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Table of Contents
Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration Statement No. 333-192962
PROSPECTUS
Legacy Reserves LP
Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation
Offer to Exchange
Up to $250,000,000 of
6.625% Senior Notes due 2021
That Have Not Been Registered Under
the Securities Act of 1933
("old notes")
For
Up to $250,000,000 of
6.625% Senior Notes due 2021
That Have Been Registered Under
the Securities Act of 1933
("new notes")
Terms of the New Notes:
Terms of the Exchange Offer:
You should carefully consider the risks set forth under "Risk Factors" beginning on page 9 of this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should consider before participating in the exchange offer.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is February 14, 2014.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in the accompanying letter of transmittal. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any other information. If you receive any unauthorized information, you must not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities or soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, or in the documents incorporated by reference herein, is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of this prospectus or the date of such incorporated documents, as the case may be.
This prospectus incorporates important business and financial information about Legacy Reserves LP that is not included or delivered with this prospectus. Such information is available without charge to holders of old notes upon written or oral request made to Legacy Reserves LP, 303 W. Wall Street, Suite 1800, Midland, Texas 79701, Tel: (432) 659-5200; Attn: James Daniel Westcott.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are required to file annual, quarterly, and current reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). You may read and copy any documents filed by us at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the Public Reference Room. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding us. The SEC's web site is http://www.sec.gov.
We also make available free of charge on our internet website at http://www.legacylp.com all of the documents that we file with or furnish to the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with the SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information contained on our website as part of this prospectus unless specifically so designated and filed with the SEC.
We "incorporate by reference" information into this prospectus, which means that we disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for any information superseded by information contained expressly in this prospectus, and the information we file later with the SEC will automatically supersede this information. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus is current as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the documents listed below that we have previously filed with the SEC:
In addition, we incorporate by reference in this prospectus any future filings made by Legacy Reserves LP with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (excluding any information furnished and not filed with the SEC), after the date on which the registration statement that includes this prospectus was initially filed with the SEC and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities offered by this prospectus.
You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any exhibit specifically incorporated by reference in those documents, and we will provide such document to you at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number:
Legacy
Reserves LP
303 W. Wall Street, Suite 1800
Midland, Texas 79701
Attn: James Daniel Westcott
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (432) 659-5200
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which may include statements about:
All of these types of statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "could," "should," "expect," "plan," "project," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "pursue," "target," "continue," the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are largely based on our expectations, which reflect estimates and assumptions made by our management. These estimates and assumptions reflect our best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other factors. Although we believe such estimates and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond our control. In addition, management's assumptions about future events may prove to be inaccurate. All readers are cautioned that the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are not guarantees of future performance, and our expectations may not be realized or the forward-looking events and circumstances may not occur. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements due to factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 as well as the risk factors described under "Risk Factors" in this prospectus. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus speak only as of the date of this prospectus; we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by securities law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly.
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This summary highlights information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. It does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should read carefully the entire prospectus, including the risk factors beginning on page 9.
Except as used in the "Description of Notes" or unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references to "Legacy Reserves," "Legacy," "we," "our," "us," or like terms refer to Legacy Reserves LP and its subsidiaries, including Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation, collectively.
In this prospectus, we refer to the notes to be issued in the exchange offer as the "new notes" and the notes issued in May 2013 as "old notes." We refer to the new notes and the old notes collectively as the "notes."
Overview
We are a master limited partnership headquartered in Midland, Texas, focused on the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties primarily located in the Permian Basin, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States.
Our primary business objective is to generate stable cash flows allowing us to make cash distributions to our unitholders and to support and increase quarterly cash distributions per unit over time through a combination of acquisitions of new properties and development of our existing oil and natural gas properties.
Our oil and natural gas production and reserve data as of December 31, 2012 are as follows:
We have grown primarily through two activities: the acquisition of producing oil and natural gas properties and the development of properties in established producing trends. From 2007 through 2012, we completed 113 acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties for a total of approximately $1.5 billion, excluding $96.3 million of non-cash asset retirement obligations. These acquisitions of primarily long-lived, oil-weighted assets, along with our ongoing development activities and operational improvements, have allowed us to achieve significant operational and financial growth during this time period.
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Our Ownership and Organizational Structure
The chart below depicts our simplified organization and ownership structure as of September 30, 2013.
Ownership of Legacy Reserves LP
Public Unitholders |
82.21 | % | ||
Founding Investors(a), Directors and Management |
17.76 | % | ||
General Partner Interest |
0.03 | % | ||
Total |
100.00 | % | ||
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The Exchange Offer
On May 28, 2013, we completed a private offering of the old notes. We entered into a registration rights agreement with the initial purchasers in the private offering pursuant to which we agreed to deliver to you this prospectus and to use commercially reasonable efforts to complete the exchange offer on or before July 2, 2014.
Old Notes |
On May 28, 2013, we completed a private placement of $250 million aggregate principal amount of 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021. | |
New Notes |
6.625% Senior Notes due 2021. The terms of the new notes are identical to the terms of the old notes, except that the new notes are registered under the Securities Act of 1993, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and will not have restrictions on transfer, registration rights or provisions for additional interest. |
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Exchange Offer |
We are offering to exchange new notes for old notes. |
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Expiration Date |
The exchange offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 17, 2014, unless we decide to extend it. |
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Conditions to the Exchange Offer |
The registration rights agreement does not require us to accept old notes for exchange if the exchange offer, or the making of any exchange by a holder of the old notes, would violate any applicable law or interpretation of the staff of the SEC. The exchange offer is not conditioned on a minimum aggregate principal amount of old notes being tendered. Please read "Exchange OfferConditions to the Exchange Offer" for more information about the conditions to the exchange offer. |
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Procedures for Tendering Old Notes |
To participate in the exchange offer, you must follow the procedures established by The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, for tendering notes held in book-entry form. These procedures for using DTC's Automated Tender Offer Program, or ATOP, require that (i) the exchange agent receive, prior to the expiration date of the exchange offer, a computer generated message known as an "agent's message" that is transmitted through DTC's automated tender offer program, and (ii) DTC confirms that: |
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DTC has received your instructions to exchange your notes; and |
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you agree to be bound by the terms of the letter of transmittal. |
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For more information on tendering your old notes, please refer to the section in this prospectus entitled "Exchange OfferTerms of the Exchange Offer," "Procedures for Tendering" and "Description of NotesBook-Entry, Delivery and Form." |
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Guaranteed Delivery Procedures |
None. |
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Withdrawal of Tenders |
You may withdraw your tender of old notes at any time prior to the expiration date of the exchange offer. To withdraw, you must submit a notice of withdrawal to the exchange agent using ATOP procedures before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date of the exchange offer. Please refer to the section in this prospectus entitled "Exchange OfferWithdrawal of Tenders." |
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Acceptance of Old Notes and Delivery of New Notes |
If you fulfill all conditions required for proper acceptance of old notes, we will accept any and all old notes that you properly tender in the exchange offer on or before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date of the exchange offer. We will return any old notes that we do not accept for exchange to you without expense promptly after the expiration date of the exchange offer and acceptance of the old notes for exchange. Please refer to the section in this prospectus entitled "Exchange OfferTerms of the Exchange Offer." |
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Fees and Expenses |
We will bear expenses related to the exchange offer. Please refer to the section in this prospectus entitled "Exchange OfferFees and Expenses." |
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Use of Proceeds |
The issuance of the new notes will not provide us with any new proceeds. We are making this exchange offer solely to satisfy our obligations under our registration rights agreement. |
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Consequences of Failure to Exchange Old Notes |
If you do not exchange your old notes in this exchange offer, you will no longer be able to require us to register the old notes under the Securities Act except in limited circumstances provided under the registration rights agreement. In addition, you will not be able to resell, offer to resell or otherwise transfer the old notes unless we have registered the old notes under the Securities Act, or unless you resell, offer to resell or otherwise transfer them under an exemption from the registration requirements of, or in a transaction not subject to, the Securities Act. |
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations |
The exchange of old notes for new notes in the exchange offer will not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Please read "Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences." |
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Exchange Agent |
We have appointed Wells Fargo Bank, National Association as exchange agent for the exchange offer. You should direct questions and requests for assistance, as well as requests for additional copies of this prospectus or the letter of transmittal, to the exchange agent addressed as follows: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., MAC N9303-121, P.O. Box 1517, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55480. Eligible institutions may make requests by facsimile at 1-612-667-6282, Attn: Corporate Trust Operations and may confirm facsimile delivery by calling 1-800-344-5128. |
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Terms of the New Notes
The new notes will be identical to the old notes, except that the new notes are registered under the Securities Act and will not have restrictions on transfer, registration rights or provisions for additional interest. The new notes will evidence the same debt as the old notes, and the same indenture will govern the new notes and the old notes.
The following summary contains basic information about the new notes and is not intended to be complete. It does not contain all the information that is important to you. For a more complete understanding of the new notes, please refer to the section of this prospectus entitled "Description of Notes."
Issuers |
Legacy Reserves LP and Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation. | |
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Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation, is a 100% owned subsidiary of Legacy Reserves LP that has been organized for the sole purpose of being a co-issuer of certain of our indebtedness, including the notes. Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation has no operations and no revenue other than as may be incidental to its activities as co-issuer of our indebtedness. |
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Notes Offered |
$250 million aggregate principal amount of 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021. |
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Maturity Date |
December 1, 2021. |
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Interest |
Interest on the new notes accrues from December 1, 2013 at a rate of 6.625% per annum (calculated using a 360-day year). |
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Interest on the new notes is payable on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on June 1, 2014. |
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Original Issue Discount |
The old notes were treated as being issued with "original issue discount" for United States federal income tax purposes and the new notes will continue to be treated as being issued with original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes. See the discussion below under the caption "Risk FactorsRisks Related to Investing in the New Notes" for more information regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of the original issue discount rules. |
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Ranking |
Like the old notes, the new notes will be our senior unsecured obligations. Accordingly, they will: |
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rank equal in right of payment with all of our existing and future senior indebtedness, including $300 million in aggregate principal amount of our 8% senior unsecured notes maturing on December 1, 2020 (the "2020 Senior Notes"); |
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be effectively subordinated to all of our secured indebtedness, including indebtedness under our revolving credit facility, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness; |
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be structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other liabilities, including trade payables, of our subsidiaries (other than indebtedness and liabilities owed to us, if any); and |
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rank senior in right of payment to all of our future subordinated indebtedness; |
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As of September 30, 2013, we had a total principal amount of long-term debt of $864 million, and the notes were effectively subordinated to $314 million of outstanding senior secured indebtedness (to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness) under our revolving credit facility. |
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Subsidiary Guarantees |
The new notes will be jointly and severally guaranteed by all of our existing and future material restricted subsidiaries (other than the co-issuer) that guarantee a material amount of our other indebtedness, which we refer to as "our subsidiary guarantors." Each subsidiary guarantee of a subsidiary guarantor will: |
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rank equal in right of payment with all of the existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness of the subsidiary guarantor; |
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be effectively subordinated to all existing and future secured indebtedness of the subsidiary guarantor, including its guarantees of our borrowings under our revolving credit facility, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness; and |
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rank senior in right of payment to all future subordinated indebtedness of such subsidiary guarantors. |
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Optional Redemption |
We will have the option to redeem the new notes, in whole or in part, at any time on or after June 1, 2017 at the redemption prices described in this prospectus under the heading "Description of NotesOptional Redemption," together with any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption. |
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Prior to June 1, 2017, we may redeem the new notes, in whole or in part, at a "make-whole" redemption price described under "Description of NotesOptional Redemption," together with any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption. |
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Equity Offering Optional Redemption |
Prior to June 1, 2016, we may, at any time or from time to time, redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the new notes with the net proceeds of a public or private equity offering at 106.625% of the principal amount of the new notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption, if at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes (including additional notes) originally issued under the indenture remains outstanding after such redemption and the redemption occurs within 180 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering. |
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Change of Control |
If a change of control occurs, each holder of new notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of its new notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the new notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase. |
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Certain Covenants |
The indenture governing the new notes contains covenants that, among other things, will limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to: |
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sell assets; |
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pay distributions on, purchase or redeem our units or purchase or redeem our subordinated debt; |
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make investments; |
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incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred units; |
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create or incur certain liens; |
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enter into agreements that restrict distributions or other payments from our restricted subsidiaries to us; |
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consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets; |
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engage in transactions with affiliates; |
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create unrestricted subsidiaries; and |
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engage in certain business activities. |
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These covenants are subject to important exceptions and qualifications that are described under "Description of Notes." |
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If the new notes achieve an investment grade credit rating from each of Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (or if either such entity ceases to rate the notes for reasons outside of the Company's control, the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any other "nationally recognized statistical rating organization" within the meaning of the Exchange Act selected by the Company as a replacement agency), many of these covenants will terminate. |
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Absence of Established Market for the New Notes |
The new notes generally will be freely transferable, but will also be new securities for which there will not initially be a market. There can be no assurance as to the development or liquidity of any market for the new notes. |
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We do not intend to apply for a listing of the new notes on any securities exchange or for the inclusion of the new notes on any automated dealer quotation system. |
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Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
The following table presents the ratios of earnings to fixed charges of the Partnership for the periods indicated. For purposes of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of income from continuing operations before adjustment for equity income from equity method investees plus fixed charges and distributed earnings from investees accounted for under the equity method. Fixed charges consist of interest expense and fees associated with our revolving credit facility, interest expense on the old notes and the 2020 Senior Notes, amortization of deferred financing costs (including the original issue discounts associated with the old notes and the 2020 Senior Notes), and an estimated interest component of our rent expense.
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Legacy Reserves LP | ||||||||||||||||||
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Year Ended December 31, | |
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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 |
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2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges |
13.61X | (1) | 1.61X | 4.53X | 4.04X | 1.31X |
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An investment in the notes involves various material risks. Prior to making a decision about investing in the notes, and in consultation with your own financial and legal advisors, you should carefully consider, among other matters, the following risk factors, as well as those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and the heading "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013, each of which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in other filings we may make from time to time with the SEC.
