of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(14)	the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness in respect of the financing of insurance premiums with the providers of such insurance or their Affiliates in the ordinary course of business;

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(15)	the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness representing deferred compensation to employees of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company incurred in the ordinary course of business (including those incurred in connection with any acquisition); and

(16)

the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of additional Indebtedness or the issuance by the Company of any Disqualified Stock in an aggregate principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) at any time outstanding, including all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease or discharge any Indebtedness incurred or Disqualified Stock issued pursuant to this clause (16), not to exceed the greater of (a) $20.0 million and (b) 2.5% of the Company’s Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets determined as of the date of such incurrence or issuance.

(1)	the accreted value of the Indebtedness, in the case of any Indebtedness issued with original issue discount;

(2)	the principal amount of the Indebtedness, in the case of any other Indebtedness; and

(3)	in respect of Indebtedness of another Person secured by a Lien on the assets of the specified Person, the lesser of:

(a)	the Fair Market Value of such assets at the date of determination; and

(b)	the amount of the Indebtedness of the other Person.

(1)	pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or pay any indebtedness owed to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided that

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(2)	make loans or advances to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (it being understood that the subordination of loans or advances made to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to other Indebtedness incurred by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make loans or advances); or

(3)	sell, lease or transfer any of its properties or assets to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

(1)

the Credit Agreement and other agreements as in effect on the date of the Indenture and any amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of those agreements; provided that the encumbrances and restrictions contained in such amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings are not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, with respect to such dividend and other payment restrictions than those contained in those agreements on the date of the Indenture;

(2)	the Indenture, the Notes and the Note Guarantees;

(3)

agreements governing other Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under the provisions of the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock” and any amendments, restatements, modifications, renewals, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of those agreements; provided that the encumbrances and restrictions therein are not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those contained in the Indenture, the Notes and the Note Guarantees or the Credit Agreement as in effect on the date of the Indenture, whichever is more restrictive;

(4)	applicable law, rule, regulation, order, approval, governmental license, permit or similar restriction;

(5)

any instrument governing Indebtedness or Capital Stock of a Person acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as in effect at the time of such acquisition (except to the extent such Indebtedness or Capital Stock was incurred in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person, or the property or assets of the Person, so acquired; provided that, in the case of Indebtedness, such Indebtedness was permitted by the terms of the Indenture to be incurred;

(6)	customary non-assignment provisions in purchase and sale or exchange agreements for Hydrocarbons, agreements of the types described in Permitted Business Investments or similar operational agreements, or in licenses, easements, leases or other contracts, in each case, entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(7)	agreements governing purchase money obligations for property acquired in the ordinary course of business and Capital Lease Obligations that impose restrictions on the property purchased or leased of the nature described in clause (3) of the preceding paragraph;

(8)	any agreement for the sale or other disposition of a Restricted Subsidiary that restricts distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary pending its sale or other disposition;

(9)	agreements governing Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness; provided that the restrictions contained in the agreements governing such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness are not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those contained in the agreements governing the Indebtedness being refinanced;

(10)	Liens permitted to be incurred under the provisions of the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Liens” that limit the right of the debtor to dispose of the assets subject to such Liens;

(11)

provisions limiting the disposition or distribution of assets or property in joint venture agreements, asset sale agreements, sale-leaseback agreements, stock sale agreements and other similar agreements (including agreements entered into in connection with a Restricted Investment) entered into in the ordinary course of business, which limitation is applicable only to the assets that are the subject of such agreements;

(12)	encumbrances or restrictions applicable only to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary;

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(13)

any agreement with respect to any property or asset acquired after the date of the Indenture (including by merger or consolidation) as in effect at the time of such acquisition (except to the extent such agreement was incurred in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any property or assets other than the property or assets so acquired;

(14)	Hedging Obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes (including Hedging Obligations incurred in order to comply with agreements governing Indebtedness under Credit Facilities); or

(15)	encumbrances or restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business.

(1)

either: (a) the Company is the surviving Person; or (b) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition has been made is an entity organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia; and, if such entity is not a corporation, a co-obligor of the Notes is a corporation organized or existing under any such laws;

(2)

the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or the Person to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition has been made assumes all the obligations of the Company under the Notes, the Indenture and the registration rights agreement pursuant to a supplemental Indenture or other agreements reasonably satisfactory to the trustee;

(3)	immediately after such transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists;

(4)

immediately after giving effect to such transaction and any related financing transaction on a pro forma basis as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, either (a) the Company or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition has been made, would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock,” or (b) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition has been made, would be equal to or greater than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company immediately prior to such transaction; and

(5)	the Company has delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or disposition and such supplemental Indenture, if any, comply with the Indenture.

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(1)

the Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary with an unrelated Person or, if in the good faith judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors, no comparable transaction is available with which to compare such Affiliate Transaction, such Affiliate Transaction is otherwise fair to the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view; 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 $20.0 million, an officers’ certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions complies with this covenant and that such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions has been approved by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors of the Company, if any; and

(b)

with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $30.0 million, an opinion as to the fairness to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary of such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions from a financial point of view issued by an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national standing.

(1)	any employment or consulting agreement, employee benefit plan, officer or director indemnification, compensation or severance agreement or any similar arrangement entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business and payments pursuant thereto;

(2)	transactions between or among the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(3)	transactions with a Person (other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company) that is an Affiliate of the Company solely because the Company owns, directly or through a Restricted Subsidiary, an Equity Interest in, or controls, such Person;

(4)	payment of reasonable and customary fees and reimbursements of expenses (pursuant to indemnity arrangements or otherwise) of officers, directors, employees or consultants of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(5)	any issuance of Equity Interests of the Company to Affiliates of the Company and the granting of registration and other customary rights in connection therewith;

(6)	Permitted Investments or Restricted Payments (and any other payments excluded from such definitions or their component definitions) that do not violate the provisions of the Indenture described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Restricted Payments”;

(7)

transactions effected in accordance with the terms of the agreements described in the offering circular relating to the issuance of the Initial Notes under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” as such agreements were in effect on the date of the Indenture, and any amendment or replacement of any of such agreements so long as such amendment or replacement agreement is not materially less advantageous to the Company, taken as a whole, than the agreement so amended or replaced;

(8)	loans or advances to or reimbursements of expenses incurred by employees for moving, entertainment and travel expenses and similar expenditures in the ordinary course of business permitted under clause (8) of the definition of Permitted Investments;

(9)

any transaction in which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, delivers to the trustee a letter from an accounting, appraisal, advisory or investment banking firm of national standing stating that such transaction is fair to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view or stating that the terms are not materially less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary with an unaffiliated Person;

(10)

in the case of contracts for exploiting, exploring for, acquiring, developing, producing, operating, processing, gathering, marketing, distributing, treating, selling, storing or otherwise handling Hydrocarbons, or activities or services reasonably related or ancillary thereto, or other operational contracts, any such contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business and otherwise in compliance with the terms of the Indenture (a) that are fair to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company or the senior management thereof, or are on terms at least as favorable as might reasonably have been obtained at

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(11)

transactions with customers, clients, suppliers, or purchasers or sellers of goods or services, in each case in the ordinary course of business that, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors or senior management of the Company, are fair to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, or are on terms at least as favorable as might reasonably have been obtained at such time from an unaffiliated Person; and

(12)

(a) agreements with one or more Unrestricted Subsidiaries entered into in connection with a Qualified MLP IPO with respect to contributions of the Royalty Assets, the assumption of liabilities by such Unrestricted Subsidiaries, tax sharing or the management, administration, and operation of such Unrestricted Subsidiaries, or the underwriting, offer and sale of securities in such offering that, in the good faith judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors, are on terms and conditions reasonably comparable to those in effect with other similarly situated publicly traded master limited partnerships or royalty trusts or otherwise fair to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, from a financial point of view, in each case, as such agreements are in effect on the date of closing of a Qualified MLP IPO; (b) any amendment, restatement, replacement or other modification of any of such agreements; and (c) any agreement entered into hereafter that is similar to any such agreements, so long as, in the case of clause (b) or (c), the terms of any such amendment, restatement, replacement or other modification or future agreement, taken as a whole, are no less advantageous to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in any material respect than the agreement so amended, restated, replaced or modified or the similar such agreement, respectively, as determined in good faith by the Company.

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(1)

all quarterly and annual reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 10-K if the Company were required to file reports with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, annual audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (with footnotes to such financial statements), including the audit report on such financial statements issued by the Company’s certified independent accountants, and unaudited quarterly financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (with condensed footnotes to such financial statements consistent with past practice), in each case, with a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” consistent with the presentation thereof in the offering circular relating to the issuance of the Initial Notes and a presentation of EBITDA of the Company and its Subsidiaries consistent with the presentation thereof in such offering circular and derived from such financial statements; and

(2)	all current reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Form 8-K if the Company were required to file such reports; and

(3)

if at any time the Company is not required to file reports with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, (a) as promptly as reasonably practicable after furnishing to the trustee the reports and financial statements required by clauses (1) and (2) of this paragraph, hold a conference call to discuss such reports and the results of operations for the relevant reporting period and (b) issue a press release to an internationally recognized wire service no fewer than three business days prior to the date of the conference call required to be held in accordance with this paragraph, announcing the time and date of such conference call and either including all information necessary to access the call or directing noteholders, prospective investors, broker dealers and securities analysts to contact the appropriate person at the Company to obtain such information.