Risks Related to Investing in the New Notes
If you do not properly tender your old notes, you will continue to hold unregistered old notes and your ability to transfer old notes will remain restricted and may be adversely affected.
We will only issue new notes in exchange for old notes that you timely and properly tender. Therefore, you should allow sufficient time to ensure timely delivery of the old notes, and you should carefully follow the instructions on how to tender your old notes. Neither we nor the exchange agent is required to tell you of any defects or irregularities with respect to your tender of old notes.
If you do not exchange your old notes for new notes pursuant to the exchange offer, the old notes you hold will continue to be subject to the existing transfer restrictions. In general, you may not offer or sell the old notes except under an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. We do not plan to register old notes under the Securities Act unless our registration rights agreement with the initial purchasers of the old notes requires us to do so. Further, if you continue to hold any old notes after the exchange offer is consummated, you may have trouble selling them because the principal amount of the currently outstanding old notes may be reduced as a result of the exchange offer.
Our revolving credit facility has substantial restrictions and financial covenants that may restrict our business and financing activities and our ability to make payments on the new notes.
Our revolving credit facility limits the amounts we can borrow to a borrowing base amount, determined by the lenders in their sole discretion based on their valuation of our proved reserves and their internal criteria. The borrowing base is redetermined semi-annually on or about April 1 and October 1 of each year and the available borrowing amount could be decreased as a result of such redeterminations. Decreases in the available borrowing amount could result from declines in oil and natural gas prices, operating difficulties or increased costs, declines in reserves, lending requirements or regulations or certain other circumstances. On October 15, 2013 our borrowing base was increased to $800 million from $737.5 million.
A future decrease in our borrowing base could be substantial and could be to a level below our outstanding borrowings. Outstanding borrowings in excess of the borrowing base are required to be repaid within 120 days following notice from the administrative agent of the new or adjusted borrowing base. If we do not have sufficient funds on hand for repayment, we may be required to seek a waiver or amendment from our lenders, refinance our revolving credit facility or sell assets or debt or common units. We may not be able to obtain such financing or complete such transactions on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Failure to make the required repayment could result in a default under our revolving credit facility, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. A default under our revolving credit facility could cause all of our existing indebtedness, including the new notes and the 2020 Senior Notes, to be immediately due and payable.
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The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our revolving credit facility restrict, and any future financing agreements likely will restrict, our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to engage, expand or pursue our business activities or to pay distributions. Our revolving credit facility restricts, and any future revolving credit facility likely will restrict, our ability to:
Our revolving credit facility restricts our ability to make distributions to unitholders or repurchase units unless after giving effect to such distribution or repurchase no Event of Default (as defined in our revolving credit facility) exists. While we currently are not restricted by our revolving credit facility from declaring a distribution, we may be restricted from paying a distribution in the future.
We are also required to comply with certain financial covenants and ratios under the revolving credit facility. We may not be able to comply with these restrictions and covenants in the future and will be affected by the levels of cash flow from our operations and events or circumstances beyond our control, such as any potential disruptions in the financial markets. If we violate any of the restrictions, covenants, ratios or tests in our revolving credit facility, a significant portion of our indebtedness may become immediately due and payable, our ability to make distributions will be inhibited and our lenders' commitment to make further loans to us may terminate. We might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make these accelerated payments. In addition, our obligations under our revolving credit facility are secured by substantially all of our assets, and if we are unable to repay our indebtedness under our revolving credit facility, the lenders can seek to foreclose on our assets.
Restrictive covenants under our indentures may adversely affect our operations.
Each of the indenture governing the new notes and the indenture governing our 2020 Senior Notes contains, and any future indebtedness we incur may contain, a number of restrictive covenants that will impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to, among other things:
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As a result of these covenants, we are limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.
A failure to comply with the covenants in either the indenture governing the notes or, the indenture governing our 2020 Senior Notes, or any future indebtedness could result in an event of default under such indentures, our revolving credit facility or any instrument governing such future indebtedness, which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, complying with these covenants may also cause us to take actions that are not favorable to holders of the notes and may make it more difficult for us to successfully execute our business strategy and compete against companies that are not subject to such restrictions.
Our ability to access the capital and credit markets to raise capital on favorable terms will be affected by any disruptions in the capital and credit markets.
Potential future disruptions in the global financial markets and any associated severe tightening of credit supply may significantly increase the cost of raising money in the debt and equity capital markets or may prevent us from obtaining adequate financing from these sources entirely. Under these scenarios, lenders may increase interest rates, enact tighter lending standards, refuse to refinance existing debt at maturity on favorable terms, or at all, and may reduce or cease to provide funding to borrowers.
We may not be able to generate enough cash flow to meet our debt obligations.
We expect our earnings and cash flow to vary significantly from year to year due to the cyclical nature of our industry. As a result, the amount of debt that we can manage in some periods may not be appropriate for us in other periods. Additionally, our future cash flow may be insufficient to meet our debt obligations and commitments, including the new notes. Any insufficiency could negatively impact our business. A range of economic, competitive, business and industry factors will affect our future financial performance and, as a result, our ability to generate cash flow from operations and to pay our debt, including the new notes. Many of these factors, such as oil and natural gas prices, economic and financial conditions in our industry and the global economy or competitive initiatives of our competitors, are beyond our control.
If we do not generate enough cash flow from operations to satisfy our debt obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, such as:
However, we cannot assure you that undertaking alternative financing plans, if necessary, would allow us to meet our debt obligations. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt obligations, including our obligations under the new notes, or to obtain alternative financing, could materially and adversely affect our ability to make payments on the new notes and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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We distribute all of our available cash to our unitholders after reserves are established by our general partner, and we are not required to accumulate cash for the purpose of meeting our future obligations to our noteholders, which may limit the cash available to service the new notes.
Subject to the limitations on restricted payments contained in the indenture governing the new notes, the indenture governing our 2020 Senior Notes and in our revolving credit facility, our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our "available cash" each quarter to our unitholders. "Available cash" is defined in our partnership agreement, and it generally means, for each fiscal quarter, all cash and cash equivalents on the date of determination of available cash for that quarter, less the amount of any cash reserves established by our general partner to:
As a result, we do not expect to accumulate significant amounts of cash. Depending on the timing and amount of our cash distributions, these distributions could significantly reduce the cash available to us in subsequent periods to make payments on the new notes.
The new notes and the guarantees are unsecured and effectively or structurally subordinated to our and our subsidiary guarantors' existing and future secured indebtedness.
The new notes and the guarantees are general unsecured senior obligations ranking (i) effectively or structurally subordinated to all our existing and future secured debt and that of each subsidiary guarantor, respectively, including obligations under our revolving credit facility, in each case to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt, and (ii) equal in right of payment to the 2020 Senior Notes and its subsidiary guarantees and our other general unsecured obligations that are not subordinated. As of September 30, 2013, we had $314 million of senior secured indebtedness outstanding under our revolving credit facility, to which extent the new notes will be effectively subordinated, and approximately $423.4 million (after deducting $0.1 million of outstanding letters of credit) of additional borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility.
If we or a subsidiary guarantor is declared bankrupt, becomes insolvent or is liquidated or reorganized, any secured debt of ours or of any subsidiary guarantor will be entitled to be paid in full from our assets or the assets of such guarantor, as applicable, securing that debt before any payment may be made with respect to the new notes or the affected guarantees. Holders of the new notes will participate ratably with all holders of our unsecured indebtedness that does not rank junior to the new notes, including the holders of the 2020 Senior Notes and all of our other general creditors, based upon the respective amounts owed to each holder or creditor in our remaining assets. In any of the foregoing events, we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient assets to pay amounts due on the new notes. As a result, holders of the new notes would likely receive less, ratably, than holders of secured indebtedness.
Not all of our subsidiaries will guarantee the new notes. Your right to receive payments on the notes could be adversely affected if any of our non-guarantor subsidiaries declares bankruptcy, liquidates or reorganizes.
Although all of our existing subsidiaries, other than the co-issuer and our equity method investees in which we own a non-controlling interest, will initially guarantee the new notes, in the future, under certain circumstances, the guarantees are subject to release, and we may have other subsidiaries in the future that are not guarantors. Thus, the new notes will be effectively junior to the claims of all creditors, including trade creditors and tort claimants, of our subsidiaries that are not guarantors. In the event of the liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, bankruptcy or similar proceedings respecting
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the business of a subsidiary that is not a guarantor, creditors of that subsidiary would generally have the right to be paid in full before any distribution is made to us or the holders of the new notes. Accordingly, there may not be sufficient funds remaining to pay amounts due on all or any of the new notes.
Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risks, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly.
Borrowings under our revolving credit facility bear interest at variable rates and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase and we are unable to effectively hedge our interest rate risk, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even if the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash available for servicing our indebtedness would decrease. As of September 30, 2013, if the variable interest rate increases or decreases by 0.125%, our annual debt service obligations on our variable rate debt would increase or decrease by approximately $0.01 million, assuming our current interest rate hedges remain in place and do not expire. As of September 30, 2013, our annual debt service obligations on $304 million of our variable rate debt is fixed due to our interest rate hedges, of which hedges on $100 million of debt expire during 2013 and the remainder expire during 2014 and 2015.
Our debt levels may limit our flexibility to obtain additional financing and pursue other business opportunities.
We have substantial indebtedness. As of September 30, 2013, our total principal amount of long-term debt was $864 million.
Our existing and future indebtedness could have important consequences to us and to the holders of the notes, including:
Our ability to service our indebtedness will depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. If our operating results are not sufficient to service our current or future indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing distributions; reducing or delaying business activities, acquisitions, investments and/or capital expenditures; selling assets; restructuring or refinancing our indebtedness; or seeking additional equity capital or bankruptcy protection. We may not be able to effect any of these remedies on satisfactory terms or at all.
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Despite our and our subsidiaries' current level of indebtedness, we may still be able to incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.
We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, subject to certain limitations, including under our revolving credit facility, the indenture governing the 2020 Senior Notes and the indenture governing the new notes. For example, as of September 30, 2013, we had the ability to borrow up to approximately $737.5 million on a revolving basis under our revolving credit facility, with $423.4 million available. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we and our subsidiaries now face could intensify. Our level of indebtedness could, for instance, prevent us from engaging in transactions that might otherwise be beneficial to us or from making desirable capital expenditures. This could put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to other less leveraged competitors that have more cash flow to devote to their operations. In addition, the incurrence of additional indebtedness could make it more difficult to satisfy our existing financial obligations, including those relating to the notes.
We may not be able to fund a change of control offer.
In the event of a change of control, we will be required, subject to certain conditions, to offer to purchase all outstanding notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the date of purchase. See "Description of Notes." The holders of our outstanding 2020 Senior Notes have substantially similar rights. If a change of control were to occur today, we would not have sufficient funds available to purchase all of the outstanding notes were they to be tendered in response to an offer made as a result of a change of control. We cannot assure you that we will have sufficient funds available to fulfill these obligations upon a change of control in the future. Furthermore, any Change of Control (as defined under our revolving credit facility) would constitute an event of default under our revolving credit facility, and we may not be able to obtain a waiver with respect to such default from the lenders under our revolving credit facility at such time.
The change of control put right might not be enforceable.
The Chancery Court of Delaware has raised the possibility in a published decision that a change of control put right occurring as a result of a failure to have "continuing directors" comprising a majority of a board of directors may be unenforceable on public policy grounds.
Many of the covenants contained in the indenture will terminate if the notes are rated investment grade by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's and no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing.
Many of the covenants in the indenture governing the new notes will terminate if the new notes are rated investment grade by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's provided at such time no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing. The covenants will restrict, among other things, our ability to pay dividends, incur debt and to enter into certain other transactions. There can be no assurance that the new notes will ever be rated investment grade. However, termination of these covenants would allow us to engage in certain transactions that would not have been permitted while these covenants were in force, and these covenants would not be reinstated even if the new notes were subsequently downgraded. See "Description of NotesCertain CovenantsCovenant Termination."
A subsidiary guarantee could be voided if it constitutes a fraudulent transfer under U.S. bankruptcy or similar state law, which would prevent the holders of the new notes from relying on that subsidiary to satisfy claims.
Under U.S. bankruptcy law and comparable provisions of state fraudulent transfer laws, our subsidiary guarantees can be voided, or claims under the subsidiary guarantees may be subordinated to all other debts of that subsidiary guarantor if, among other things, the subsidiary guarantor, at the time it incurred the indebtedness evidenced by its guarantee or, in some states, when payments become due
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under the guarantee, received less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration for the incurrence of the guarantee and:
A subsidiary guarantee of the notes may also be voided, without regard to the above factors, if a court finds that the subsidiary guarantor entered into the guarantee with the actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud its creditors.
A court would likely find that a subsidiary guarantor did not receive reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration for its guarantee if the subsidiary guarantor did not substantially benefit directly or indirectly from the issuance of the guarantees. If a court were to void a subsidiary guarantee, you would no longer have a claim against the subsidiary guarantor. Sufficient funds to repay the notes may not be available from other sources, including the remaining subsidiary guarantors, if any. In addition, the court might direct you to repay any amounts that you already received from the subsidiary guarantor.
The measures of insolvency for purposes of fraudulent transfer laws vary depending upon the governing law. Generally, a guarantor would be considered insolvent if:
Each subsidiary guarantee contains a provision intended to limit the subsidiary guarantor's liability to the maximum amount that it could incur without causing the incurrence of obligations under its subsidiary guarantee to be a fraudulent transfer. Such provision may not be effective to protect the subsidiary guarantees from being voided under bankruptcy law.
A financial failure by us or our subsidiaries may result in the assets of any or all of those entities becoming subject to the claims of all creditors of those entities.
A financial failure by us or our subsidiaries could affect payment of the new notes if a bankruptcy court were to substantively consolidate us and our subsidiaries. If a bankruptcy court substantively consolidated us and our subsidiaries, the assets of each entity would become subject to the claims of creditors of all entities. This would expose holders of new notes not only to the usual impairments arising from bankruptcy, but also to potential dilution of the amount ultimately recoverable because of the larger creditor base. Furthermore, forced restructuring of the notes could occur through the "cram-down" provisions of the bankruptcy code. Under these provisions, the new notes could be restructured over your objections as to their general terms, primary interest rate and maturity.
Because we are a holding company, we are financially dependent on receiving distributions from our subsidiaries.
We are a holding company and our subsidiaries conduct all of our operations and own all of our assets. We have no significant assets other than the partnership interests, stock and other equity
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interests in our subsidiaries. As a result, our ability to make required payments on the new notes will depend on the performance of our subsidiaries and their ability to distribute funds to us. Our rights and the rights of our creditors, including holders of the new notes, to participate in the distribution of assets of any entity in which we own an equity interest will be subject to prior claims of such entity's creditors upon such entity's liquidation or reorganization. However, we may ourselves be a creditor with recognized claims against this entity, but our claims would still be subject to the prior claims of any secured creditor of this entity and of any holder of indebtedness of this entity that is senior to that held by us. Accordingly, a holder of our debt securities, including holders of the notes, may be deemed to be effectively subordinated to those claims.
Your ability to transfer the notes may be limited by the absence of a trading market.
The old notes have not been registered under the Securities Act, and may not be resold by holders thereof unless the old notes are subsequently registered or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. However, we cannot assure you that, even following registration or exchange of the old notes for new notes, that an active trading market for the new notes will exist, and we will have no obligation to create such a market. At the time of the private placement of the old notes, the initial purchasers advised us that they intended to make a market in the notes. However, the initial purchasers are not obligated to make a market in the notes, and any market making may be discontinued at any time at their sole discretion. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of or trading market for the new notes.
The liquidity of any trading market for the notes and the market price quoted for the notes will depend upon the number of holders of the notes, the overall market for high yield securities, our financial performance or prospects or the prospects for companies in our industry generally, the interest of securities dealers in making a market in the notes and other factors.
You may be required to recognize taxable income on the new notes in a taxable year in excess of cash payments made to you on the new notes.
The old notes were treated as being issued with "original issue discount" for United States federal income tax purposes. As a result, in addition to the stated interest on the new notes, you may be required to include a portion of such original issue discount in your income as it accrues for federal income tax purposes in advance of receipt of any payment on the new notes to which the income is attributable. Each investor is advised to consult its tax advisors regarding the applicability of the original issue discount rules to its particular circumstances.
If a bankruptcy petition were filed by or against us, holders of notes may receive a lesser amount for their claim than they would have been entitled to receive under the indenture governing the notes.
If a bankruptcy petition were filed by or against us under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the claim by any holder of the notes for the principal amount of the notes may be limited to an amount equal to the sum of:
Any original issue discount that was not amortized as of the date of the bankruptcy filing would constitute unmatured interest. Accordingly, holders of the notes under these circumstances may receive a lesser amount than they would be entitled to receive under the terms of the indenture governing their notes, even if sufficient funds were available.
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Purpose and Effect of the Exchange Offer
At the closing of the offering of the old notes, we and the guarantors entered into a registration rights agreement with the initial purchasers pursuant to which we and the guarantors agreed, for the benefit of the holders of the old notes, at our cost, to do the following:
Once the SEC has declared the exchange offer registration statement effective, we have agreed to offer the new notes in exchange for surrender of the old notes. We agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the exchange offer registration statement to be effective continuously, and to keep the exchange offer open for a period of not less than 20 business days.
For each old note surrendered to us pursuant to the exchange offer, the holder of such old note will receive a new note having a principal amount equal to that of the surrendered old note. Interest on each new note will accrue from the last interest payment date on which interest was paid on the surrendered old note. The registration rights agreement also provides an agreement to include in the prospectus for the exchange offer certain information necessary to allow a broker-dealer who holds old notes that were acquired for its own account as a result of market-making activities or other ordinary course trading activities (other than old notes acquired directly from us or one of our affiliates) to exchange such old notes pursuant to the exchange offer and to satisfy the prospectus delivery requirements in connection with resales of new notes received by such broker-dealer in the exchange offer. We agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the exchange offer registration statement for these purposes for a period ending on the earlier of 180 days from the date on which the exchange offer registration statement is declared effective and the date on which the broker-dealer is no longer required to deliver a prospectus in connection with market-making or other trading activities.
The preceding agreement is needed because any broker-dealer who acquires old notes for its own account as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities is required to deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act. This prospectus covers the offer and sale of the new notes pursuant to the exchange offer and the resale of new notes received in the exchange offer by any broker-dealer who held old notes acquired for its own account as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, other than old notes acquired directly from us or one of our affiliates.
Based on interpretations by the staff of the SEC set forth in no-action letters issued to third parties, we believe that the new notes issued pursuant to the exchange offer would in general be freely tradable after the exchange offer without further registration under the Securities Act. However, any purchaser of old notes who is an "affiliate" of ours or who intends to participate in the exchange offer for the purpose of distributing the related new notes:
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Each holder of the old notes (other than certain specified holders) who desires to exchange old notes for the new notes in the exchange offer will be required to make the representations described below under "Procedures for TenderingYour Representations to Us."
We further agreed to file with the SEC a shelf registration statement to register for public resale old notes held by any holder who provides us with certain information for inclusion in the shelf registration statement if:
We have agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the shelf registration statement to be declared effective by the SEC (or automatically become effective under the Securities Act) on or before the 90th day after the date the shelf registration statement was filed, which date we refer to as the "shelf filing deadline." The shelf filing deadline shall be 20 business days after the later of (i) the date we receive notice of the above circumstances by any holder and (ii) the first to occur of (a) the date that we deliver the new notes to the registrar under the indenture of the new notes in the same aggregate principal amount as the aggregate principal amount of the old notes that were tendered by the holders of the old notes pursuant to an exchange offer and (b) July 2, 2014. We have also agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the shelf registration statement continuously effective from the date on which the shelf registration statement is declared effective by the SEC until the earlier of the expiration of the one-year period referred to in Rule 144 applicable to securities held by non-affiliates under the Securities Act and such time as all notes covered by the shelf registration statement have been sold or are freely tradable. We refer to this period as the "shelf effectiveness period."
The registration rights agreement provides that, in the event (i) the exchange offer is not consummated on or prior to July 2, 2014, (ii) the shelf registration statement, if required, is not declared effective (or does not automatically become effective) on or prior to the 90th calendar day following any shelf filing deadline, or (iii) any required shelf registration statement ceases to remain effective or becomes unusable in connection with resale for more than 30 calendar days (each such event referred to in clauses (i) through (iii) above, a "Registration Default"), the interest rate on the old notes will be increased by 1.0% per annum, until the earlier of the completion of the exchange offer or until no Registration Default is in effect, at which time the increased interest shall cease to accrue and shall be reduced to the original interest rate of the old notes.
Holders of the old notes will be required to make certain representations to us (as described in the registration rights agreement and below under "Procedures for TenderingYour Representations to Us.") in order to participate in the exchange offer and will be required to deliver information to be used in connection with the shelf registration statement and to provide comments on the shelf
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registration statement within the time periods set forth in the registration rights agreement in order to have their old notes included in the shelf registration statement.
If we effect the registered exchange offer, we will be entitled to close the registered exchange offer 20 business days after its commencement as long as we have accepted all old notes validly tendered in accordance with the terms of the exchange offer and no brokers or dealers continue to hold any old notes.
This summary of the material provisions of the registration rights agreement does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the registration rights agreement, a copy of each of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.
Except as set forth above, after consummation of the exchange offer, holders of old notes that are the subject of the exchange offer will have no registration or exchange rights under the registration rights agreement. See "Consequences of Failure to Exchange."
Terms of the Exchange Offer
Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus and in the letter of transmittal, we will accept for exchange any old notes properly tendered and not withdrawn prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date of the exchange offer. We will issue new notes in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of old notes surrendered in the exchange offer. Old notes may be tendered only for new notes and only in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
The exchange offer is not conditioned upon any minimum aggregate principal amount of old notes being tendered for exchange.
As of the date of this prospectus, $250 million in aggregate principal amount of the old notes is outstanding. This prospectus and the letter of transmittal are being sent to all registered holders of old notes. There will be no fixed record date for determining registered holders of old notes entitled to participate in the exchange offer.
We intend to conduct the exchange offer in accordance with the provisions of the registration rights agreement, the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC. Old notes that the holders thereof do not tender for exchange in the exchange offer will remain outstanding and continue to accrue interest. These old notes will continue to be entitled to the rights and benefits such holders have under the indenture relating to the notes and the registration rights agreement.
We will be deemed to have accepted for exchange properly tendered old notes when we have given oral or written notice of the acceptance to the exchange agent and complied with the applicable provisions of the registration rights agreement. The exchange agent will act as agent for the tendering holders for the purposes of receiving the new notes from us.
If you tender old notes in the exchange offer, you will not be required to pay brokerage commissions or fees or, subject to the letter of transmittal, transfer taxes with respect to the exchange of old notes. We will pay all charges and expenses, other than certain applicable taxes described below, in connection with the exchange offer. It is important that you read the section "Fees and Expenses" for more details regarding fees and expenses incurred in connection with the exchange offer.
We will return any old notes that we do not accept for exchange for any reason without expense to their tendering holder promptly after the expiration or termination of the exchange offer.
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Expiration Date
The exchange offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 17, 2014, unless, in our sole discretion, we extend it.
Extensions, Delays in Acceptance, Termination or Amendment
We expressly reserve the right, at any time or various times, to extend the period of time during which the exchange offer is open. We may delay acceptance of any old notes by giving oral or written notice of such extension to their holders at any time until the exchange offer expires or terminates. During any such extensions, all old notes previously tendered will remain subject to the exchange offer, and we may accept them for exchange.
In order to extend the exchange offer, we will notify the exchange agent orally or in writing of any extension. We will notify the registered holders of old notes of the extension no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the business day after the previously scheduled expiration date.
If any of the conditions described below under "Conditions to the Exchange Offer" have not been satisfied, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to:
by giving oral or written notice of such delay, extension or termination to the exchange agent. Subject to the terms of the registration rights agreement, we also reserve the right to amend the terms of the exchange offer in any manner.
Any such delay in acceptance, extension, termination or amendment will be followed promptly by oral or written notice thereof to the registered holders of old notes. If we amend the exchange offer in a manner that we determine to constitute a material change, we will promptly disclose such amendment by means of a prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will be distributed to the registered holders of the old notes. Depending upon the significance of the amendment and the manner of disclosure to the registered holders, we may extend the exchange offer. In the event of a material change in the exchange offer, including the waiver by us of a material condition, we will extend the exchange offer period, if necessary, so that at least five business days remain in the exchange offer period following notice of the material change.
Conditions to the Exchange Offer
We will not be required to accept for exchange, or exchange any new notes for, any old notes if the exchange offer, or the making of any exchange by a holder of old notes, would violate applicable law or any applicable interpretation of the staff of the SEC. Similarly, we may terminate the exchange offer as provided in this prospectus before accepting old notes for exchange in the event of such a potential violation.
In addition, we will not be obligated to accept for exchange the old notes of any holder that has not made to us the representations described under "Purpose and Effect of the Exchange Offer," "Procedures for Tendering" and "Plan of Distribution" and such other representations as may be reasonably necessary under applicable SEC rules, regulations or interpretations to allow us to use an appropriate form to register the new notes under the Securities Act.
We expressly reserve the right to amend or terminate the exchange offer, and to reject for exchange any old notes not previously accepted for exchange, upon the occurrence of any of the conditions to the exchange offer specified above. We will give prompt oral or written notice of any
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extension, amendment, non-acceptance or termination to the holders of the old notes as promptly as practicable.
These conditions are for our sole benefit, and we may assert them or waive them in whole or in part at any time or at various times in our sole discretion prior to the expiration of the exchange offer. If we fail at any time to exercise any of these rights, this failure will not mean that we have waived our rights. Each such right will be deemed an ongoing right that we may assert at any time or at various times prior to the expiration of the exchange offer.
In addition, we will not accept for exchange any old notes tendered, and will not issue new notes in exchange for any such old notes, if at such time any stop order has been threatened or is in effect with respect to the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part or the qualification of the indenture relating to the notes under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act").
Procedures for Tendering
In order to participate in the exchange offer, you must properly tender your old notes to the exchange agent as described below. We will only issue new notes in exchange for old notes that you timely and properly tender. Therefore, you should allow sufficient time to ensure timely delivery of the old notes, and you should follow carefully the instructions on how to tender your old notes. It is your responsibility to properly tender your old notes. We have the right to waive any defects. However, we are not required to waive defects and are not required to notify you of defects in your tender.
If you have any questions or need help in exchanging your old notes, please contact the exchange agent, whose address is as follows: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., MAC N9303-121, P.O. Box 1517, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55480. Eligible institutions may make requests by facsimile at 1-612-677-6282, Attn: Corporate Trust Operations and may confirm facsimile delivery by calling 1-800-344-5128.
All of the old notes were issued in book-entry form, and all of the old notes are currently represented by global certificates held for the account of DTC. We have confirmed with DTC that the old notes may be tendered using the ATOP procedures. The exchange agent will establish an account with DTC for purposes of the exchange offer promptly after the commencement of the exchange offer, and DTC participants may electronically transmit their acceptance of the exchange offer by causing DTC to transfer their old notes to the exchange agent using the ATOP procedures. In connection with the transfer, DTC will send an "agent's message" to the exchange agent. The agent's message will state that DTC has received instructions from the participant to tender old notes and that the participant agrees to be bound by the terms of the letter of transmittal.
By using the ATOP procedures to exchange old notes, you will not be required to deliver a letter of transmittal to the exchange agent. However, you will be bound by its terms just as if you had signed it.
There is no procedure for guaranteed late delivery of the old notes.