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(1)	default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest and Special Interest, if any, on the Notes;

(2)	default in the payment when due (at Stated Maturity, upon redemption or otherwise) of the principal of, or premium, if any, on, the Notes;

(3)

failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to comply with the provisions described under the captions “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Change of Control,” “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Asset Sales,” “—Certain Covenants—Restricted Payments,” “—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock” or “—Certain Covenants—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets”;

(4)	failure by the Company for 180 days after notice from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding to comply with the provisions described under “—Certain Covenants—Reports”;

(5)	failure by the Company for 60 days after notice to the Company by the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding to comply with any of the other agreements in the Indenture;

(6)

default under any mortgage, Indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), whether such Indebtedness or Guarantee now exists, or is created after the date of the Indenture, if that default:

(a)	is caused by a failure to pay principal of, premium, if any, on or interest, if any, on, such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a “Payment Default”); or

(b)	results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity,

(7)	failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay final judgments entered by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction aggregating in excess of $25.0 million (to the extent not covered by insurance by a reputable and creditworthy insurer as to which the insurer has not disclaimed coverage), which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed, for a period of 60 days;

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(8)	except as permitted by the Indenture, any Note Guarantee is held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or ceases for any reason to be in full force and effect, or any Guarantor, or any Person acting on behalf of any Guarantor, denies or disaffirms its obligations under its Note Guarantee; and

(9)	certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency described in the Indenture with respect to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of its Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary.

(1)	such holder has previously given the trustee written notice that an Event of Default is continuing;

(2)	holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes make a written request to the trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3)	such holder or holders offer and, if requested, provide to the trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

(4)	the trustee does not comply with such request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of security or indemnity; and

(5)	during such 60-day period, holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes do not give the trustee a direction inconsistent with such request.

(1)	the rights of holders of outstanding Notes to receive payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest or Special Interest, if any, on, such Notes when such payments are due from the trust referred to below;

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(2)	the Company’s obligations with respect to the Notes concerning issuing temporary Notes, registration of Notes, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and money for security payments held in trust;

(3)	the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee under the Indenture, and the Company’s and the Guarantors’ obligations in connection therewith; and

(4)	the Legal Defeasance provisions of the Indenture.

(1)

the Company must irrevocably deposit with the trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the holders of the Notes, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants (or, if two or more of any nationally recognized investment banks, appraisal firms or firms of independents accountants decline to issue such opinion after the Company has made reasonable efforts to obtain such an opinion, in the opinion of the Company’s chief financial officer), to pay the principal of, premium on, if any, and interest and Special Interest, if any, on, the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must specify whether the Notes are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date;

(2)

in the case of Legal Defeasance, the Company must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the trustee confirming that (a) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (b) since the date of the Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion of counsel will confirm 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;

(3)

in the case of Covenant Defeasance, the Company must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the trustee confirming that the holders of the outstanding 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;

(4)	no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit (and any similar concurrent deposit relating to other Indebtedness), and the granting of Liens to secure such borrowings);

(5)	such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than the Indenture and the agreements governing any other Indebtedness being defeased, discharged or replaced) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;

(6)	the Company must deliver to the trustee an officers’ certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the holders of Notes over the other creditors of the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and

(7)	the Company must deliver to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

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(1)	reduce the principal amount of Notes whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(2)	reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any Note or alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption or repurchase of the Notes (except those provisions relating to the covenants described above under the caption “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders”);

(3)	reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any Note;

(4)	waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of, premium on, if any, interest or Special Interest, if any, on, the Notes (except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

(5)	make any Note payable in money other than that stated in the Notes;

(6)	make any change in the provisions of the Indenture relating to waivers of past Defaults or the rights of holders of Notes to receive payments of principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest or Special Interest, if any, on, the Notes (other than as permitted by clause (7) below);

(7)	waive a redemption or repurchase payment with respect to any Note (other than a payment required by one of the covenants described above under the caption “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders”);

(8)	release any Guarantor from any of its obligations under its Note Guarantee or the Indenture, except in accordance with the terms of the Indenture; or

(9)	make any change in the preceding amendment, supplement and waiver provisions.

(1)	to cure any ambiguity, omission, mistake, defect or inconsistency;

(2)	to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;

(3)	to provide for the assumption of the Company’s or a Guarantor’s obligations to holders of Notes and Note Guarantees in the case of a merger or consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s or such Guarantor’s assets, as applicable;

(4)	to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the holders of Notes or that does not adversely affect the legal rights under the Indenture of any holder;

(5)	to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

(6)	to conform the text of the Indenture, the Notes or the Note Guarantees to any provision of the “Description of Notes” section set forth in the offering circular relating to the issuance of the Initial Notes;

(7)	to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the limitations set forth in the Indenture as of the date of the Indenture;

(8)	to secure the Notes or the Note Guarantees pursuant to the requirements of the covenant described above under the subheading “—Certain Covenants—Liens”;

(9)	to add any additional Guarantor or to evidence the release of any Guarantor from its Note Guarantee, in each case as provided in the Indenture; or

(10)	to evidence or provide for the acceptance of appointment under the Indenture of a successor trustee.

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(1)	either:

(a)	all Notes that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the trustee for cancellation; or

(b)

all Notes that have not been delivered to the trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year and the Company or any Guarantor has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the holders, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on the Notes not delivered to the trustee for cancellation for principal of, premium, if any, on, or interest and Special Interest, if any, on, the Notes to the date of Stated Maturity or redemption;

(2)

in respect of clause 1(b), no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of the deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit and any similar deposit relating to other Indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of Liens to secure such borrowings) and the deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other instrument to which the Company or any Guarantor is a party or by which the Company or any Guarantor is bound (other than with respect to the borrowing of funds to be applied concurrently to make the deposit required to effect such satisfaction and discharge and any similar concurrent deposit relating to other Indebtedness, and in each case the granting of Liens to secure such borrowings);

(3)	the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable by the Company under the Indenture; and

(4)	the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the trustee to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at Stated Maturity or on the redemption date, as the case may be.

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(1)	Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is merged with or into or became a Subsidiary of such specified Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person merging with or into, or becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of, such specified Person; and

(2)	Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.

(1)	the sum of:

(a)

the discounted future net revenues from proved oil and natural gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines (before any state or federal income taxes) as estimated in the Company’s most recently prepared reserve report, which reserve report is prepared or reviewed by independent petroleum engineers as to proved reserves accounting for at least 80% of all such discounted future net revenues and by the Company’s petroleum engineers with respect to any other proved reserves covered by such report, as increased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net revenues from:

(i)	estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries acquired since the date of such most recently prepared reserve report, and

(ii)

estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries attributable to extensions, discoveries and other additions and upward revisions of estimates of proved oil and natural gas reserves (including previously estimated development costs incurred during the period and the accretion of discount since the prior period end) since the date of such most recently prepared reserve report due to exploration, development or exploitation, production or other activities which would, in accordance with standard industry practice, cause such revisions,

(iii)	estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in such reserve report produced or disposed of since the date of such most recently prepared reserve report, and

(iv)

reductions in estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries reflected in such reserve report attributable to downward revisions of estimates of proved oil and natural gas reserves since the date of such most recently prepared reserve report due to changes in geological conditions or other factors which would, in accordance with standard industry practice, cause such revisions;

(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 natural gas reserves are attributable, based on the Company’s books and records as of a date no earlier than the last day of the Company’s most recent quarterly or annual period for which internal financial statements are available;

(c)	the Consolidated Net Working Capital of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of a date no earlier than the last day of the Company’s most recent quarterly or annual period for which internal financial statements are available; and

(d)

the greater of: (i) the net book value and (ii) the appraised value, as estimated by independent appraisers, of other tangible assets (including Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries and Persons not constituting a Subsidiary), in each case, of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of a date no earlier than the last day of the Company’s most recent quarterly or annual period for which internal financial statements are

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(2)	the sum of

(a)	minority interests,

(b)	to the extent not otherwise taken into account in determining Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, any net gas balancing liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the last day of the Company’s most recent annual or quarterly period for which internal financial statements are available;

(c)

to the extent included in clause (1)(a) above, the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in the Company’s year-end reserve report), attributable to reserves that are required to be delivered to third parties to fully satisfy the obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Volumetric Production Payments on the schedules specified with respect thereto, and

(d)

the discounted future net revenues, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines, attributable to reserves subject to Dollar-Denominated Production Payments that, based on the estimates of production and price assumptions included in determining the discounted future net revenues specified in (1)(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 on the schedules specified with respect thereto.

(1)	1.0% of the principal amount of the Note; and

(2)	the excess of:

(a)

the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of the Note at October 1, 2016 (such redemption price being set forth in the table appearing above under the caption “—Optional Redemption”) plus (ii) all required interest payments due on the Note through October 1, 2016 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest to the redemption date), computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such redemption date plus 50 basis points discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months), over

(b)	the principal amount of the Note.

(1)

the sale, lease, conveyance, transfer or other disposition (each, a “disposition”) of any assets by the Company or any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries; provided that the disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole will be governed by the provisions of the Indenture described above under the caption “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Change of Control” and/or the provisions described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets” and not by the provisions of the Asset Sale covenant; and

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(2)	the issuance of Equity Interests by any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries or any Unrestricted Subsidiary in connection with a Qualified MLP IPO or the sale by the Company or any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries of Equity Interests in any of the Company’s Subsidiaries.

(1)	any single transaction or series of related transactions that involves assets having a Fair Market Value of less than $2.5 million;

(2)	a disposition of assets between or among the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(3)	an issuance or sale of Equity Interests by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or an Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company in connection with a Qualified MLP IPO to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(4)

the disposition of products, services or accounts receivable in the ordinary course of business and any disposition of damaged, worn-out or obsolete assets in the ordinary course of business (including the abandonment or other disposition of intellectual property that is, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, no longer economically practicable to maintain or useful in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as whole);

(5)	licenses and sublicenses by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of software or intellectual property in the ordinary course of business;

(6)	any surrender or waiver of contract rights or settlement, release, recovery on or surrender of contract, tort or other claims in the ordinary course of business;

(7)	the granting of Liens not prohibited by the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Liens” and dispositions in connection with Permitted Liens;

(8)	the disposition of cash or Cash Equivalents or other financial instruments (other than Oil and Gas Hedging Contracts);

(9)	a Restricted Payment that does not violate the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Restricted Payments” or a Permitted Investment, or any disposition excluded from such definitions or their component definitions;

(10)	a disposition of Hydrocarbons, sand or other mineral products in the ordinary course of business;

(11)	an Asset Swap;

(12)	dispositions of crude oil and natural gas properties, provided that at the time of any such disposition such properties do not have associated with them any proved reserves;