Determinations Under the Exchange Offer
We will determine, in our sole discretion, all questions as to the validity, form, eligibility, time of receipt, acceptance of tendered old notes and withdrawal of tendered old notes. Our determination will be final and binding. We reserve the absolute right to reject any old notes not properly tendered or any old notes our acceptance of which would, in the opinion of our counsel, be unlawful. We also reserve the right to waive any defect, irregularities or conditions of tender as to particular old notes. Our interpretation of the terms and conditions of the exchange offer, including the instructions in the letter of transmittal, will be final and binding on all parties. Unless waived, all defects or irregularities in connection with tenders of old notes must be cured within such time as we shall determine. Although
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we intend to notify holders of defects or irregularities with respect to tenders of old notes, neither we, the exchange agent nor any other person will incur any liability for failure to give such notification. Tenders of old notes will not be deemed made until such defects or irregularities have been cured or waived. Any old notes received by the exchange agent that are not properly tendered and as to which the defects or irregularities have not been cured or waived will be returned to the tendering holder, unless otherwise provided in the letter of transmittal, as soon as practicable following the expiration date or termination of the exchange offer.
When We Will Issue New Notes
In all cases, we will issue new notes for old notes that we have accepted for exchange under the exchange offer only after the exchange agent timely receives:
Return of Old Notes Not Accepted or Exchanged
If we do not accept any tendered old notes for exchange or if old notes are submitted for a greater principal amount than the holder desires to exchange, the unaccepted or non-exchanged old notes will be returned without expense to their tendering holder. Such non-exchanged old notes will be credited to an account maintained with DTC. These actions will occur as soon as practicable after the expiration or termination of the exchange offer.
Your Representations to Us
By agreeing to be bound by the letter of transmittal, you will represent to us that, among other things:
Withdrawal of Tenders
Except as otherwise provided in this prospectus, you may withdraw your tender at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date of the exchange offer. For a withdrawal to be effective, you must comply with DTC's ATOP procedures. Any notice of withdrawal must specify the name and number of the account at DTC to be credited with withdrawn old notes and otherwise comply with the procedures of DTC.
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We will determine all questions as to the validity, form, eligibility and time of receipt of notice of withdrawal. Our determination shall be final and binding on all parties. We will deem any old notes so withdrawn not to have been validly tendered for exchange for purposes of the exchange offer.
Any old notes that have been tendered for exchange but are not exchanged for any reason will be credited to an account maintained with DTC for the old notes. This crediting will take place as soon as practicable after withdrawal, rejection of tender or termination of the exchange offer. You may retender properly withdrawn old notes by following the procedures described under "Procedures for Tendering" above at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date of the exchange offer.
Fees and Expenses
We will bear the expenses of soliciting tenders. The principal solicitation is being made by mail; however, we may make additional solicitation by facsimile, telephone, electronic mail or in person by our officers and regular employees and those of our affiliates.
We have not retained any dealer-manager in connection with the exchange offer and will not make any payments to broker-dealers or others soliciting acceptances of the exchange offer. We will, however, pay the exchange agent reasonable and customary fees for its services and reimburse it for its related reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
We will pay the cash expenses to be incurred in connection with the exchange offer. They include:
Transfer Taxes
We will pay all transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the exchange of old notes under the exchange offer. The tendering holder, however, will be required to pay any transfer taxes, whether imposed on the registered holder or any other person, if a transfer tax is imposed for any reason other than the exchange of old notes under the exchange offer.
Consequences of Failure to Exchange
If you do not exchange your old notes for new notes under the exchange offer you will remain subject to the existing restrictions on transfer of the old notes. In general, you may not offer or sell the old notes unless the offer or sale is either registered under the Securities Act or exempt from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Except as required by the registration rights agreement, we do not intend to register resales of the old notes under the Securities Act.
Accounting Treatment
We will record the new notes in our accounting records at the same carrying value as the old notes. This carrying value is the aggregate principal amount of the old notes less any bond discount, as reflected in our accounting records on the date of exchange. Accordingly, we will not recognize any gain or loss for accounting purposes in connection with the exchange offer.
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Other
Participation in the exchange offer is voluntary and you should carefully consider whether to accept. You are urged to consult your financial and tax advisors in making your own decision on what action to take.
We may in the future seek to acquire untendered old notes in open market or privately-negotiated transactions, through subsequent exchange offers or otherwise. We have no present plans to acquire any old notes that are not tendered in the exchange offer or to file a registration statement to permit resales of any untendered old notes.
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table presents the ratios of earnings to fixed charges of the Partnership for the periods indicated. For purposes of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of income from continuing operations before adjustment for equity income from equity method investees plus fixed charges and distributed earnings from investees accounted for under the equity method. Fixed charges consist of interest expense and fees associated with our revolving credit facility, interest expense on the old notes and the 2020 Senior Notes, amortization of deferred financing costs (including the original issue discounts associated with the old notes and the 2020 Senior Notes), and an estimated interest component of our rent expense.
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Legacy Reserves LP | ||||||||||||||||||
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Year Ended December 31, | |
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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 |
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2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges |
13.61X | (1) | 1.61X | 4.53X | 4.04X | 1.31X |
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The exchange offer is intended to satisfy our obligations under the registration rights agreement. We will not receive any proceeds from the issuance of the new notes in the exchange offer. In consideration for issuing the new notes as contemplated by this prospectus, we will receive old notes in a like principal amount. The form and terms of the new notes are identical in all respects to the form and terms of the old notes, except the new notes will be registered under the Securities Act and will not contain restrictions on transfer, registration rights or provisions for additional interest. Old notes surrendered in exchange for the new notes will be retired and cancelled and will not be reissued. Accordingly, the issuance of the new notes will not result in any change in outstanding indebtedness.
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You can find the definitions of certain terms used in this description under the subheading "Certain Definitions." In this description, the term "Company," "us," "our" or "we" refers only to Legacy Reserves LP and not to any of its subsidiaries, the term "Finance Corp." refers to Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation and the term "Issuers" refers to the Company and Finance Corp. References to the "notes" in this section of the prospectus include both the old notes issued in May 2013 and the new notes, unless the context otherwise requires.
The new notes will be and the old notes were issued under an indenture dated as of May 28, 2013, among the Issuers, the Guarantors and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee. The terms of the notes include those stated in the indenture and those made part of the indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act").
The following description is a summary of the material provisions of the indenture and the notes. It does not restate those instruments in their entirety. We urge you to read the indenture and the notes because they, and not this description, define the rights of holders of the notes.
The registered holder of a note will be treated as the owner of it for all purposes. Only registered holders will have rights under the indenture, and all references to "Holders" in this description are to registered holders of notes.
If the exchange offer is consummated, Holders of old notes who do not exchange their notes for new notes will vote together with the Holders of the new notes for all relevant purposes under the indenture. In that regard, the indenture requires that certain actions by the Holders under the indenture (including acceleration after an Event of Default) must be taken, and certain rights must be exercised, by specified minimum percentages of the aggregate principal amount of all notes issued under the indenture. In determining whether Holders of the requisite percentage in principal amount have given any notice, consent or waiver or taken any other action permitted under the indenture, any old notes that remain outstanding after the exchange offer will be aggregated with the new notes, and the Holders of any old notes and the new notes will vote together as a single series for all such purposes. Accordingly, all references in this "Description of Notes" to specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes mean, at any time after the exchange offer for the old notes is consummated, such percentage in aggregate principal amount of such notes and the new notes then outstanding.
Brief Description of the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees
The Notes. Like the old notes, the new notes will:
The Subsidiary Guarantees. The notes are currently guaranteed by all of the Company's Subsidiaries (other than Finance Corp.) that guarantee borrowings under the Credit Agreement, which provides the Company with a senior secured revolving credit facility.
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Each guarantee of the new notes, like each guarantee of the old notes, will:
As of September 30, 2013, the Company and the Guarantors had:
The indenture permits the Issuers and the Guarantors to incur additional Indebtedness, including additional secured Senior Debt.
All of our existing Subsidiaries (other than Finance Corp.) guarantee the notes. Under the circumstances described below under the subheading "Certain CovenantsAdditional Subsidiary Guarantees," in the future one or more of our newly created or acquired Subsidiaries may not guarantee the notes. In the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization of any non-guarantor Subsidiaries, the non-guarantor Subsidiaries will pay current outstanding obligations to the holders of their debt and their trade creditors before they will be able to distribute any of their assets to us or any Guarantor.
Currently, all of our Subsidiaries are "Restricted Subsidiaries." However, under the circumstances described below under the subheading "Certain CovenantsDesignation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries," we may designate certain of our Subsidiaries as "Unrestricted Subsidiaries." Our Unrestricted Subsidiaries will not be subject to many of the restrictive covenants in the indenture. Our Unrestricted Subsidiaries will not guarantee the notes.
Principal, Maturity and Interest
The Issuers have issued $250 million aggregate principal amount of notes. In addition to the new notes offered hereby, the Issuers may issue additional notes from time to time. Any offering of additional notes is subject to the covenant described below under the caption "Certain CovenantsIncurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock." The old notes and any additional notes subsequently issued under the indenture, together with the new notes, will be treated as a single class for all purposes under the indenture, including, without limitation, for waivers, amendments, redemptions and offers to purchase. The Issuers may issue notes only in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000. The notes will mature on December 1, 2021.
Interest on the new notes accrues at the rate of 6.625% per annum, and is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1, commencing on June 1, 2014. The Issuers will make each interest payment to the Holders of record on May 15 and November 15 immediately preceding each interest payment date.
Interest on the new notes will accrue from December 1, 2013 or, if interest has already been paid, from the date it was most recently paid. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months.
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Methods of Receiving Payments on the Notes
If a Holder has given wire transfer instructions to the Issuers, the Issuers will pay all principal, interest and premium, if any, on that Holder's notes in accordance with those instructions. All other payments on the notes will be made at the office or agency of the paying agent and registrar within the City and State of New York unless the Issuers elect to make interest payments by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses set forth in the register of Holders.
Paying Agent and Registrar for the Notes
The trustee is acting as paying agent and registrar. The Company may change the paying agent or registrar without prior notice to the Holders, and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as paying agent or registrar.
Transfer and Exchange
A Holder may transfer or exchange notes in accordance with the indenture. The registrar and the trustee may require a Holder to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents in connection with a transfer of notes. No service charge will be imposed by the Issuers, the trustee or the registrar for any registration of transfer or exchange of notes, but Holders will be required to pay all taxes due on transfer. The Issuers are not required to transfer or exchange any note selected for redemption. Also, the Issuers are not required to transfer or exchange any note for a period of 15 days before a selection of notes to be redeemed.
Subsidiary Guarantees
All of our existing Subsidiaries, excluding Finance Corp., have guaranteed the notes on a senior unsecured basis. Subsidiaries of the Company created or acquired after the date of the indenture will be required to guarantee the notes under the circumstances described under "Certain CovenantsAdditional Subsidiary Guarantees." These Subsidiary Guarantees will be joint and several obligations of the Guarantors. The obligations of each Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee will be limited as necessary to prevent that Subsidiary Guarantee from constituting a fraudulent conveyance under applicable law, although this limitation may not be effective to prevent the Subsidiary Guarantees from being voided in bankruptcy. See "Risk FactorsRisks Relating to the Notes and Our Other IndebtednessA subsidiary guarantee could be voided if it constitutes a fraudulent transfer under U.S. bankruptcy or similar state law, which would prevent the holders of the notes from relying on that subsidiary to satisfy claims."
A Guarantor may not sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets to, or consolidate with or merge with or into (whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving Person), another Person, other than the Company or another Guarantor, unless:
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The Subsidiary Guarantee of a Guarantor will be released:
See "Repurchase at the Option of HoldersAsset Sales."
Optional Redemption
At any time prior to June 1, 2016, the Issuers may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes issued under the indenture, at a redemption price of 106.625% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on an interest payment date that is on or prior to the redemption date), with the net cash proceeds of one or more Equity Offerings by the Company, provided that:
On and after June 1, 2017, the Issuers may redeem all or a part of the notes, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the notes to be redeemed to the applicable redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on an interest payment date that is on or
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prior to the redemption date), if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on June 1 of the years indicated below:
Year
|
Percentages | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 |
103.313 | % | ||
2018 |
101.656 | % | ||
2019 and thereafter |
100.000 | % |
Prior to June 1, 2017, the Issuers may redeem all or part of the notes, at a redemption price equal to the sum of:
plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on an interest payment date that is on or prior to the redemption date).
Selection and Notice
If less than all of the notes are to be redeemed at any time, the trustee will select notes for redemption as follows:
No notes of $2,000 or less can be redeemed in part. Notices of optional redemption will be sent at least 30 but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of notes to be redeemed at its registered address, except that optional redemption notices may be sent more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the notes or a satisfaction and discharge of the indenture. Notices of redemption may not be conditional, except that any redemption pursuant to the first paragraph under this "Optional Redemption" section, may, at the Company's discretion, be subject to completion of the related Equity Offering.
If any note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to that note will state the portion of the principal amount of that note that is to be redeemed. A new note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original note will be issued in the name of the Holder upon cancellation of the original note.
Unless a redemption is conditional upon the completion of a related Equity Offering, notes called for redemption become due on the date fixed for redemption, and at the redemption price. On and after the redemption date, interest ceases to accrue on notes or portions of them called for redemption.
Mandatory Redemption
Except as set forth below under "Repurchase at the Option of Holders," neither of the Issuers is required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the notes or to repurchase the notes at the option of the Holders.
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Repurchase at the Option of Holders
Change of Control
If a Change of Control occurs, unless the Issuers have previously or concurrently exercised their right to redeem all of the notes as described under "Optional Redemption," each Holder will have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000) of that Holder's notes pursuant to a cash tender offer (the "Change of Control Offer") on the terms set forth in the indenture. In the Change of Control Offer, the Company will offer a payment in cash ("Change of Control Payment") equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of notes repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the notes repurchased, to the date of purchase (the "Change of Control Purchase Date"), subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on an interest payment date that is on or prior to the Change of Control Purchase Date. Within 30 days following any Change of Control, unless the Issuers have previously or concurrently exercised their right to redeem all of the notes as described under "Optional Redemption," the Company will send a notice to each Holder and the trustee describing the transaction or transactions that constitute the Change of Control and offering to repurchase notes properly tendered prior to the expiration date specified in the notice, which date will be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is sent, pursuant to the procedures required by the indenture and described in such notice.