(13)

any Production Payments and Reserve Sales; provided that any such Production Payments and Reserve Sales, other than incentive compensation programs on terms that are reasonably customary in the Oil and Gas Business for geologists, geophysicists and other providers of technical services to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, shall have been created, incurred, issued, assumed or Guaranteed in connection with the financing of, and within 60 days after the acquisition of, the property that is subject thereto;

(14)	issuances and sales of directors’ qualifying shares and other Capital Stock in Restricted Subsidiaries issued to foreign governments, foreign individuals or other third parties to the extent required by applicable law; and

(15)	farmouts of undeveloped oil and gas properties, deemed transfers of working interests under any joint operating agreement as the result of electing (or being deemed to have elected) not to participate in the drilling operations for a new well and assignments under pooling or unitization agreements or other similar contracts that are customary in the Oil and Gas Business.

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(1)	with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such board;

(2)	with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of a general partner of the partnership;

(3)	with respect to a limited liability company, the managing member or members or any controlling committee of managing members thereof; and

(4)	with respect to any other Person, the board or committee of such Person serving a similar function.

(1)	in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;

(2)	in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;

(3)	in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and

(4)	any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.

(1)	United States dollars;

(2)	securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality of the United States government (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support of those securities) having maturities of not more than six months from the date of acquisition;

(3)

certificates of deposit and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of twelve months or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding twelve months and overnight and demand bank deposits, in each case, with any lender party to the Credit Agreement or with any domestic commercial bank having capital and surplus in excess of $500.0 million and a Thomson Bank Watch Rating of “B” or better;

(4)	repurchase obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (2) and (3) above entered into with any financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (3) above;

(5)	commercial paper having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from Moody’s or S&P and, in each case, maturing within nine months after the date of acquisition; and

(6)	money market funds at least 95% of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses (1) through (5) of this definition.

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(1)

the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any Person (including any “person” as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than a Qualifying Owner;

(2)	the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or

(3)	the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation), the result of which is that any Person (including any “person” (as defined above)), excluding the Qualifying Owners, becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of the Company, measured by voting power rather than number of shares, units or the like.

(1)	an amount equal to any extraordinary loss plus any net loss realized by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with any Asset Sale, or the disposition of securities or the early extinguishment of Indebtedness, to the extent such losses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(2)	provision for taxes based on income or profits of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such provision for taxes was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(3)	the Fixed Charges of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such Fixed Charges were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(4)

depreciation, depletion, amortization (including amortization of intangibles but excluding amortization of prepaid cash expenses that were paid in a prior period), impairment and other non-cash charges and expenses (excluding any such non-cash charge or expense to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash charges or expenses in any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash charge or expense that was paid in a prior period) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period to the extent that such depreciation, depletion, amortization, impairment and other non-cash charges or expenses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(5)	if such Person accounts for its oil and gas operations using successful efforts or a similar method of accounting, consolidated exploration expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries; plus

(6)	any reasonable expenses and charges related to any Investment, acquisition, disposition, Equity Offering, recapitalization, or issuance or incurrence of Indebtedness permitted to be incurred hereunder (in each case, whether or not successful); plus

(7)	dividends and distributions received in cash by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company from a Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting (including an Unrestricted Subsidiary), to the extent that such dividends or distributions were not otherwise included in the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for such period; minus

(8)	non-cash items increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, other than the accrual of revenue in the ordinary course of business; and minus

(9)	to the extent increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, 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,

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(1)	all extraordinary gains (or losses) and all gains (or losses) realized in connection with any Asset Sale or the disposition of securities or the early extinguishment of Indebtedness, together with any related provision for taxes on any such gain, will be excluded;

(2)

the net income (or loss) of any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting will be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or similar distributions paid in cash to the specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of the specified Person (or, in the case of a loss for such period, only to the extent of the aggregate cash or fair market value of property contributed to such Person by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary during such period);

(3)

solely for the purpose of determining the amount available for Restricted Payments under clause (4)(c) of the first paragraph of the covenant described under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Restricted Payments,” the net income of any Restricted Subsidiary will be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of that net income is not at the date of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval (that has not been obtained) or, 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, partners or members;

(4)	the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles will be excluded;

(5)	unrealized losses and gains under derivative instruments included in the determination of Consolidated Net Income, including, without limitation those resulting from the application of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 815 (“FASB ASC 815”) will be excluded;

(6)	any asset impairment writedowns on or related to Oil and Gas Properties under GAAP or SEC guidelines will be excluded; and

(7)

non-cash charges relating to grants of performance shares, stock options, stock awards, stock purchase agreements or management compensation plans for officers, directors, employees or consultants of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company (excluding any such non-cash charge to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash charges in any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period) to the extent that such non-cash charges are deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income will be excluded; provided that if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company makes a cash payment in respect of a non-cash charge in any period, such cash payment shall (without duplication) be deducted from the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for such period.

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(1)

acquisitions that have been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations, or any Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries acquired by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including all related financing transactions and including increases in ownership of Restricted Subsidiaries, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date, or that are to be made on the Calculation Date, will be given pro forma effect as if they had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period and any Consolidated Cash

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(2)	the Consolidated Cash Flow attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded;

(3)

the Fixed Charges attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations giving rise to such Fixed Charges will not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date;

(4)	any Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at all times during such four-quarter period;

(5)	any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed not to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at any time during such four-quarter period; and

(6)

if any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligation applicable to such Indebtedness if such Hedging Obligation has a remaining term as at the Calculation Date of 12 months or more, or, if the remaining term is less than 12 months, taking such Hedging Obligation into account on a proportional basis).

(1)

the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued (excluding (i) write-off of deferred financing costs and (ii) accretion of interest charges on future plugging and abandonment obligations, future retirement benefits and other obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness, but including, without limitation, amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount, non-cash interest payments, the interest component of all payments associated with Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with respect to Attributable Debt, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit or bankers’ acceptance financings), and net of the effect of all payments made or received pursuant to Hedging Obligations in respect of interest rates; plus

(2)	the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such period; plus

(3)	any interest on Indebtedness of another Person that is Guaranteed by such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries, whether or not such Guarantee or Lien is called upon; plus

(4)	all dividends, whether paid or accrued and whether or not in cash, on any series of Disqualified Stock of such Person or any series of Preferred Stock of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than dividends on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company,

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(1)	in respect of borrowed money;

(2)	evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

(3)	in respect of bankers’ acceptances;

(4)	representing Capital Lease Obligations or Attributable Debt in respect of sale and leaseback transactions;

(5)	representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services due more than six months after such property is acquired or such services are completed; or

(6)	representing any Hedging Obligations,

(1)	such Indebtedness is the obligation of a partnership or joint venture that is not a Restricted Subsidiary (a “Joint Venture”);

(2)	such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person is a general partner of the Joint Venture (a “Joint Venture General Partner”); and

(3)

there is recourse, by contract or operation of law, with respect to the payment of such Indebtedness to property or assets of such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person; and then such Indebtedness shall be included in an amount equal to the least of (i) the net assets of the Joint Venture General Partner, (ii) the amount of such obligations to the extent that there is recourse, by contract or operation of law, to the property or assets of such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person and (iii) the actual amount of such Indebtedness that is recourse to such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person, if the Indebtedness is evidenced by a writing and is for a determinable amount; and the related interest expense shall be included in Fixed Charges to the extent actually paid by such Person or its Restricted Subsidiaries.

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(1)	as to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (a) provides credit support of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness) or (b) is directly or indirectly liable as a guarantor or otherwise; and

(2)	as to which the lenders have been notified in writing that they will not have any recourse to the Capital Stock or assets of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than the Equity Interests of an Unrestricted Subsidiary).

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(1)

immediately after giving effect to such transaction and any related financing transaction on a pro forma basis as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, the Company or such Person (if the Company is not the survivor in the transaction) would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock,” or

(2)

immediately after giving effect to such transaction and any related financing transaction on a pro forma basis as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company or such Person (if the Company is not the survivor in the transaction) would be equal to or greater than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company immediately prior to such transaction.

(1)	any Investment in the Company or in any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(2)	any Investment in cash and Cash Equivalents;

(3)	any Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a Person, if as a result of such Investment:

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(a)	such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; or

(b)	such Person is merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its assets to, or is liquidated into, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(4)	any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in compliance with the covenant described above under the caption “—Repurchase at the Option of Holders—Asset Sales,” including pursuant to an Asset Swap;

(5)	any acquisition of assets or Capital Stock solely in exchange for the issuance of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company;

(6)

any Investments received in compromise or resolution of (a) obligations of trade creditors or customers that were incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of any trade creditor or customer or (b) litigation, arbitration or other disputes;

(7)	Investments represented by Hedging Obligations;

(8)	loans or advances to officers, directors or employees made in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $2.0 million at any one time outstanding;

(9)	repurchases of the Notes;

(10)	any Guarantee permitted to be incurred by the covenant entitled “—Certain Covenants—Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock”;

(11)

any Investment existing on, or made pursuant to a binding commitment existing on, the date of the Indenture and any Investment consisting of an extension, modification or renewal of any Investment existing on, or made pursuant to a binding commitment existing on, the date of the Indenture; provided that the amount of any such Investment may be increased (a) as required by the terms of such Investment as in existence on the date of the Indenture or (b) as otherwise permitted under the Indenture;

(12)

Investments acquired after the date of the Indenture as a result of the acquisition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of another Person, including by way of a merger, amalgamation or consolidation with or into the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in a transaction that is not prohibited by the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets” after the date of the Indenture to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of such acquisition, merger, amalgamation or consolidation and were in existence on the date of such acquisition, merger, amalgamation or consolidation;

(13)	Permitted Business Investments;

(14)	receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company created or acquired in the ordinary course of business and payable or dischargeable in accordance with customary trade terms; provided, that such trade terms may include such concessionary trade terms as the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary of the Company deems reasonable under the circumstances;

(15)	Investments constituting prepaid expenses or advances or extensions of credit to customers or suppliers in the ordinary course of business;