The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the notes as a result of a Change of Control. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control provisions of the indenture, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the Change of Control provisions of the indenture by virtue of such compliance.
Promptly following the expiration of the Change of Control Offer, the Company will, to the extent lawful, accept for payment all notes or portions of notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer. Promptly after such acceptance, the Company will, on the Change of Control Purchase Date:
The paying agent will promptly mail to each Holder of notes properly tendered the Change of Control Payment for such notes (or, if all the notes are then in global form, make such payment through the facilities of DTC), and the trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each Holder a new note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the notes surrendered, if any; provided, however, that each new note will be in a principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000. The Company will publicly announce the results of the Change of Control Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Change of Control Purchase Date.
The Credit Agreement provides that certain change of control events with respect to the Company would constitute an event of default thereunder, entitling the lenders, among other things, to accelerate the maturity of all Indebtedness outstanding thereunder. Any future credit agreements or other agreements relating to Indebtedness to which the Company or any Guarantor becomes a party may contain similar restrictions and provisions. The indenture will provide that, prior to complying with any
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of the provisions of this "Change of Control" covenant, but in any event no later than the Change of Control Purchase Date, the Company or any Guarantor must either repay all of its other outstanding Senior Debt or obtain the requisite consents, if any, under all agreements governing such Senior Debt to permit the repurchase of notes required by this covenant.
The provisions described above that require the Company to make a Change of Control Offer following a Change of Control will be applicable whether or not any other provisions of the indenture are applicable. Except as described above with respect to a Change of Control, the indenture will not contain provisions that permit the Holders to require that the Company repurchase or redeem the notes in the event of a takeover, recapitalization or similar transaction.
The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the time and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in the indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under the Change of Control Offer.
A Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, and conditioned upon the occurrence of the Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time of making the Change of Control Offer.
The definition of Change of Control includes a phrase relating to the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of "all or substantially all" of the properties or assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole. Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase "substantially all," there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, the ability of a Holder to require the Company to repurchase its notes as a result of a sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of less than all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole to another Person or group may be uncertain.
In the event that Holders of not less than 90% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes accept a Change of Control Offer and the Company (or the third party making the Change of Control Offer in lieu of the Company as described above) purchases all of the notes held by such Holders, the Issuers will have the right, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days' prior notice, given not more than 30 days following the purchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer described above, to redeem all of the notes that remain outstanding following such purchase at a redemption price equal to the Change of Control Payment plus, to the extent not included in the Change of Control Payment, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the notes that remain outstanding, to the date of redemption (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on an interest payment date that is on or prior to the redemption date).
Asset Sales
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, consummate an Asset Sale unless:
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Within 360 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from an Asset Sale, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company may apply those Net Proceeds at its option to any combination of the following:
The requirement of clause (2) or (3) of the preceding paragraph shall be deemed to be satisfied if a bona fide binding contract committing to make the investment, acquisition or expenditure referred to therein is entered into by the Company (or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company) with a Person other than an Affiliate of the Company within the time period specified in the preceding paragraph and such Net Proceeds are subsequently applied in accordance with such contract within the later of six months following the date such contract is entered into and 360 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from such Asset Sale.
Pending the final application of any Net Proceeds, the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may invest the Net Proceeds in any manner that is not prohibited by the indenture. Any Net Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not applied or invested as provided in the second or third paragraph of this covenant will constitute "Excess Proceeds."
When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $20.0 million, within ten Business Days thereof, the Company will make an offer (an "Asset Sale Offer") to all Holders and all holders of other Indebtedness that is pari passu with the notes containing provisions similar to those set forth in the indenture with respect to offers to purchase or redeem with the proceeds of sales of assets, offering to purchase or redeem on a pro rata basis the maximum principal amount of notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness that may be purchased or redeemed out of the Excess Proceeds. The offer price in any Asset Sale Offer will be equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase or redemption, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on an interest payment date that is on or prior to the date of purchase, and will be payable in cash. If any Excess Proceeds remain after consummation of an Asset
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Sale Offer, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company may use those Excess Proceeds for any purpose not otherwise prohibited by the indenture. If the aggregate principal amount of notes accepted for payment in such Asset Sale Offer exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds allocated to the purchase of notes, the trustee will select the notes to be purchased on a pro rata basis (or, in the case of notes issued in global form, based on such method as DTC or its successor may require). Upon completion of each Asset Sale Offer, the amount of Excess Proceeds will be reset at zero.
The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with each repurchase of notes pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the "Asset Sales" provisions of the indenture, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the "Asset Sales" provisions of the indenture by virtue of such compliance.
The Credit Agreement contains, and future agreements may contain, prohibitions of certain events, including events that would constitute an Asset Sale. The exercise by the Holders of their right to require the Company to purchase the notes upon an Asset Sale could cause a default under these other agreements, even if the Asset Sale itself does not, due to the financial effect of such repurchases on the Company. If an Asset Sale occurs at a time when the Company is prohibited from purchasing notes, the Company could seek the consent of its senior lenders to the purchase of notes or could attempt to refinance the borrowings that contain such prohibition. If the Company does not obtain a consent or repay those borrowings, the Company will remain prohibited from purchasing notes. In that case, the Company's failure to purchase tendered notes would constitute an Event of Default under the indenture, which could, in turn, constitute a default under the other indebtedness.
Certain Covenants
Restricted Payments
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
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unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such Restricted Payment, no Default (except a Reporting Default) or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would occur as a consequence of such Restricted Payment and either:
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The preceding provisions will not prohibit:
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The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) will be the fair market value, on the date of the Restricted Payment, of the Restricted Investment proposed to be made or the asset(s) or securities proposed to be transferred or issued by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment, except that the fair market value of any non-cash dividend or distribution paid within 60 days after the date of its declaration shall be determined as of such date. The fair market value of any Restricted Investment, assets or securities that are required to be valued by this covenant will be determined in accordance with the definition of that term. For purposes of determining compliance with this "Restricted Payments" covenant, (x) in the event that a Restricted Payment meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Restricted Payments described in the preceding clauses (1) through (10) of this covenant, or is permitted pursuant to the first paragraph of this covenant, the Company will be permitted to classify (or later classify or reclassify in whole or in part in its sole discretion) such Restricted Payment (or portion thereof) on the date made or later reclassify such Restricted Payment (or portion thereof) in any manner that complies with this covenant; and (y) in the event a Restricted Payment is made pursuant to clause (1) or (2) of the first paragraph of this covenant, the Company will be permitted to classify whether all or any portion thereof is being (and in the absence of such classification shall be deemed to have classified the minimum amount possible as having been) made with Incremental Funds.
Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable, contingently or otherwise, with respect to (collectively, "incur") any Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt); the Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, issue any Disqualified Stock; and the Company will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to issue any other preferred securities; provided, however, that the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) or issue Disqualified Stock, and any of the Company's Restricted Subsidiaries may issue other preferred securities, if, for the Company's most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Stock or other preferred securities are issued, the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio would have been at least 2.25 to 1.0, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds
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therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred or Disqualified Stock or other preferred securities had been issued, as the case may be, at the beginning of such four-quarter period.
The first paragraph of this covenant will not prohibit the incurrence of any of the following items of Indebtedness or the issuance of any Disqualified Stock described in clause (15) below (collectively, "Permitted Debt") or the issuance of any preferred securities described in clause (11) below:
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in each case, to constitute an incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, that was not permitted by this clause (6);
will be deemed, in each case, to constitute an issuance of such preferred securities by such Restricted Subsidiary that was not permitted by this clause (11);
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The Company will not incur, and will not permit any Guarantor to incur, any Indebtedness (including Permitted Debt) that is contractually subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company or such Guarantor unless such Indebtedness is also contractually subordinated in right of payment to the notes or the applicable Subsidiary Guarantee on substantially identical terms; provided, however, that no Indebtedness will be deemed to be contractually subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor solely by virtue of being unsecured or by virtue of being secured on a junior priority basis.
For purposes of determining compliance with this "Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock" covenant, in the event that an item of Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Permitted Debt described in clauses (1) through (16) above, or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to the first paragraph of this covenant, the Company will be permitted to divide, classify, redivide and reclassify such item of Indebtedness on the date of its incurrence, or later divide, classify, redivide or reclassify all or a portion of such item of Indebtedness, in any manner that complies with this covenant. Any Indebtedness outstanding under Credit Facilities on the date of the indenture shall be considered incurred on such date under the first paragraph of this covenant.
The accrual of interest, the accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the payment of interest on any Indebtedness in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms, and the payment of dividends on Disqualified Stock in the form of additional securities of the same class of Disqualified Stock will not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness or an issuance of Disqualified Stock for purposes of this covenant, provided, in each such case, that the amount thereof is included in Fixed Charges of the Company as accrued. Further, the accounting reclassification of any obligation of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as Indebtedness will not be deemed an incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this covenant.
Liens
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any Lien of any kind (other than Permitted Liens) securing Indebtedness or Attributable Debt upon any of their property or assets, now owned or hereafter acquired, unless the notes or any Subsidiary Guarantee of such Restricted Subsidiary, as applicable, is secured on an equal and ratable basis with (or on a senior basis to, in the case of obligations subordinated in right of payment to the notes or such Subsidiary Guarantee, as the case may be) the obligations so secured until such time as such obligations are no longer secured by a Lien.
Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to:
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However, the preceding restrictions will not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:
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Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets
Neither of the Issuers may, directly or indirectly: (1) consolidate or merge with or into another Person (whether or not such Issuer is the survivor); or (2) sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets in one or more related transactions, to another Person, unless:
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Notwithstanding the restrictions described in the foregoing clause (4), any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company (other than Finance Corp.) may consolidate with, merge into or dispose of all or part of its properties and assets to the Company without complying with the preceding clause (4) in connection with any such consolidation, merger or disposition.
Notwithstanding the second preceding paragraph, the Company may reorganize as any other form of entity in accordance with the following procedures provided that:
Upon any consolidation or merger or any sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of an Issuer in accordance with the foregoing in which such Issuer is not the surviving entity, the surviving Person formed by such consolidation or into or with which such Issuer is merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition is made will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, such Issuer under the indenture with the same effect as if such surviving
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Person had been named as such Issuer in the indenture, and thereafter (except in the case of a lease of all or substantially all of such Issuer's properties or assets), such Issuer will be relieved of all obligations and covenants under the indenture and the notes.
Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase "substantially all," there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, in certain circumstances there may be a degree of uncertainty as to whether a particular transaction would involve "all or substantially all" of the properties or assets of a Person.
Transactions with Affiliates
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any property or assets from, or enter into or make or amend any transaction, contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or guarantee with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate of the Company (each, an "Affiliate Transaction"), unless:
The following items will not be deemed to be Affiliate Transactions and, therefore, will not be subject to the provisions of the prior paragraph:
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Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries
The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary if that designation would not cause a Default. If a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company is designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, the aggregate fair market value
46
of all outstanding Investments owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the Subsidiary properly designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be deemed to be either an Investment made as of the time of the designation that will reduce the amount available for Restricted Payments under the first paragraph of the covenant described above under the caption "Restricted Payments" or represent Permitted Investments, as determined by the Company. That designation will only be permitted if the Investment would be permitted at that time and if the Subsidiary of the Company so designated otherwise meets the definition of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
The Board of Directors of the Company may at any time designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, provided that such designation will be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of any outstanding Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary and such designation will only be permitted if (1) such Indebtedness is permitted under the covenant described above under the caption "Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock," calculated on a pro forma basis as if such designation had occurred at the beginning of the four-quarter reference period, and (2) no Default or Event of Default would be in existence following such designation.
Additional Subsidiary Guarantees
If, after the date of the indenture, any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is not already a Guarantor guarantees any other Indebtedness of either of the Issuers or any Guarantor in excess of a De Minimis Guaranteed Amount, or any Domestic Subsidiary, if not then a Guarantor, incurs any Indebtedness under any Credit Facility, then in either case that Subsidiary will become a Guarantor by executing a supplemental indenture and delivering it to the trustee within 20 Business Days of the date on which it guaranteed or incurred such Indebtedness, as the case may be; provided, however, that the preceding shall not apply to Subsidiaries of the Company that have properly been designated as Unrestricted Subsidiaries in accordance with the indenture for so long as they continue to constitute Unrestricted Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding the preceding, any Subsidiary Guarantee of a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that was incurred pursuant to this paragraph will be released in the circumstances described in clause (6) under "Subsidiary Guarantees."
Business Activities
The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, engage in any business other than the Oil and Gas Business, except to such extent as would not be material to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
Finance Corp. may not incur Indebtedness unless (1) the Company is a co-obligor or guarantor of such Indebtedness or (2) the net proceeds of such Indebtedness are loaned to the Company or its other Restricted Subsidiaries, used to acquire outstanding debt securities issued by the Company or used to repay Indebtedness of the Company or its other Restricted Subsidiaries as permitted under the covenant described about under the caption "Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock." Finance Corp. may not engage in any business not related directly or indirectly to obtaining money or arranging financing for the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries.
Reports
Whether or not required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, so long as any notes are outstanding, the Company will file with the Commission for public availability within the time periods specified in the Commission's rules and regulations (unless the Commission will not accept such a filing), and the Company will furnish to the trustee and, upon its prior request, to any of the Holders
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or Beneficial Owners of notes, within five Business Days of filing, or attempting to file, the same with the Commission:
The availability of the foregoing reports on the SEC's EDGAR filing system will be deemed to satisfy the foregoing delivery requirements. All such reports will be prepared in all material respects in accordance with all of the rules and regulations applicable to such reports.
If the Company has designated any of its Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries, then, to the extent material, the quarterly and annual financial information required by the preceding paragraph will include a reasonably detailed presentation, either on the face of the financial statements or in the footnotes thereto, and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries separate from the financial condition and results of operations of the Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
Any and all Defaults or Events of Default arising from a failure to furnish or file in a timely manner a report or other information required by this covenant shall be deemed cured (and the Company shall be deemed to be in compliance with this covenant) upon furnishing or filing such report or other information as contemplated by this covenant (but without regard to the date on which such report or other information is so furnished or filed); provided, that such cure shall not otherwise affect the rights of the Holders or the trustee under "Events of Default and Remedies" if the principal, premium, if any, and interest have been accelerated in accordance with the terms of the indenture and such acceleration has not been rescinded or cancelled prior to such cure.
In addition, for so long as any notes remain outstanding, the Company and the Guarantors will furnish to the Holders and Beneficial Owners of the notes and to securities analysts and prospective investors in the notes, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.
Covenant Termination
If at any time (a) 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), (b) no Default has occurred and is continuing under the indenture and (c) the Issuers have delivered to the trustee an officers' certificate certifying to the foregoing provisions of this sentence, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will no longer be subject to the provisions of the indenture described above under the caption "Repurchase at the Option of HoldersAsset Sales" and the following provisions of the indenture described above under the caption "Certain Covenants:"
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However, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will remain subject to the provisions of the indenture described above under the caption "Repurchase at the Option of HoldersChange of Control," and the following provisions of the indenture described above under the caption "Certain Covenants":
There can be no assurance that the notes will ever achieve an investment grade rating; however, upon its occurrence, the covenants listed in the first paragraph of this covenant will terminate and will not be subject to reinstatement. Consequently, once the conditions of the first paragraph of this covenant have been satisfied, the notes will be entitled to substantially reduced covenant protection.
Events of Default and Remedies
Each of the following is an Event of Default:
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and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $15.0 million or more; provided, however, that if, prior to any acceleration of the notes, (i) any such Payment Default is cured or waived, (ii) any such acceleration is rescinded, or (iii) such Indebtedness is repaid during the 60-day period commencing upon the end of any applicable grace period for such Payment Default or the occurrence of such acceleration, as the case may be, such Event of Default (but not any acceleration of the notes) caused by such Payment Default or acceleration shall be automatically rescinded, so long as such rescission does not conflict with any judgment or decree;
In the case of an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, with respect to Finance Corp., the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of its Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary of the Company, all outstanding notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding notes may declare all the notes to be due and payable immediately.
Holders may not enforce the indenture or the notes except as provided in the indenture. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding notes may direct the trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The trustee may withhold from the Holders notice of any continuing Default or Event of Default if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest, except a Default or Event of Default relating to the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the notes.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the notes then outstanding by notice to the trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the notes rescind an acceleration or waive any existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences under the indenture, if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree, except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the notes.
The Issuers will deliver to the trustee annually an officers' certificate regarding compliance with the indenture. Upon any officer of the General Partner or Finance Corp. becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, the Issuers are required to deliver to the trustee a statement specifying such Default or Event of Default.
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No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Unitholders
No director, officer, partner, employee, incorporator, manager or unitholder or other owner of Capital Stock of the Issuers or any Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Issuers or any Guarantor under the notes, the indenture or the Subsidiary Guarantees, or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of notes by accepting a note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the notes. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws.
Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
The Issuers may, at their option and at any time, elect to have all of their obligations discharged with respect to the outstanding notes and all obligations of the Guarantors discharged with respect to their Subsidiary Guarantees ("Legal Defeasance"), except for:
In addition, the Issuers may, at their option and at any time, elect to have their obligations released with respect to certain covenants that are described in the indenture ("Covenant Defeasance") and thereafter any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to the notes. In the event Covenant Defeasance occurs, certain events (not including non-payment, bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization events) described under "Events of Default and Remedies" will no longer constitute an Event of Default with respect to the notes. If the Issuers exercise either their Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance option, each Guarantor will be released and relieved of any obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee and any security for the notes (other than the trust) will be released.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance:
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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;
Amendment, Supplement and Waiver
Except as provided in the next two succeeding paragraphs, the indenture or the notes may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding notes (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, notes), and any existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of the indenture or the notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding notes (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, notes).
Without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not (with respect to any notes held by a non-consenting Holder):
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relating to the covenants described above under the caption "Repurchase at the Option of Holders");
Notwithstanding the preceding, without the consent of any Holder of notes, the Issuers, the Guarantors and the trustee may amend or supplement the indenture or the notes:
The consent of the Holders is not necessary under the indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment, supplement or waiver. After an amendment, supplement or waiver under the indenture requiring the approval of the Holders becomes effective, the Company will send to the
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Holders a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. However, the failure to give such notice, or any defect in the notice, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment, supplement or waiver.
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Beneficial Owner or Holder of any notes for or as an inducement to any consent to any waiver, supplement or amendment of any terms or provisions of the indenture or the notes, unless such consideration is offered to be paid or agreed to be paid to all Beneficial Owners and Holders which so consent in the time frame set forth in solicitation documents relating to such consent.
Satisfaction and Discharge
The indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to all notes issued thereunder (except as to surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of the notes and as otherwise specified in the indenture), when:
In addition, the Issuers must deliver an officers' certificate and an opinion of counsel to the trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.
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Concerning the Trustee
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association will serve as trustee under the indenture. Such bank is a lender under the Credit Agreement.
If the trustee becomes a creditor of an Issuer or any Guarantor, the indenture will limit its right to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property received in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee will be permitted to engage in other transactions; however, if it acquires any conflicting interest (as defined in the Trust Indenture Act) after a Default has occurred and is continuing, it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the Commission for permission to continue as trustee (if the indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act) or resign.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding notes will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the trustee, subject to certain exceptions. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the trustee will be required, in the exercise of its powers, to use the degree of care of a prudent man in the conduct of his own affairs. Subject to such provisions, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request of any Holder of notes, unless such Holder has offered to the trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.
Governing Law
The indenture, the notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
The new notes will be issued initially only in the form of one or more global notes (collectively, the "Global Notes"). The Global Notes will be deposited upon issuance with the trustee as custodian for The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), in New York, New York, and registered in the name of DTC's nominee, Cede & Co., in each case for credit to an account of a direct or indirect participant in DTC as described below. Beneficial interests in the Global Notes may be held through the Euroclear System ("Euroclear") and Clearstream Banking, S.A. ("Clearstream") (as indirect participants in DTC).
The Global Notes may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of DTC or to a successor of DTC or its nominee. Beneficial interests in the Global Notes may not be exchanged for notes in registered, certificated form ("Certificated Notes") except in the limited circumstances described below. See "Exchange of Global Notes for Certificated Notes."
In addition, transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be subject to the applicable rules and procedures of DTC and its direct or indirect participants (including, if applicable, those of Euroclear and Clearstream), which may change from time to time.
Depository Procedures
The following description of the operations and procedures of DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream are provided solely as a matter of convenience. These operations and procedures are solely within the control of the respective settlement systems and are subject to changes by them. We take no responsibility for these operations and procedures and urge investors to contact the system or their participants directly to discuss these matters.
DTC has advised us that DTC is a limited-purpose trust company created to hold securities for its participating organizations (collectively, the "Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and
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settlement of transactions in those securities between Participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of its Participants. The Participants include securities brokers and dealers (including the initial purchasers), banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. Access to DTC's system is also available to other entities such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Participant, either directly or indirectly (collectively, the "Indirect Participants"). Persons who are not Participants may beneficially own securities held by or on behalf of DTC only through the Participants or the Indirect Participants. The ownership interests in, and transfers of ownership interests in, each security held by or on behalf of DTC are recorded on the records of the Participants and Indirect Participants.
DTC has also advised us that, pursuant to procedures established by it:
Investors in the Global Notes who are Participants in DTC's system may hold their interests therein directly through DTC. Investors in the Global Notes who are not Participants may hold their interests therein indirectly through organizations (including Euroclear and Clearstream) which are Participants in such system. Euroclear and Clearstream may hold interests in the Global Notes on behalf of their participants through customers' securities accounts in their respective names on the books of their respective depositaries, which are Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V, as operator of Euroclear, and Citibank, N.A., as operator of Clearstream. All interests in a Global Note, including those held through Euroclear or Clearstream, may be subject to the procedures and requirements of DTC. Those interests held through Euroclear or Clearstream may also be subject to the procedures and requirements of such systems.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain Persons take physical delivery in definitive form of securities that they own. Consequently, the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a Global Note to such Persons will be limited to that extent. Because DTC can act only on behalf of Participants, which in turn act on behalf of the Indirect Participants, the ability of a Person having beneficial interests in a Global Note to pledge such interests to Persons that do not participate in the DTC system, or otherwise take actions in respect of such interests, may be affected by the lack of a physical certificate evidencing such interests.
Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will not have notes registered in their names, will not receive physical delivery of Certificated Notes and will not be considered the registered owners or "Holders" thereof under the indenture for any purpose.
Payments in respect of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, a Global Note registered in the name of DTC or its nominee will be payable to DTC in its capacity as the registered holder under the indenture. Under the terms of the indenture, the Issuers, the Guarantors and the trustee will treat the Persons in whose names the notes, including the Global Notes, are registered as the owners of the notes for the purpose of receiving payments and for all other purposes. Consequently, neither the Issuers, the Guarantors, the trustee nor any agent of an Issuer, a Guarantor or the trustee has or will have any responsibility or liability for:
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DTC has advised us that its current practice, at the due date of any payment in respect of securities such as the notes, is to credit the accounts of the relevant Participants with the payment on the payment date unless DTC has reason to believe that it will not receive payment on such payment date. Each relevant Participant is credited with an amount proportionate to its beneficial ownership of an interest in the principal amount of the relevant security as shown on the records of DTC. Payments by the Participants and the Indirect Participants to the beneficial owners of notes will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices and will be the responsibility of the Participants or the Indirect Participants and will not be the responsibility of DTC, the trustee, the Guarantors or the Issuers. Neither the Issuers, the Guarantors nor the trustee will be liable for any delay by DTC or any of its Participants in identifying the beneficial owners of the notes, and the Issuers, the Guarantors and the trustee may conclusively rely on and will be protected in relying on instructions from DTC or its nominee for all purposes.
Transfers between Participants in DTC will be effected in accordance with DTC's procedures, and will be settled in same-day funds, and transfers between participants in Euroclear and Clearstream will be effected in accordance with their respective rules and operating procedures.
Cross-market transfers between the Participants in DTC, on the one hand, and Euroclear or Clearstream participants, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with DTC's rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (Brussels time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the relevant Global Note in DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day funds settlement applicable to DTC. Euroclear participants and Clearstream participants may not deliver instructions directly to the depositaries for Euroclear or Clearstream.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a Holder of notes only at the direction of one or more Participants to whose account DTC has credited the interests in the Global Notes and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of the notes as to which such Participant or Participants has or have given such direction. However, if there is an Event of Default under the notes, DTC reserves the right to exchange the Global Notes for Certificated Notes, and to distribute such notes to its Participants.
Although DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream have agreed to the foregoing procedures to facilitate transfers of interests in the Global Notes among participants in DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream, they are under no obligation to perform or to continue to perform such procedures, and may discontinue such procedures at any time. None of the Issuers, the Guarantors, the trustee or any of their respective agents will have any responsibility for the performance by DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream or their respective participants or indirect participants of their respective obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations.
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Exchange of Global Notes for Certificated Notes
A Global Note is exchangeable for Certificated Notes in minimum denominations of $2,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000, if:
Beneficial interests in a Global Note may also be exchanged for Certificated Notes in the other limited circumstances permitted by the indenture. In all cases, Certificated Notes delivered in exchange for any Global Note or beneficial interests in Global Notes will be registered in the names, and issued in any approved denominations, requested by or on behalf of DTC (in accordance with its customary procedures) and will bear the restrictive legend referred to in "Notice to Investors," unless that legend is not required by the indenture.
Neither the Issuer, the Guarantors nor the trustee will be liable for any delay by DTC, its nominee or any Participant or Indirect Participant in identifying the beneficial owners of interests in Global Notes, and the Issuers, the Guarantors and the trustee may conclusively rely on, and will be protected in relying on, instructions from DTC or its nominee for all purposes, including with respect to the registration and delivery, and the respective principal amounts, of the Certificated Notes to be issued.
Exchange of Certificated Notes for Global Notes
Certificated Notes may not be exchanged for beneficial interests in any Global Note, except in the limited circumstances provided in the indenture.
Same-Day Settlement and Payment
The Issuers will make payments in respect of the notes represented by the Global Notes (including principal, premium, if any, and interest) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by DTC or its nominee. The Issuers will make all payments of principal, interest and premium, if any, with respect to Certificated Notes in the manner described above under "Methods of Receiving Payments on the Notes." The notes represented by the Global Notes are expected to be eligible to trade in DTC's Same-Day Funds Settlement System, and any permitted secondary market trading activity in such notes will, therefore, be required by DTC to be settled in immediately available funds. We expect that secondary trading in any Certificated Notes will also be settled in immediately available funds.
Because of time zone differences, the securities account of a Euroclear or Clearstream participant purchasing an interest in a Global Note from a Participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream participant, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear and Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. DTC has advised us that cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a Global Note by or through a Euroclear or Clearstream participant to a Participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC's settlement date.
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Certain Definitions
Set forth below are certain defined terms used in the indenture. Reference is made to the indenture for a full disclosure of all such terms, as well as any other capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided.
"Acquired Debt" means, with respect to any specified Person:
"Additional Assets" means:
provided, however, that any such Restricted Subsidiary described in clause (2) or (3) is primarily engaged in the Oil and Gas Business.
"Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means (without duplication), as of the date of determination,
(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 a reserve report prepared as of the end of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year, 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 year-end 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 year-end reserve report due to exploration, development or exploitation, production or other activities that would, in accordance with standard industry practice, cause such revisions;
and decreased by, as of the date of determination, the estimated discounted future net revenue attributable to:
(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 year-end reserve report; and
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(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 such year-end due to changes in geological conditions or other factors that would, in accordance with standard industry practice, cause such revisions;
in the case of the preceding clauses (i) through (iv), calculated on a pre-tax basis in accordance with SEC guidelines (utilizing the prices utilized in the Company's year-end reserve report) and estimated by the Company's petroleum engineers or any independent petroleum engineers engaged by the Company for that purpose;
(b) the capitalized costs that are attributable to oil and natural 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 unconsolidated Subsidiaries);
in each case, of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of a date no earlier than the last day of the date of the Company's most recent quarterly or annual period for which internal financial statements are available; provided that if no such appraisal has been performed, the Company shall not be required to obtain such an appraisal and only clause (d)(i) of this definition shall apply;
minus, to the extent not otherwise taken into account in the immediately preceding clause (1);
(a) minority interests;
(b) any net natural 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 clause (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.
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"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition, "control," as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise; provided, however, that beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Voting Stock of a Person will be deemed to be control by the other Person; and further, that any third Person which also beneficially owns 10% or more of the Voting Stock of a specified Person shall not be deemed to be an Affiliate of either the specified Person or the other Person merely because of such common ownership in such specified Person. For purposes of this definition, the terms "controlling," "controlled by" and "under common control with" have correlative meanings.
"Asset Sale" means:
Notwithstanding the preceding, the following items will not be deemed to be Asset Sales:
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"Asset Swap" means any substantially contemporaneous (and in any event occurring within 180 days of each other) purchase and sale or exchange of any assets or properties used or useful in the Oil and Gas Business between the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and another Person; provided that any cash received must be applied in accordance with the covenant described above under the caption "Repurchase at the Option of HoldersAsset Sales" as if the Asset Swap were an Asset Sale.
"Attributable Debt" in respect of a sale and leaseback transaction means, at the time of determination, the present value of the obligation of the lessee for net rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such sale and leaseback transaction including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended. Such present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, determined in accordance with GAAP As used in the preceding sentence, the "net rental payments" under any lease for any such period shall mean the sum of rental and other payments required to be paid with respect to such period by the lessee thereunder, excluding any amounts required to be paid by such lessee on account of maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges. In the case of any lease that is terminable by the lessee upon payment of penalty, such net rental payment shall also include the amount of such penalty, but no rent shall be considered as required to be paid under such lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so terminated.
"Available Cash" has the meaning assigned to such term in the Partnership Agreement, as in effect on the date of the indenture.
"Beneficial Owner" has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular "person" (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such "person" will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such "person" has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition. The terms "Beneficially Owns" and "Beneficially Owned" have correlative meanings.
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"Board of Directors" means:
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the applicable Person to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of such Person and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the trustee.
"Business Day" means each day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or another place of payment are authorized or required by law to close.
"Capital Lease Obligation" means, at the time any determination is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at that time be required to be capitalized on a balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.
"Capital Stock" means:
"Cash Equivalents" means:
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"Change of Control" means the occurrence of any of the following:
Notwithstanding the preceding, a conversion of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from a limited partnership, corporation, limited liability company or other form of entity to a limited liability company, corporation, limited partnership or other form of entity or an exchange of all of the outstanding Equity Interests in one form of entity for Equity Interests in another form of entity shall not constitute a Change of Control, so long as following such conversion or exchange the "persons" (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) who Beneficially Owned the Capital Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transactions continue to Beneficially Own in the aggregate more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such entity or its general partner, as applicable, or continue to Beneficially Own sufficient Equity Interests in such entity to elect a majority of its directors, managers, trustees or other persons serving in a similar capacity for such entity or its general partner, as applicable, and, in either case no "person" Beneficially Owns more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such entity or its general partner, as applicable.
"Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
"Commission" or "SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Consolidated Cash Flow" means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus, without duplication:
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in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.
"Consolidated Net Income" means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the aggregate of the net income (loss) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with GAAP and without any reduction in respect of dividends or distributions on preferred securities, provided that:
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business and any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Capital Stock of any Person will be excluded;
"Consolidated Net Working Capital" means (a) all current assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries except current assets from Hedging Contracts, less (b) all current liabilities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, except (i) current liabilities included in Indebtedness, (ii) current liabilities associated with asset retirement obligations relating to oil and gas properties and (iii) any current liabilities from Hedging Contracts, in each case as set forth in the consolidated financial statements of the Company prepared in accordance with GAAP (excluding any adjustments made pursuant to FASB ASC Topic No. 815, Derivatives and Hedging).
"continuing" means, with respect to any Default or Event of Default, that such Default or Event of Default has not been cured or waived.
"Continuing Directors" means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the General Partner who:
"Credit Agreement" means that certain Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 10, 2011, by and among the Company, as borrower, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and the other lenders from time to time party thereto, including any related notes, guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and in each case as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced from time to time.
"Credit Facilities" means one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Credit Agreement), commercial paper facilities or indentures, in each case with banks or other institutional lenders or institutional investors providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables), letters of credit or capital markets financings, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced (including refinancing with any capital markets transaction) in whole or in part from time to time.
"Customary Recourse Exceptions" means, with respect to any Non-Recourse Debt of an Unrestricted Subsidiary, exclusions from the exculpation provisions with respect to such Non-Recourse Debt for the voluntary bankruptcy of such Unrestricted Subsidiary, fraud, misapplication of cash, environmental claims, waste, willful destruction and other circumstances customarily excluded by lenders from exculpation provisions or included in separate indemnification agreements in non-recourse financings.
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"Default" means any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.
"De Minimis Guaranteed Amount" means a principal amount of Indebtedness that does not exceed $5.0 million.
"Disqualified Stock" means any Capital Stock that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for which it is exchangeable, in each case at the option of the holder of the Capital Stock), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder of the Capital Stock, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the date on which the notes mature. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, any Capital Stock that would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders of the Capital Stock have the right to require the Company to repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of a change of control or an asset sale will not constitute Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions unless such repurchase or redemption complies with the covenant described above under the caption "Certain CovenantsRestricted Payments."
"Dollar-Denominated Production Payments" means production payment obligations recorded as liabilities in accordance with GAAP, together with all undertakings and obligations in connection therewith.
"Domestic Subsidiary" means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that was formed under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States or the District of Columbia and all of whose outstanding Capital Stock is Beneficially Owned by the Company.
"Equity Interests" means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).
"Equity Offering" means any public or private sale of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) made for cash on a primary basis by the Company after the date of the indenture, provided that at any time on or after a Change of Control, any sale of Capital Stock to an Affiliate of the Company shall not be deemed an Equity Offering.
"Exchange Notes" means the notes issued in an Exchange Offer pursuant to the indenture.
"Exchange Offer" has the meaning set forth for such term in the applicable registration rights agreement.
"Existing Indebtedness" means the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, which is considered incurred under the first paragraph under the covenant entitled "Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock" and other than intercompany Indebtedness) in existence on the date of the indenture, until such amounts are repaid.
The term "fair market value" means the value that would be paid by a willing buyer to an unaffiliated willing seller in a transaction not involving distress or necessity of either party, determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company in the case of amounts of $20.0 million or more and otherwise by an officer of the General Partner.
"Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio" means with respect to any specified Person for any four-quarter reference period, the ratio of the Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for such period to the Fixed Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurs, assumes, guarantees, repays, repurchases, redeems, defeases or otherwise discharges any Indebtedness (other than ordinary working capital borrowings) or issues, repurchases or redeems
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preferred securities subsequent to the commencement of the applicable four-quarter reference period and on or prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the "Calculation Date"), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio will be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, guarantee, repayment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other discharge of Indebtedness, or such issuance, repurchase or redemption of preferred securities, and the use of the proceeds therefrom as if the same had occurred at the beginning of such period. If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the average rate in effect from the beginning of such period to the Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any interest Hedging Contract applicable to such Indebtedness, but if the remaining term of such interest Hedging Contract is less than 12 months, then such interest Hedging Contract shall only be taken into account for that portion of the period equal to the remaining term thereof). If any Indebtedness that is being given pro forma effect bears an interest rate at the option of such Person, the interest rate shall be calculated by applying such optional rate chosen by such Person. Interest on Indebtedness that may optionally be determined at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate, a eurocurrency interbank offered rate, or other rate, shall be deemed to have been based upon the rate actually chosen, or, if none, then based upon such optional rate chosen as such Person may designate.
In addition, for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio:
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"Fixed Charges" means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of:
in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.
"Foreign Subsidiary" means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that (a) is not a Domestic Subsidiary and (b) has 50% or more of its consolidated assets located outside the United States or any territory thereof.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, which are in effect from time to time.
"General Partner" means Legacy Reserves GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and its successors and permitted assigns under the Partnership Agreement as general partner of the Company or as the business entity with the ultimate authority to manage the business and operations of the Company.
The term "guarantee" means a guarantee other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, direct or indirect, in any manner including, without limitation, by way of a pledge of assets, acting as co-obligor or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof, of all or any part of any Indebtedness. When used as a verb, "guarantee" has a correlative meaning.
"Guarantors" means each of:
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and their respective successors and assigns, in each case until the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Person has been released in accordance with the provisions of the indenture.
"Hedging Contracts" means, with respect to any specified Person:
and in each case are entered into only in the normal course of business and not for speculative purposes.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a note is registered.
"Hydrocarbons" means crude oil, natural gas, casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate, distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all constituents, elements or compounds thereof and products refined or processed therefrom.
"Indebtedness" means, with respect to any specified Person, any indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent:
if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit and obligations under Hedging Contracts) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the term "Indebtedness" includes all Indebtedness of other
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Persons secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified Person (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified Person) and, to the extent not otherwise included, the guarantee by the specified Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person (including, with respect to any Production Payment, any warranties or guarantees of production or payment by such Person with respect to such Production Payment, but excluding other contractual obligations of such Person with respect to such Production Payment).
The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date will be:
"Investments" means, with respect to any Person, all direct or indirect investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms of loans (including guarantees or other obligations), advances or capital contributions (excluding (1) commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business and (2) advances to customers in the ordinary course of business that are recorded as accounts receivable on the balance sheet of the lender), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP. If the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company sells or otherwise disposes of any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary of the Company such that, after giving effect to any such sale or disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, the Company will be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition in an amount equal to the fair market value of the Equity Interests of such Restricted Subsidiary not sold or disposed of in an amount determined as provided in the final paragraph of the covenant described above under the caption "Certain CovenantsRestricted Payments." The acquisition by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company of a Person that holds an Investment in a third Person will be deemed to be an Investment made by the Company or such Subsidiary in such third Person in an amount equal to the fair market value of the Investment held by the acquired Person in such third Person on the date of any such acquisition in an amount determined as provided in the final paragraph of the covenant described above under the caption "Certain CovenantsRestricted Payments."
"Joint Venture" means any Person that is not a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company in which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries makes any Investment.
"Lien" means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) of any jurisdiction other than a precautionary financing statement respecting a lease not intended as a security agreement.
"Make Whole Premium" means, with respect to a note at any time, the excess, if any, of (a) the present value at such time of (i) the redemption price of such note at June 1, 2017 plus (ii) any required interest payments due on such note through June 1, 2017 (except for currently accrued and unpaid interest), computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points,
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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 such note.
"Moody's" means Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or any successor to the rating agency business thereof.
"Net Proceeds" means the aggregate cash proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale (including, without limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of any non-cash consideration received in any Asset Sale), net of:
"Non-Recourse Debt" means Indebtedness:
For purposes of determining compliance with the covenant described under "Certain CovenantsIncurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock" above, in the event that any Non-Recourse Debt of any of the Unrestricted Subsidiaries ceases to be Non-Recourse Debt of such Unrestricted Subsidiary, such event will be deemed to constitute an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company.
"Obligations" means any principal, premium, if any, interest (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization, whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceeding), penalties, fees, charges, expenses, indemnifications,
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reimbursement obligations, damages, guarantees, and other liabilities or amounts payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness or in respect thereto.
"Oil and Gas Business" means:
"Partnership Agreement" means the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Company, as amended and in effect on the date of the indenture and as such may be further amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
"Permitted Acquisition Indebtedness" means Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to the extent such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock was Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of any other Person existing at the time (a) such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or (b) such Person was merged or consolidated with or into the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, provided that on the date such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or the date such Person was merged or consolidated with or into the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, as applicable, either
"Permitted Business Investments" means Investments made in the ordinary course of, and of a nature that is or shall have become customary in, the Oil and Gas Business, including investments or expenditures for actively exploring for, acquiring, developing, producing, processing, gathering, marketing or transporting Hydrocarbons through agreements, transactions, interests or arrangements that permit one to share risk or costs, comply with regulatory requirements regarding local ownership or satisfy other objectives customarily achieved through the conduct of the Oil and Gas Business jointly with third parties, including without limitation:
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"Permitted Investments" means:
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"Permitted Liens" means:
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"Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to extend, refinance, renew, replace, defease or refund other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than intercompany Indebtedness), provided that:
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Notwithstanding the preceding, any Indebtedness incurred under Credit Facilities pursuant to the covenant "Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock" shall be subject only to the refinancing provision in the definition of Credit Facilities and not pursuant to the requirements set forth in the definition of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.
"Prior Issue Date" means December 4, 2012, the date of initial issuance of the Issuers' 8% Senior Notes due 2020.
"Production Payments" means, collectively, Dollar-Denominated Production Payments and Volumetric Production Payments.
"Production Payments and Reserve Sales" means the grant or transfer by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to any Person of a royalty, overriding royalty, net profits interest, production payment (whether volumetric or dollar denominated), partnership or other interest in oil and gas properties, reserves or the right to receive all or a portion of the production or the proceeds from the sale of production attributable to such properties, including any such grants or transfers pursuant to 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 Subsidiary of the Company.
"Qualifying Owners" means, collectively, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Reporting Default" means a Default described in clause (4) under "Events of Default and Remedies."
"Restricted Investment" means an Investment other than a Permitted Investment.
"Restricted Subsidiary" of a Person means any Subsidiary of the referent Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary. Notwithstanding anything in the indenture to the contrary, Finance Corp. shall be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company.
"S&P" refers to Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., or any successor to the rating agency business thereof.
"Senior Debt" means
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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding sentence, Senior Debt will not include:
For the avoidance of doubt, "Senior Debt" will not include any trade payables or taxes owed or owing by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Significant Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that would be a "significant subsidiary" as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Regulation is in effect on the date of the indenture.
"Stated Maturity" means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the original documentation governing such Indebtedness, and will not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any specified Person:
"Subsidiary Guarantee" means any guarantee by a Guarantor of the Issuers' Obligations under the indenture and on the notes.
"Treasury Rate" means the yield to maturity at the time of computation of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15(519) which has become publicly available at least two Business Days prior to the date fixed for redemption (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source of similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from the redemption date to June 1, 2017; provided, however, that if such period is not equal to the constant maturity of a United States Treasury security for which a weekly average yield is given, the Company shall obtain the Treasury Rate by linear interpolation (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth of a year) from the weekly average yields of United States Treasury securities for which such yields are given, except that if the period from the redemption date to June 1, 2017 is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year shall be used. The Company will (a) calculate the Treasury Rate on the second Business Day preceding the
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applicable redemption date and (b) prior to such redemption date file with the trustee an officers' certificate setting forth the Make Whole Premium and the Treasury Rate and showing the calculation of each in reasonable detail.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company (other than Finance Corp.) that is designated by the Board of Directors of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to a Board Resolution, but only to the extent that such Subsidiary:
All Subsidiaries of an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall also be Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
Any designation of a Subsidiary of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be evidenced to the trustee by filing with the trustee a Board Resolution giving effect to such designation and an officers' certificate certifying that such designation complied with the preceding conditions and was permitted by the covenant described above under the caption "Certain CovenantsRestricted Payments." If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet the preceding requirements as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, it will thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of the indenture and any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary will be deemed to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as of such date and, if such Indebtedness is not permitted to be incurred as of such date under the covenant described under the caption "Certain CovenantsIncurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock," the Company will be in default of such covenant.
"Volumetric Production Payments" means production payment obligations recorded as deferred revenue in accordance with GAAP, together with all related undertakings and obligations.
"Voting Stock" of any Person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person.
"Weighted Average Life to Maturity" means, when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing:
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You may transfer new notes issued under the exchange offer in exchange for the old notes if:
Each broker-dealer that receives new notes for its own account pursuant to the exchange offer in exchange for old notes that were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making or other trading activities must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such new notes. This prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of new notes received in exchange for old notes, where such old notes were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities.
If you wish to exchange new notes for your old notes in the exchange offer, you will be required to make representations to us as described in "Exchange OfferPurpose and Effect of the Exchange Offer" and "Procedures for TenderingYour Representations to Us" in this prospectus and in the letter of transmittal. In addition, if you are a broker-dealer who receives new notes for your own account in exchange for old notes that were acquired by you as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, you will be required to acknowledge that you will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale by you of such new notes.
We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of new notes by broker-dealers. New notes received by broker-dealers for their own account pursuant to the exchange offer may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions in any of the following ways:
Any such resale may be made directly to purchasers or to or through brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of commissions or concessions from any such broker-dealer or the purchasers of any such new notes.
Any broker-dealer that resells new notes that were received by it for its own account pursuant to the exchange offer in exchange for old notes that were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making or other trading activities may be deemed to be an "underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act. The letter of transmittal states that by acknowledging that it will deliver and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an "underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act. We agreed to permit the use of this prospectus for a period of up to 180 days after the completion of the exchange offer by such broker-dealers to satisfy this prospectus delivery requirement. Furthermore, we agree to amend or supplement this prospectus during such
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period, if so requested, in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of any new notes by broker-dealers.
We have agreed to pay all expenses incident to the exchange offer other than fees and expenses of counsel to the holders and brokerage commissions and transfer taxes, if any, and will indemnify the holders of the old notes (including any broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to the exchange of old notes for new notes, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. The discussion is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, Treasury Regulations, Internal Revenue Service rulings and pronouncements and judicial decisions now in effect, all of which may be subject to change at any time by legislative, judicial or administrative action. These changes may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect a holder of new notes. We cannot assure you that the Internal Revenue Service will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described in this discussion, and we have not obtained, nor do we intend to obtain, a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of counsel with respect to the U.S. federal tax consequences described herein. Some holders, including financial institutions, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar or persons who hold the notes as part of a hedge, conversion transaction, straddle or other risk reduction transaction may be subject to special rules not discussed below.
We recommend that each holder consult his own tax advisor as to the particular tax consequences of exchanging such holder's old notes for new notes, including the applicability and effect of any foreign, state, local or other tax laws or estate or gift tax considerations.
The exchange of old notes for new notes will not be an exchange or otherwise a taxable event to a holder for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, a holder will not recognize gain or loss upon receipt of a new note in exchange for an old note in the exchange, and the holder's basis and holding period in the new note will be the same as its basis and holding period in the corresponding old note immediately before the exchange.
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The validity of the new notes offered in this exchange offer will be passed on by Andrews Kurth LLP, Houston, Texas.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The consolidated financial statements of Legacy Reserves LP as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012 and the statements of revenues and direct operating expenses of the COG 2012 Acquisition Properties for the year ended December 31, 2011 and the nine months ended September 30, 2012 incorporated by reference in this prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
Information about our estimated net proved reserves and the future net cash flows attributable to the oil and natural gas reserves of Legacy Reserves LP as of December 31, 2012 contained in Legacy Reserves LP's annual report for the year ended December 31, 2012 filed on Form 10-K and included or incorporated herein by reference was prepared by LaRoche Petroleum Consultants, Ltd., an independent reserve engineer and geological firm. These estimates are included or incorporated herein in reliance upon the authority of such firms as experts in these matters.
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to Tender
Outstanding Unregistered 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021
of
LEGACY RESERVES LP
LEGACY RESERVES FINANCE CORPORATION
Pursuant to the Exchange Offer and Prospectus dated February 14, 2013
THE EXCHANGE OFFER AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON MARCH 17, 2014 (THE "EXPIRATION DATE"), UNLESS THE EXCHANGE OFFER IS EXTENDED BY THE ISSUERS (AS DEFINED BELOW).
The
Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offer is:
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
By Registered or Certified Mail: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. MAC N9303-121 P.O. Box 1517 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55480 Attn: Corporate Trust Operations |
By Overnight Delivery: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. MAC N9303-121 6th & Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 Attn: Corporate Trust Operations |
By Hand Delivery: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. 608 2nd Avenue South Northstar East Building12th Floor Minneapolis, Minnesota Attn: Corporate Trust Operations |
FACSIMILE
TRANSMISSION: 1-612-667-6282
CONFIRM BY TELEPHONE: 1-800-344-5128
If you wish to exchange currently outstanding unregistered 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021 ("old notes") for an equal aggregate principal amount at maturity of registered 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021 ("new notes") pursuant to the exchange offer, you must validly tender (and not withdraw) old notes to the Exchange Agent prior to the Expiration Date.
The undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of the prospectus, dated February 14, 2013 (the "Prospectus"), of Legacy Reserves LP and Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation (collectively, the "Issuers"), and this letter of transmittal (the "Letter of Transmittal"), which together describe the Issuers' offer (the "Exchange Offer") to exchange the old notes for a like principal amount of the new notes that have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the respective meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
The Issuers reserve the right, at any time or from time to time, to extend the Exchange Offer at their discretion, in which event the term "Expiration Date" shall mean the latest date to which the Exchange Offer is extended. The Issuers shall notify the Exchange Agent and each registered holder of the old notes of any extension by oral or written notice prior to 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day after the previously scheduled Expiration Date.
This Letter of Transmittal is to be used by holders of the old notes. Tender of old notes is to be made according to the Automated Tender Offer Program ("ATOP"), of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Exchange OfferProcedures for Tendering." DTC participants that are accepting the Exchange Offer must transmit their acceptance to DTC, which will verify the acceptance and execute a book-entry delivery to the Exchange Agent's DTC account. DTC will then send a computer-generated message known as an "agent's message" to the Exchange Agent for its acceptance. For you to validly tender your old notes in the
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Exchange Offer, the Exchange Agent must receive, prior to the Expiration Date, an agent's message under the ATOP procedures that confirms that:
BY USING THE ATOP PROCEDURES TO TENDER OLD NOTES, YOU WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO DELIVER THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT. HOWEVER, YOU WILL BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS, AND YOU WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE MADE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES IT CONTAINS, JUST AS IF YOU HAD SIGNED IT.
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PLEASE READ THE ACCOMPANYING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
(1) By tendering old notes in the Exchange Offer, you acknowledge receipt of the Prospectus and this Letter of Transmittal.
(2) By tendering old notes in the Exchange Offer, you represent and warrant that you have full authority to tender the old notes described above and will, upon request, execute and deliver any additional documents deemed by the Issuers to be necessary or desirable to complete the tender of old notes.
(3) You understand that the tender of the old notes pursuant to all of the procedures set forth in the Prospectus will constitute an agreement between the undersigned and the Issuers as to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
(4) By tendering old notes in the Exchange Offer, you acknowledge that the Exchange Offer is being made in reliance upon interpretations contained in no-action letters issued to third parties by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including Exxon Capital Holdings Corp., SEC No-Action Letter (available May 13, 1988), Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., SEC No-Action Letter (available June 5, 1991) and Shearman & Sterling, SEC No-Action Letter (available July 2, 1993), that the new notes issued in exchange for the old notes pursuant to the Exchange Offer may be offered for resale, resold and otherwise transferred by holders thereof without compliance with the registration and prospectus delivery provisions of the Securities Act (other than a broker-dealer who purchased old notes exchanged for such new notes directly from the Issuers to resell pursuant to Rule 144A or any other available exemption under the Securities Act, and any such holder that is an "affiliate" of the Issuers within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act), provided that such new notes are acquired in the ordinary course of such holders' business and such holders are not participating in, and have no arrangement with any other person to participate in, the distribution of such new notes.
(5) By tendering old notes in the Exchange Offer, you hereby represent and warrant that:
You may, if you are unable to make all of the representations and warranties contained in Item 5 above and as otherwise permitted in the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined below), elect to have your old notes registered in the shelf registration statement described in the registration rights agreement, dated as of May 28, 2013 (the "Registration Rights Agreement"), by and among the Issuers, the initial guarantors party thereto and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, UBS
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Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the Initial Purchasers (as defined therein). Such election may be made by notifying the Issuers in writing at 303 W. Wall Street, Suite 1800, Midland, TX 79701, Attention: Dan G. LeRoy. By making such election, you agree, as a holder of old notes participating in a shelf registration, to indemnify and hold harmless the Issuers, the guarantors, and their respective directors, each of the officers of the Issuers and the guarantors who signs such shelf registration statement, and each person who controls the Issuers or any of the guarantors, within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the respective officers, directors, partners, employees, representatives and agents of each such person, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any shelf registration statement or prospectus, or in any supplement thereto or amendment thereof, or caused by the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; but only with respect to information relating to the undersigned furnished in writing by or on behalf of the undersigned expressly for use in a shelf registration statement, a prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto. Any such indemnification shall be governed by the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, including, without limitation, the provisions regarding notice, retention of counsel, contribution and payment of expenses set forth therein. The above summary of the indemnification provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement is not intended to be exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by the Registration Rights Agreement.
(6) If you are a broker-dealer that will receive new notes for your own account in exchange for old notes that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, you acknowledge, by tendering old notes in the Exchange Offer, that you will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such new notes; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, you will not be deemed to admit that you are an "underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act.
(7) If you are a broker-dealer and old notes held for your own account were not acquired as a result of market-making or other trading activities, such old notes cannot be exchanged pursuant to the Exchange Offer.
(8) Any of your obligations hereunder shall be binding upon your successors, assigns, executors, administrators, trustees in bankruptcy and legal and personal representatives.
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INSTRUCTIONS
FORMING PART OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EXCHANGE OFFER
Any confirmation of a book-entry transfer to the Exchange Agent's account at DTC of old notes tendered by book-entry transfer (a "Book-Entry Confirmation"), as well as an agent's message and any other documents required by this Letter of Transmittal, must be received by the Exchange Agent at its address set forth herein prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Expiration Date.
Tenders of old notes will be accepted only in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The entire principal amount of old notes delivered to the Exchange Agent will be deemed to have been tendered unless otherwise communicated to the Exchange Agent. If the entire principal amount of all old notes is not tendered, then old notes for the principal amount of old notes not tendered and new notes issued in exchange for any old notes accepted will be delivered to the holder via the facilities of DTC promptly after the old notes are accepted for exchange.
All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt), acceptance and withdrawal of tendered old notes will be determined by the Issuers, in their sole discretion, which determination will be final and binding. The Issuers reserve the absolute right to reject any or all tenders not in proper form or the acceptance for exchange of which may, in the opinion of counsel for the Issuers, be unlawful. The Issuers also reserve the absolute right to waive any of the conditions of the Exchange Offer or any defect or irregularity in the tender of any old notes. The Issuers' interpretation of the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer (including the instructions on this Letter of Transmittal) will be final and binding on all parties. Unless waived, any defects or irregularities in connection with tenders of old notes must be cured within such time as the Issuers shall determine. Although the Issuers intend to notify holders of defects or irregularities with respect to tenders of old notes, neither the Issuers, the Exchange Agent nor any other person shall be under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in tenders or incur any liability for failure to give such notification. Tenders of old notes will not be deemed to have been made until such defects or irregularities have been cured or waived. Any old notes received by the Exchange Agent that are not properly tendered and as to which the defects or irregularities have not been cured or waived will be returned by the Exchange Agent to the tendering holders, unless otherwise provided in this Letter of Transmittal, as soon as practicable following the Expiration Date.
Requests for assistance or for additional copies of the Prospectus or this Letter of Transmittal may be directed to the Exchange Agent at the address or telephone number set forth on the cover page of this Letter of Transmittal. Holders may also contact their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offer.
Tenders may be withdrawn only pursuant to the limited withdrawal rights set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Exchange OfferWithdrawal of Tenders."
There is no procedure for guarantee of late delivery in the Exchange Offer.
Dealer Prospectus Delivery Obligation
Until May 16, 2014, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in the offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers' obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.