(16)	endorsements of negotiable instruments and documents in the ordinary course of business;

(17)	Investments in the form of pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business and constituting Permitted Liens;

(18)

the contribution, directly or indirectly, to the capital of any Unrestricted Subsidiary of all or any portion of the Royalty Assets (including the deemed Investment of the Royalty Assets held by a Subsidiary upon its designation as an Unrestricted Subsidiary); provided, that (i) such Investment is made in connection with a Qualified MLP IPO, (ii) the Company or any Guarantor receives substantially all of the Net Proceeds from such offering on or promptly following the closing of such offering and (iii) the Asset Coverage Ratio at the time of such contribution or designation, after giving pro forma effect to the Qualified MLP IPO and the application of the net proceeds therefrom, is at least 1.5 to 1.0;

(19)	the contribution of the Capital Stock of any Unrestricted Subsidiary to the capital of any other Unrestricted Subsidiary which is wholly owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; and

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(20)

Investments in any Person having an aggregate Fair Market Value (measured on the date each such Investment was made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value), when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (20) that are at the time outstanding that do not exceed the greater of (a) $25.0 million and (b) 2.5% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets determined as of the date such Investment is made.

(1)	Liens on assets of the Company or any Guarantor securing Indebtedness and other Obligations under Credit Facilities that were permitted by the terms of the Indenture to be incurred pursuant to clause (1) of the definition of Permitted Debt and/or securing Hedging Obligations related thereto and/or securing Obligations with regard to Treasury Management Arrangements;

(2)	Liens in favor of the Company or the Guarantors;

(3)

Liens on property of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or is merged with or into or consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; provided that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or such merger or consolidation and do not extend to any assets other than those of the Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or is merged with or into or consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(4)	Liens on property (including Capital Stock) existing at the time of acquisition of the property by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company; provided that such Liens were in existence prior to such acquisition and not incurred in contemplation of such acquisition;

(5)

Liens to secure the performance of statutory or regulatory obligations, insurance, surety or appeal bonds, workers’ compensation obligations, bid, plugging and abandonment and performance bonds or other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business or otherwise described in clause (10) of the definition of Permitted Debt (including Liens to secure letters of credit issued to assure payment of such obligations);

(6)	Liens to secure Indebtedness (including Capital Lease Obligations) permitted by clause (4) of the definition of Permitted Debt covering only the assets acquired with or financed by such Indebtedness;

(7)	Liens existing on the date of the Indenture;

(8)	Liens created for the benefit of (or to secure) the Notes (or the Note Guarantees);

(9)	Liens to secure any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under the Indenture; provided, however, that:

(a)	the new Lien is limited to all or part of the same property and assets that secured or, under the written agreements pursuant to which the original Lien arose, could secure the original Lien; and

(b)

the Indebtedness secured by the new Lien is not increased to any amount greater than the sum of (i) the outstanding principal amount, or, if greater, committed amount, of the Indebtedness renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged with such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness and (ii) an amount necessary to pay accrued interest and any fees and expenses, including premiums, related to such renewal, refunding, refinancing, replacement, defeasance or discharge;

(10)	Liens on insurance policies and proceeds thereof, or other deposits, to secure insurance premium financings;

(11)	filing of Uniform Commercial Code financing statements as a precautionary measure in connection with operating leases;

(12)	bankers’ Liens, rights of setoff, Liens arising out of judgments or awards not constituting an Event of Default and notices of lis pendens and associated rights related to litigation being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been made;

(13)	Liens on cash, Cash Equivalents or other property arising in connection with the defeasance, discharge or redemption of Indebtedness;

(14)	Liens on specific items of inventory or other goods (and the proceeds thereof) of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances issued or created in the ordinary course of business for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;

(15)	grants of software and other technology licenses in the ordinary course of business;

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(16)	Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for the sale of goods entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(17)	Liens in respect of Production Payments and Reserve Sales; provided, that such Liens are limited to the property that is subject to such Production Payments and Reserve Sales;

(18)

Liens arising under oil and gas leases or subleases, assignments, farm-out agreements, farm-in agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale, purchase, exchange, transportation, gathering or processing of Hydrocarbons, unitizations and pooling designations, declarations, orders and agreements, development agreements, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements, operating agreements, royalties, working interests, net profits interests, joint interest billing arrangements, participation agreements, production sales contracts, area of mutual interest agreements, gas balancing or deferred production agreements, injection, repressuring and recycling agreements, salt water or other disposal agreements, seismic or geophysical permits or agreements, licenses, sublicenses and other agreements that are customary in the Oil and Gas Business; provided, however, in all instances that such Liens are limited to the assets that are the subject of the relevant agreement, program, order or contract;

(19)	Liens to secure performance of Hedging Obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries entered into in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes;

(20)

Liens imposed by law, including landlords’, carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s and repairmen’s Liens, or related contracts in the ordinary course of business, in each case for sums not overdue for more than 60 days (or which, if due and payable, are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings provided appropriate reserves required pursuant to GAAP have been made in respect thereof);

(21)

Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges not overdue for more than 30 days (or which, if so overdue, are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings provided appropriate reserves required pursuant to GAAP have been made in respect thereof) or the nonpayment of which in the aggregate would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company taken as a whole;

(22)	Liens in favor of issuers of surety or performance bonds or letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances issued pursuant to the request of and for the account of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in the ordinary course of its business; provided, however, that such letters of credit do not constitute Indebtedness;

(23)

survey exceptions, encumbrances, ground leases, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, licenses, rights-of-way, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other similar purposes, or zoning, building codes or other restrictions (including, without limitation, minor defects or irregularities in title and similar encumbrances) as to the use of real properties or liens incidental to the conduct of the business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or to the ownership of its properties that do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(24)	leases, licenses, subleases and sublicenses of assets (including, without limitation, real property and intellectual property rights) that do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(25)	any interest or title of a lessor under any operating lease;

(26)	Liens on pipelines or pipeline facilities that arise by operation of law;

(27)

Liens arising under the Indenture in favor of the trustee for its own benefit and similar Liens in favor of other trustees, agents and representatives arising under instruments governing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under the Indenture, provided, that such Liens are solely for the benefit of the trustees, agents, or representatives in their capacities as such and not for the benefit of the holders of such Indebtedness;

(28)

Liens (a) on advances of cash or Cash Equivalents in favor of the seller of any property to be acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company under clause (3) of the definition of “Permitted Investment” to be applied against the purchase price for such Investment, (b) consisting of an agreement to dispose of any property in a disposition permitted under the Indenture and (c) on cash earnest money deposits made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement permitted under the Indenture;

(29)	Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company with respect to Indebtedness that does not exceed in aggregate principal amount $20.0 million at any one time outstanding;

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(30)

any Lien renewing, extending, refinancing or refunding a Lien permitted by this definition, provided that (a) the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien is not increased except by an amount equal to accrued interest and a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees, costs and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection therewith and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder and (b) no assets encumbered by any such Lien other than the assets permitted to be encumbered immediately prior to such renewal, extension, refinance or refund are encumbered thereby.

(1)

the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged (plus all accrued interest on the Indebtedness and the amount of all fees, costs and expenses, including premiums, incurred in connection therewith);

(2)

such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has (a) a Weighted Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged and (b) a final maturity date that is (i) later than the final maturity date of the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged or (b) more than 90 days after the final maturity date of the Notes;

(3)

if the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Note Guarantees, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Note Guarantees, as applicable, on terms at least as favorable to the holders of Notes as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged; and

(4)	such Indebtedness is not incurred (other than by way of a Guarantee) by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is not a Guarantor if the Company is the issuer or other primary obligor on the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged.

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(1)	any corporation, association or other business entity (other than a partnership or limited liability company) of which more than 50% of the total voting power of its Voting Stock is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

(2)

any partnership or limited liability company of which (a) more than 50% of the capital accounts, distribution rights, total equity and voting interests or general and limited partnership interests, as applicable, are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, whether in the form of membership, general, special or limited partnership interests or otherwise, and (b) such Person or any Subsidiary of such Person is a controlling general partner or otherwise controls such entity.

(1)	has no Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt;

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(2)

except as permitted by the covenant described above under the caption “—Certain Covenants—Transactions with Affiliates,” is not party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company unless the terms of any such agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding are no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons who are not Affiliates of the Company;

(3)	is a Person with respect to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any direct or indirect obligation (a) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests or (b) to maintain or preserve such Person’s financial condition or to cause such Person to achieve any specified levels of operating results; and

(4)	has not Guaranteed or otherwise directly or indirectly provided credit support for any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, except to the extent such Guarantee would be released upon such designation.

(1)	the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect of the Indebtedness, by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment; by

(2)	the then outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness.

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•	a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York;

•	a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York State Banking Law;

•	a member of the Federal Reserve System;

•	a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code; and

•	a “clearing agency” registered under Section 17A of the Exchange Act.

•	will not be entitled to have Exchange Notes represented by the Global Exchange Note registered in their names;

•	will not receive or be entitled to receive physical, certificated Exchange Notes; and

•	will not be considered the owners or holders of the Exchange Notes under the Indenture for any purpose, including with respect to the giving of any direction, instruction or approval to the trustee under the Indenture.

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•	you are not an “affiliate” of ours within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

•	you are acquiring the Exchange Notes in the ordinary course of your business; and

•	you do not intend to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Notes.

•	you cannot rely on the above interpretations of the SEC; and

•	you must comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with a secondary resale transaction, and the secondary resale transaction must be covered by an effective registration statement containing the selling security holder information required by Item 507 or 508, as applicable, of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

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•	for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the company or its stockholders;

•	for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

•	in respect of certain unlawful dividend payments or stock redemptions or repurchases; and

•	for any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

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#	The schedules (or similar attachments) referenced in this agreement have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule (or similar attachment) will be furnished supplementally to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

*	Filed herewith.

**	Previously filed.

+	Management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement.

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#	The schedules (or similar attachments) referenced in this agreement have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule (or similar attachment) will be furnished supplementally to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

*	Filed herewith.

**	Previously filed.

+	Management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement.